History backdrop

History movies

Period pieces that transport you back in time, recreating the events and figures that shaped our past.

Subgenres include: Historical Event, Biographical History, Political History.

I Swear

1. I Swear

Drama History
8.4

20252h 1min

United Kingdom, Ireland

Director: Kirk Jones

Diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at 15, John Davidson navigates his way against the odds through troubled teenage years and into adulthood, finding inspiration in the kindness of others to discover his true purpose in life.


Hamilton

2. Hamilton

History Drama
8.3

20252h 40min

United States

Director: Thomas Kail

Presenting the tale of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, this filmed version of the original Broadway smash hit is the story of America then, told by America now.


Hamnet

3. Hamnet

Drama Romance History
8.1

20252h 6min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Chloé Zhao

The powerful story of love and loss that inspired the creation of Shakespeare's timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.


I'm Still Here

4. I'm Still Here

Drama History Historical Drama
8.2

20242h 18min

Brazil, France

Director: Walter Salles

A woman married to a former politician during the 1971 military dictatorship in Brazil is forced to reinvent herself and chart a new course for her family after a violent and arbitrary act.

Themes

Secrecy versus exposure, Political repression under dictatorship, Maternal resilience under pressure, Intergenerational legacy of trauma, Memory as public duty, Pursuit of accountability and reparations

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Oppenheimer

5. Oppenheimer

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
8.3

20233h 1min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Christopher Nolan

The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.

Themes

Patriotism amid top secret project, Loyalty tests under red scare, Scientific ambition within manhattan project secrecy, Private life under public gaze, Moral dilemma of atomic bomb, Political scrutiny through hearings

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Society of the Snow

6. Society of the Snow

Drama History Historical Drama Historical Event
7.8

20232h 23min

Spain, United States

Director: J. A. Bayona

Stranded on a frozen Andean glacier with no rescue in sight, a shattered rugby team watches food, warmth, and hope disappear. As the ice closes in and death counts rise, they push their bodies, their faith, and their humanity to the edge in a brutal fight to claw their way out.

Themes

Faith guiding endurance, Brotherhood under crisis, Team identity under pressure, Survival ethics and duty, Cooperation from sport background, Mutual aid in isolation

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Farha

7. Farha

Drama History War
8.0

20211h 32min

Jordan, Sweden

Director: Darin J. Sallam

Palestine, 1948. After the withdrawal of the British occupiers, tensions rise between Arabs and Jews. Meanwhile, Farha, the smart daughter of the mayor of a small village, unaware of the coming tragedy, dreams of going to study in the big city.


Quo Vadis, Aida?

8. Quo Vadis, Aida?

War Drama History Modern Conflicts Historical Drama
8.0

20211h 44min

Austria, Bosnia & Herzegovina

Director: Jasmila Žbanić

Bosnia, July 1995. Aida is a translator for the UN in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of citizens looking for shelter in the UN camp. As an insider to the negotiations Aida has access to crucial information that she needs to interpret. What is at the horizon for her family and people – rescue or death? Which move should she take?

Themes

Survival under duress, Genocide memory, Translator as information conduit, Human costs of conflict, 1990s context, Bosnian war tension

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Dara of Jasenovac

9. Dara of Jasenovac

Drama History War
8.1

20202h 10min

Serbia

Director: Predrag Antonijević

During the Nazi-occupied Ustasha regime "NDH" in former Yugoslavia during WWII, little girl Dara is sent to the concentration camp complex Jasenovac in Croatia also known as "Balkan's Auschwitz".


1917

10. 1917

War History Drama Action World War I
8.2

20191h 59min

United States, United Kingdom

Director: Sam Mendes

At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers.

Themes

Duty under fire, Resilience under hardship, Time pressure, Comradeship under peril, Survival under risk, Uncertainty of command

Available on

Netflix
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.