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.

321. Ben-Hur

Ben-Hur
Action History Adventure Drama Epic Action
5.7
20162h 5minUnited States
Director: Timur Bekmambetov

Overview

A falsely accused nobleman survives years of slavery to take vengeance on his best friend who betrayed him.

Themes

Betrayal and loyalty, Power and governance, Slavery and freedom, Public spectacle and competition, Vengeance and reconciliation, Religion under empire

Available on

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

322. Anthropoid

Anthropoid
History Thriller War Historical Event World War II
7.2
20162hCzechia, France
Director: Sean Ellis

Overview

In December 1941, Czech soldiers Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš parachute into their occupied homeland to assassinate Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich.

Themes

Occupation pressure, Betrayal loyalty, Covert action consequences, Tactical planning danger, Resistance risk, Civilian cost

Available on

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

323. Genius

Genius
History Drama Biographical History Entertainment Industry Drama
6.5
20161h 44minUnited Kingdom, United States
Director: Michael Grandage

Overview

New York in the 1920s. Max Perkins, a literary editor is the first to sign such subsequent literary greats as Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald. When a sprawling, chaotic 1,000-page manuscript by an unknown writer falls into his hands, Perkins is convinced he has discovered a literary genius.

Themes

Romantic entanglements, Publication pressure, Mentorship and ambition, Editorial influence, Creative rivalry, Solitude and independence

Available on

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

324. All the Way

All the Way
Drama History TV Movie Historical Drama Political History
7.2
20162h 12minUnited States
Director: Jay Roach

Overview

Lyndon B. Johnson's amazing 11-month journey from taking office after JFK's assassination, through the fight to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act and his own presidential campaign, culminating on the night LBJ is actually elected to the office – no longer the 'accidental President.'

Themes

Civil rights act pressure, War on poverty pursuit, Party fracture dynamics, Southern opposition risk, Election campaigning consequences, Scandal and loyalty questions

Available on

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

325. Fanny's Journey

Fanny's Journey
Drama History
7.0
20161h 34min
Director: Lola Doillon

Overview

Fanny is a Jewish girl in a French orphanage in 1943. When she and her friends are no longer safe from the Nazis, they try to flee to Switzerland. After their guide disappears, Fanny has to take the lead and help the other kids make it over the mountains.


326. Love, Lies

Love, Lies
Romance Drama History
6.9
20162h
Director: Park Heung-sik

Overview

Two best friends, So-yool and Yeon-hee, dream of becoming the top artists in Seoul together. But their friendship doesn't last long as Yoon-woo, So-yool's first love and songwriter, falls in love with Yeon-hee and her voice. So-yool's feeling of jealousy and inferiority towards Yeon-hee grows by the day, and she eventually makes a drastic decision to bring the two lovers down.


327. The Man Who Knew Infinity

The Man Who Knew Infinity
Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
7.2
20161h 48minUnited Kingdom, United States
Director: Matt Brown

Overview

Growing up poor in Madras, India, Srinivasa Ramanujan Iyengar earns admittance to Cambridge University during WWI, where he becomes a pioneer in mathematical theories with the guidance of his professor, G.H. Hardy.

Themes

Mentorship under pressure, Economic hardship drives perseverance, Immigrant scholar integration, Racial prejudice in academia, Illness shapes work, Long-distance correspondence

Available on

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

328. Elvis & Nixon

Elvis & Nixon
Drama Comedy History Historical Drama Biographical History
6.3
20161h 26minUnited States
Director: Liza Johnson

Overview

In 1970, a few days before Christmas, Elvis Presley showed up on the White House lawn seeking to be deputized into the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs by the President himself.

Themes

Image politics through perception, Celebrity influence shaping optics, Political optics govern image, Countercultural tension under scrutiny, Youth engagement via spectacle, Performer's confinement underscores power

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video Free with Ads
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

329. Eddie the Eagle

Eddie the Eagle
Comedy Drama History Adventure Underdog Sports
7.3
20161h 46minUnited Kingdom, United States
Director: Dexter Fletcher

Overview

The feel-good story of Michael 'Eddie' Edwards, an unlikely but courageous British ski-jumper who never stopped believing in himself—even as an entire nation was counting him out. With the help of a rebellious and charismatic coach, Eddie takes on the establishment and wins the hearts of sports fans around the world by making an improbable and historic showing at the 1988 Calgary Winter Olympics.

Themes

Underdog perseverance, Self-trained breakthrough, Institutional resistance to outsiders, Unorthodox coaching methods, National pride and recognition, Time pressure to qualify

Available on

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

330. Race

Race
Drama History Historical Drama
7.1
20162h 14minCanada, Germany
Director: Stephen Hopkins

Overview

Based on the story of Jesse Owens, the athlete whose quest to become the greatest track and field athlete in history thrusts him onto the world stage of the 1936 Olympics, where he faces off against Adolf Hitler's vision of Aryan supremacy.

Themes

Ambition under scrutiny, Sport as political stage, Mentorship and upward mobility, Achievement under segregation, Racial discrimination limits opportunities, Public recognition vs privacy

Available on

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