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.

The Apprentice

1. The Apprentice

History Drama Biographical History Psychological Drama
7.1
20242h 2min

Overview

A young Donald Trump, eager to make his name as a hungry scion of a wealthy family in 1970s New York, comes under the spell of Roy Cohn, the cutthroat attorney who would help create the Donald Trump we know today. Cohn sees in Trump the perfect protégé—someone with raw ambition, a hunger for success, and a willingness to do whatever it takes to win.

Themes

Real estate ambition, Power through mentor protégé relationship, Blackmail and bribery, Tax abatement politics, Discrimination and exploitation, Surveillance via wiretapping

Available on

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

I Am Nevenka

2. I Am Nevenka

Drama History
7.3
20241h 57min

Overview

In the year 2000, Nevenka Fernández, 24 years old, Councilor for Finance in the Ponferrada City Council, suffered relentless persecution, both sentimental and professional, by the mayor, a man accustomed to doing his will politically and personally. She never decides to report, although she knows that she will have to pay a very high price: her environment does not support her, the society of Ponferrada turns its back on her and the media subjects her to a public trial. A story inspired by real events that turns its protagonist into a pioneer by taking an influential and popular politician to court for sexual and workplace harassment for the first time.


I'm Still Here

3. I'm Still Here

Drama History Historical Drama
8.2
20242h 18min

Overview

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.

Lee

4. Lee

History Drama War Biographical History World War II
6.9
20241h 57min

Overview

The true story of photographer Elizabeth "Lee" Miller, a fashion model who became an acclaimed war correspondent for Vogue magazine during World War II.

Themes

Censorship of war imagery, Gendered wartime labor, Trauma and memory transmission, Professional ethics in conflict photography, Bearing witness under danger, Archival recovery and legacy

Available on

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

Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat

5. Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat

Documentary History Music
7.8
20242h 30min

Overview

Jazz and decolonization are intertwined in a powerful narrative that recounts one of the tensest episodes of the Cold War.


The Girl with the Needle

6. The Girl with the Needle

Drama History Historical Drama Social History
7.5
20242h 3min

Overview

Struggling to survive in post-WWI Copenhagen, a newly unemployed and pregnant young woman is taken in by a charismatic elder to help run an underground adoption agency. The two form an unexpected bond, until a sudden discovery changes everything.

Themes

Coercive manipulation, Female solidarity under pressure, Underground adoption networks, Postwar precarity, Trauma and dependency, Exploitation of motherhood

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Fandango At Home
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Reagan

7. Reagan

History Drama
6.1
20242h 21min

Overview

Told through the voice of former KGB agent Viktor Petrovich, whose life becomes inextricably linked with Ronald Reagan's when Reagan first caught the Soviets’ attention as an actor in Hollywood, Reagan overcomes the odds to become the 40th president of the United States.


Waves

8. Waves

Thriller Drama History
7.8
20242h 11min

Overview

At the end of the 1960s, when the air is filled with rock-and-roll and student rebellions are changing the world, the older of two brothers joins a prestigious newsroom of the public radio broadcaster. Not long after, he finds himself in the middle of a dangerous conflict between journalists and the secret service.


Being Maria

9. Being Maria

History Drama
6.1
20241h 40min

Overview

A young, struggling actress lands her dream role in a film by an emerging Italian director, starring alongside an American superstar. What begins as her big breakthrough quickly turns into a living hell.


Young Woman and the Sea

10. Young Woman and the Sea

History Drama Biographical History Sports Biography
7.5
20242h 9min

Overview

This is the extraordinary true story of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to successfully swim the English Channel. Through the steadfast support of her older sister and supportive trainers, she overcame adversity and the animosity of a patriarchal society to rise through the ranks of the Olympic swimming team and complete the 21-mile trek from France to England.

Themes

Mentorship under pressure, Gender bias in sport, 1920s gender norms, Female athletic perseverance, Sponsorship and legitimacy, Breaking barriers in sport

Available on

Disney Plus
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.