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.

When the Last Sword Is Drawn

531. When the Last Sword Is Drawn

Action Drama History Historical Drama Epic Action
7.4

20032h 17min

Japan

Director: Yojiro Takita

Kanichiro Yoshimura is a Samurai and Family man who can no longer support his wife and children on the the low pay he receives from his small town clan, he is forced by the love for his family to leave for the city in search of higher pay to support them.

Themes

Loyalty to clan and family, Economic precarity and duty, Memory-guided decisions, Loyalty vs family tensions, Migration for higher pay, Upheaval-era dynamics


Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

532. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Comedy Crime Drama Romance Thriller
7.0

20021h 53min

Germany, United Kingdom

Director: George Clooney

Television made him famous, but his biggest hits happened off screen. Television producer by day, CIA assassin by night, Chuck Barris was recruited by the CIA at the height of his TV career and trained to become a covert operative. Or so Barris said.

Themes

Television producer ambition, Double life tension, Mole risk, Show business pressure, Assassination fame, Secret agent risk

Available on

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

Antwone Fisher

533. Antwone Fisher

Drama History Romance Psychological Drama
7.3

20022h

United States

Director: Denzel Washington

A sailor prone to violent outbursts is sent to a naval psychiatrist for help. Refusing at first to open up, the young man eventually breaks down and reveals a horrific childhood. Through the guidance of his doctor, he confronts his painful past and begins a quest to find the family he never knew.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Search for belonging, Care system tensions, Identity through family ties, Guidance versus resistance, Healing through confrontation

Available on

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

Gangs of New York

534. Gangs of New York

Drama History Crime Historical Drama Social History
7.5

20022h 48min

United States, Italy

Director: Martin Scorsese

In early 1860s New York, Irish immigrant Amsterdam Vallon is released from prison and returns to the Five Points, seeking revenge against his father's killer, William Cutting, a powerful anti-immigrant gang leader. He knows that revenge can only be attained by infiltrating Cutting's inner circle. Vallon's journey becomes a fight for personal survival and to find a place for the Irish people.

Themes

Immigrant identity and belonging, Class disparity in urban politics, Corruption and political manipulation, Factional loyalty and betrayal, Violence and crowd dynamics, Power and legitimacy in street networks

Available on

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

The Magdalene Sisters

535. The Magdalene Sisters

Drama History Historical Drama Social History
7.7

20021h 59min

Ireland, United Kingdom

Director: Peter Mullan

Three young Irish women struggle to maintain their spirits while they endure dehumanizing abuse as inmates of a Magdalene Sisters Asylum.

Themes

Institutional abuse, Unmarried motherhood stigma, Religious authority control, Women's rights under pressure, Gendered punishment stigma, Resilience under oppression

Available on

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

Hero

536. Hero

Drama Adventure Action History Historical Event
7.9

20021h 39min

Hong Kong SAR China, China

Director: Zhang Yimou

During China's Warring States period, a district prefect arrives at the palace of Qin Shi Huang, claiming to have killed the three assassins who had made an attempt on the king's life three years ago.

Themes

Duty vs desire, Loyalty under manipulation, Legitimacy through violence, Patriotism vs personal loyalty, Public spectacle of power

Available on

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

K-19: The Widowmaker

537. K-19: The Widowmaker

Drama History Thriller Mystery War
6.7

20022h 18min

Canada, Germany

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

When Russia's first nuclear submarine malfunctions on its maiden voyage, the crew must race to save the ship and prevent a nuclear disaster.

Themes

Duty under pressure, Leadership under scrutiny, Secrecy and accountability, Risk and responsibility, Technological hazard management, Collective resilience under threat

Available on

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

The Importance of Being Earnest

538. The Importance of Being Earnest

Comedy Drama History Romance Romantic Comedy
6.8

20021h 37min

France, United Kingdom

Director: Oliver Parker

Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England use the same pseudonym ('Ernest') on the sly, which is fine until they both fall in love with women using that name, which leads to a comedy of mistaken identities.

Themes

Gendered expectations, Deception and disguise fake identity, Class and reputation country estate, Social propriety constraints, Marriage gatekeeping, Lineage and status

Available on

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

We Were Soldiers

539. We Were Soldiers

Action History War Vietnam War Military Action
7.2

20022h 18min

Germany, United States

Director: Randall Wallace

The story of the first major battle of the American phase of the Vietnam War and the soldiers on both sides that fought it.

Themes

Duty on battlefield, Death toll awareness, Comradeship amid combat, Carpet bombing impact, Epic battle endurance, Military discipline under threat

Available on

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

Amen.

540. Amen.

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
7.2

20022h 12min

France, Germany

Director: Costa-Gavras

Kurt Gerstein—a member of the Institute for Hygiene of the Waffen-SS—is appalled to discover that a poison gas he helped discover is being used to kill Jews. Driven by his conscience to alert the rest of the world, Gerstein teams up with a young Jesuit priest, Riccardo Fontana, but their protestations fall on deaf ears in the Vatican.

Themes

Conscience versus authority, Concentration camp repression, Doctor complicity under pressure, Vatican restraint, Yellow badge visibility, Pope appeal and silence

Available on

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