Political Drama backdrop

Political Drama movies

Power and policy drama: influence, ideology, corruption, negotiation, and compromise inside institutions.

The Double

1. The Double

Action Drama Crime Spy Action Political Drama
5.9
20111h 38min

Overview

The mysterious murder of a US senator bearing the distinctive trademark of the legendary Soviet assassin 'Cassius', forces retired CIA operative, Paul Shepherson to team with rookie FBI agent, Ben Geary to solve the crime. Having spent his career chasing Cassius, Shepherdson is convinced his nemesis is long dead, but is pushed to take on the case by his former supervisor, Tom Highland. Geary, who wrote his Master's thesis on Shepherdson's pursuit of the Soviet killer, is certain that Cassius has resurfaced.

Themes

Surveillance and misdirection, Deception and allegiance, Double agent, Legacy of espionage, Mysterious murder, Dual identities and loyalty

Available on

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

The Names of Love

2. The Names of Love

Drama Comedy Romance Romantic Comedy Satire
7.1
20101h 40min

Overview

Bahia Benmahmoud, a free-spirited young woman, has a particular way of seeing political engagement, as she doesn't hesitate to sleep with those who don't agree with her to convert them to her cause - which is a lot of people, as all right-leaning people are concerned. Generally, it works pretty well. Until the day she meets Arthur Martin, a discreet forty-something who doesn't like taking risks. She imagines that with a name like that, he's got to be slightly fascist. But names are deceitful and appearances deceiving.

Themes

Oppositional politics tension, Political persuasion ethics, Appearances deceive in activism, Risk and partnership dynamics, Romantic manipulation, Societal gaze on activism

Available on

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

The Whistleblower

3. The Whistleblower

Drama Thriller Crime Political Thriller Political Drama
7.1
20101h 52min

Overview

Nebraska cop Kathryn Bolkovac discovers a deadly sex trafficking ring while serving as a U.N. peacekeeper in post-war Bosnia. Risking her own life to save the lives of others, she uncovers an international conspiracy that is determined to stop her, no matter the cost.

Themes

Institutional corruption, International power dynamics, Whistleblower risk, Accountability vs immunity, Gender-based exploitation, Victims' testimony

Available on

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

Lebanon

4. Lebanon

Drama War Modern Conflicts Political Drama
6.9
20091h 33min

Overview

During the First Lebanon War in 1982, a lone tank and a paratroopers platoon are dispatched to search a hostile town.

Themes

Leadership under pressure, Claustrophobic warfare, Ethical compromises in combat, Unreliable information in battle, Physical strain of tank warfare, Moral injury in war

Available on

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

Milk

5. Milk

History Drama Biographical History Political Drama
7.5
20082h 8min

Overview

The true story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man ever elected to public office. In San Francisco in the late 1970s, Harvey Milk becomes an activist for gay rights and inspires others to join him in his fight for equal rights that should be available to all Americans.

Themes

Gay rights activism, Public service backlash, Identity in politics, Activism under scrutiny, Political coalition pressures, Urban minority visibility, Ideology vs pragmatism

Available on

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

Body of Lies

6. Body of Lies

Action Drama Thriller Spy Action Political Thriller
7.0
20082h 8min

Overview

The CIA’s hunt is on for the mastermind of a wave of terrorist attacks. Roger Ferris is the agency’s man on the ground, moving from place to place, scrambling to stay ahead of ever-shifting events. An eye in the sky – a satellite link – watches Ferris. At the other end of that real-time link is the CIA’s Ed Hoffman, strategizing events from thousands of miles away. And as Ferris nears the target, he discovers trust can be just as dangerous as it is necessary for survival.

Themes

Deception under pressure, Secrecy and exposure, Loyalty vs self-preservation, Information manipulation, Trust under cover, Authority versus autonomy

Available on

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

The Wave

7. The Wave

Drama Thriller Political Drama Mind Game Thriller
7.6
20081h 47min

Overview

A school teacher discusses types of government with his class. His students find it too boring to repeatedly go over national socialism and believe that dictatorship cannot be established in modern Germany. He starts an experiment to show how easily the masses can become manipulated.

Themes

Mass manipulation dynamics, Group conformity pressures, Education as social engineering, Ideology and authority, Discipline and obedience, Bullying and social exclusion

Available on

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

Across the Universe

8. Across the Universe

Drama Romance Fantasy Political Drama Passionate Romance
7.3
20072h 13min

Overview

When young dockworker Jude leaves Liverpool to find his estranged father in the United States, he is swept up by the waves of change that are re-shaping the nation. Jude falls in love with Lucy, who joins the growing anti-war movement. As the body count in Vietnam rises, political tensions at home spiral out of control and the star-crossed lovers find themselves in a psychedelic world gone mad.

Themes

Anti-war activism, Working-class identity, Bohemian enclave culture, Romance amid turmoil, Music as social force, Cross-cultural exchange

Available on

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

Blood Diamond

9. Blood Diamond

Drama Thriller Action Political Drama Political Thriller
8.0
20062h 23min

Overview

An ex-mercenary turned smuggler. A Mende fisherman. Amid the explosive civil war overtaking 1999 Sierra Leone, these men join for two desperate missions: recovering a rare pink diamond of immense value and rescuing the fisherman's son, conscripted as a child soldier into the brutal rebel forces ripping a swath of torture and bloodshed countrywide.

Themes

Illicit diamond trade, Mercenary complicity, Child soldier impact, War economy, Investigative journalism, Private military power

Available on

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

The Caiman

10. The Caiman

Drama Comedy Satire Political Drama
6.7
20061h 52min

Overview

Bruno Bonomo was a famous producer of B-movies in the ‘70s. After a long hiatus, Bonomo offers a screenplay to RAI centered on the figure of Italy’s prime minister and media tycoon Silvio Berlusconi, a subject so controversial that even the public television broadcaster refuses to produce it

Themes

Media influence via television, Private fortune through shell funds, Election influence through film, Domestic turmoil and separation, Political ambition and public scrutiny, Creative control vs funding pressure, Systemic corruption and legal risk

Available on

Disney Plus
Amazon Prime Video
Rakuten TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.