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.

Maria Montessori

1. Maria Montessori

Drama History
6.7
20231h 40min

Overview

Set in 1900, Lili d’Alengy, a Parisian cocotte at the height of her fame, flees Paris to hide her “idiot” daughter. There she meets Maria Montessori, who is pioneering a teaching method that may help the child.


Rustin

2. Rustin

Drama History Historical Event Political Drama
6.5
20231h 48min

Overview

Activist Bayard Rustin faces racism and homophobia as he helps change the course of Civil Rights history by orchestrating the 1963 March on Washington.

Themes

Homophobia and stigma, Racial discrimination in politics, Leadership isolation and loyalty, Strategic mobilization, Nonviolent protest discipline, Activist personal risk

Available on

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

The Commander

3. The Commander

War History Drama
6.6
20232h

Overview

One dark night during the early phases of WWII, the Italian Royal Navy submarine Cappellini sinks an armed merchant ship sailing with lights out. At that moment, its commander Salvatore Todaro makes a decision that was destined to go down in history: to save the 26 shipwrecked Belgians who otherwise would have drowned in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean and disembark them at the nearest safe harbor. To make room for them on board his submarine, he is forced to navigate on the surface of the water for three days, visible to the enemy forces and endangering his life and that of his men.


There's Still Tomorrow

4. There's Still Tomorrow

Drama Comedy History Historical Drama Awkward Comedy
7.7
20231h 58min

Overview

In postwar Rome, a working-class woman dreams of a better future for herself and her daughter while facing abuse at the hands of her domineering husband. When a mysterious letter arrives, she discovers the courage to change the circumstances of her life.

Themes

Abusive husband dynamics, Women empowerment, Voting as agency, 1940s social upheaval, Post-war italy, Economic sacrifice and ambition

Available on

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

Killers of the Flower Moon

5. Killers of the Flower Moon

Crime History Drama Historical Event Detective Mystery Crime
7.5
20233h 26min

Overview

When oil is discovered in 1920s Oklahoma under Osage Nation land, the Osage people are murdered one by one—until the FBI steps in to unravel the mystery.

Themes

Investigative pressure, Guardianship exploitation, Greed and murder, Wealth extraction through manipulation, Systemic racism and exploitation, Courtroom manipulation

Available on

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

NYAD

6. NYAD

Drama History Historical Drama
7.1
20232h

Overview

Athlete Diana Nyad sets out at 60 to achieve a nearly impossible lifelong dream: to swim from Cuba to Florida across more than 100 miles of open ocean.

Themes

Aging as obstacle, Public doubt pressure, Trauma resurfaces memory, Team dynamics under strain, Trauma memory informs drive, Perseverance amid failures

Available on

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

The Peasants

7. The Peasants

Animation History Drama
7.6
20231h 55min

Overview

Peasant girl Jagna is forced to marry the much older, wealthy farmer Boryna, despite her love for his son Antek. With time, Jagna becomes the object of envy and disdain with the villagers and she must fight to preserve her independence.


The Burial

8. The Burial

Drama History Legal Drama Historical Event
7.1
20232h 6min

Overview

When a handshake deal goes sour, funeral home owner Jeremiah O'Keefe enlists charismatic, smooth-talking attorney Willie E. Gary to save his family business. Tempers flare and laughter ensues as the unlikely pair bond while exposing corporate corruption and racial injustice.

Themes

Racial injustice, Corporate greed, Legal power dynamics, Minority exploitation, Regulatory scrutiny, Ethics versus profit

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.

The Great Escaper

9. The Great Escaper

History Drama War
7.0
20231h 36min

Overview

In the summer of 2014, a World War II veteran sneaks out of his care home to attend the 70th anniversary commemoration of the D-Day landings in Normandy.


The Promised Land

10. The Promised Land

Action Drama History Historical Drama Epic Action
7.7
20232h 7min

Overview

Denmark, 1755. Captain Ludvig Kahlen sets out to conquer a Danish heath reputed to be uncultivable, with an impossible goal: to establish a colony in the name of the king, in exchange for a royal title. A single-minded ambition that the ruthless lord of the region will relentlessly seek to put down. Kahlen's fate hangs in the balance: will his endevours bring him wealth and honour, or cost him his life...?

Themes

Labor exploitation, Land ownership conflict, Colonial ambition, Legal bans and enforcement, Upheaval of settlers, Betrayal and power shifts

Available on

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