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 Tuskegee Airmen

771. The Tuskegee Airmen

War History Drama TV Movie
7.1

19951h 46min

United States

Director: Robert Markowitz

During the Second World War, a special project is begun by the US Army Air Corps to integrate African American pilots into the Fighter Pilot Program. Known as the "Tuskegee Airman" for the name of the airbase at which they were trained, these men were forced to constantly endure harassement, prejudice, and much behind the scenes politics until at last they were able to prove themselves in combat.


Apollo 13

772. Apollo 13

Drama History Historical Drama Historical Event
7.7

19952h 20min

United States

Director: Ron Howard

The film tells the story of the ill-fated Apollo 13 mission to the Moon, meant to be the third crewed lunar landing, but instead the crew is forced to fight for their survival and a safe return home.

Themes

Survival under pressure, Moon driven resilience, Teamwork under crisis, Disaster driven improvisation, Space rescue ethos

Available on

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

Braveheart

773. Braveheart

Action Drama History War
8.3

19952h 58min

United States

Director: Mel Gibson

Enraged at the slaughter of Murron, his new bride and childhood love, Scottish warrior William Wallace slays a platoon of the local English lord's soldiers. This leads the village to revolt and, eventually, the entire country to rise up against English rule.


Rob Roy

774. Rob Roy

Adventure History Drama Action War
6.9

19952h 19min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Michael Caton-Jones

In the highlands of Scotland in the 1700s, Rob Roy tries to lead his small town to a better future, by borrowing money from the local nobility to buy cattle to herd to market. When the money is stolen, Rob is forced into a Robin Hood lifestyle to defend his family and honour.


Land and Freedom

775. Land and Freedom

War Drama History
7.5

19951h 49min

United Kingdom, Spain

Director: Ken Loach

David Carr is a British Communist who is unemployed. In 1936, when the Spanish Civil War begins, he decides to fight for the Republican side, a coalition of liberals, communists and anarchists, so he joins the POUM militia and witnesses firsthand the betrayal of the Spanish revolution by Stalin's followers and Moscow's orders.


The Madness of King George

776. The Madness of King George

Comedy Drama History
7.2

19941h 47min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Nicholas Hytner

Aging King George III of England is exhibiting signs of madness, a problem little understood in 1788. As the monarch alternates between bouts of confusion and near-violent outbursts of temper, his hapless doctors attempt the ineffectual cures of the day. Meanwhile, Queen Charlotte and Prime Minister William Pitt the Younger attempt to prevent the king's political enemies, led by the Prince of Wales, from usurping the throne.


Farinelli

777. Farinelli

History Drama Music
6.8

19941h 51min

Italy, France

Director: Gérard Corbiau

The life and career of Italian opera singer Farinelli, considered one of the greatest castrato singers of all time.


Ed Wood

778. Ed Wood

Comedy Drama History
7.8

19942h 7min

United States

Director: Tim Burton

The mostly true story of the legendary "worst director of all time", who, with the help of his strange friends, filmed countless B-movies without ever becoming famous or successful.


Quiz Show

779. Quiz Show

History Drama
7.5

19942h 13min

United States

Director: Robert Redford

Herbert Stempel's transformation into an unexpected television personality unfolds as he secures victory on the cherished American game show, 'Twenty-One.' However, when the show introduces the highly skilled contestant Charles Van Doren to replace Stempel, it compels Stempel to let out his frustrations and call out the show as rigged. Lawyer Richard Goodwin steps in and attempts to uncover the orchestrated deception behind the scenes.


Queen Margot

780. Queen Margot

Drama History Romance
7.4

19942h 18min

France, Germany

Director: Patrice Chéreau

Paris, Kingdom of France, August 18, 1572. To avoid the outbreak of a religious war, the Catholic princess Marguerite de Valois, sister of the feeble King Charles IX, marries the Huguenot King Henry III of Navarre.