Historical Event backdrop

Historical Event movies

Stories centered on a specific real-world event or crisis, tracking cause, consequence, and human cost.

The Zone of Interest

1. The Zone of Interest

Drama History War Historical Event Historical Drama
7.3
20231h 45min

Overview

The commandant of Auschwitz, Rudolf Höss, and his wife Hedwig, strive to build a dream life for their family in a house and garden next to the camp.

Themes

Moral complicity, Domestic life near atrocity, Material status vs ethics, Bureaucracy and mass violence, Technocratic killing efficiency, Deception and withholding

Available on

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

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.

Killers of the Flower Moon

3. 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.

The Burial

4. 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 Promised Land

5. 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.

Dumb Money

6. Dumb Money

History Comedy Drama Historical Event Satire
6.8
20231h 45min

Overview

Vlogger Keith Gill sinks his life savings into GameStop stock and posts about it. When social media starts blowing up, so do his life and the lives of everyone following him. As a stock tip becomes a movement, everyone gets rich—until the billionaires fight back, and both sides find their worlds turned upside down.

Themes

Social media influence, Short squeeze dynamics, Online investor activism, Media influence on markets, Retail vs institutions

Available on

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

Tetris

7. Tetris

Thriller History Drama Historical Event Political Thriller
7.4
20231h 58min

Overview

In 1988, American video game salesman Henk Rogers discovers the video game Tetris. When he sets out to bring the game to the world, he enters a dangerous web of lies and corruption behind the Iron Curtain.

Themes

Lies and corruption, Ethical ambiguity under pressure, Political pressure and coercion, International dealmaking under threat, Loyalty and friendship across borders, Rights licensing struggle

Available on

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

Mixed by Erry

8. Mixed by Erry

Comedy History Music Satire Historical Event
7.1
20231h 53min

Overview

The rise and fall of the pirate mixtape empire of three brothers from Naples, Italy, during the '80s.

Themes

Family dynamics under pressure, Illegal markets under scrutiny, Illicit entrepreneurship through piracy, Risk and reward through crime, Copyright infringement consequences, Enforcement pressure and asset seizure

Available on

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

True Spirit

9. True Spirit

Adventure Drama History Maritime Adventure Coming-of-Age Drama
6.8
20231h 49min

Overview

When the tenacious young sailor Jessica Watson sets out to be the youngest person to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around the world, many expect her to fail. With the support of her sailing coach and mentor Ben Bryant and her parents, Jessica is determined to accomplish what was thought to be impossible, navigating some of the world’s most challenging stretches of ocean over the course of 210 days.

Themes

Based on true story, Solo endurance under pressure, Sailing trip, Public scrutiny and doubt, Loneliness and perseverance, Risk management and decision making

Available on

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

Emancipation

10. Emancipation

Drama War History Historical Drama 19th Century Wars
6.3
20222h 12min

Overview

Inspired by the gripping true story of a man who would do anything for his family—and for freedom. When Peter, an enslaved man, risks his life to escape and return to his family, he embarks on a perilous journey of love and endurance.

Themes

Escape from slavery, Slavery and memory, Endurance within slavery, Slavery and resilience, Slavery under duress, Slavery labor dynamics

Available on

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