Historical Event backdrop

Historical Event movies

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

Churchill

1. Churchill

Drama History Historical Event Political Drama
6.0
20171h 50min

Overview

A ticking-clock thriller following Winston Churchill in the 24 hours before D-Day.

Themes

Leadership under pressure, Timing and risk management, Fatigue and decision making, Crisis governance under uncertainty, Contingency planning under fire, High-stakes coordination and briefing

Available on

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

The Zookeeper's Wife

2. The Zookeeper's Wife

Drama History War Historical Drama World War II
7.0
20172h 6min

Overview

The account of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Jan and Antonina Zabinski, who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the Nazi invasion.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Survival under occupation, Duty under coercion, Animal sanctuary as cover, Resistance networks and sheltering, Protecting vulnerable lives

Available on

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

First They Killed My Father

3. First They Killed My Father

War Drama History Vietnam War Historical Drama
7.2
20172h 16min

Overview

A 5-year-old girl embarks on a harrowing quest for survival amid the sudden rise and terrifying reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.

Themes

Forced labor systems, Displacement and trauma, Childhood under war, Survival under repression, Propaganda and indoctrination, Family fragmentation and resilience, Memory of genocide

Available on

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

Silence

4. Silence

Drama History Historical Drama Historical Event
7.2
20162h 41min

Overview

In the 17th century, two Portuguese Jesuit priests travel to Japan in an attempt to locate their mentor, who is rumored to have committed apostasy, and to propagate Catholicism.

Themes

Betrayal and loyalty, Faith under pressure, Religious persecution under shogunate, Hidden christian communities, Name change and assimilation

Available on

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

The Promise

5. The Promise

History Romance Drama Historical Event Passionate Romance
6.1
20162h 13min

Overview

Set during the last days of the Ottoman Empire, a love triangle develops between Mikael, a brilliant medical student, the beautiful and sophisticated artist Ana, and Chris, a renowned American journalist based in Paris.

Themes

Duty versus desire, Family obligation, Collective trauma, Ethnic persecution, Displacement and refuge, Resilience under crisis

Available on

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

Hacksaw Ridge

6. Hacksaw Ridge

Drama History War Historical Event World War II
8.1
20162h 19min

Overview

WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.

Themes

Faith guiding action, Ostracism under pressure, Religious pacifism vs duty, Healing through medical work, Conscientious objection, Sacrifice and rescue

Available on

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

Sully

7. Sully

Drama History Historical Drama Historical Event
7.4
20161h 36min

Overview

On 15 January 2009, the world witnessed the 'Miracle on the Hudson' when Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger glided his disabled plane onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 souls aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and career.

Themes

Public scrutiny, Human judgment vs simulations, Duty under uncertainty, Media pressure, Image under pressure, Crisis management under review

Available on

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

Anthropoid

8. Anthropoid

History Thriller War Historical Event World War II
7.2
20162h

Overview

In December 1941, Czech soldiers Jozef Gabčík and Jan Kubiš parachute into their occupied homeland to assassinate Nazi officer Reinhard Heydrich.

Themes

Occupation pressure, Betrayal loyalty, Covert action consequences, Tactical planning danger, Resistance risk, Civilian cost

Available on

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

The Tiger

9. The Tiger

Action History Adventure Drama Historical Event
7.2
20152h 19min

Overview

In 1925 Korea, Japanese rulers demand the last remaining tiger be killed. The tiger easily defeats his pursuers until a legendary hunter takes him on.

Themes

Survival under occupation, Power through bounty, Generational responsibility, Family costs of loyalty, Duty vs restraint, Human-animal conflict

Available on

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

Land of Mine

10. Land of Mine

War Drama History World War II Historical Drama
7.8
20151h 40min

Overview

In the days following the surrender of Germany in May 1945, a group of young German prisoners of war is handed over to the Danish authorities and subsequently sent to the West Coast, where they are ordered to remove the more than two million mines that the Germans had placed in the sand along the coast. With their bare hands, crawling around in the sand, the boys are forced to perform the dangerous work under the leadership of a Danish sergeant.

Themes

Trauma and resilience, Abuse of power, Group solidarity under duress, Survival under scarcity, Military discipline vs mercy, Dehumanization under command

Available on

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