Biographical History backdrop

Biographical History movies

History told through a real person’s life, focused on turning points, impact, and private tradeoffs.

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

1. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Drama History Tragic Drama Biographical History
8.0
20071h 52min

Overview

Jean-Dominique Bauby, editor-in-chief of French fashion bible Elle magazine, has a devastating stroke at age 43. The damage to his brain stem results in locked-in syndrome, with which he is almost completely paralyzed and only able to communicate by blinking an eye. Bauby painstakingly dictates his memoir via the only means of expression left to him.

Themes

Physical confinement vs cognitive agency, Memory as lifeline, Creativity under constraint, Family ties under strain, Art as survival mechanism, Perseverance of voice

Available on

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

Goya's Ghosts

2. Goya's Ghosts

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
6.9
20061h 54min

Overview

Painter Francisco Goya becomes involved with the Spanish Inquisition after his muse, Inés, is arrested by the church for heresy. Her family turns to him, hoping that his connection with fanatical Inquisitor Lorenzo, whom he is painting, can secure her release.

Themes

Abuse of power, Class tension, Religious persecution, Gender oppression, Art vs authority, Public punishment

Available on

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

The World's Fastest Indian

3. The World's Fastest Indian

Drama Adventure History Biographical History Historical Drama
7.8
20052h 7min

Overview

The life story of New Zealander Burt Munro, who spent years building a 1920 Indian motorcycle—a bike which helped him set the land-speed world record at Utah's Bonneville Salt Flats in 1967.

Themes

Persistence under constraints, Resourceful problem solving, Pursuit of dream against odds, Bureaucracy as obstacle, Risk versus practicality, Community support networks

Available on

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

A Cock and Bull Story

4. A Cock and Bull Story

Comedy History Satire Biographical History
6.7
20051h 34min

Overview

Steve Coogan, an arrogant actor with low self-esteem and a complicated love life, is playing the eponymous role in an adaptation of "The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shandy, Gentleman" being filmed at a stately home. He constantly spars with actor Rob Brydon, who is playing Uncle Toby and believes his role to be of equal importance to Coogan's.

Themes

Arrogant actor rivalry, Stately home production, Based on novel adaptation, Co-lead dynamic, Film in film layering, Ensemble collaboration pressure

Available on

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

Shattered Glass

5. Shattered Glass

Drama History Professional Drama Biographical History
7.1
20031h 34min

Overview

The true story of fraudulent Washington, D.C. journalist Stephen Glass, who rose to meteoric heights as a young writer in his 20s, becoming a staff writer at The New Republic for three years. Looking for a short cut to fame, Glass concocted sources, quotes and even entire stories, but his deception did not go unnoticed forever, and eventually, his world came crumbling down.

Themes

Deception under pressure, Credibility under scrutiny, Verification failures, Professional accountability, Popularity vs integrity, Media ethics tensions

Available on

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

Luther

6. Luther

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
6.6
20032h 3min

Overview

During the early 16th century, idealistic German monk Martin Luther, disgusted by the materialism in the church, begins the dialogue that will lead to the Protestant Reformation.

Themes

Vernacular bible emergence, Translation as accessibility, Religious reform vs tradition, Institutional power vs dissent, Leadership protection vs exile, Public debate over indulgences

Available on

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

Ned Kelly

7. Ned Kelly

Action Adventure Drama History Biographical History
6.4
20031h 50min

Overview

After getting threatened by Kelly's friends and family, Constable Fitzpatrick places the blame on Ned Kelly and exaggerates what happened. With the biggest ever award available, Kelly and his gang set into the wild, to remain hidden from everyone who seeks them. Even if it means having his family arrested, the members of the Kelly Gang stay hidden and plan a way to get their names cleared.

Themes

Betrayal and loyalty, Folk hero paradox, Colonial authority vs populace, Wealth redistribution, State violence and legitimacy, Media portrayal vs public perception

Available on

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

Gods and Generals

8. Gods and Generals

Drama History War Biographical History 19th Century Wars
6.2
20033h 39min

Overview

The film centers mostly around the personal and professional life of Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, a brilliant if eccentric Confederate general, from the outbreak of the American Civil War until its halfway point.

Themes

Battle driven leadership, Secession era loyalty, Death toll resilience, Plantation impact homefront, Union confederate duty, War's personal costs

Available on

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

Amen.

9. Amen.

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
7.2
20022h 12min

Overview

Kurt Gerstein—a member of the Institute for Hygiene of the Waffen-SS—is appalled to discover that a poison gas he helped discover is being used to kill Jews. Driven by his conscience to alert the rest of the world, Gerstein teams up with a young Jesuit priest, Riccardo Fontana, but their protestations fall on deaf ears in the Vatican.

Themes

Conscience versus authority, Concentration camp repression, Doctor complicity under pressure, Vatican restraint, Yellow badge visibility, Pope appeal and silence

Available on

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

Pollock

10. Pollock

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
7.0
20002h 12min

Overview

In August of 1949, Life Magazine ran a banner headline that begged the question: "Jackson Pollock: Is he the greatest living painter in the United States?" The film is a look back into the life of an extraordinary man, a man who has fittingly been called "an artist dedicated to concealment, a celebrity who nobody knew." As he struggled with self-doubt, engaging in a lonely tug-of-war between needing to express himself and wanting to shut the world out, Pollock began a downward spiral.

Themes

Extramarital affair consequences, Art exhibition pressure, Alcoholism and creativity, Artist biography constraints, Patron-artist power dynamics, Authenticity vs commercialism

Available on

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