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.

1987: When the Day Comes

411. 1987: When the Day Comes

Drama History Thriller
7.7

20172h 9min

Director: Jang Joon-hwan

In January 1987, a 22-year-old college student dies during a police interrogation. Under the orders of Director Park, the police request the body to be cremated in order to destroy evidence. Public Prosecutor Choi, who was on duty on the day of the incident, denies the request and calls for an autopsy. The police maintain the lie that the death was a simple accident, resulting from shock. The autopsy results, however, point to torture as the cause of death. Yoon, a journalist following the case, reports that the death was a result of asphyxiation during torture. Director Park attempts to conceal the truth by ending the case, arresting two detectives including inspector Cho. While in prison, inspector Cho reveals the truth to prison guard Han Byung-yong, who embarks on a dangerous mission to relay the information to an opposition politician through his niece, Yeon-hee.


Hostiles

412. Hostiles

Drama Western History Adventure Historical Drama
7.2

20172h 14min

United States

Director: Scott Cooper

A legendary Native American-hating Army captain nearing retirement in 1892 is given one last assignment: to escort a Cheyenne chief and his family through dangerous territory back to his Montana reservation.

Themes

Loyalty under threat, Duty versus mercy, Old enmities resurfacing, Frontier violence and retaliation, Justice under duress, Settlement and displacement tensions

Available on

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

The Post

413. The Post

Drama History Historical Drama Political History
7.2

20171h 56min

United States, India

Director: Steven Spielberg

A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government. Inspired by true events.

Themes

Publisher pressure and journalistic independence, Public-interest journalism vs government cover-up, Newspaper ethics under legal threat, Vietnam war context shaping reporting, Pentagon papers as disclosure precedent

Available on

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

All the Money in the World

414. All the Money in the World

Crime History Thriller Kidnapping & Captivity Thriller Organized Crime
6.8

20172h 12min

Italy, United States

Director: Ridley Scott

The story of the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother to convince his billionaire grandfather Jean Paul Getty to pay the ransom.

Themes

Wealth vs custody power, Legal loopholes and taxation tactics, Ransom leverage and negotiation, Organized crime and family wealth, Parental desperation and resilience, Media pressure and public scrutiny

Available on

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

Youth

415. Youth

Drama History War
7.0

20172h 16min

Director: Feng Xiaogang

A group of performing art troupe members each face their own trials and tribulations in Chengdu; from escaping a family scandal to dealing with unrequited love, each experiences rejection that shapes their lives.


Darkest Hour

416. Darkest Hour

Drama History Historical Drama Political History
7.4

20172h 5min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Joe Wright

In May 1940, the fate of World War II hangs on Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler or fight on knowing that it could mean the end of the British Empire.

Themes

Leadership under crisis, Peace or war pressure, Public morale under scrutiny, Parliamentary brinkmanship, Evacuation as strategic lever, Isolationism and external limits

Available on

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

Breaking the Limits

417. Breaking the Limits

Drama History
7.4

20171h 50min

Director: Łukasz Palkowski

Based on true events. In 1980s Poland, Jerzy Górski is a young man who finds the determination to struggle against his drug addiction through athletic training, with the aim of competing in the US Ironman Triathlon.


The Chinese Widow

418. The Chinese Widow

Drama Romance History War
6.3

20171h 37min

Director: Bille August

It’s 1941 and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor has destroyed America’s morale. The US President Franklin D. Roosevelt then decides to risk it all by bombing Tokyo and raise more hope for his citizens. After completing its mission, a unit of the US Air Force is forced to make an emergency landing in China. Its commander Jack Turner (Emilie Hirsch) barely survives but gets rescued by Ying (Crystal Liu), a local widow who will stop at nothing to hide him from the Japanese occupant.


My Friend Dahmer

419. My Friend Dahmer

History Drama Crime Biographical History Serial Killer Crime
6.2

20171h 47min

United States

Director: Marc Meyers

Jeffrey Dahmer struggles with a difficult family life as a young boy. During his teenage years he slowly transforms, edging closer to the serial killer he was to become.

Themes

Trauma and coping, Divorce impact, High school pressures, Serial killer label, Social outcast pressures, Obsession and belonging

Available on

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

In 1950, amidst the ravages of the Korean War, Sergeant Süleyman stumbles upon a a half-frozen little girl, with no parents and no help in sight and he risks his own life to save her, smuggling her into his army base and out of harm’s way.

Themes

Foster care dynamics, Secrecy and risk, Bonding across barriers, Duty versus compassion, Protection under war, Survival under upheaval

Available on

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