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.

Viceroy's House

441. Viceroy's House

Drama History Historical Drama Political History
6.7

20171h 46min

India, United Kingdom

Director: Gurinder Chadha

In 1947, Lord Mountbatten assumes the post of last Viceroy, charged with handing India back to its people, living upstairs at the house which was the home of British rulers, whilst 500 Hindu, Muslim and Sikh servants lived downstairs.

Themes

Independence pressure, Colonial india, Religious conflict, Mass displacement, Interfaith love, Partition of india

Available on

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

The Young Karl Marx

442. The Young Karl Marx

History Drama Biographical History Historical Drama
6.6

20171h 58min

Belgium, France

Director: Raoul Peck

26 year-old Karl Marx embarks with his wife, Jenny, on the road to exile. In 1844 in Paris, he meets Friedrich Engels, an industrialist’s son, who has been investigating the sordid birth of the British working class. Engels, the dandy, provides the last piece of the puzzle to the young Karl Marx’s new vision of the world. Together, between censorship and the police’s repression, riots and political upheavals, they will lead the labor movement during its development into a modern era.

Themes

Class inequality, Exile and censorship, Labor movement formation, Industrial capitalism critique, Revolutionary strategy, Accessible political theory

Available on

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

First They Killed My Father

443. First They Killed My Father

War Drama History Vietnam War Historical Drama
7.2

20172h 16min

United States

Director: Angelina Jolie

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
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Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

To Walk Invisible

444. To Walk Invisible

Drama History
7.4

20162h

Director: Sally Wainwright

To Walk Invisible takes a new look at the extraordinary Brontë family, telling the story of these remarkable women who, despite the obstacles they faced, came from obscurity to produce some of the greatest novels in the English language.


Silence

445. Silence

Drama History Historical Drama Historical Event
7.2

20162h 41min

Mexico, Taiwan

Director: Martin Scorsese

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.

Patriots Day

446. Patriots Day

Action Crime Drama History Thriller
7.3

20162h 13min

Director: Peter Berg

In the aftermath of an unspeakable act of terror, Police Sergeant Tommy Saunders joins courageous survivors, first responders and investigators in a race against the clock to hunt down the Boston Marathon bombers before they strike again.


Hidden Figures

447. Hidden Figures

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
7.8

20162h 7min

United States

Director: Theodore Melfi

The untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson – brilliant African-American women working at NASA and serving as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history – the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

Themes

Merit versus bias in evaluation, Racial and gender segregation, Access to education and training, Credit and authorship disputes, Barriers to advancement, Perseverance under systemic pressure

Available on

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

The Promise

448. The Promise

History Romance Drama Historical Event Passionate Romance
6.1

20162h 13min

Spain, United States

Director: Terry George

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.

A United Kingdom

449. A United Kingdom

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
6.9

20161h 51min

Czechia, France

Director: Amma Asante

The inspiring true story of Seretse Khama, the King of Bechuanaland (modern Botswana), and Ruth Williams, the London office worker he married in 1948 in the face of fierce opposition from their families and the British and South African governments. Seretse and Ruth defied family, Apartheid and empire - their love triumphed over every obstacle flung in their path and in so doing they transformed their nation and inspired the world.

Themes

Colonial pressure dynamics, Interracial marriage politics, Local resource ownership, Racial policy instability, Independence negotiation tension, Royal legitimacy conflict

Available on

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

The Founder

450. The Founder

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
7.2

20161h 55min

Greece, United States

Director: John Lee Hancock

The true story of how Ray Kroc, a salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers’ speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. He maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.

Themes

Ambition through expansion, Power via real estate, Outsider takeover via acquisition, Debt-driven growth through leverage, Franchising vs ownership, Trust erosion through negotiation

Available on

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