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.

War of the Arrows

561. War of the Arrows

Drama Action History
7.1

20112h 2min

Director: Kim Han-min

After the death of their father, two siblings are raised by their father's best friend. However, when one gets kidnapped just before her wedding, the other rises against the Manchus.


Ironclad

562. Ironclad

Romance Adventure Action History Adventure Epic
6.1

20112h 1min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Jonathan English

In the year 1215, the rebel barons of England have forced their despised King John to put his royal seal on the Magna Carta, a seminal document that upheld the rights of free men. Yet within months of pledging himself to the great charter, the King reneged on his word and assembled a mercenary army on the south coast of England with the intention of bringing the barons and the country back under his tyrannical rule. Barring his way stood the mighty Rochester castle, a place that would become the symbol of the rebel's momentous struggle for justice and freedom.

Themes

Betrayal and trust, Romance amid conflict, Rights and authority, Charter legitimacy, Siege resilience, Church versus crown, Loyalty and vows

Available on

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

Toast

563. Toast

Drama Comedy History Family Family Drama
6.5

20101h 36min

United Kingdom

Director: S.J. Clarkson

Young Nigel Slater has big culinary aspirations, even though all his mother knows how to make is toast. When his mother dies, relations grow strained between Nigel and his father, especially when he remarries a woman who wins his heart with a lemon meringue pie. Nigel enters culinary school, starts working in a pub, and finds himself competing with his stepmother - both in the kitchen and for his father's attention.

Themes

Sexual awakening, Ambition and loyalty, Family dynamics under strain, Maternal influence through cooking, Remarriage and adjustment, Nostalgia and craft

Available on

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

The King's Speech

564. The King's Speech

Drama History Historical Drama Biographical History
8.0

20101h 58min

United Kingdom, United States

Director: Tom Hooper

The King's Speech tells the story of the man who became King George VI, the father of Queen Elizabeth II. After his brother abdicates, George ('Bertie') reluctantly assumes the throne. Plagued by a dreaded stutter and considered unfit to be king, Bertie engages the help of an unorthodox speech therapist named Lionel Logue. Through a set of unexpected techniques, and as a result of an unlikely friendship, Bertie is able to find his voice and boldly lead the country into war.

Themes

Speech coaching under pressure, Mentor mentee bond, Voice as authority, War time leadership pressure, Private struggle in public, Duty versus family expectations

Available on

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

The Way Back

565. The Way Back

Drama Adventure History Survival Adventure
7.3

20102h 13min

Poland, United Arab Emirates

Director: Peter Weir

A small band of multicultural convicts stages a daring escape from a WWII-era Siberian gulag, and embarks on a treacherous journey across five countries in a desperate race for freedom and survival.

Themes

Political oppression, Group cohesion under pressure, Escape under duress, Loyalty vs ideology, Survival under totalitarianism, Displacement and identity

Available on

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

Made in Dagenham

566. Made in Dagenham

Comedy Drama History Historical Drama Historical Event
7.1

20101h 53min

United Kingdom

Director: Nigel Cole

A dramatization of the 1968 strike at the Ford Dagenham car plant, where female workers walked out in protest against sexual discrimination.

Themes

Union-led protest strategy, Gender discrimination in the workplace, Equal pay movement, Public debate on women's rights, Corporate accountability under scrutiny, Legislative reform through collective action

Available on

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

The First Grader

567. The First Grader

Drama History Romance
7.4

20101h 43min

Director: Justin Chadwick

The true story of an 84 year-old Kenyan villager and ex Mau Mau freedom fighter who fights for his right to go to school for the first time to get the education he could never afford.


Of Gods and Men

568. Of Gods and Men

Drama History Historical Drama Historical Event
7.2

20102h

France

Director: Xavier Beauvois

A group of Trappist monks reside in the monastery of Tibhirine in Algeria, where they live in harmony with the largely muslim population. When a bloody conflict between Algeria's army and Muslim Jihadi insurgents disrupts the peace, they are forced to consider fleeing the monastery and deserting the villagers they have ministered to. In the face of deadly violence the monks wrestle with their faith and their convictions, eventually deciding to stay and help their neighbours keep the army and the insurgents at bay.

Themes

Loyalty under duress, Faith under pressure, Duty to neighbors, Peaceful coexistence under threat, Restraint in violence, Communal resilience

Available on

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

Carlos

569. Carlos

Crime Drama Thriller History Historical Event
7.6

20105h 39min

Germany, France

Director: Olivier Assayas

The story of Venezuelan revolutionary, Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, who founded a worldwide terrorist organization and raided the OPEC headquarters in 1975 before being caught by the French police.

Themes

Ideological extremism, Shifting alliances, Backer dependence, Arms trafficking, Mercenary politics, State security dynamics

Available on

AMC+ Amazon Channel
Criterion Channel
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

You Don't Know Jack

570. You Don't Know Jack

Drama TV Movie History Legal Drama True-Story TV Movie
7.5

20102h 14min

United States

Director: Barry Levinson

Controversy and legal problems follow Dr. Jack Kevorkian as he advocates assisted suicide.

Themes

Professional ethics under pressure, Moral dilemma in medicine, Legal ambiguity around assisted suicide, Public opinion polarization, Regulation versus autonomy, Media manipulation and power

Available on

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