Best movies like Selma
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
"Selma," as in Alabama, the place where segregation in the South was at its worst, leading to a march that ended in violence, forcing a famous statement by President Lyndon B. Johnson that ultimately led to the signing of the Civil Rights Act.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 95000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: emotional, political, thought provoking, inspirational, sincere, uplifting, factual, serious, period piece, realistic
Best tv shows and movies like Selma (2014):
Similar in 90%
King (1978)
Plot Summary:
A 1978 TV miniseries about the career of Martin Luther King Jr. from his days as a Baptist minister in Atlanta in the early '50s until his assassination in 1968.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 431
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 271 min
Plot tags: sincere, thought provoking, serious, captivating, realistic, disturbing
Similar in 87%
The Long Walk Home (1990)
Plot Summary:
Two women, black and white, in 1955 Montgomery Alabama, must decide what they are going to do in response to the famous bus boycott lead by Martin Luther King.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: inspirational, independent film, touching, realistic, political, gothic, sincere, uplifting, thought provoking, serious
Similar in 86%
Boycott (2001)
Plot Summary:
This made-for-TV movie dramatizes the historic boycott of public buses in the 1950s, led by civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, realistic, political, talky
Similar in 79%
Free State of Jones (2016)
Plot Summary:
In 1863, Mississippi farmer Newt Knight serves as a medic for the Confederate Army. Opposed to slavery, Knight would rather help the wounded than fight the Union. After his nephew dies in battle, Newt returns home to Jones County to safeguard his family but is soon branded an outlaw deserter. Forced to flee, he finds refuge with a group of runaway slaves hiding out in the swamps. Forging an alliance with the slaves and other farmers, Knight leads a rebellion that would forever change history.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 61000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, History, War, Western
Country: USA, China
Duration: 139 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, factual, intense, period piece, costume drama, epic, captivating, political, historical drama, exciting
Similar in 81%
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
Plot Summary:
What was intended to be a peaceful protest at the 1968 Democratic National Convention turned into a violent clash with police and the National Guard. The organizers of the protest — including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden and Bobby Seale — were charged with conspiracy to incite a riot and the trial that followed was one of the most notorious in history.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 190000
Genere: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA, UK, India
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: political, factual, suspense, historical drama, thought provoking, serious, motivational, funny, philosophical, social
Similar in 88%
The Rosa Parks Story (2002)
Plot Summary:
The story of the civil rights heroine whose refusal to obey racial bus segregation was just one of her acts in her fight for justice.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 990
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: uplifting, thought provoking, realistic, serious, gothic, political, emotional, black cinema
Similar in 84%
The Legend of Bhagat Singh (2002)
Plot Summary:
The Legend of Bhagat Singh is a 2002 Indian historical biographical film about Bhagat Singh, a freedom fighter who fought for Indian independence.It shows in detail how Singh came to develop his views on the British Raj and his struggle for Indian independence.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, History
Country: India
Duration: 155 min
Plot tags: realistic, patriotic, sincere, serious, emotional, inspirational, philosophical, touching, political, social
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Similar in 83%
Harriet (2019)
Plot Summary:
The story of Harriet Tubman, who helped free hundreds of slaves from the South after escaping from slavery herself in 1849.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, History
Country: China, USA
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: thought provoking, costume drama, tense, enigmatic, psychological, political, historical drama, exciting, inspirational, road movie
Similar in 79%
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
Plot Summary:
A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, South Africa
Duration: 141 min
Plot tags: emotional, serious, realistic, political, inspirational, educational, social, novela, cult classic, informative
Similar in 78%
Cry Freedom (1987)
Plot Summary:
A dramatic story, based on actual events, about the friendship between two men struggling against apartheid in South Africa in the 1970s. Donald Woods is a white liberal journalist in South Africa who begins to follow the activities of Stephen Biko, a courageous and outspoken black anti-apartheid activist.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, Zimbabwe, USA
Duration: 157 min
Plot tags: inspirational, political, cult classic, political thriller, edutainment, tense, thought provoking, bleak, serious, captivating
Similar in 79%
Becket (1964)
Plot Summary:
King Henry II of England has trouble with the Church. When the Archbishop of Canterbury dies, he has a brilliant idea. Rather than appoint another pious cleric loyal to Rome and the Church, he will appoint his old drinking and wenching buddy, Thomas Becket, technically a deacon of the church, to the post. Unfortunately, Becket takes the job seriously and provides abler opposition to Henry.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 148 min
Plot tags: epic, period piece, tense, clever, realistic, talky, retro, breathtaking, spiritual, political
Similar in 85%
Amistad (1997)
Plot Summary:
In 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. They are then held prisoner in Connecticut, and their release becomes the subject of heated debate. Freed slave Theodore Joadson wants Cinque and the others exonerated and recruits property lawyer Roger Baldwin to help his case. Eventually, John Quincy Adams also becomes an ally.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 82000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 155 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, period piece, epic, dramatic, compassionate, factual, uplifting, serious, captivating
Similar in 86%
Catch a Fire (2006)
Plot Summary:
The true story of anti-apartheid activists in South Africa, and particularly the life of Patrick Chamusso, a timid foreman at Secunda CTL, the largest synthetic fuel plant in the world. Patrick is wrongly accused, imprisoned and tortured for an attempt to bomb the plant, with the injustice transforming the apolitical worker into a radicalised insurgent, who then carries out his own successful sabotage mission.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France, UK, South Africa, USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: tense, political, factual, emotional, harsh, thought provoking, serious, disturbing, realistic, intense
Similar in 80%
Men of Honor (2000)
Plot Summary:
Against formidable odds -- and an old-school diving instructor embittered by the U.S. Navy's new, less prejudicial policies -- Carl Brashear sets his sights on becoming the Navy's first African-American master diver in this uplifting true story. Their relationship starts out on the rocks, but fate ultimately conspires to bring the men together into a setting of mutual respect, triumph and honor.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 124000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: inspirational, motivational, touching, emotional, sincere, tear jerker, factual, sentimental, rough, realistic
Similar in 88%
Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
Plot Summary:
Ghosts of Mississippi is a drama covering the final trial of the assassin, Bryon De La Beckwith, of the 60s civil rights leader Medgar Evers. It begins with the murder and the events surrounding the two initial trials which both ended in a hung jury. The movie then covers District Attorney, Bobby DeLaughters transformation and alliance with Myrlie Evers, wife of Medgar Evers, of the, as he becomes more involved with bringing Beckwith to trial for the third time 30 years later. Some of the characters are played by the actual participants in this story.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: inspirational, talky, factual, intense, compassionate, sincere, thought provoking, serious, political, political thriller
Similar in 84%
Suffragette (2015)
Plot Summary:
Based on true events about the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement who were forced underground to evade the State.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 44000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: UK, France
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: captivating, inspirational, political, factual, educational, bleak, period piece, costume drama, historical drama, thought provoking
Similar in 75%
42 (2013)
Plot Summary:
The powerful story of Jackie Robinson, the legendary baseball player who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier when he joined the roster of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The film follows the innovative Dodgers’ general manager Branch Rickey, the MLB executive who first signed Robinson to the minors and then helped to bring him up to the show.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 101000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: inspirational, sentimental, emotional, touching, factual, intense, serious, motivational, period piece, thought provoking
Similar in 81%
Green Book (2018)
Plot Summary:
Tony Lip, a bouncer in 1962, is hired to drive pianist Don Shirley on a tour through the Deep South in the days when African Americans forced to find alternate accommodations and services due to segregation laws below the Mason-Dixon Line relied on a guide called The Negro Motorist Green Book.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 546000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA, China
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: road movie, feel good, uplifting, funny, captivating, motivational, touching, factual, inspirational, social
Similar in 89%
The Butler (2013)
Plot Summary:
A look at the life of Cecil Gaines who served eight presidents as the White House's head butler from 1952 to 1986, and had a unique front-row seat as political and racial history was made.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 119000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 132 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, inspirational, political, factual, uplifting, thought provoking, serious, disturbing, historical drama
Similar in 78%
The Best of Enemies (2019)
Plot Summary:
The story of the real-life unlikely relationship between an outspoken civil rights activist and a local Ku Klux Klan leader in 1971 North Carolina.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 133 min
Plot tags: rough, sincere, thought provoking, disturbing, motivational, inspirational, spiritual, political, social, period piece
Similar in 88%
The Founder (2016)
Plot Summary:
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.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 171000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, Greece
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: inspirational, motivational, realistic, factual, cerebral, dramatic, uplifting, clever, thought provoking, entertaining
Similar in 79%
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Plot Summary:
In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 731000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: motivational, heartbreaking, disturbing, harsh, bleak, atmospheric, emotional, factual, brutal, rough
Similar in 86%
Mississippi Burning (1988)
Plot Summary:
Two FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and white. The younger agent trained in FBI school runs up against the small town ways of his, former Sheriff, partner.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 108000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: suspense, political, disturbing, realistic, political thriller, tense, suspenseful, psychological, intense, atmospheric
Similar in 78%
The Color Purple (1985)
Plot Summary:
An epic tale spanning forty years in the life of Celie, an African-American woman living in the South who survives incredible abuse and bigotry. After Celie's abusive father marries her off to the equally debasing "Mister" Albert Johnson, things go from bad to worse, leaving Celie to find companionship anywhere she can. She perseveres, holding on to her dream of one day being reunited with her sister in Africa. Based on the novel by Alice Walker.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 94000
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 154 min
Plot tags: sentimental, uplifting, touching, inspirational, sad, sincere, emotional, compassionate, period piece, heartbreaking
Similar in 80%
Hotel Rwanda (2004)
Plot Summary:
Inspired by true events, this film takes place in Rwanda in the 1990s when more than a million Tutsis were killed in a genocide that went mostly unnoticed by the rest of the world. Hotel owner Paul Rusesabagina houses over a thousand refuges in his hotel in attempt to save their lives.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 368000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: UK, South Africa, Italy, USA
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: emotional, intense, informative, rough, political, sad, depressing, inspirational, sincere, touching
Similar in 84%
Malcolm X (1992)
Plot Summary:
A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 100000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 202 min
Plot tags: inspirational, political, factual, intense, stylized, realistic, thought provoking, serious, captivating, emotional
Similar in 85%
Gandhi (1982)
Plot Summary:
In the early years of the 20th century, Mohandas K. Gandhi, a British-trained lawyer, forsakes all worldly possessions to take up the cause of Indian independence. Faced with armed resistance from the British government, Gandhi adopts a policy of 'passive resistance', endeavouring to win freedom for his people without resorting to bloodshed.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 238000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, India, USA, South Africa
Duration: 191 min
Plot tags: epic, spiritual, inspirational, political, uplifting, factual, motivational, touching, compassionate, emotional
Similar in 86%
Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
Plot Summary:
The true story of Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets had some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 124000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, History
Country: USA, Germany
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: political, realistic, clever, factual, thought provoking, humorous, entertaining, witty, talky, suspense
Similar in 88%
Lincoln (2012)
Plot Summary:
A revealing drama that focuses on the 16th President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 270000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA, India
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: political, period piece, emotional, epic, factual, thought provoking, suspense, sentimental, historical drama, captivating
Similar in 85%
Hidden Figures (2016)
Plot Summary:
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.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 249000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 127 min
Plot tags: inspirational, sincere, motivational, touching, factual, exciting, feel good, educational, sad, historical drama