Last updated March 2024
Looking for Best History Movies 2018 ? Check out our handpicked list of the 30 highest-rated Best History Movies 2018 available for streaming. These Best History Movies 2018 come highly recommended by both IMDB critics and everyday viewers like you. Help future viewers by voting for your top picks. Together, we can guide each other to the Best History Movies 2018 out there.
Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran (2018)
Plot Summary:
A look at India's second confidential nuclear test series at Pokhran lead by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, during the time of PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure
Duration: 129 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: India
Plot tags: nuclear, nuclear reactor, satellite, husband wife relationship, politics, political unrest, espionage, danger, nuclear explosion, time, army, hindu, patriot, propaganda, indian history, nuclear testing, boxing, fight, running, chase, father son relationship, time freeze, conversation, action violence, struggle
Hotel Mumbai (2018)
Plot Summary:
Based on the 2009 documentary Surviving Mumbai about the Mumbai attacks in 2008 at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in India
Duration: 123 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 69000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: Australia, USA, UK, Singapore
Plot tags: terrorism, terrorist attack, terrorist, jihad, hotel, religious fanatic, islamic terrorism, chaos, courage, hostage, survival, shooting, survivor, islam, cruelty, swat team, counter terrorism, massacre, extremism, hostage situation, religion, brutality, child, assault, butler
The Favourite (2018)
Plot Summary:
In early 18th century England, a frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend Lady Sarah governs the country in her stead. When a new servant Abigail arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah
Duration: 119 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 216000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, History
Country: Ireland, UK, USA
Plot tags: lesbian, lgbt, queen, bossy woman, aristocracy, power struggle, fight for supremacy, british royal family, british history, female rivalry, intrigue, violence, british aristocracy, rivalry, queen of england, manipulative woman, rise and fall, duchess, politics, aristocrat, jealousy, throne, royal palace, target practice, female friendship
Balloon (2018)
Plot Summary:
Two families attempt a daredevil plan to escape DDR with a homemade hot air balloon, but it crashes just before the border. The Stasi finds traces of this attempt to escape and immediately starts investigations, while the two families are forced to build a new escape balloon. With each passing day the Stasi is closer on their heels – a nerve-wracking race against time begins
Duration: 125 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: Germany, France, USA
Plot tags: berlin wall, stasi, balloon, border patrol, escape plan, manhunt, iron curtain, husband wife relationship, interrogation, cold war, couples, danger, german history, biopic, communism, hunting, bully, moving, based on real people, father son relationship, teenage son, strong female lead, investigation, teenage girl, neighbor
A Twelve-Year Night (2018)
Plot Summary:
Uruguay, 1973. Having been crushed by the military dictatorship, surviving members of the Tupamaro guerillas are imprisoned and tortured. They must find a way to endure the coming 12 years
Duration: 122 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Adventure, Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Country: Uruguay, Spain, Argentina, France, Germany
Plot tags: prison, politics, military dictatorship, dictator, dictatorship, political prisoner, released from prison, violence, biopic, rivalry, society, writers, prisoner, communist, injustice, latina, human rights, criminal justice, violent, famous people, nudity, bare chested male, based on real people, chess, doctor
First Man (2018)
Plot Summary:
A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969
Duration: 141 min
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
IMDB Votes: 199000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, Japan, China
Plot tags: astronaut, space travel, nasa, space exploration, moon, moon landing, loss of child, grief, outer space, apollo program, male camaraderie, rocket, space mission, space, based on real people, space race, loss of friend, rocket launching, test pilot, biopic, human in outer space, mission, husband wife relationship, exploration, compromise
Vice (2018)
Plot Summary:
George W. Bush picks Dick Cheney, the CEO of Halliburton Co., to be his Republican running mate in the 2000 presidential election. No stranger to politics, Cheney's impressive résumé includes stints as White House chief of staff, House Minority Whip and defense secretary. When Bush wins by a narrow margin, Cheney begins to use his newfound power to help reshape the country and the world
Duration: 132 min
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
IMDB Votes: 159000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, History
Country: USA
Plot tags: politics, u.s. president, usa politics, u.s. vice president, u.s. government, american politics, iraq war, war on terror, politician, heart attack, vice president, political campaign, biopic, hospital, al qaeda, breaking the fourth wall, republican party, spy, president, political leader, u.s. constitution, u.s. congress, power, marketing, mentor
Stan & Ollie (2018)
Plot Summary:
With their golden era long behind them, comedy duo Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy embark on a variety hall tour of Britain and Ireland. Despite the pressures of a hectic schedule, and with the support of their wives Lucille and Ida – a formidable double act in their own right – the pair's love of performing, as well as for each other, endures as they secure their place in the hearts of their adoring public
Duration: 98 min
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
IMDB Votes: 39000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Family, History
Country: UK, Canada, USA
Plot tags: friendship, comedy duo, betrayal, biopic, comedian, husband wife relationship, film history, bromance, coworker relationship, performer's life, dispute, family relations, concert tour, railway, hollywood, couples, humanity, filmmaking, heart attack, dancing, train, hotel, film producer, impresario, friendship between men
Padmaavat (2018)
Plot Summary:
Rani Padmavati - the wife of Maharawal Ratan Singh, is known for her beauty and valour in 13th century India. She captures the fancy of the reigning Sultan of Delhi, the tyrant Alauddin Khilji, who becomes obsessed with her and goes to great lengths to fulfill his greed
Duration: 163 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 36000
Genere: Drama, History, Romance, War
Country: India
Plot tags: medieval, sultan, obsession, fortress, love, love affair, queen, army, war, love triangle, fall in love, feminist, husband wife relationship, forbidden love, indian history, women, femininity, battles, ancient, mission, anthropology, lgbtq, innovation, chess, swinger
Shadow (2018)
Plot Summary:
About a king who attempts to lead his displaced people out of exile, and those who play a role in his mysterious plans
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Fantasy, History, War
Country: China, Hong Kong
Plot tags: martial arts, training, medieval, violence, betrayal, death, friendship, asian, civil war, murder, danger, doppelganger, escapades, vengeance, rivalry, society, corruption, mentor, greed, redemption, disorder, dishonesty, hopes, shadow, kung fu
American Animals (2018)
Plot Summary:
Spencer Reinhard, Warren Lipka, Eric Borsuk and Chas Allen are four friends who live an ordinary existence in Kentucky. After a visit to Transylvania University, Lipka comes up with the idea to steal the rarest and most valuable books from the school's library. As one of the most audacious art heists in U.S. history starts to unfold, the men question whether their attempts to inject excitement and purpose into their lives are simply misguided attempts at achieving the American dream
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
IMDB Votes: 48000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: disguise, heist, university, library, robbery, book, caper, travel, buddies, planning, greed, partner, storytelling, teenager, bank robber, moving, choice, mission, remorse, art theft, small town, coming of age, arrest, student athlete, social commentary
Outlaw King (2018)
Plot Summary:
Forced into exile by the English after being crowned King of Scotland, legendary warrior Robert the Bruce fights to reclaim the throne
Duration: 121 min
IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
IMDB Votes: 79000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: medieval, knight, king, guerilla warfare, siege, war, exile, throne, battlefield, castle, rebellion, husband wife relationship, royalty, ancient, betrayal, battles, conspiracy, biopic, kingdom, imprisonment, scottish history, historical character, royal family, nobleman, sword
At Eternity's Gate (2018)
Plot Summary:
Famed but tormented artist Vincent van Gogh spends his final years in Arles, France, painting masterworks of the natural world that surrounds him
Duration: 111 min
IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
IMDB Votes: 39000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Ireland, Switzerland, UK, France, USA
Plot tags: painter, artist, art, mental illness, painting, priest, insanity, art gallery, loneliness, obsession, doctor, genius, anguish, hospital, artists' life, historical figure, mission, historical character, art history, lifestyle, mentally unstable, religious persecution, new year, winter, job
22 July (2018)
Plot Summary:
In Norway on 22 July 2011, right-wing terrorist Anders Behring Breivik murdered 77 young people attending a Labour Party Youth Camp on Utöya Island outside of Oslo. This three-part story will focus on the survivors of the attacks, the political leadership of Norway, and the lawyers involved
Duration: 143 min
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Crime, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA, Norway
Plot tags: terrorist, terrorism, mass murder, tragedy, cruelty, trial, island, car bomb, massacre, criminal, hospital, brutality, bomb, female judge, female lawyer, media frenzy, survivor, teenager, multiple storylines, courtroom, terrorist attack, survival, serial killer, cold, dream
Black '47 (2018)
Plot Summary:
It’s 1847 and Ireland is in the grip of the Great Famine that has ravaged the country for two long years. Feeney, a hardened Irish Ranger who has been fighting for the British Army abroad, abandons his post to return home and reunite with his estranged family
Duration: 100 min
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Action, Drama, History
Country: Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium
Plot tags: poverty, deserter, british colonialism, manhunt, starvation, revenge, hunger, firing squad, oppression, death, brutality, injustice, desperation, death of protagonist, british army, war, military, violence, freedom, mission, war on terror, bureaucracy, moral dilemma, criminal gang, hidden treasure
Colette (2018)
Plot Summary:
French novelist, Colette, overcomes an abusive marriage to emerge as a leading writer in her country and a candidate for the Nobel Prize in Literature
Duration: 111 min
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, USA, Hungary
Plot tags: writers, female protagonist, novelist, lesbian, woman, bisexuality, female writer, lesbian relationship, lesbian love, ghost writer, publisher, infidelity, lgbt, open marriage, lesbian sex, husband wife relationship, biopic, exploitation, manuscript, women, female nudity, theater, extramarital affair, libertine, lesbian attraction
The Photographer of Mauthausen (2018)
Plot Summary:
Spanish photographer Francesc Boix, imprisoned in the Mauthausen-Gusen concentration camp, works in the SS Photographic Service. Between 1943 and 1945, he hides, with the help of other prisoners, thousands of negatives, with the purpose of showing the freed world the atrocities committed by the Nazis, exhaustively documented. He will be a key witness during the Nuremberg Trials
Duration: 110 min
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: Spain
Plot tags: holocaust, concentration camp, nazi, nazism, world war two, nazi occupation, nazi concentration camp, slave labor, spanish civil war, forced prostitution, concentration camp survivor, nazi war criminal, prisoner, world war, biopic, prison, photograph, war, military, capitalism, mission, foreigner, photography, holocaust survivor, photographer
Operation Finale (2018)
Plot Summary:
In 1960, a team of Israeli secret agents is deployed to find Adolf Eichmann, the infamous Nazi architect of the Holocaust, supposedly hidden in Argentina, and get him to Israel to be judged
Duration: 122 min
IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
IMDB Votes: 47000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: USA
Plot tags: war criminal, mossad, nazi hunter, world war two, nazi, holocaust, world war, chase, manhunt, israeli, secret agent, spy, military, mission, biopic, culture clash, life risking, morality, hidden identity, ss, espionage, vengeance, hiding place, race against time, idealism
Kursk (2018)
Plot Summary:
The story of the 2000 K-141 Kursk submarine disaster and the governmental negligence that followed. As the sailors fight for survival, their families desperately battle political obstacles and impossible odds to save them
Duration: 117 min
IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
IMDB Votes: 21000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Romania, Canada, USA
Plot tags: submarine, nuclear submarine, rescue attempt, disaster, fire, death of father, death of husband, survival, politics, friendship, danger, government, dishonesty, struggle for survival, sea, world war two, ocean, army, navy, isolation, real life, truth, real world, wedding, funeral
Paul, Apostle of Christ (2018)
Plot Summary:
Risking his life, Luke ventures to Rome to visit Paul -- the apostle who's bound in chains and held captive in Nero's darkest and bleakest prison cell. Haunted by the shadows of his past misdeeds, Paul wonders if he's been forgotten as he awaits his grisly execution. Before Paul's death, Luke resolves to write another book that details the birth of what will come to be known as the church
Duration: 108 min
IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Adventure, Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Plot tags: christianity, christian, faith, apostle, roman empire, bible, religious, new testament, imprisonment, jesus, friendship, trust, religion, saint, catholic, false accusation, fire, life is a bitch, rivalry, society, god, antiquity, ancient history, judaism, wandering
12 Strong (2018)
Plot Summary:
A team of CIA agents and special forces head into Afghanistan in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks in an attempt to dismantle the Taliban
Duration: 130 min
IMDB Rating: 6.5/10
IMDB Votes: 90000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Plot tags: soldier, cia, military, taliban, special forces, heroism, war on terror, behind enemy lines, us military, machismo, war in afghanistan, commando mission, al qaeda, bravery, war, mission, battles, terrorism, deception, brutality, revenge, death, bomb, rivalry, blood
Red Joan (2018)
Plot Summary:
The story of Joan Stanley, who was exposed as the KGB's longest-serving British spy
Duration: 101 min
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance, Thriller
Country: UK
Plot tags: woman, world war two, atomic bomb, propaganda, female spy, interrogation, politics, spy, kgb, soviet spy, oppression, spanish civil war, espionage, war crime, female secret agent, love, cold war, escapades, interrogation room, moral ambiguity, suffering, secrets, biopic, older man younger woman relationship, british secret service
Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
Plot Summary:
Mary Stuart attempts to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I, Queen of England, only to find herself condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution
Duration: 124 min
IMDB Rating: 6.3/10
IMDB Votes: 54000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA, China
Plot tags: royal family, queen, protestant, intrigue, royal court, throne, queen elizabeth i, tudors, murder, british history, betrayal, 18 year old, british monarchy, sword, conspiracy, royalty, cousin cousin relationship, political unrest, monarch, state affairs, sex, wedding, queen of england, imprisonment, women
The Catcher Was a Spy (2018)
Plot Summary:
Major league baseball player, Moe Berg, lives a double life working for the Office of Strategic Services
Duration: 94 min
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Plot tags: spy, world war two, espionage, war, gay, military police, baseball player, battlefield, nazi, society, world war, danger, atomic bomb, military, real life, secrets, propaganda, baseball, gay subtext, biopic, sex, chess, combat, passion, sex scene
The Front Runner (2018)
Plot Summary:
Gary Hart, former Senator of Colorado, becomes the front-runner for the Democratic presidential nomination in 1987. Hart's intelligence, charisma and idealism makes him popular with young voters, leaving him with a seemingly clear path to the White House. All that comes crashing down when allegations of an extramarital affair surface in the media, forcing the candidate to address a scandal that threatens to derail his campaign and personal life
Duration: 113 min
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Canada, USA
Plot tags: politics, scandal, senator, presidential campaign, reputation, president, homosexual, journalism, election, rivalry, society, american politics, campaign, media, affair, politician, real life, mission, secrets, government, democracy, campaigning, royalty, civil rights, candidate
Stockholm (2018)
Plot Summary:
Based on the extraordinary true story of the European city’s 1973 bank heist and hostage crisis that was documented in the 1974 New Yorker article “The Bank Drama” by Daniel Lang. The events grasped the world’s attention when the hostages bonded with their captors and turned against the authorities, giving rise to the psychological phenomenon known as “Stockholm Syndrome.”
Duration: 92 min
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Crime, Drama, History
Country: Canada, USA, Sweden
Plot tags: stockholm syndrome, hostage, bank, bank robber, hostage situation, criminal as protagonist, criminal, negotiation, bank robbery, ransom, husband wife relationship, american abroad, chief of police, robbery, heist, macabre, experiment, lovers, bank vault, prison, prisoner, convict, machine gun, ford mustang, prime minister
Mary Magdalene (2018)
Plot Summary:
Set in the Holy Land in the first century C.E., a young woman leaves her small fishing village and traditional family behind to join a radical new social movement. At its head is a charismatic leader, Jesus of Nazareth, who promises that the world is changing. Mary is searching for a new way of living, and an authenticity that is denied her by the rigid hierarchies of the day. As the notoriety of the group spread and more are drawn to follow Jesus’ inspirational message, Mary’s spiritual journey places her at the heart of a story that will lead to the capital city of Jerusalem, where she must confront the reality of Jesus’ destiny and her own place within it
Duration: 120 min
IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, Australia, USA
Plot tags: faith, jesus, baptism, christian, belief, religion, apostle, religious, resurrection, treason, christianity, superstition, saint, catholic, love, miraculous event, rebellion, freedom, bible, ancient, church, religious faith, religious leader, historical figure, male female relationship
7 Days in Entebbe (2018)
Plot Summary:
In 1976, four hijackers take over an Air France airplane with 248 passengers on board and force it to land in Entebbe, Uganda
Duration: 107 min
IMDB Rating: 5.9/10
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: UK, USA, France, Malta
Plot tags: rescue mission, terrorist, terrorism, counter terrorism, airplane hijack, airplane, politics, hijacking, hijacker, death threat, hostage, israeli, violence, danger, culture clash, friendly fire, dialogue, handgun, kidnapping, hostage rescue, world war two, air disaster, islam, cold war, conspiracy
King of Thieves (2018)
Plot Summary:
A caper film about the unlikely gang of retirees that pulled off the daring Hatton Garden jewellery heist of 2015
Duration: 108 min
IMDB Rating: 5.5/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Country: UK, Belgium, USA, Germany, France
Plot tags: heist, robbery, one last job, diamond theft, criminal, treasure, theft, elderly, police investigation, paranoia, gang, british, historical event, elderly man, spy, con artists, caper, bank robber, bank, senior citizen, real life, aging, thief, train, gold
Winchester (2018)
Plot Summary:
Firearm heiress Sarah Winchester is convinced that she is haunted by the souls killed at the hands of the Winchester repeating rifle. After the sudden deaths of her husband and child, she throws herself into the construction of an enormous mansion designed to keep the evil spirits at bay. But when a skeptical San Francisco psychiatrist is dispatched to the estate to evaluate her state of mind, he discovers that her obsession may not be so insane after all
Duration: 99 min
IMDB Rating: 5.4/10
IMDB Votes: 36000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Fantasy, History, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: Australia, USA
Plot tags: haunted house, ghost, curse, supernatural horror, fictional biography, mansion, widow, supernatural, widower, haunted, hallucination, seeing dead people, vengeful ghost, aunt niece relationship, doctor, women, terror, earthquake, old dark house, hospital, occult, freak, strength, historical event, blood