Last updated March 2024
Want to watch Best History Movies that live up to the hype? Here are 30 of the Best History Movies available for your immediate viewing pleasure. Loved by IMDB critics and everyday viewers like yourself, these highly rated Best History Movies represent the cream of the crop. Help other fans find new favorites by voting for the titles you enjoy most. We appreciate members of our community pitching in to spotlight the finest Best History Movies!
Schindler's List (1993)
Plot Summary:
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II
Duration: 195 min
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Plot tags: holocaust, world war two, genocide, nazi, war, wartime, storytelling, concentration camp, brutality, nazism, against humanity, racism, survival, anti semitism, violence, auschwitz, holocaust survivor, life changing, ghetto, rescue, german soldier, nazi concentration camp, accountant, list, good versus evil
The Message (1976)
Plot Summary:
The story of prophet "Muhammad" and the delivery of the message of God "Allah"
Duration: 207 min
IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
Plot tags: camel, arabic history, prophet, muslim, islam, muslim woman, medieval, religion, ancient, arab, horse, historical event, historical character, dancing, travel, spy, combat, revenge, women, army, desert, hunter, water, death, torture
The Legend Of Maula Jatt (2022)
Plot Summary:
Maula Jatt 2 is an upcoming Pakistani action drama film directed and written by Bilal Lashari, co-produced by Faisal Rafi and Bilal Lashari under production banner of Crew Motion Pictures. It is a sequel to 1979 cult-classic Maula Jatt. The revealed cast includes Fawad Khan, Hamza Ali Abbasi playing the lead roles along with Mahira Khan, Adnan Jaffar, Shamoon Abbasi and Humaima Malik
Duration: 153 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Action, Drama, Fantasy, History, Thriller
Country: Pakistan
Plot tags: heroes, gang, murder, gangster, violence, death, battles, brutality, chase, vengeance, rivalry, society, danger, criminal underworld, gang war, criminal's revenge, martial arts, punjabi, deadly, crimes
Pretty Village, Pretty Flame (1996)
Plot Summary:
In the opening stages of the Bosnian War, a small group of Serbian soldiers are trapped in a tunnel by a Muslim force
Duration: 115 min
IMDB Rating: 8.6/10
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Drama, History, War
Country: Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Plot tags: civil war, bosnian war, genocide, wartime, anarchist, moving, conflict, radical, human rights, war on terror, social realism, yugoslav war, feeling, badass, life story, village, basketball, muslim, suicide, newspaper, ogre, war, thief, heroes, friendship
Black Friday (2004)
Plot Summary:
Under torture, Indian gangster Tiger Memon confesses to his involvement in a plot to set off explosives throughout Bombay. The police choose not to believe him, however, and bombs tear through the city that Friday, wreaking havoc and polarizing the citizens of Bombay. Through a series of interviews, DCP Rakesh Maria comes closer to discovering who the leader of the conspiracy is, but it soon becomes clear that a foreign power must be involved
Duration: 143 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Action, Crime, Drama, History
Country: India
Plot tags: terrorism, terrorist, politics, muslim, interrogation, investigation, life is a bitch, legal, society, law enforcement, journalism, bomb, innocence, protest, conspiracy, religious intolerance, police, multiple storylines, hindu, islam, conflict, war crime, renaissance, terrorist attack, threat
Oppenheimer (2023)
Plot Summary:
The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II
Duration: 180 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 548000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: nuclear, american politics, world war two, atomic bomb, physics, quantum physics, historical event, moral dilemma, guilt, sex scene, based on real people, betrayal, husband wife relationship, top secret, scientist, politics, male protagonist, jewish american, female nudity, desert, president, secret laboratory, communist, brother brother relationship, mastermind
Braveheart (1995)
Plot Summary:
Enraged at the slaughter of Murron, his new bride and childhood love, Scottish warrior William Wallace slays a platoon of the local English lord's soldiers. This leads the village to revolt and, eventually, the entire country to rise up against English rule
Duration: 178 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 11000000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Plot tags: freedom, courage, sword fight, war, vengeance, medieval, battles, tragic hero, love story, leadership, beautiful scenery, military, warrior, sword and shield, idealism, battlefield, life changing, knight, revenge, folk hero, biopic, pride and honor, army, death of protagonist, honor
Hamilton (2020)
Plot Summary:
Presenting the tale of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, this filmed version of the original Broadway smash hit is the story of America then, told by America now
Duration: 160 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 109000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Musical
Country: USA
Plot tags: hip hop, friendship, american history, death, murder, father son relationship, george washington, violence, biopic, revolutionary war, broadway, dancing, revenge, distopia, music, writers, experiment, friends, president, orphan, theater, adoption, british empire, revolution, election
Ayla: The Daughter of War (2017)
Plot Summary:
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. Frantic, scared and on the verge of death, this little girl captures the heart of Süleyman, who risks his own life to save her, smuggling her into his Army base and out of harms way. Not knowing her name and unable to communicate with her, Süleyman names her Ayla, in reminiscence of the moon on the fateful night during which they met. The two form an instantaneous and inseparable bond, and Ayla, almost effortlessly, brings an uncanny joy to the Turkish brigade in the grip of war. As the war comes to a close however, Süleyman's brigade is told that they will be returning home. Süleyman cannot bear abandoning Ayla, and does everything within his power to take her with him. After repeated failure, he is forced to give Ayla to an orphanage, but doesn't give up on the hope of one day reuniting with her. Will the two ever get back together?
Duration: 125 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: korean war, little girl, orphan, turk, soldier, care, child custody, school, rescue, military base, military, family relations, mother daughter relationship, military life, war, muslim, airplane, foster parent, foster home, turkish army, heroes, journalist, death, battles, cold war
The Great Escape (1963)
Plot Summary:
The Nazis, exasperated at the number of escapes from their prison camps by a relatively small number of Allied prisoners, relocates them to a high-security 'escape-proof' camp to sit out the remainder of the war. Undaunted, the prisoners plan one of the most ambitious escape attempts of World War II. Based on a true story
Duration: 172 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 255000
Genere: Adventure, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: USA
Plot tags: world war two, prison escape, prison, war, nazi, motorcycle, pow, freedom, army, military, soldier, chase, escape, camp, planning, machine gun, capture, desperation, determination, escape attempt, prisoner, nazi germany, wehrmacht, wartime, world war
Pocket Hercules: Naim Suleymanoglu (2019)
Plot Summary:
From defecting to the Olympics, an underdog weightlifter powers through adversity to raise up his community in this biopic of Naim Süleymanoğlu
Duration: 141 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Sport
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: weightlifting, migration, olympics, real life, assimilation, tournament, muslim, communism, athlete, rivalry, contests and competitions, athlete's life, athlete and trainer, olympic athlete, lifestyle, olympian, professional rivalry, olympic gold medalist, magic, biopic, turk, life, gold, legend, journey
Downfall (2004)
Plot Summary:
In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Russian Army closing in from the east and the Allied Expeditionary Force attacking from the west. In Berlin, capital of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler proclaims that Germany will still achieve victory and orders his generals and advisers to fight to the last man. When the end finally does come, and Hitler lies dead by his own hand, what is left of his military must find a way to end the killing that is the Battle of Berlin, and lay down their arms in surrender
Duration: 156 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 370000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Germany, Austria, Italy
Plot tags: world war two, hitler, nazism, suicide, nazi, war, holocaust, fascism, third reich, national socialism, dictatorship, nazi germany, courage, politics, bunker, paranoia, war crime, confined, ss officer, hitler youth, ss, corruption, last will and testament, siege, dictator
Lion of the Desert (1980)
Plot Summary:
This movie tells the story of Omar Mukhtar, an Arab Muslim rebel who fought against the Italian conquest of Libya in WWII. It gives western viewers a glimpse into this little-known region and chapter of history, and exposes the savage means by which the conquering army attempted to subdue the natives
Duration: 173 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA, Libya
Plot tags: muslim, desert, arab, bedouin, resistance, islam, revolution, rebel, military, battles, world war two, medieval, struggle, great war, imperialism, tank, fascism, italian history, camel, combat, time travel, nazi, world war one, wartime, freedom
Uri: The Surgical Strike (2019)
Plot Summary:
Following the roguish terrorist attacks at Uri Army Base camp in Kashmir, India takes the fight to the enemy, in its most successful covert operation till date with one and only one objective of avenging their fallen heroes
Duration: 138 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 70000
Genere: Action, Drama, History, War
Country: India
Plot tags: terrorist attack, soldier, terrorism, military, army, indian soldier, patriot, violence, friendship, murder, danger, terrorist, indians, fight, hunting, islam, nationalism, conflict, hindu, war on terror, propaganda, threat, political conflict, battlefield, indian history
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
Duration: 121 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 368000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: UK, South Africa, Italy, USA
Plot tags: genocide, racism, war, hotel, against humanity, cruelty, civil war, politics, refugee, war crime, murder, un, humanity, human spirit, war criminal, life changing, violence, conflict, holocaust, rwandan genocide, black, rebel, peril, atrocity, military
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Plot Summary:
WWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor
Duration: 139 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 577000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Australia, USA, UK, China
Plot tags: world war two, war, soldier, conscientious objector, religion, combat, american soldier, u.s. army, us military, bible, military, father son relationship, pacifism, u.s. military, survival, anti war, blood, pacifist, flashback, courage, physician, life & death, religious, biopic, church
Montevideo, God Bless You! (2010)
Plot Summary:
A story about one team that decides to follow a dream that takes them on a journey to the First World Football Championship in Montevideo, Uruguay in 1930. A dream that allows them to become true stars and living legends
Duration: 140 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, History, Romance, Sport
Country: Serbia
Plot tags: soccer, follow your dream, football, coach, love and romance, young lovers, rivalry, ambition, talented, hopes, post war, fan, championship, friendship, dictator, dictatorship, world war one, interwar period, friends, sport team, fistfight, love, fight, seduction, boy
The Message (1976)
Plot Summary:
Handsomely-mounted historical epic concerns the birth of the Islamic faith and the story of the prophet Mohammed
Duration: 177 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 50000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Lebanon, Libya, Kuwait, Morocco, UK, Egypt
Plot tags: muslim, islam, religion, ancient history, arabic history, arab, medieval, desert, prophet, religions or cults, ancient, caravan, faith, religious, biopic, barbarian, spirituality, leadership, society, oppression, camel, nature, time machine, queen, antiquity
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
Duration: 155 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, History
Country: India
Plot tags: revolution, freedom fighter, sikh, patriotism, police brutality, patriot, fighting the system, social decay, indian history, life is a bitch, injustice, society, danger, rebelliousness, idealism, atrocity, politics, independence, freedom, terrorism, biopic, police officer killed, indians, resistance, struggle
Andrei Rublev (1966)
Plot Summary:
An expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. Drifting from place to place in a tumultuous era, the peace-seeking monk eventually gains a reputation for his art. But after Rublev witnesses a brutal battle and unintentionally becomes involved, he takes a vow of silence and spends time away from his work. As he begins to ease his troubled soul, he takes steps towards becoming a painter once again
Duration: 205 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 56000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Soviet Union
Plot tags: artist, painter, religion, art, biopic, monk, human spirit, medieval, painting, christianity, hunger, spirituality, art history, saint, loneliness, god, obsession, poetry, storytelling, european, dream, creativity, ancient, religious, faith
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
Duration: 134 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 731000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: slavery, racism, survival, civil rights, torture, african american, interracial relations, freedom, american history, life is a bitch, black history, kidnapping, storytelling, separation from family, slave trade, nudity, master and servant, rape, slave, human trafficking, biopic, confined, captivity, injustice, interracial rape
My Grandfather's People (2011)
Plot Summary:
A feature film that tells the story of the director's grandfather who was forced to leave Crete in the 1920s during the Greek-Turkish population exchange
Duration: 126 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Family, History
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: grandparent grandchild relationship, kids and family, family relations, immigration, lifestyle, immigrant family, immigrant, turk, world war one, cemetery, suicide, greek, coup d'etat, funeral, heart attack, political corruption, message in a bottle, town, barter, grandfather grandson relationship, city, turkish, family, immigrants
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
Duration: 191 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 238000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, India, USA, South Africa
Plot tags: protest, idealism, biopic, life philosophy, politics, independence, freedom, leadership, british empire, human spirit, religious intolerance, indian history, assassination, courage, lawyer, injustice, violence, hinduism, political prisoner, arrest, peace, sikh, non violence, religion, justice
Persepolis (2007)
Plot Summary:
In 1970s Iran, Marjane 'Marji' Statrapi watches events through her young eyes and her idealistic family of a long dream being fulfilled of the hated Shah's defeat in the Iranian Revolution of 1979. However as Marji grows up, she witnesses first hand how the new Iran, now ruled by Islamic fundamentalists, has become a repressive tyranny on its own
Duration: 96 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 99000
Genere: Animation, Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: France, USA
Plot tags: revolution, coming of age, iraq iran war, female protagonist, politics, feminist, freedom, self discovery, biopic, women, childhood, social problems, adolescence, culture clash, parent child relationship, family relations, life is a bitch, society, religion, feminism, rebellion, repression, oppression, prejudice, rebelliousness
The King's Speech (2010)
Plot Summary:
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
Duration: 118 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 701000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: british royal family, british history, world war two, stuttering, royal family, disability, queen, politics, unlikely friendships, british monarchy, king of england, historical character, leadership, friendship, king, monarchy, against the odds, self confidence, head of state, state affairs, aristocracy, destiny, speech impediment, biopic, stutterer
JFK (1991)
Plot Summary:
New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story
Duration: 189 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 167000
Genere: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA, France
Plot tags: investigation, president, kennedy assassination, political conspiracy, conspiracy theory, assassination, cia, legal, assassination of president, politics, courtroom, lawyer, corruption, court, courtroom drama, fighting the system, conspiracy, district attorney, assassin, gay slur, u.s. president, justice, american politics, manipulation, american history
Waltz with Bashir (2008)
Plot Summary:
Much awarded animated documentary, in which director and Israeli army veteran Ari Folman interviews friends and former soldiers about their memories of the 1982 Lebanon war and especially the Sabra and Shatila massacre in Beirut. The usage on animation enabled Folman to illustrate their personal memories and dreams
Duration: 90 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 60000
Genere: Documentary, Animation, Biography, Drama, History, Mystery, War
Country: Israel, France, Germany, USA, Finland, Switzerland, Belgium, Australia
Plot tags: war, politics, military, soldier, memory loss, nightmare, haunted by the past, guilt, mass murder, catastrophe, memory, israeli, tragic event, life is a bitch, introspection, atrocity, military life, enemy, against humanity, wartime, conflict, visceral, revolution, trippy, mission
Where are you going, Aida? (2020)
Plot Summary:
Bosnia, July 1995. Aida is a translator for the UN in the small town of Srebrenica. When the Serbian army takes over the town, her family is among the thousands of citizens looking for shelter in the UN camp. As an insider to the negotiations Aida has access to crucial information that she needs to interpret. What is at the horizon for her family and people - rescue or death? Which move should she take?
Duration: 101 min
IMDB Rating: 8.0/10
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Drama, History, War
Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Austria, Romania, Netherlands, Germany, Poland, France, Turkey, Norway
Plot tags: bosnian war, translator, genocide, un, firing squad, women, family in danger, woman in danger, life risking, military, family relations, wartime, risk, saving a life, save the day, peace, woman, truth, foreigner, plot twist, world war, massacre, refugee, military base, neighbor
The Leopard (1963)
Plot Summary:
As Garibaldi's troops begin the unification of Italy in the 1860s, an aristocratic Sicilian family grudgingly adapts to the sweeping social changes undermining their way of life. Proud but pragmatic Prince Don Fabrizio Salina allows his war hero nephew, Tancredi, to marry Angelica, the beautiful daughter of gauche, bourgeois Don Calogero, in order to maintain the family's accustomed level of comfort and political clout
Duration: 186 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 28000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: Italy, France
Plot tags: decadence, revolution, politics, civil war, melancholy, catholic, literary, ambition, death, battles, italian history, execution, time travel, american civil war, age difference, opportunist, trap, royal family, foreign legion, legion, christian, colonialism, animal abuse, perfection, marxism
The Normal Heart (2014)
Plot Summary:
The story of the onset of the HIV-AIDS crisis in New York City in the early 1980s, taking an unflinching look at the nation's sexual politics as gay activists and their allies in the medical community fight to expose the truth about the burgeoning epidemic to a city and nation in denial
Duration: 132 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 37000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA
Plot tags: gay, aids, gays and lesbians, hiv, terminal illness, homosexuality, lgbt, homosexual, male homosexuality, life is a bitch, friendship, gay slur, prejudice, gay relationship, protest, closeted gay, gay interest, epidemic, lgbtq, gay couple, couple relations, sexuality, lgbtqi, depression, destiny