Best movies like Ludwig - Requiem for a Virgin King
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
Reflected in an artificial and bombastically staged illusory world with Wagnerian compositions, glossy and satirical time references, 19th century German figures and traditions are stripped of their mythology and interpreted by the Germany of 1972.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 330
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: West Germany, Austria
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags: visual, avant garde, historical drama
Best tv shows and movies like Ludwig - Requiem for a Virgin King (1972):
Similar in 82%
Hitler: A Film from Germany (1977)
Plot Summary:
Documentary film that examines the rise and fall of the Third Reich, incorporating puppetry, rear-screen projection, and a Wagnerian score into a singular epic vision. The director, who grew up under Nazi tyranny, ruminates on good and evil and the rest of humanity's complicity in the horrors of the holocaust.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 891
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: West Germany, France, UK
Duration: 442 min
Plot tags: spiritual, political, surreal, art house, visual, experimental, rough, thought provoking, clever, offbeat
Similar in 80%
Edward II (1970)
Plot Summary:
The reign of Edward II, King of England, is troubled from the start when he brings his male lover, hated by the nobles, out of exile.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 146
Genere: Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 83%
The Youth of Peter the Great (1980)
Plot Summary:
The years of the tsar’s adolescence and youth were permeated with deadly danger coming from some of the Boyars, the rebellious Streltsy and Tsarevna Sophia who aspired for power. But already at that early time Peter demonstrates a profound, bright intellect, a strong will and the sense of purpose, which help him disarm both his open and secret enemies.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 208
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Soviet Union, East Germany
Duration: 140 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 83%
Karl May (1974)
Plot Summary:
This ethereal, three-hour biopic is the middle film in Hans-Jürgen Syberberg’s “German Trilogy” on the mythological foundations of the Third Reich. By fusing theater, music, and cinema, Syberberg conjures up Karl May (1842-1912), the immensely popular German author, who set many of his adventure novels in an idealized version of the American Wild West. His tales of the cowboy and the Ubermensch alike were beloved by many, including (Our) Hitler, who supposedly ordered his generals to read May works after defeats in the Russian campaign.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 166
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: West Germany
Duration: 187 min
Plot tags: surreal, visual, avant garde
Similar in 85%
Monarch (2000)
Plot Summary:
From double BAFTA nominated Writer and Director John Walsh. Monarch is part fact, part fiction and unfolds around one night when the injured ruler arrives at a manor house closed for the season.
IMDB Rating: 5.8
IMDB Votes: 151
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Country: UK
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: period drama
Similar in 84%
The Death of Louis XIV (2016)
Plot Summary:
August 1715. After going for a walk, Louis XIV feels a pain in his leg. The next days, the king keeps fulfilling his duties and obligations, but his sleep is troubled and he has a serious fever. He barely eats and weakens increasingly. This is the start of the slow agony of the greatest king of France, surrounded by his relatives and doctors.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France, Portugal, Spain
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: suspenseful, disturbing, exciting, tense, touching, atmospheric, historical drama, baroque
Similar in 79%
Jeanne du Barry (2023)
Plot Summary:
The life of Jeanne Bécu, who was born as the illegitimate daughter of an impoverished seamstress in 1743 and went on to rise through the Court of Louis XV to become his last official mistress.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France, Belgium, UK, Russia, Saudi Arabia
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags:
Similar in 80%
The Broken Crown (2016)
Plot Summary:
In a Spain consumed by ambition and power, the future of an empire depends of the mind state of a single woman.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 804
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Spain
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: exciting, sentimental, romantic, captivating, historical drama, telenovela, period drama
Similar in 84%
Young Catherine (1991)
Plot Summary:
A German princess is chosen to marry the heir to the Russian Throne, but faces plots and intrigues against her.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA, Canada, Soviet Union, Germany, Italy
Duration: 150 min
Plot tags: serious, historical drama, costume drama, sentimental, touching, realistic, stylized, period drama, baroque
Similar in 75%
The Marriage of Gustav III (2001)
Plot Summary:
The Swedish King Gustav III is bold and courageous regarding government. He is to marry a Danish princess. But when it comes to love and courtship, the king feels lost. Therefore he asks the loyal and experienced Captain Munck for assistance.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 242
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Sweden, Finland
Duration: 180 min
Plot tags: captivating, historical drama, masterpiece, period drama
Similar in 79%
Rasputin (1996)
Plot Summary:
Into an era seething with war and revolution, a man comes with an incredible power to heal a nation...or destroy it. Based on the true story of one of the most powerful and mysterious figures in Russian history.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, Hungary
Duration: 135 min
Plot tags: mysterious, esoteric, tense, atmospheric, serious, captivating, realistic, suspenseful, period drama
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Princess Ka'iulani (2009)
Plot Summary:
Lush scenery and gorgeous photography highlight this bio of Princess Ka'iulani (Q'Orianka Kilcher), a 19th-century Hawaiian princess raised in England but determined to maintain her people's independence from aggressive American businessmen. After being sent to England as a child by her Scottish father, Ka'iulani returns to Hawaii and becomes a political activist who fights to retain her throne, even though she must leave her English paramour.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: sincere, emotional, epic, serious, captivating, realistic, romantic, period piece, historical drama, period drama
Similar in 80%
Corsage (2022)
Plot Summary:
Empress Elizabeth of Austria is idolized for her beauty and renowned for inspiring fashion trends. But in 1877, ‘Sisi’ celebrates her 40th birthday and must fight to maintain her public image by lacing her corset tighter and tighter. While Elizabeth’s role has been reduced against her wishes to purely performative, her hunger for knowledge and zest for life makes her more and more restless in Vienna.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Austria, Luxembourg, Germany, France
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: period piece, psychological, captivating, disturbing, beautiful
Similar in 75%
Ludwig (1973)
Plot Summary:
A history of Ludwig, king of Bavaria, from his crowning in 1864 until his death in 1886.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Italy, France, West Germany, Monaco
Duration: 238 min
Plot tags: captivating, realistic, atmospheric, serious, psychedelic, homoerotic, stylized, gloomy, epic, queer cinema
Similar in 89%
Ludwig II (2012)
Plot Summary:
A dramatic retelling of the life of Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, one of the most fascinating monarchs of modern times. From his accession to the throne at the age of 18 to his passionate support of Richard Wagner and his music. From his ingenuous political commitment to his obsessive construction of extravagant palaces and to his gradual withdrawal into a lonely dream world, an epic narrative of breathtaking grandeur.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 865
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Austria, Germany
Duration: 130 min
Plot tags: serious, captivating, realistic, stylized, period drama
Similar in 87%
Mary Queen of Scots (2013)
Plot Summary:
The life and death of the Scottish monarch.
IMDB Rating: 5.4
IMDB Votes: 986
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Switzerland, France
Duration: 119 min
Plot tags: stylized, captivating, realistic, serious, historical drama, romantic drama, period drama
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Anne of the Thousand Days (1969)
Plot Summary:
Henry VIII of England discards one wife, Katharine of Aragon, who has failed to produce a male heir, in favor of the young and beautiful Anne Boleyn.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 8000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 145 min
Plot tags: period piece, historical drama, talky, fairy tale, epic, touching, serious, captivating, realistic, light
Similar in 82%
The Madness of King George (1994)
Plot Summary:
King George III's erratic behaviour leads to a plot in Parliament to have him declared insane and removed from the throne.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: costume drama, period piece, political, clever, witty, talky, historical drama, inspirational, sincere, novela
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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.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 54000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA, China
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, costume drama, stylized, period piece, bleak, historical drama, novela, teen, captivating
Similar in 86%
Gunpowder, Treason & Plot (2004)
Plot Summary:
A BBC miniseries based loosely on the lives of Mary, Queen of Scots, and her son James I of England.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 205 min
Plot tags: historical drama, serious, captivating, realistic, political, period piece, costume drama, period drama, baroque, weird
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The Enigma of Kaspar Hauser (1974)
Plot Summary:
The film follows Kaspar Hauser (Bruno S.), who lived the first seventeen years of his life chained in a tiny cellar with only a toy horse to occupy his time, devoid of all human contact except for a man who wears a black overcoat and top hat who feeds him.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: West Germany
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: surreal, atmospheric, melancholic, harsh, talky, touching, serious, realistic, philosophical, dramatic
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Victoria & Abdul (2017)
Plot Summary:
Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA, China
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: costume drama, period piece, atmospheric, stylized, touching, melancholic, exciting, motivational, inspirational, thought provoking
Similar in 77%
Elizabeth (1998)
Plot Summary:
The story of the ascension to the throne and the early reign of Queen Elizabeth the First, the endless attempts by her council to marry her off, the Catholic hatred of her and her romance with Lord Robert Dudley.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 104000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 124 min
Plot tags: factual, costume drama, period piece, realistic, historical drama, stylized, political, visually stunning, epic, erotic
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Victoria (2016)
Plot Summary:
The story of Queen Victoria, who came to the throne at a time of great economic turbulence and resurgent republicanism – and died 64 years later the head of the largest empire the world had ever seen, having revitalised the throne’s public image and become “grandmother of Europe”.
IMDB Rating: 8.2
IMDB Votes: 30000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: costume drama, romantic, historical drama, realistic, touching, period piece, factual, serious, light, educational
Similar in 90%
A Royal Affair (2012)
Plot Summary:
A young queen falls in love with her physician, and they start a revolution that changes their nation forever.
IMDB Rating: 7.5
IMDB Votes: 50000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: Denmark, Sweden, Czech Republic, Germany
Duration: 137 min
Plot tags: period piece, costume drama, realistic, stylized, atmospheric, factual, historical drama, captivating, romantic, political
Similar in 76%
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.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 39000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Ireland, Switzerland, UK, France, USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: independent film, melancholic, psychological, rough, touching, art film, captivating, suspenseful, philosophical, atmospheric
Similar in 87%
Colonel Redl (1985)
Plot Summary:
Set during the fading glory of the Austro-Hungarian empire, the film tells of the rise and fall of Alfred Redl, an ambitious young officer who proceeds up the ladder to become head of the Secret Police only to become ensnared in political deception.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Yugoslavia, Hungary, Austria, West Germany
Duration: 144 min
Plot tags: political, clever, serious, realistic, witty, cynical, biting, suspense, period drama, queer cinema
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The Young Victoria (2009)
Plot Summary:
From Academy Award® winners Graham King and Martin Scorsese, along with the makers of Gosford Park and The Departed, comes the story of Queen Victoria’s early rise to power. From an object of a royal power-struggle to her romantic courtship and legendary marriage to Prince Albert, Emily Blunt (The Devil Wears Prada) gives a stunning performance as the young Victoria. Packed with drama, romance, breath-taking cinematography, lavish costumes and featuring an outstanding British cast including Jim Broadbent, Harriet Walter, Mark Strong, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson, and Rupert Friend, The Young Victoria has captivated British audiences, and is the film that Company magazine called “an epic British film, which will sweep you up in her remarkable story.”.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 66000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: period piece, costume drama, romantic, touching, emotional, dramatic, factual, historical drama, political, realistic
Similar in 90%
The Last Emperor (1987)
Plot Summary:
A dramatic history of Pu Yi, the last of the Emperors of China, from his lofty birth and brief reign in the Forbidden City, the object of worship by half a billion people; through his abdication, his decline and dissolute lifestyle; his exploitation by the invading Japanese, and finally to his obscure existence as just another peasant worker in the People's Republic.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 110000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: China, Italy, UK, France
Duration: 163 min
Plot tags: visually stunning, epic, political, breathtaking, visually appealing, period piece, emotional, historical drama, historically accurate, erotic
Similar in 80%
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.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 701000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: inspirational, sincere, period piece, uplifting, dramatic, realistic, serious, sentimental, costume drama, witty