best political biography movies

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Entertainment News

Politics as usual: The 25 best political biopic movies

It will be interesting to see how Hollywood depicts our current political leaders, especially within the United States, as time passes. Let's take a look back at some political film biographies that have worked well over the years.

'All the President's Men' (1976)

We kick off this list with arguably the greatest political movie of all time. Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford, two Hollywood heavyweights, take on the roles of Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward, respectively. The Washington Post  reporters broke the Watergate scandal  and became celebrities in their own right. Riveting, intense, and masterfully done at every turn.

'Gandhi' (1982)

Star Ben Kingsley earned one of the eight Oscars this film took home for his role as the historic   leader of the non-cooperative Indian independence movement. It also won Best Picture honors and grossed $127.8 million. In terms of overall individual Hollywood performances, Kingsley's portrayal is still one of the greatest in film history and continues to resonate with audiences.

'JFK' (1991)

Oliver Stone takes his crack at the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Told from the standpoint of New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner), who digs deep into a potential conspiracy on the subject. The movie, featuring an all-star cast, was nominated for eight Academy Awards but won just two (Best Cinematography and Best Film Editing). 

'Malcolm X' (1992)

Malcolm X might not have officially been a "politician," but he was undoubtedly a political force as a civil and human rights activist. Most notably as the spokesman for the Nation of Islam. Denzel Washington starred in the titular role and was nominated for an Oscar. Under the direction of Spike Lee, the movie does a splendid job capturing the key moments  in the story of Malcolm X's life. 

'Nixon' (1995)

While not a box-office success, Oliver Stone's version of enigmatic President Richard Nixon received relatively positive reviews. With Anthony Hopkins in the starring role, Stone attempts to dig deep inside the man and show audiences his complex personality beyond the headlines. The film earned four Academy Award nominations. 

'Elizabeth' (1998)

Many believe Cate Blanchett turned into an international star for her turn as Elizabeth I. The movie focuses on the early years of Elizabeth's reign, how she got there, and all the obstacles she faced from her detractors. While the film was visually pretty spectacular, the work of Blanchett offers lasting memories of the film. She won a Golden Globe for the effort. 

'Downfall' (2004)

A truly riveting German film about the final days of Adolf Hitler (Bruno Ganz), the leader of the Nazi party. While the movie can sometimes be disturbing, Ganz's performance as the unhinged fuhrer is entertaining amid all the madness. The movie was nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars and should be considered the quintessential film about Hitler.

'Marie Antoinette' (2006)

Sofia Coppola's directorial work has been hit-or-miss over the years, and her depiction of Queen Marie Antoinette has no clear-cut consensus. However, Kirsten Dunst provides an above-average portrayal in the starring role as we learn more about the feisty queen during the events that led up to the French Revolution. Visually, the movie is impressive and somewhat contemporary for a period piece .

'The Last King of Scotland' (2006)

While the plot is fictional, the movie's events are based on personal accounts of Ugandan military leader and president Idi Amin. Thus, it's worthy of being included on this list. It's also important to celebrate the work of star Forest Whitaker, whose performance as Amin earned him the 2007 Best Actor Oscar.

'The Queen' (2006)

The legendary Helen Mirren stars as Queen Elizabeth II , who grapples with United Kingdom prime minister Tony Blair and Prince Charles on the proper way to officially mourn the death of the immensely popular Princess Diana, who is no longer part of the royal family. Mirren was praised for her work, but Michael Sheen holds his own while taking on the complexity of Blair's personality.

'Charlie Wilson's War' (2007)

Plenty of big names were involved in director Mike Nichols' final film. Tom Hanks stars as the famed U.S. congressman , who, along with CIA operative Gust Avrakotos (Philip Seymour Hoffman), played a major role in helping Afghan jihadists during the Soviet-Afghan War. Aaron Sorkin wrote the screenplay, while Julia Roberts and Amy Adams co-starred.

'Milk' (2008)

Sean Penn won his second Best Actor Oscar for this role as the San Francisco gay rights activist, who was a trailblazer for openly gay people in politics. While Harvey Milk's inspirational and tragic story  is brilliantly told through the eyes of director Gus Van Sant, Penn's performance brings it all to life. It delivers perhaps the most memorable outing of his career.

'Frost/Nixon' (2008)

Another film showcased disgraced former President Richard Nixon. This time, it was telling the story of the 1977 interviews between Nixon (Frank Langella) and British journalist David Foster (Michael Sheen). Directed by Ron Howard, the film adds intrigue to the lead-up, preparation, and the behind-the-scenes look into a moment that was life-changing for both individual parties involved.  

'Recount' (2008)

The story is about the aftermath of the 2000 U.S. presidential election between George W. Bush and Al Gore. The focus was on the voting issues in Florida and the recount that ensued before the Supreme Court stepped in. Starring Kevin Spacey and Denis Leary, the movie was initially slated to be directed by Sidney Pollack. The legendary director eventually pulled out due to illness and passed away from cancer the day after the film premiered. 

'W.' (2008)

If we've learned anything from this list, Oliver Stone enjoys telling stories about U.S. presidents. This time, he takes on George W. Bush . Josh Brolin reportedly was not the first choice to play Bush, but he does more than a good job. We should also show some love for Richard Dreyfuss, who offered a strong portrayal of vice president Dıck Cheney, despite not getting along with Stone throughout the process.

'Invictus' (2009)

Under Clint Eastwood's direction, Morgan Freeman stars as South African president Nelson Mandela. He hopes star Francois Pienaar (Matt Damon) and his underdog Springbok rugby team can bring glory and unite a nation in this post-apartheid time amid the backdrop of the country hosting the 1995 Rugby World Cup . Both Freeman and Damon earned Academy Award nominations. 

'The King’s Speech' (2010)

One of history's most inspirational films tells the story of the man who would become King George VI (Colin Firth)  and his quest to overcome his stutter while speaking. The movie was praised for its unique storyline and Firth's performance. He won the Oscar for Best Actor. The King's Speech also took home Best Picture honors.

'Game Change' (2012)

Based on the book of the same name, Julianne Moore fares well as vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. Woody Harrelson is also strong as Republican campaign strategist Steve Schmidt. Game Change is  an entertaining look at just how much Palin craved power and the spotlight .

'Lincoln' (2012)

Daniel Day-Lewis has won three Best Actor Oscars, including one for this role. Playing Abraham Lincoln is enticing and challenging for even the best of actors. Day-Lewis included. However, while his performance is stellar, the entire production, which focuses on the later years of his life, is Grade A — from the writing to the visuals to the execution . 

'Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom' (2013)

The second time we showcase Nelson Mandela. In this case, Idris Elba that's his crack at this historical figure in a film based on the South African president's autobiography of the same name. The movie spans Mandela's life and does a good job of explaining his harrowing and triumphant journey. Idris offers a more contemporary approach that takes a bit to get used to but still works.  

'LBJ' (2016)

Our second mention of Woody Harrelson, but this time in a starring role. This Rob Reiner picture follows the early days of Lyndon Johnson's presidency f ollowing the assassination of John F. Kennedy. The film earned some decent reviews, but this should also be considered one of Harrelson's more underrated roles.

'Chappaquiddick' (2017)

Jason Clarke ( Brotherhood; Zero Dark Thirty ) offers a fine turn as late U.S. senator Ted Kennedy in this tale of the infamous Chappaquiddick incident, where Kennedy was responsible for an automobile accident that resulted in the death of passenger Mary Jo Kopechne. The incident haunted Kennedy throughout his life and is skillfully told in this form.

'Darkest Hour' (2017)

The movie won the exceptional Gary Oldman his lone Academy Award for Best Actor. Oldman shines as United Kingdom prime minister Winston Churchill , navigating his way through World War II. Churchill is not an easy figure of prominence to pull off when stepping into his shoes, but Oldman does it relatively easily. The authenticity of his portrayal is something to behold.  

'The Post' (2017)

Told with a rather fast but thorough pace, viewers are brought into the mix on  the reporting of the famed Pentagon Papers . Specifically from inside The Washington Post , a middling paper looking to couple with The New York Times juggernaut. Tom Hanks delivers as gritty editor Ben Bradlee, while Meryl Steep portrays the blossoming strength of Post owner Katherine Graham.

'Vice' (2018)

Yes, that's Christian Bale under all that makeup playing former vice president Dıck Cheney . It's an in-depth look into the life of the powerful Cheney, revered by some but loathed by many on both sides of the aisle. Directed by Adam McKay, this comedy-drama was nominated for eight Academy Awards, including the Oscar for Best Picture.

A Chicago native, Jeff Mezydlo has professionally written about sports, entertainment and pop culture for parts of four decades. He was an integral member of award-winning sports sections at The Times of Northwest Indiana (Munster, Ind.) and Champaign (Ill.) News-Gazette, where he covered the NFL, PGA, LPGA, NCAA basketball, football and golf, Olympics and high school athletics. Jeff most recently spent 12 years in the editorial department at STATSPerform, where he also oversaw coverage of the English Premier League. A graduate of Northern Illinois University, Jeff's work has also appeared on such sites at Yahoo!, ESPN, Fox Sports, Sports Illustrated and NBA.com. However, if Jeff could do it again, he'd attend Degrassi Junior High, Ampipe High School and Grand Lakes University

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20 powerful movies based on real-life political drama

From "JFK" to "All the President's Men" to "Lincoln," our votes for 20 of the best films about real-life people in positions of public trust — and how they and those around them use/abuse the responsibility.

Pathe/Kobal/Shutterstock; Warner Bros/Kobal/Shutterstock; 20thCentFox/Courtesy Everett Collection

Politicians don't always have the best reputations in the world, but they sure make for compelling cinema. Filmmakers continue to be fascinated by the public and private lives of presidents, congresspeople, royalty, and the various figures that surround them, often to explore how those in authoritative positions use that power. But, of course, the political drama isn't just one thing, as the genre contains gripping thrillers like All the President's Men and JFK alongside snapshots of history such as The King's Speech and Lincoln .

Here are our picks for the 20 most powerful movies based on real-life politicians, and why they bring something new that you might not find in a history book.

Lincoln (2012)

Chronicling Abraham Lincoln's historic fight to pass the 13th Amendment, which ended the enslavement of — and ensured freedom for — Black people in America, Steven Spielberg 's film may cover a short period in the 16th president's life, but its sweeping stance on America's bloodiest conflict is by no means limited. EW's Owen Gleiberman deemed the film ''one of the most authentic biographical dramas I've ever seen," adding, ''The movie is grand and immersive. It plugs us into the final months of Lincoln's presidency with a purity that makes us feel transported as though by time machine.'' — Lanford Beard

Who killed President John F. Kennedy? Everyone, if you believe Oliver Stone 's investigative thriller. The Mafia, the Cuban government, the military-industrial complex, a shady cabal of wealthy gay swingers, and even President Lyndon B. Johnson are all implicated by the director as co-conspirators in the Kennedy assassination. As verifiable history, it's a wash, but the sprawling film is a memorable portrait of old-school Americana (personified by Kevin Costner as a Gary Cooper-esque lawman) fighting a losing battle with late-century free-floating paranoia. — Darren Franich

Fair Game (2010)

The story of Valerie Plame — whose status as a CIA agent was outed by sources close to U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney — is a small but pivotal tale in the long chronicle of Bush-era controversies. Doug Liman 's film may be the lowest of low-key thrillers, but it's an intriguing peek behind the curtain. And kudos to character actor David Andrews, whose ''Scooter'' Libby is a memorably preening political grotesque. — D.F.

The Queen (2006)

British royals hold no real political power. Their duties are purely administrative, and their great strength lies with the public. So when the public turns against them, what purpose do they serve? That's the anxious undertone of The Queen , which focuses on the immediate aftermath of the death of Princess Diana. As the troubled Queen, Helen Mirren is unforgettable, winning an Oscar among dozens of other awards for her performance. The Queen is also the middle chapter of the Tony Blair trilogy in which Michael Sheen hands in a spot-on portrayal of the former British Prime Minister. — D.F.

Milk (2008)

One of the unexpected pleasures of Milk is the nimble way Gus Van Sant portrays the nuts-and-bolts of political activism, etching Harvey Milk's private rise to power on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors against the larger emergence of the Gay Rights movement. The film, which won Sean Penn his second Oscar, is a fine tale of the American democratic process with an unbearable true-life dénouement: The assassination of Milk and Mayor George Moscone by city supervisor Dan White. — D.F.

Gangs of New York (2002)

Martin Scorsese 's decades-in-the-making dream project ran over budget and had a famously troubled production , and the end result is a fascinating mess filled with bizarre tangents. Occasionally, Gangs becomes a portrait of late-19th century New York politics, and Jim Broadbent gloriously chews the scenery as infamous Tammany Hall politician Boss Tweed. — D.F.

Il Divo (2008)

In the hands of writer-director Paolo Sorrentino , the true-life tale of Giulio Andreotti, the fabulously corrupt former President of Italy, becomes a film that's simultaneously tragic and funny. Andreotti's ties to the mob (and the possibility that he ordered political assassinations) are horrifying. Equally horrifying: The real-life Andreotti walked free, with the title ''Senator for Life," until his death in 2013. — D.F.

Marie (1985)

You may not remember Ray Blanton, the governor of Tennessee whose administration was rife with cronyism and bribery. You may also not remember Marie Ragghianti, the head of the Tennessee parole board whose anti-Blanton crusade forms the basis of 1985's Marie , with Sissy Spacek playing Ragghianti. But here's a name you might know: future presidential candidate Fred Thompson made his acting debut in Marie ...as Ragghianti's attorney, future presidential candidate Fred Thompson. (Ain't politics grand?) — D.F.

All the President's Men (1976)

While Bob Woodward got a whole lot prettier as played by Robert Redford , not much else is changed in this accounting of the Watergate scandal. The incident itself takes place off-screen, and, other than a brief clip at the end, Nixon doesn't appear at all. The consummate process film is a deliberate portrayal of shoe-leather journalism and uncovering the government rot from the outside in. — Keith Staskiewicz

Primary Colors (1998)

Based on Joe Klein's bestselling roman à clef, Primary Colors fictionalizes specifics and changes names, but there's no doubt that John Travolta 's gray-haired charmer is an analog of Bill Clinton . And, pursuant to real life, presidential candidate Jack Stanton's campaign dreams are haunted by the consequences of his sexual past. — K.S.

Charlie Wilson's War (2007)

Tom Hanks plays Democratic Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson, who facilitated the CIA's covert efforts in Afghanistan against the Soviets. Made in 2007, the film foreshadows the eventual blowback of the U.S. support of the mujahideen. — K.S.

Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)

Neither Hollywood nor history has been kind to Joseph McCarthy, and for good reason. But in his 2005 black-and-white drama about journalist Edward R. Murrow, George Clooney , much like Murrow before him, uses actual footage of ol' Tail Gunner Joe as indictment enough. — K.S.

The third film by Oliver Stone about an American president but the only one made while that president was still in office, this take on George W. Bush is essentially a farce at heart, Buñuelian and broad. Also included is a parade of famous characters made caricatures, like Thandiwe Newton as Condoleezza Rice, Toby Jones as Karl Rove, Richard Dreyfuss as Dick Cheney, and Scott Glenn as Donald Rumsfeld. — K.S.

Secret Honor (1984)

Philip Baker Hall 's portrayal of Richard Nixon is both subtle and absurdly over the top, not immediately identifiable yet spot-on. Refusing to parody the eminently parodiable president, Hall and director Robert Altman turn this one-man show into a slow and sad display of self-delusion, self-pity, and self-destruction. — K.S.

Il Caimano (2006)

Depending on your point of view, the political success of Silvio Berlusconi — Italy's boisterous, sex-obsessed prime minister — is either a sad comedy or a hilarious drama. Nanni Moretti 's 2006 film finds the exact right tone with the meta-story of a director attached to a production about a thinly veiled version of Berlusconi. — K.S.

Give 'em Hell, Harry! (1975)

James Whitmore (a.k.a. Brooks from The Shawshank Redemption ) was nominated for an Academy Award for his soft, almost grandfatherly portrayal of President Harry S. Truman, the man who ordered the A-bomb dropped. — K.S.

Elizabeth (1998)

Cate Blanchett brings Queen Elizabeth I's highly political ascent to the throne to the big screen in 1998's Elizabeth . The Oscar-winning film follows the 25-year-old Brit from prisoner in the Tower of London all the way to the highest throne in the land, while also navigating royal marriages, Parliament, and diplomatic relations. —Madeline Boardman

Nixon (1995)

A political scandal far juicier than any screenwriter could pen, the fall of President Richard Nixon is highlighted in Oliver Stone's 1995 film Nixon . Anthony Hopkins stars as the infamous politician, looking back on the steps of the Watergate crisis as even more drama unfolds in Nixon's personal life. Adding another layer to the massive scandal, Nixon picked up four Oscar nods for its interpretation. —M.B.

The King's Speech (2010)

Colin Firth picked up a Best Actor Oscar for his portrayal of King George VI in The King's Speech . Come for Firth's gold-worthy acting chops, stay for the powerful depiction of the king's personal struggles with speaking and a country on the brink of war. —M.B.

Frost/Nixon (2008)

The relationship between a reporter and a president in delicate standing is examined in 2008's Frost/Nixon . Michael Sheen stars as David Frost, a British journalist who finagles a series of sit-downs with former President Richard Nixon ( Frank Langella in an Oscar-nominated performance) following the politician's very public fall from grace. The Ron Howard -directed film sheds new light on what happened behind the scenes and the true fragility of power. — M.B.

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Arts and Entertainment

The 34 best political movies ever made

1. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

2. all the president’s men (1976).

3. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

4. Primary (1960)

5. the battle of algiers (1966).

6. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

7. the lives of others (2006).

8. Mean Girls (2004)

9. born yesterday (1950).

10. Lone Star (1996)

11. Citizen Kane (1941)

12. wag the dog (1997).

13. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)

14. a face in the crowd (1957).

15. Malcolm X (1992)

16. election (1999), 17. invasion of the body snatchers (1956).

18. Thirteen Days (2000)

19. bulworth (1998).

20. The Fog of War (2003)

21. Selma (2014)

22. the incredibles (2004).

23. Gabriel Over the White House (1933)

24. being there (1979), 25. born in flames (1983).

26. The Contender (2000)

27. high noon (1952).

28. I Am Cuba (1964)

29. triumph of the will (1935).

30. Milk (2008)

31. in the loop (2009), 32. the spook who sat by the door (1973).

33. Chicago 10 (2007)

34. the queen (2006), we noticed you’re blocking ads.

The 22 best political movies ever, ranked

• The political movie genre has always there to celebrate, keep in check, and satire the system.
• Here we highlight the 22 best political movies ever and rank them.
• Find out where classics like "JFK," "All the President's Men," "Wag the Dog," and "Lincoln" end up on the list.
• Visit Insider's homepage for more stories .

Movies focusing on politics take many forms. They can have a serious stance on a major issue or moment in history, they can also make fun of the whole system with a satirical tone. Regardless, the genre has over the decades produced some of the most gripping, entertaining movies ever told.

And now more than ever, we need these stories in our lives.

From "All the President's Men" to "JFK" to "Bulworth," here we rank the 22 greatest the genre has ever produced.

22. "The Distinguished Gentleman" (1992)

Eddie Murphy plays a Florida con man who realizes he has been missing out on the biggest con of all: being a politician.

Winning a seat in Congress because he has the same name as a longtime Congressman in his district who suddenly passed away before the election, he proceeds to turn DC upside down. Honestly, this is a hidden gem in the Eddie Murphy filmography.  

21. "Nixon" (1995)

Anthony Hopkins playing Richard Nixon in Oliver Stone's epic look at the 37th president is hit-and-miss at moments. As with any great actor, however, in the moments when he's right, the movie thrives.

But Stone also examines the shrewdness of Nixon. One moment he's in the bugged Oval Office tearing apart his legacy and another he's confronted by Vietnam protesters at the Lincoln Memorial and he actively tries to understand what they are against. 

20. "Milk" (2008)

Sean Penn earned an Oscar for his performance as Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay politician to be elected to public office.

The movie chronicles Milk's struggle as a gay activist in San Francisco in the late 1970s and ends with his shocking assassination. As with almost everything he's in, Penn gives a moving performance.

19. "Election" (1999)

Great political movies don't always have to deal with adults. Alexander Payne's look at a high school election and the ramifications that occur when a teacher (Matthew Broderick) is fed up with an over-achiever (Reese Witherspoon) running for student body president is as entertaining as it is eerily similar to how grown politicians act.

18. "Seven Days in May" (1964)

Set 10 years in the future from when it was released, the film is a thrilling drama that follows a planned coup of the president in seven days after a nuclear arms treaty has been signed.

On top of the great performances by Kirk Douglas and Burt Lancaster, released during the height of the Cold War, the movie touched on the tension that many in the country had about nuclear war.

17. "The American President" (1995)

Directed by Rob Reiner with a script from Aaron Sorkin, Michael Douglas plays a widowed sitting president who falls for a lobbyist (Annette Bening).

The romantic dramedy captures both Reiner and Sorkin's strengths and highlights how well Martin Sheen, who plays the chief of staff in the movie, does with Sorkin's dialogue. Soon after the two would team again for the successful "The West Wing" series.

16. "The Contender" (2000)

Joan Allen gives a powerful performance as a senator who has been chosen by the president (Jeff Bridges) to take over the vice presidency following the sudden death of the current VP. But in her way of taking the position is the congressman (Gary Oldman) at the head of the committee to select her. Instead of speaking on why she's qualified for the job, questions about her past sexual encounters come up leading to the hearings becoming a media sensation.

Allen's performance earned her an Oscar nomination and, as always, Oldman is incredible. 

15. "All the King's Men" (1949)

This 1950 best picture Oscar winner follows the rise and fall of everyman politician Willie Stark (Broderick Crawford) who gets into politics hoping to help the working man, but when he gets in, becomes so corrupt that he no longer knows the difference between right and wrong.

14. “Lincoln” (2012)

Daniel Day-Lewis received an Oscar for his portrayal of President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War when he struggles with the idea to emancipate the slaves. Directed by Steven Spielberg, the film is a powerful look at not just one of our greatest presidents but how politics were handled at the time. 

13. "Frost/Nixon" (2008)

Capturing one of the most unique series of televised interviews ever done — in which Richard Nixon admits to illegal acts as president — this adaptation of the popular stage play stars Frank Langella as Nixon and Michael Sheen as broadcaster David Frost (the two also starred in the roles onstage).

The compelling story shows that the drama behind the scenes of the interviews was as riveting as what occurred on the screen. 

12. "Primary Colors" (1998)

Based on a novel that was originally published anonymously (and was later revealed to be written by journalist Joe Klein, who had been covering the presidential campaign of Bill Clinton for Newsweek), the movie stars John Travolta as the spitting image of Clinton as a governor running for office.

Under the direction of Mike Nichols, the film is a funny look at the campaign trail.    

11. "Citizen Kane" (1941)

Though director and star Orson Welles tried to keep it from the public and press, it was obvious that his character of Charles Foster Kane was heavily based on the newspaper tycoon William Randolph Hearst. All the way down to Kane attempting to get into politics, which Hearst also tried. 

10. "The Candidate" (1972)

Always one to go against the grain, Robert Redford showed off his un-conformist ways in this film. He plays Bill McKay, a young good-looking son of a former governor who has no chance of winning the senate seat he's going after so he's allowed to run his campaign as he wants and speaks what's on his mind. 

9. "Bulworth" (1998)

Warren Beatty also found a way to jab at the political establishment with his funny look at a Democratic senator (Beatty) who after hiring a hitman to kill him goes on a two-day truth-telling rant with the help of a black activist (Halle Berry).

8. "In the Loop" (2009)

Before he created the hit HBO series "Veep," Armando Iannucci directed this hilarious satire that follows the not-too-bright American and British governments as a war in Iraq is upon them. The vile language and power plays make you wonder why anyone would get into politics.

7. "Wag the Dog" (1997)

With a sex scandal about to dismantle the president's reelection, a spin doctor (Robert De Niro) hires a big Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) to fabricate a war.

With amazing performances and a wickedly smart story, the movie is a scary look at the tricks done to make us believe the people in power. Some could make the argument this movie is more relevant today than it was back in the late 1990s when it was made.

6. "JFK" (1991)

You can come up with numerous theories of who assassinated John F. Kennedy, but very few movies on the topic are as powerful as this classic by Oliver Stone.

From Kevin Costner's perfect performance as a New Orleans district attorney searching for justice to Gary Oldman looking exactly like alleged Kennedy assassin Lee Harvey Oswald, the movie is an incredible journey inside one of American history's most disputed moments.

5. "A Face in the Crowd" (1957)

Though most will remember Andy Griffith for playing the squeaky-clean sheriff on "The Andy Griffith Show," one of his best performances was playing the despicable Arkansas drifter Larry "Lonesome" Rhodes who becomes one of the biggest commentators in the country thanks to his unfiltered, good-ol'-boy talk. However, his thirst for power leads to his demise.

4. "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962)

Frank Sinatra plays a former prisoner of war who realizes that a fellow soldier in his platoon has been brainwashed to be an assassin for a Communist conspiracy.

This Cold War thriller found modest interest when it was released, but after rumors that Sinatra demanded the film be taken out of theaters after the assassination of his good friend President Kennedy, the film turned into a classic when it was re-released in the late 1980s. 

3. "All the President's Men" (1976)

In one of the best movies about journalism ever made, Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman play Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, respectively, as they uncover the Watergate scandal, which led to the resignation of President Nixon.

The drama that comes from the not-so-exciting process of reporting is a testament to the actors and director Alan J. Pakula.

2. "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964)

Stanley Kubrick's classic satire on nuclear war never gets old. From the multiple characters played by Peter Sellers to George C. Scott's gum-smacking war hawk general to Slim Pickens riding the bomb to the end of civilization, the movie has countless memorable moments filled with a dark comedy that has been imitated for decades. 

1. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939)

When this film was originally released, it was banned in some areas of the world as it differed with regional ideology, and was under controversy here in the US because some thought it made senators look bad. Today, Frank Capra's look at a naive senator who ends up fighting a jaded and corrupt Washington, DC, has become a pillar in the political movie genre. 

A big reason why the film is still a classic is the performance by Jimmy Stewart as Jefferson Smith. Playing someone who fights for the belief that good can come out of the halls of the senate, he gives one of his finest performances.    

• Main content

21 Greatest Films About Political leaders

BY Farhana Gani

1st Jan 2015 Film & TV

Must-see films about the world's greatest political giants and civil rights activists who have changed the course of history.

In 1942 the Ministry of Information backed the war film In Which We Serve . Heavily based on the heroic exploits of Captain Lord Louis Mountbatten, in command of a Navy destroyer sunk off Crete, the film was co-directed by Noel Coward and David Lean, with Coward also writing the music and playing the fictionalised ship’s captain, Kinross. John Mills also stars as Ordinary Seaman ‘Shorty’ Blake, and Richard Attenborough makes his first screen appearance as a young stoker. They don’t make propaganda like that anymore, but we still make excellent politically themed films with stellar performances and important messages.

Here are twenty-one of our favourites, in no particular order. Have your say if we’ve missed one of yours.

Lincoln (2012)

Stephen Spielberg directs and Daniel Day-Lewis stars as President Abraham Lincoln begins his second term in office with the American Civil War raging on. Facing carnage on the battlefield, and noisy opposition to his cherished Thirteenth Amendment to abolish slavery, Lincoln must also deal with his tempestuous wife Mary (Sally Field) and their son Robert (Joseph Gordon-Levitt)’s insistence on dropping out of law school to enlist in the war. Day-Lewis scooped the Best Actor Oscar for a record third time (after 1990’s My Left Foot and 2008’s There Will Be Blood ).

Buy the DVD

All the President’s Men (1976)

Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford star as Washington Post reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodard, who uncover the Watergate scandal that will lead to President Nixon’s downfall. Screenwriting guru William Goldman wrote the screenplay, and Alan J. Pakula directs, in the third of what became known as his ‘paranoia’ trilogy, with Klute (1971) and The Parallax View (1974). Scintillating and inspiring.

Frost/Nixon (2008)

In 1977, three years after Nixon’s post-Watergate resignation, David Frost circled the disgraced former president to persuade him to record a series of TV interviews. Nixon had withdrawn from public life, but saw an opportunity to begin to clear his name, while Frost had his eye on his main chance to break through as a serious reporter/presenter. This pivotal moment in chequebook journalism and the showpiece political interview was the subject of Peter Morgan’s hit West End and Broadway play, which he subsequently adapted for the screen. Ron Howard directs and Martin Sheen and Frank Langella star.

The Queen (2006)

Helen Mirren walked off with the Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of our current monarch as she deals with the aftermath of the death of Princess Diana – and the British public’s unprecedented outrage at Her Majesty’s refusal to make a show of mourning. Go-to Tony Blair guy Michael Sheen (who also played him in 2003’s The Deal and 2010’s The Special Relationship ) leads the surrender to public hysteria. But of course it was Blair whose popularity would wane quickest. Among the factual titbits we glean are Cherie Blair (Helen McRory)’s deep antipathy towards the monarchy, and that Prince Philip (James Cromwell)’s affectionate nickname for our Sovereign is ‘cabbage’. Stephen Frears directs.

Elizabeth (1998)

Cate Blanchett won a BAFTA and a Golden Globe for her portrayal of Liz 1.0, as the young queen ascends to the throne after the death of her half-sister and former gaoler Mary I. Britain is bankrupt, divided and under threat of invasion, and Elizabeth is strongly advised to make a good marriage. Instead, she embarks on a reckless affair with Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes) – before declaring herself the ‘Virgin Queen’ wedded only to her country. Blanchett and Geoffrey Rush as Sir Francis Walsingham reprise their roles in Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007), as the mature queen faces new trials.

Braveheart (1995)

Mel Gibson dons historically inappropriate kilt and woad, starring and directing himself as 13th-century über-Highlander William Wallace, filling the Scots people with fervour for honourable victory over the villainous English. Despite its many inaccuracies this is a rip-roaring tale about good versus evil and the making of a legend, with epic battle scenes and set pieces shot against glorious landscapes. All together now: Freedo-o-o-o-o-om!

The King’s Speech (2010)

This story of King George VI’s battle with timidity and a debilitating speech impediment upon his sudden ascension to the throne won Best Picture, Best Actor, Best Director and Best Original Screenplay Oscars, and was among the nominations for eight others. Colin Firth, Helena Bonham-Carter and Geoffrey Rush star as the king, his queen (Elizabeth, the future Queen Mum), and pioneering speech therapist Lionel Logue, who moulded the uncertain monarch into a true leader. A superior historical drama and a powerful tale of personal triumph.

The Gathering Storm (2002)

Albert Finney stars as Winston Churchill and Vanessa Redgrave as wife Clemmie in this intimate portrait of a marriage at a time when the great leader’s political future was in the balance. It’s the 1930s and Churchill is a backbencher and a lone voice in parliament warning of Germany’s rearmament. Confronting personal demons of debt and depression, ultimately his voice is heard and he’s able to re-emerge as an energetic leader and hero.

Downfall (2004)

Churchill’s finest hour is counterbalanced by this remarkable depiction of Adolf Hitler’s last, despairing days in his Berlin bunker. Bruno Ganz is the raging Führer, goading his generals and advisers to fight to the last man as the Soviet forces close in on the Third Reich’s capital. Joseph Goebbels stands by his leader to the last, while other senior Nazis including Himmler and Goring look to defect. Internationally acclaimed, Oliver Hirschbiegel’s film has famously garnered one of the most enduring and amusing self-referencing running spoofs on YouTube.

The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Forest Whitaker inhabits the larger-than-life frame and personality of Idi Amin in this fictional tale of impressionable Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), who becomes Ugandan dictator’s personal physician and confidant. Whilst Garrigan is an invention, Amin’s brutal, paranoid reign was all too real, and the film is a little light on detailing his many atrocities – although the menace in Whitaker’s portrayal is unforgettably unnerving and was deservedly rewarded with Best Actor wins in the Oscars, Golden Globes and BAFTAs.

Gandhi (1982)

If it were cast today, it is doubtful that the title role of this otherwise exemplary biopic would go to a tall, white British actor, yet remarkably Ben Kingsley made the role his own. Scooping up eight Oscars, five Golden Globes and five BAFTAs in all the main categories, Richard Attenborough’s inspiring epic about India’s independence leader covers an astonishing fifty years of Gandhi’s quiet and determined non-violent revolution, and taught a new generation of movie-goers the rewards of sitting still in the dark for over three hours.

Malcolm X (1992)

Following its subject’s early life as a small-time gangster, through to his growing influence as a Black Nationalist leader and a minister in the Nation of Islam, Spike Lee’s film never flinches from its brief to inform, provoke and entertain. Denzel Washington delivers a performance of tremendous depth, capturing Malcolm’s anger, charm and rigid dogmatism. The film also doesn’t shy away from the tensions, mistrust and opposing principles of Malcolm and Martin Luther King as they strive for similar goals.

The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

Gael García Bernal stars as a young Che Guevara as he takes a break from his studies to go on an epic motorbike ride across South America with his friend Alberto Granado (Rodrigo de la Serna) that will profoundly affect both men’s hopes and dreams. Based on Guevara’s personal travelogue, plus additional material from Granado’s own account of the trip, this is a fascinating coming-of-age story about two friends with a taste for adventure and the quest for a life of meaning.

Oliver Stone’s conspiracy thriller about the assassination of John F. Kennedy and a perceived cover-up by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) is the most controversial – and successful – of the director’s three films about American presidents. If some of the theorising is frankly bonkers, a tremendous cast including Tommy Lee Jones, Gary Oldman (as Lee Harvey Oswald), Joe Pesci, Kevin Bacon, Sissy Spacek, Jack Lemmon and Walter Matthau have the power to make you believe anything.

Nixon (1995)

Anthony Hopkins plays the title role in Stone’s second stab at understanding a presidency. Richard Nixon is by turns difficult, brooding, admirable and (of course) deeply flawed. The narrative is interspersed with Nixon meticulously reviewing secret recordings and newsreel-type summaries, as if fumbling for some kind of positive legacy. That he may have been hard done by is neatly summed up in a line at the end of the film. Addressing a portrait of his predecessor JFK, with his own reputation in tatters in the wake of Watergate, he says: “When they look at you, they see what they want to be. When they look at me, they see what they are.” 

Stone’s chronicle of George W. Bush’s rise from directionless alcoholic to Leader of the Free World is notable for Richard Dreyfuss’ uncanny portrayal of string-puller-in-chief Dick Cheney, as well as the palpable tension between ‘Dubya’ (Josh Brolin) and George Bush Sr. (James Cromwell) who, naturally enough, had hoped and expected the younger and more capable Jeb would follow in his footsteps to the White House. Released in the US less than three weeks before the election that delivered Obama, it is not thought the film greatly influenced voter opinion on Bush Jr.’s compromised and divisive double-term in office.

Primary Colors (1998)

The nearest we have to date to a Bill Clinton biopic, Mike Nichols’ film stars John Travolta as a charismatic Southern Democrat governor who runs for president. Based on Joe Klein’s fictionalised account of Clinton’s 1992 campaign, Travolta’s Jack Stanton wins the day despite an aggressive Republican-backed smear campaign highlighting his womanising past. Emma Thompson, Billy Bob Thornton, Kathy Bates and Larry Hagman head a strong supporting cast in a balanced exposé of political machinations.

Milk (2008)

Gus Van Sant directs Sean Penn as Harvey Milk, America’s first openly gay politician. The film opens with archive footage of brutal police raids on gay bars, then cuts to Senator Dianne Feinstein’s November 1978 press announcement that Milk has been assassinated along with San Francisco mayor George Moscone (Victor Garber). We then flash back to Milk’s 40th birthday eight years earlier and follow his move from New York to San Francisco to pursue a life as a gay rights campaigner. Milk finally wins a seat on San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors, taking office in January 1978. Ten months later he and the mayor are gunned down by another city supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin). Penn’s tender portrayal won the Best Actor Oscar, and writer Dustin Lance Black won Best Original Screenplay.

Patton (1970)

Co-written by Francis Ford Coppola and Edmund H. North, and directed by Franklin J. Schaffner, George C. Scott stars as controversial World War II general George S. Patton. As he blazes a trail through North Africa and Europe, Patton’s ruthless genius for battle raises fear and respect from his German foes, but resentment and incomprehension from the Allies, and his short temper and insubordination prevent him from being chosen to lead the decisive Normandy invasion. Winner of seven Oscars including Best Picture, Best Actor and Best Director, Patton remains one of Hollywood’s finest war movies, with a compelling and nuanced central performance from Scott.

Cry Freedom (1987)

Set in apartheid-era South Africa, Richard Attenborough’s film tells the story of how liberal white journalist Donald Woods befriended black activist Steve Biko, and campaigned for justice when Biko was unlawfully killed in police custody. Writing an investigative book about the event, Woods is forced to flee the country in order to see it published. Filmed in neighbouring Zimbabwe as political turmoil in South Africa continued some eight years before the release of Nelson Mandela, Cry Freedom won many accolades for its awareness-raising of continuing injustice in the country. Denzel Washington and Kevin Kline play the leads with great passion and gravitas.

Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)

William Nicholson adapted Nelson Mandela’s bestselling autobiography for the screen and Justin Chadwick directs. British actors Idris Elba and Naomie Harris star in this sweeping chronicle of Mandela’s rise from relative poverty in a rural village to become the international figurehead of the anti-apartheid movement and, on his release from 27 years in jail, South Africa’s first black president. Respectful and earnest almost to the point of hagiography, the film nonetheless bears powerful witness to a remarkable life.

Read our review of Selma

Read more by Farhana Gani

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The 100 Most Significant Political Films of All Time

Not “best.” not “favorite.” not “most likable.” most significant. some are obvious. some obscure. a few will be controversial. let the debate begin..

We wanted to do something special for this double July-August issue of The New Republic , but we weren’t sure what; then it hit us that summer is movie season, so why not combine that fact with this magazine’s great passion and come up with a list of history’s best political movies? ( TNR , by the way, is no stranger to motion pictures. For decades, the magazine published the work of famed twentieth-century critic Stanley Kauffmann, and we continue to run trenchant film analysis today.)

It was that germ of an idea that led us to reach out to J. Hoberman, one of the leading film critics of the last half-century, to curate this project. Hoberman changed it from “best” to “most significant” and led us in assembling a list of around 130 critics to whom we wrote, asking them to participate. We were pleased that 79 wrote back with their lists. On the following pages, see what they came up with, as well as Hoberman’s overview essay , and some movies that we at TNR thought deserved a mention. Discuss away—and cast your own votes at our readers’ poll here . Summaries 100-11 written by Julian Epp, 10-1 by J. Hoberman.

100. One Sings, the Other Doesn’t

(1977) Dir: Agnès Varda Two French women—an aspiring singer and a young mother—leading parallel lives in the 1970s reunite as they search for meaning against the backdrop of the women’s liberation movement. 99. Fail Safe (1964) Dir: Sidney Lumet The president attempts to contact the Soviet prime minister and prevent a nuclear catastrophe after a fleet of bombers is accidentally sent to destroy Moscow. A classic Cold War thriller. 98. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962) Dir: John Ford This black-and-white Western starring Jimmy Stewart and John Wayne tells the story—almost entirely through flashback—of a young lawyer traveling to a frontier town terrorized by an outlaw. Probably Ford’s most morally complex film. 97. Germany Year Zero (1948) Dir: Roberto Rossellini In Allied-occupied Berlin, a German boy and former Hitler Youth struggles to provide for his family in the war-torn city. The third entry in Rossellini’s War Trilogy. 96. A Grin Without a Cat (1977) Dir: Chris Marker A remarkable documentary and essay on radical movements worldwide, exploring the success of the global left in the 1960s and its decline in the 1970s. 95. I Am a Fugitive From a Chain Gang (1932) Dir: Mervyn LeRoy Unable to find work, a returning veteran is forced at gunpoint to participate in a robbery and sentenced to hard labor.

94. Weekend (1967) Dir: Jean-Luc Godard

A bourgeois married couple take a weekend road trip to collect their inheritance in this black comedy satirizing the 1960s and French society. 93. The World (2004) Dir: Jia Zhangke Following the lives of the young employees at Beijing World Park, this gloomy drama examines globalization’s influence on China’s working class. 92. The Tin Drum (1979) Dir: Volker Schlöndorff A three-year-old child in Danzig during the rise of the Nazi Party is disgusted by the adult world and decides to stop growing. Based on the novel by Günter Grass. 91. Syriana (2005) Dir: Stephen Gaghan Using multiple interlocking narratives, this slick thriller, starring George Clooney as CIA agent Bob Barnes, highlights the conspiracy and corruption of the global oil industry.

90. Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970) Dir: Elio Petri A high-ranking police detective cuts the throat of his mistress and intentionally leaves behind evidence to see if he is immune to prosecution. 89. Salvador (1986) Dir: Oliver Stone Photojournalist Richard Boyle travels to El Salvador to document the country’s civil war in this fictionalized biographical drama. Try to forget what’s become of James Woods, who is excellent. 88. The Passion of Joan of Arc (1928) Dir: Carl Theodor Dreyer This timeless silent film based on actual historical records tells the story of the trial, conviction, and execution of Joan of Arc in 1431. Dreyer was one of the world’s most important early filmmakers.

87. Zero Dark Thirty (2012) Dir: Kathryn Bigelow

A dramatized account of a CIA agent’s search for Osama bin Laden and the slaying of the Al Qaeda leader by Navy SEALs. Jessica Chastain’s performance won a Golden Globe. 86. Olympia (1938) Dir: Leni Riefenstahl The controversial documentary follows the 1936 games held in Nazi Germany, using multiple cameras and a range of innovative and distinctive techniques. 85. Ivan the Terrible, Part Two (1958) Dir: Sergei Eisenstein A follow-up on Russia’s infamous and violent first czar. Stalin liked part one. This one, featuring secret police and summary executions, not so much . 84. High and Low (1963) Dir: Akira Kurosawa An anonymous caller has mistakenly kidnapped the son of a wealthy executive’s chauffeur and holds him for 30 million yen in ransom. The Washington Post said this was Macbeth “if Macbeth had married better.” 83. Go, Go Second Time Virgin (1969) Dir: Kôji Wakamatsu In this experimental Japanese drama, two sexually traumatized teenagers meet on an apartment rooftop and open up about their troubled lives. A controversial entry in Japan’s “ pink film ” genre. 82. American Sniper (2014) Dir: Clint Eastwood Based on the memoir by Chris Kyle, the story follows the famed Navy SEAL sniper during his four tours in Iraq and how the war altered his life after. Its history of U.S. involvement in Iraq is … odd. 81. The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) Dir: Rob Epstein The story of the first openly gay man elected to public office in California, Harvey Milk, from his time as an activist with the Gay Rights Movement to his assassination. Murderer Dan White killed himself the year after this film was released.

80. City Hall (1996) Dir: Harold Becker A deputy mayor, played by John Cusack (to Al Pacino’s mayor), investigates the killing of a six-year-old during a shootout between a cop and a mobster in New York City. 79. No (2012) Dir: Pablo Larraín A semi-fictional account of Chile’s 1988 referendum to decide whether dictator Augusto Pinochet would stay in power. It stars Gael García Bernal as the adman who leads the opposition campaign. 78. Eight Hours Don’t Make a Day (1972) Dir: Rainer Werner Fassbinder Broadcast in five episodes, this miniseries depicted contemporary working-class German life through the eyes of a young factory employee who falls in love and organizes with his co-workers.

77. A Short Film About Killing (1988) Dir: Krzysztof Kieslowski When a man murders a taxi driver in the Polish countryside, a young criminal defense lawyer tries to keep him from receiving the death penalty. 76. They Live (1988) Dir: John Carpenter A drifter in Los Angeles finds a pair of sunglasses that reveal the world’s ruling class as skull-faced aliens controlling humanity with subliminal messages: “Stay Asleep,” “Submit to Authority.” Sound like anyone you know? 75. Starship Troopers (1997) Dir: Paul Verhoeven In the twenty-third century, the human United Citizen Federation is at war with a race of alien insects from the planet Klendathu in this initially misunderstood satire of militarism and fascism. 74. Platform (2000) Dir: Jia Zhangke Following the death of Mao Zedong and in the shadow of the Cultural Revolution, an amateur theater troupe abandons state-approved performances and starts playing rock and roll. 73. Dogville (2003) Dir: Lars von Trier In this avant-garde film shot on a single soundstage, a woman on the run from gangsters takes shelter in a small Colorado town. It looks like no other film you’ve ever seen. 72. Three Days of the Condor (1975) Dir: Sydney Pollack When a paper-pushing analyst for the CIA discovers that his co-workers have been brutally murdered, he goes undercover to find the perpetrators. Redford and Dunaway: It didn’t get much better in the ’70s. 71. Being There (1979) Dir: Hal Ashby A naïve gardener in Washington, D.C., leaves his secluded life to explore the outside world, becoming a political adviser and celebrity. Based on the novel by Jerzy Kosiński.

70. The Death of Stalin (2017) Dir: Armando Iannucci

After Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin unexpectedly dies from a stroke (well, most likely),members of the Central Committee fight for power in this satirical black comedy banned by the Russian Culture Ministry. 69. The Best Man (1964) Dir: Franklin J. Schaffner Written by Gore Vidal and based on his 1960 play, this drama follows two leading presidential candidates vying for their party’s nomination. Of its time, but a great cast keeps it moving. 68. Arsenal (1929) Dir: Aleksandr Dovzhenko A frontline Ukrainian soldier returns home to Kyiv after World War I to organize a workers’ uprising at the town’s arsenal. Number two in the trilogy (see number 61). 67. Point of Order! (1964) Dir: Emile de Antonio Using only television footage from the 1954 Army-McCarthy hearings , this documentary is a stunning insight into the downfall of the corrupt, anti-Communist senator. “Have you no sense of decency?” will live forever. 66. The Sorrow and the Pity (1969) Dir: Marcel Ophüls This stunning two-part documentary examines the French people’s collaboration and resistance during Nazi occupation in World War II. The witness-interview format, now well-worn, was still new in 1969. 65. The Emperor’s Naked Army Marches On (1987) Dir: Kazuo Hara After the end of World War II, Kenzō Okuzaki, a former Imperial Japanese private, searches for and interrogates the officers involved in the execution of two of his fellow soldiers. Forty-two years after the war’s end, but worth the wait . 64. The American President (1995) Dir: Rob Reiner Written by Aaron Sorkin, this romance stars Michael Douglas as a widowed president running for reelection who falls in love with an environmental lobbyist—despite his staffers’ objections. That rare genre : a political rom-com. 63. Lumumba: Death of a Prophet (1991) Dir: Raoul Peck A bracing documentary on the life and mysterious death of Lumumba, the prime minister of the Congo and a monumental figure in the fight for African independence before his assassination in 1961. 62. Khrustalyov, My Car! (1998) Dir: Aleksey German This hallucinatory black-and-white Russian comedy-drama is set in the winter of 1953, guiding us through the horrifying final days of Joseph Stalin’s reign. 61. Earth (1930) Dir: Aleksandr Dovzhenko In a Ukrainian village, peasant farmers begin collectivizing with the help of a tractor in the final film of Dovzhenko’s “ Ukraine Trilogy .” Certainly relevant right now. 60. Love and Anarchy (1973) Dir: Lina Wertmüller In the 1930s, an anarchist farmer in Italy begins living in a brothel while preparing to assassinate Benito Mussolini after his friend is killed by the fascist police.

59. All the King’s Men (1949) Dir: Robert Rossen

An ambitious populist politician is corrupted by power after being elected governor. Based on the Pulitzer-winning novel by Robert Penn Warren. Huey Long remains the only prominent social democratic fascist America has ever produced. 58. I Am Not Your Negro (2016) Dir: Raoul Peck Narrated by Samuel L. Jackson and based on James Baldwin’s unfinished manuscript , this astonishing documentary reflects on the lives of Medgar Evers, Martin Luther King Jr., Malcolm X, and Baldwin himself. 57. The Last Hurrah (1958) Dir: John Ford An old-school Irish American mayor in New England tries to run for a fifth—and final—term. Ford gets mawkish here; Spencer Tracy keeps it real. 56. The Fog of War (2003) Dir: Errol Morris Robert McNamara, former secretary of defense under Presidents Kennedy and Johnson, discusses his life and lessons learned in this confessional documentary. His reputation—already hurting—took a big hit here.

55. Grand Illusion (1937) Dir: Jean Renoir When their plane is shot down during a reconnaissance mission, two French soldiers are sent to a World War I German prison camp, but the pair work with their fellow inmates to plot an escape. Goebbels ordered the destruction of every print of the film.

54. Wag the Dog (1997) Dir: Barry Levinson As the president prepares for reelection, a political spin doctor and a famous Hollywood producer manufacture a fake war with Albania to distract the public from an impending sex scandal. A poorly timed release from the perspective of Bill Clinton, who was accused—wrongly—of doing the same in Iraq. 53. Nazi Concentration and Prison Camps (shown at the Nuremberg trials) (1945) Dir: George Stevens After the end of World War II, this footage was presented at the war crime trials of Nazi leaders. The evidence included film from Germans as well as the Allied troops who liberated the concentration camps. Stevens, known for comedies in the 1930s, shifted to drama after seeing what happened in Dachau.

52. Bicycle Thieves (1948) Dir: Vittorio De Sica A working-class man and his eight-year-old son search the streets of Rome for a stolen bicycle in this neorealist Italian drama. A searing depiction of the state in which Mussolini and his fascists left their country. 51. The Act of Killing (2012) Dir: Joshua Oppenheimer In this documentary, decades after the mass murders of civilians by the Indonesian military, the leaders of the death squads reenact the killings—often with a bone-chilling casualness —using their favorite movie genres. 50. Punishment Park (1971) Dir: Peter Watkins In this pseudo-documentary, President Nixon declares a state of emergency and has political radicals arrested. Put before a tribunal, the rebels are given two options: prison or their participation in a brutal military training exercise. 49. Come and See (1985) Dir: Elem Klimov An adolescent Belarusian boy finds a rifle and joins the Soviet resistance during World War II to fight against the occupying Nazi forces. Things get even worse when he returns home.

48. Bulworth (1998) Dir: Warren Beatty An incumbent California senator facing a tough primary battle takes out a $10 million life insurance policy before putting a contract out on himself. With days left to live, he finally starts to speak his mind . Seen at the time as a dark commentary on Clintonian triangulation. 47. The Parallax View (1974) Dir: Alan J. Pakula After a senator and presidential candidate is assassinated, the witnesses are quickly killed off, leading a journalist to go undercover and investigate the conspiracy. Part of Pakula’s famous Paranoia Trilogy from the 1970s.

46. Medium Cool (1969) Dir: Haskell Wexler Using real footage from the 1968 riots in Chicago, the famed cinematographer’s directorial debut depicts an unfeeling television cameraman amid the social upheaval surrounding the Democratic National Convention. 45. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930) Dir: Lewis Milestone Based on the novel by Erich Maria Remarque, this film follows a group of naïve German recruits fighting in the bloody and horrific front lines of World War I. A bold antiwar statement for 1930. 44. Duck Soup (1933) Dir: Leo McCarey The dictator of the fictional nation of Freedonia declares war on a neighboring country in this slapstick comedy starring the Marx Brothers. Featuring Groucho’s unforgettable couplet : “If you think this country’s bad off now, just wait ’til I get through with it!”

43. Born in Flames (1983) Dir: Lizzie Borden Set in a dystopian New York City a decade after a peaceful socialist revolution, this film follows a group of feminist organizers after an activist is killed in police custody. 42. Man of Marble (1977) Dir: Andrzej Wajda In what is considered one of Poland’s greatest movies, a film student attempts to track down Mateusz Birkut, a bricklayer turned Communist hero, for her university thesis.

41. Reds (1981) Dir: Warren Beatty Beatty’s masterwork, a historical drama about the life of the idealistic journalist John Reed, who documented the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. And Jack Nicholson as Eugene O’Neill? It works. 40. The Spook Who Sat by the Door (1973) Dir: Ivan Dixon A Black man joins the CIA to learn guerrilla warfare techniques, then resigns to train freedom fighters in Chicago. Based on the novel by Sam Greenlee. 39. Hearts and Minds (1974) Dir: Peter Davis Released shortly after American withdrawal, this groundbreaking documentary examined the U.S. military involvement in the Vietnam War over the course of five presidential administrations. 38. Primary (1960) Dir: Robert Drew Presidential candidates John F. Kennedy and Hubert H. Humphrey are followed behind the scenes in Wisconsin as they compete for the Democratic Party primary nomination. One of the first of its kind. 37. The Murder of Fred Hampton (1971) Dir: Howard Alk A documentary about the life of the 21-year-old leader of the Illinois Black Panther Party and his murder by the Chicago Police Department. The film vigorously challenged the official police testimony. 36. Jeanne Dielman, 23 quai du Commerce, 1080 Bruxelles (1975) Dir: Chantal Akerman A widowed mother living in a small Brussels apartment has a mundane life—cooking, cleaning, shopping, and having sex to pay the bills—until she slowly starts to stray from her routine. A feminist tour de force. 35. Night of the Living Dead (1968) Dir: George A. Romero In what is considered the first modern zombie film, a group barricades themselves in a rural western Pennsylvania farmhouse as the dead are reanimated to hunt for human flesh, with a real-life Pittsburgh TV personality doing on-the-scene reporting. Political? Call it allegorical . 34. JFK (1991) Dir: Oliver Stone A highly sensationalized but absorbing retelling of the investigation of John F. Kennedy’s assassination, exploring—nay, endorsing —the conspiracy theories and an alleged government cover-up.

33. Citizen Kane (1941) Dir: Orson Welles

Frequently cited as one of the best films ever made—and Welles’s first—the fictional biography centers on the life of wealthy newspaper magnate Charles Foster Kane and the mystery of his last word before dying. Still hard to think of a better American film. 32. The Hour of the Furnaces (1968) Dir: Octavio Getino & Fernando E. Solanas A polemical three-part documentary exploring the history of colonialism, class struggle, and liberation in Argentina and the rest of Latin America. Perhaps the paradigmatic “Third World” leftist film. 31. Salt of the Earth (1954) Dir: Herbert Biberman Created after the director, producer, and screenwriter were all blacklisted by the House Un-American Activities Committee, the film is a dramatization of the Empire Zinc mine workers strike in New Mexico. The film, too, was blacklisted. 30. Gabriel Over the White House (1933) Dir: Gregory La Cava Walter Huston is an uninterested president who pledges to solve the issues of the Great Depression after a near-fatal car accident and divine intervention inspire him to become a populist dictator. William Randolph Hearst helped finance this fantasy. 29. The Great McGinty (1940) Dir: Preston Sturges Dan McGinty escapes a life of poverty to become a henchman for a crooked political boss (Akim Tamiroff, one of the great cinematic sidemen of the golden age). But his meteoric rise is threatened once he develops a conscience.

28. Selma (2014) Dir: Ava DuVernay A poignant portrayal of the 1965 Selma Marches led by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and the nonviolent campaign to grant Black Americans their right to vote. David Oyelowo is a spellbinding King.

27. Memories of Underdevelopment (1968) Dir: Tomás Gutiérrez Alea After his wife and family flee to Miami following the Bay of Pigs invasion, a wealthy Cuban writer stays behind to reflect on the history and transformation of both his country and himself. The most celebrated work in the history of Cuban cinema. 26. The Great Dictator (1940) Dir: Charlie Chaplin Charlie Chaplin, in a dual role, plays both a fascist modeled after Adolf Hitler and a Jewish barber suffering from amnesia in this biting satire of autocracy. His first full-blown talkie. 25. Strike (1924) Dir: Sergei Eisenstein An early and emblematic work of Soviet cinema, this silent film depicts the ultimately unsuccessful revolt by factory workers in prerevolutionary Russia. 24. Lincoln (2012) Dir: Steven Spielberg The sixteenth president attempts to formally abolish slavery while facing opposition from his own party and increased pressure to end the Civil War. Daniel Day-Lewis is captivating, as is the dark, dusty Washington that Spielberg creates. 23. Advise & Consent (1962) Dir: Otto Preminger

When the president nominates a man with a reddish background to be secretary of state, the Senate … does what the Senate does. Amazingly frank for 1962, right down to the Greenwich Village gay bar scene .

22. Malcolm X (1992) Dir: Spike Lee A tribute to the life and legacy of the civil rights leader, stretching from his teenage years in Boston to his spiritual journey and fight for Black liberation. Probably Denzel’s best performance.

21. Night and Fog (1955) Dir: Alain Resnais Filmed a decade after World War II, this haunting documentary uses footage of the abandoned Auschwitz and Maj­danek concentration camps alongside archival documents to force viewers to confront the horrific atrocities committed by Nazi Germany. 20. The Candidate (1972) Dir: Michael Ritchie Left-wing lawyer Bill McKay runs a long-shot campaign for the U.S. Senate against the popular Republican incumbent—trying not to lose his ideals and integrity in the process. One of the great last lines of any movie. 19. The Lives of Others (2006) Dir: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck Set in the 1980s, this German drama tells the story of a morally conflicted Stasi agent spying on two East German residents, a playwright and an actress. 18. The Battle of Chile (1975-1979) Dir: Patricio Guzmán A documentary series released in three parts from 1975 to 1979, chronicling the political repression and counterrevolution after the military coup d’état against the Allende government. 17. La Commune (Paris, 1871) (2000) Dir: Peter Watkins At over five hours long, this historical reenactment—filmed in the style of a documentary—depicts the events of the Paris Commune in 1871 as if modern-day television were there to capture them.

16. Election (1999) Dir: Alexander Payne

A high school teacher meddles in a student body presidential election in order to stop a particularly cunning student from winning. Tracy Flick will endure forever as one of the great names in cinema. 15. Z (1969) Dir: Costa-Gavras A riveting, fictionalized account of the 1963 assassination of a left-wing Greek politician—and the conspiracy behind it—when he is killed in what seems like a traffic accident. Costa-Gavras wrote the screenplay with Jorge Semprún. 14. The Conformist (1970) Dir: Bernardo Bertolucci An Italian fascist becomes a g overnment agent and is sent to assassinate his former professor, his onetime leftist mentor. Based on the novel by Alberto Moravia.

13. La Chinoise (1967) Dir: Jean-Luc Godard In a loose adaptation of Demons by Fyodor Dostoevsky, the film follows a group of young Maoist student activists in Paris organizing a revolution. Visually stunning; politically … of its time. 12. Harlan County U.S.A. (1976) Dir: Barbara Kopple This gripping documentary covered the 1973 Brookside Strike by a coal mining community in rural Kentucky against a subsidiary of the Duke Power Company. Way back before places like this became Trump Country. 11. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939) Dir: Frank Capra Capra was just the right director—and Jimmy Stewart just the right hero—for this fantasy about good actually triumphing over corruption on Capitol Hill. This one never gets old.

10. A Face in the Crowd

(United States, 1957) DIR: Elia Kazan

In the midst of the Cold War, Elia Kazan and Budd Schulberg collaborated on a warning—not about alien invaders or the threat of nuclear war, but about the dangers posed by the American media. The rise and fall of the down-home demagogue Larry “Lonesome” Rhodes (part Huey Long, part Elvis, part Madison Avenue huckster) has long since ceased to be a cautionary warning and become a fact of American life: the specter of entertainment come to power.

(France, 1985) DIR: Claude Lanzmann At nine-and-a-half hours, Lanzmann’s monument to the murdered Jews of Europe refuses to reconstruct the past. The movie is notable for its rigor—eschewing archival footage and narration in favor of contemporary landscapes and long interviews (shown mainly in real time) with those who in one form or another experienced the Holocaust. As ethical as Shoah is, I hadn’t thought of it as a political film, but then again, a well-known critic once told me it was Israeli propaganda.

8. Do the Right Thing

(United States, 1989) DIR: Spike Lee Set in the heart of Brooklyn on the hottest Saturday of the summer, Lee’s daring mixture of naturalism and allegory, agitprop and psychodrama, broke ground with its outspoken discussion of race and urban tension. Everyone in the large cast of characters has their individual perspective, and everyone mixes it up with everyone else. No one watching can avoid having a point of view. Do the Right Thing is uniquely confrontational in addressing racism and racial violence while refusing to take an unambiguous stance for (white) civil order.

7. Battleship Potemkin

(USSR, 1925) DIR: Sergei Eisenstein Commissioned to mark the twentieth anniversary of the failed 1905 revolution against the czar, Eisenstein’s second feature film—dramatizing a mutiny on a Black Sea battleship—is the fullest example of what, in opposition to Dziga Vertov’s “ kino-eye ,” Eisenstein called his “kino-fist.” Time and space are pulverized and reassembled. The notorious “ Odessa Steps ” sequence has never been surpassed for dynamic montage, nor has the film been bettered as a political rabble-rouser. Everybody, including Nazis, wanted one. (They got Triumph of the Will .)

6. Triumph of the Will

(Germany, 1935) DIR: Leni Riefenstahl The Birth of a Nation uses drama to contaminate, personalize, and rewrite history. No less accomplished, formally innovative, or intermittently exciting than Birth and even more steeped in the magic of the movies, Riefenstahl’s staged documentary of the 1934 Nazi Party Congress demonstrates how cinema can be used to frame an event and fabricate an idol—in this case the twentieth century’s foremost homicidal psychopath. Griffith was a sincere revanchist; Riefenstahl, more sophisticated , took refuge in her opportunism.

5. The Birth of a Nation

(United States, 1915) DIR: D.W. Griffith American cinema was born in sin, founded on an unprecedented three-hour historical spectacle with an unscrupulous political agenda. “The task I’m trying to achieve, above all, is to make you see,” Griffith announced, by which he meant to overwhelm the spectator into recognizing the nobility of the white supremacist antebellum South—not to mention appreciate the horror of Reconstruction and root for the terrorism of the Ku Klux Klan. A groundbreaking film in many ways, The Birth of a Nation is also the most inflammatory and dangerous movie ever made in the United States. It rewrote history but cannot itself be written out or wished away.

4. All the President’s Men

(United States, 1976) DIR: Alan J. Pakula Two Washington Post reporters, helped by a mysterious source, single-handedly break the Watergate story and oust Richard Nixon from the White House. More a celebration of investigative journalism than of American democracy, All the President’s Men was released to coincide with the Bicentennial and supplanted Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington as the most positive of American political movies. Like the Capra film, however, Pakula’s stirring thriller is a relic of a less cynical time. A contemporary equivalent would be that perennial favorite of politicians from Rudy Giuliani to Fidel Castro, The Godfather .

3. Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb

(United States, 1964) DIR: Stanley Kubrick Contemporary commentators considered The Manchurian Candidate irresponsible. Strangelove took desecration to another level. Kubrick’s outrageous dark comedy of nuclear obliteration was a liberating exorcism. In 1933, the Marx Brothers mocked dictatorship with Duck Soup ; three decades later, Kubrick and writer Terry Southern travestied the Bomb. Was a hard rain about to fall? Released less than two weeks before the Beatles made their U.S. debut on The Ed Sullivan Show, Strangelove ushered in the ’60s.

2. The Manchurian Candidate

(United States, 1962) DIR: John Frankenheimer The consummate political entertainment (and quintessential Kennedy-era thriller) is a baroque tale of mind control, assassination, and conspiracy, originally released at the height of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Although the most fantastic elements of American politics were acknowledged, just as the nation—even the planet—seemed headed toward total destruction, the movie came into its own as prophesy after JFK was murdered a year later. That it was withdrawn from circulation (albeit over a contract dispute rather than regret) only burnishes its cult reputation.

1. The Battle of Algiers

(Algeria-Italy, 1966) DIR: Gillo Pontecorvo Commissioned by the Algerian government, influenced by Frantz Fanon, shot like a newsreel, cast with nonactors, paced (and scored) like a thriller, Pontecorvo’s account of a bloody, anti-colonialist insurrection projected Italian neorealism into a new arena. The Third World spoke. That The Battle of Algiers had its U.S. premiere months after Newark and Detroit erupted insured its local relevance. The film was introduced as evidence during the trial of 13 Black Panthers charged with a conspiracy to bomb public places and murder police. After their acquittal, a juror wrote that The Battle of Algiers “did more to help me see things from the defense point of view than the DA suspected.”

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Methodology.

The New Republic asked each critic to submit a list of at least 10 films, ranked from most to least significant. For each list, the highest-rated film received 10 points, the second highest received nine points, etc., with the lowest rated receiving one point. For lists that contained more than 10 films, each additional film received just one point. Because 10 ranked films received a total of 55 points, films listed by critics who submitted their choices “unranked” and in no particular order received 5.5 points each. The points for each film were then added together. Films that tied—that is, when two or more received the same number of total points—were ordered by the number of individual votes.

THE CRITICS

Sam Adams, Slate ; Siddhant Adlakha; David Ansen, Palm Springs International Film Festival; Michael Atkinson, The Village Voice ; Jami Bernard; Manuel Betancourt; Peter Biskind; Charles Bramesco; Richard Brody, The New Yorker ; Dwight Brown, nnpa News Wire; Jeannette Catsoulis, The New York Times ; Justin Chang, Los Angeles Times ; Karen Cooper, Film Forum; Jordan Cronk, Film Comment ; Gary Crowdus, Cineaste ; Gary Dauphin; Peter Debruge, Variety ; David Denby, The New Yorker ; Thomas Doherty, Brandeis University; Alonso Duralde, The Film Verdict ; Bilge Ebiri, New York Magazine /Vulture; David Edelstein; Steve Erickson, UC Riverside; David Fear, Rolling Stone ; Kathy Fennessy, Video Librarian; Kenji Fujishima, Slant Magazine & TheaterMania; Chris Fujiwara; Graham Fuller, Cineaste ; Devika Girish, Film Comment ; Bruce Goldstein, Film Forum; Ed Gonzalez, Slant Magazine ; A.S. Hamrah, The Baffler & n+1 ; Odie Henderson, Boston Globe ; J. Hoberman; Travis Hopson, Punch Drunk Critics; Ann Hornaday, The Washington Post ; Peter Howell, Toronto Star ; Dave Kehr, Museum of Modern Art; Ben Kenigsberg; Lisa Kennedy; Glenn Kenny, RogerEbert.com; Stuart Klawans; Eric Kohn, Indiewire; Nguyên Lê; Emanuel Levy; Stuart Liebman, CUNY Graduate Center; Dennis Lim, New York Film Festival; Violet Lucca; Leonard Maltin, LeonardMaltin.com; Ben Mankiewicz, Turner Classic Movies; Mia Mask, Vassar College; Wilson Morales, Black Film and TV; Vikram Murthi, The Nation ; Adam Nayman, Cinema Scope ; Farran Smith Nehme, Self-Styled Siren; Darragh O’Donoghue, Cineaste ; Michał Oleszczyk, University of Warsaw; Michael Phillips, Chicago Tribune ; Nick Pinkerton; Claudia Puig; Leonard Quart, Cineaste ; Jed Rapfogel, Anthology Film Archives; Rex Reed, Observer; Carrie Rickey; Lupe Rodriguez Haas, CineMovie.TV; Richard Roeper, Chicago Sun-Times ; Jonathan Rosenbaum, JonathanRosenbaum.net; A.O. Scott, The New York Times ; Gene Seymour, CNN Opinion & The Nation ; Jose Solís; José Teodoro, Film Comment ; David Thomson; Scott Tobias; Kenneth Turan; Dennis West, Cineaste ; Armond White, National Review ; Alissa Wilkinson, Vox; Deborah Young, The Film Verdict ; Stephanie Zacharek, Time

The Best Movies About Politics from the 20th Century, Ranked

Cinema and politics go hand in hand. Let's rank some of the best movies about politics, from satires and biopics to dramas and romance.

Hollywood has always loved a good story about politics. Whether it's based on real events or fictional ones, if it speaks to the political spirit of the times, there's a good chance that it will do well at the box office. The appeal of political films lies in their relevance. They often touch on universal themes like greed , the corrupting influence of power, and the dangers of blind ambition. The wars and global political upheavals of the 20th century certainly gave filmmakers a lot of real world material to work with.

While the classics endure, certain voices and trends characterized the American political cinema of the 20th century. The Vietnam and Watergate scandals of the '70s generated tense, paranoid thrillers about politics and corruption, like All the President's Men. Later, the massive popularity of Aaron Sorkin 's hit TV show, The West Wing , brought with it a new tide of idealism, helping spawn the sincere political dramas of the 1990s.

Despite the trends, a great political film can come from anytime, anywhere. It can draw from Ancient Greece or shogunate Japan. It can even be set in the most stratified, savage society of all: the high school cafeteria. To earn a place on the list of all-time greats , a film must do more than respond to fleeting current events and speak to deep political truths. Let's rank some of the greatest 20th century movies to tackle politics.

10 The American President (1995)

The Platonic ideal of an Aaron Sorkin movie, the feel-good romantic comedy The American President captures the wit and political optimism of the prolific screenwriter. It follows the story of widowed president Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas), who falls in love with lobbyist Sydney (Annette Bening). As Shepherd faces attacks on his integrity and struggles to get a bill passed, he undercuts Sydney's professional agenda. It all feels like a cinematic extension of The West Wing , as Sorkin aligns the idealism of American politics with the romance of his central characters. Shepherd's triumph comes when he forgoes sly maneuverings in favor of a new bill enacting sweeping change. This wins him back his love (and his presidency). Yes, its optimism seems far-fetched these days, but it remains a poignant metaphor for America's love for its president , even as this becomes increasingly scarce.

9 Election (1999)

The central conflict of Alexander Payne's satirical high school farce Election is between teacher and student. Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) is a conniving student willing to stop at nothing to win the election for student body president; Jim McCallister (Matthew Broderick) is the vengeful teacher trying to stop her. Based on a novel by Tom Perrotta , the film gets a lot of comedic mileage from its somewhat dated setup, but it still makes a compelling statement about the way greed and lust can infect politics, even when the politics in question mostly involves picking the theme for the school dance. It's a dark, brilliant little comedy.

8 JFK (1991)

Part sprawling historical tragedy, part political thriller, part courtroom drama, 100% iconic. This epic career-defining film from Oliver Stone follows the investigation of John F. Kennedy's assassination. While fictionalized and teetering frequently into conspiracy, JFK draws effectively on real events to show why the death remains shrouded in mystery. At over three hours long it's far from a quick watch, but it's relentlessly entertaining, using its incredible cast to perfectly capture the obsession with the beloved political figure and the puzzling circumstances of his death. It has remained a cultural touchstone and has even spawned parodies like Seinfeld's re-imagining of the infamous "Magic Bullet" scene.

7 Malcolm X (1992)

A singular political mind is born out of a difficult life in this biopic from Spike Lee , the story of one of the most influential leaders of the 20th century. Malcolm X ( Denzel Washington ) went from bright student to convicted felon to figurehead of the Black nationalism movement to devout Muslim genius, known for advocating for complete emancipation of black people from white society. The film brings tremendous empathy to the life of the much maligned figure, as his beliefs continue to evolve long after he has already been deemed a violent danger by the media. Lee's ability to shatter preconceptions about his controversial central figure makes this one of the greatest political movies of all time.

Related: These Are the Best Biopics Ever Made, Ranked

6 Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

If you haven't already seen it, Frank Capra's 1939 classic Mr. Smith Goes to Washington should be mandatory viewing. It follows Jefferson Smith (James Stewart), an idealistic local hero who's appointed by chance to fill a senator's seat. These days, the film seems like a quaint relic from an alternate dimension, where Washington D.C. still symbolizes liberty. Jefferson's moral integrity is tested against cynicism and a corrupt political apparatus to pass a bill for creating a national boy's camp. Besides its touching statement about the infectious power of hope, the film is also credited with launching Stewart to stardom—what a gift that was. Its happy ending may ring false in the currently acidic political climate, but it still doesn't hurt to dream.

5 All the President's Men (1976)

It's hard to think of a more comprehensive endorsement of the free press than All The President's Men , a perfect blend of intrigue, historical accuracy and real world drama. Released only two years after Nixon resigned, it was the first of many movies to be made about Watergate. Even so, it still stands out as the strongest of the pack , full of classic scenes like those parking garage meetings with "Deep Throat" and heroic newsroom revelations. It's also anchored by performances from Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford as Woodward and Bernstein, the reporters who exposed the scandal that would bring down Nixon.

4 All the King's Men (1949)

This 1949 Best Picture winner tracks the career of fictional politician Willie Stark as he rises from rural obscurity asa self-proclaimed "hick," riding a wave of populism which votes him in as governor. Once in office, Stark is corrupted by power and his personal life begins to unravel. Besides its familiar themes of the toxic effects of power, the story draws heavily from the biography of real-life politician Huey Long —an ambitious and controversial Louisiana governor (and US Senator) who ran on the slogan "Every Man a King" and was later assassinated. The populism and complex failings of Willie Stark remain relevant to this day, and All the King's Men is still a riveting example of how politics and ambition can subsume our humanity.

3 Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)

Stanley Kubrick was known for many things as a master director, but his political commentary wasn't really one of them. Even so, his revolutionary 1964 film Dr. Strangelove critiqued Cold War politics and paranoia better than most, and was deemed by Roger Ebert as "arguably the best political satire of the century." It centers on the Pentagon War Room, where all hell breaks loose after a deranged general decides to unleash a nuclear attack on the USSR. Despite the specificity of its '60s anxieties around mutually assured destruction, it remains relevant and funny today. Like the best of satire, it proved to be disturbingly close to the truth. Peter Sellers plays three roles, including doofus US president and Nazi pseudo-scientist "Dr. Strangelove." His famous lines (like "Gentlemen, you can't fight in here! This is the War Room!") have some of the best deliveries in cinematic history.

Related: Here Are Some of the Best Dark Comedies Ever Made

2 Ran (1985)

Ran is Japanese for "chaos," and Akira Kurosawa's monumental film encapsulates that word on nearly every level. While it may seem to be a "war movie" first, politics are at the core of this beautifully shot masterpiece. Kurosawa adapts Shakespeare's King Lear to the blood reds of 16th-century Japan, following a warlord named Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakedai) who divides his kingdom amongst his three sons. After exiling the son who criticizes him, he goes mad when he's betrayed by his seemingly faithful children. The classic story works perfectly in Kurosawa's hands. Like in Throne of Blood, Kurosawa's adaptation of Macbeth, the action on screen is more than just violence, it is a manifestation of political themes. This film has a painful question at its heart: what happens when politics, and power, collide with family? The answer is not pretty, even if the film is.

1 Citizen Kane (1941)

Citizen Kane may be considered the greatest film ever made , but it's not usually seen as an overtly political one. What could "Rosebud" have to do with politics? The familiar imagery of Kane's opulent seaside mansion Xanadu aside ( Citizen Kane was Donald Trump's favorite film , after all), Orson Welles' masterpiece is first and foremost an epic character study. It charts Charles Foster Kane's meteoric rise from childhood poverty to wealthy media magnate. After a bitter career attacking his own benefactor, Kane makes a run for governor of New York that ends in scandal. Welles' expert focus on Kane's character and his ruined relationships provides sharp insight into the nature of politics. As he lies on his deathbed, we learn Kane's hunger for power and control stems from a childhood rejection. Beneath his greed lies a deeply human need to be loved, a need that is perhaps at the core (and is the catalyst) of all human politics.

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• What Is Cinema?

The 25 Best Movies About American Politics

By Jordan Hoffman , Glenn Kenny , Todd Purdum , and Michael Kinsley

Unlike movies about Hollywood, which almost always poke holes in the industry that created them, movies about politics come in all stripes. They can house our greatest ideals about our leaders, or our worst cynicism, or our most out-there ideas about how the people in power really operate. Above, we’ve picked the classic satires, searing dramas, and riveting historical accounts that are the 27 best movies about politics. (Technically it's supposed to be 25, but there were two ties too irresistible to leave out) From 1933’s Gabriel Over the White House to 2012’s Lincoln , these films—selected by newly minted Vanity Fair contributing editor Michael Kinsley, alongside longtime contributor Todd Purdum and esteemed film critics Glenn Kenny and Jordan Hoffman, represent Hollywood’s finest examinations of the only American institution more powerful than itself.

Jordan Hoffman

Contributing editor, hollywood daily.

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By Chris Murphy

By Donald Liebenson

By Richard Lawson

By David Canfield

By Savannah Walsh

By Kia D. Goosby

By Erin Vanderhoof

By Eric Lutz

15 Best Political Movies of All Time

Politics is a very clever game and wreaks havoc if not played carefully. It is our misfortune that we spend our lives in the labyrinth of lies and manipulations. However it is fun sometimes to see the players play this game with their best efforts. And to capture it all are our brilliant directors, who never fail to spurn an opportunity to document the events going on around the globe, however obscure they might seem. We, at the Cinemaholic , present to you the list of top political movies of all time. You can watch some of these best political movies on Netflix or Hulu or Amazon Prime. The list includes some really good political drama movies and political thriller movies.

15. American History X (1999)

The reason why ‘American History X’ is ranked so low on the list is because it gets extremely preachy towards the end, which is a shame considering the film is, for the most part, well-written and directed. Nevertheless, it’s still a very good film that is made with noble intentions, which is why I thought it deserves a place on the list. The movie tells the story of Derek Vinyard, who serves three years in prison for a hate crime. Derek was part of a Neo-Nazi movement before being imprisoned and now, years later, he returns from prison as a changed man, but he must stop his brother from following the same path.

‘American History X’ is best remembered for Edward Norton ‘s stunning performance in the lead role. He carries the film on his own and his transition from a cold-blooded white supremacist to a much more mature man with changed beliefs and ideals is unbelievably brilliant. It is, in my opinion, one of the greatest screen performances of all time.

14. In the Name of the Father (1993)

Starring the great Daniel Day-Lewis in the lead role, ‘In the Name of the Father’ tells the devastating story of an innocent man who spent 15 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Day-Lewis portrays Gerry Conlon, who was accused and later convicted of being a provisional IRA bomber. The film depicts his struggle to prove his innocence for the next 15 years as he along with his father are imprisoned, after Gerry was forced to sign a confession. The film is well directed by Jim Sheridan who respects the viewers’ intelligence and delivers a neatly crafted drama without choosing the path of sentimentality. The film attempts to provide a complete picture of the case and it achieves what it set out to do.

Day-Lewis is expectedly brilliant in the lead role, delivering a performance of such heartbreaking honesty that tears you apart. The scene where his character is threatened by one of the cops to kill his father if he doesn’t sign the confession is without a doubt the most intense scene in the film. Day-Lewis understands the raw emotional intensity of the scene and he elevates it to a whole new level onscreen. It is a truly outstanding performance by an actor who would later go on to be regarded as one of the greats of his time.

13. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

‘Zero Dark Thirty’ is easily one of the best movies of this decade . Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, the film chronicles the efforts of the CIA and the US government to track down and murder one of the most feared names in history, Osama Bin Laden. The CIA team is led by a young woman named Maya, who is determined to go to any lengths to capture the dreaded terrorist. Mark Boal’s tight screenplay is one of the highlights of the film — it’s incredibly nuanced and never loses focus at any point. It’s hard to comprehend the numerous political intricacies surrounding the mission and the film does a fantastic job at covering all aspects of it.

Bigelow’s distinctive style and command as a director is evident right from the first scene. There is authority and conviction in her approach, and each and every scene is crafted in a very realistic manner. Jessica Chastain provides complete justice to her role as she delivers the performance of a lifetime. She is enthralling in every single scene and brilliantly compliments Bigelow’s impeccable style and Boal’s nuanced script.

12. Election (1999)

Alexander Payne went creative with his political satire and chose a suburban high school student election to showcase the manipulations and the dirty game that is in play. Humorously written, it not only shows an obnoxious student with her head full of ambition, but also portrays a teacher who is manipulative and shrewd and never surrenders his ego. It is a classic play on the real life politics and the seemingly innocent backdrop of the plot robs it of the grisliness. Instead the audience gets to see cleverly disguised metaphor on the banalities of the real world politics. Resse Witherspoon ’s performance earned plaudits and earned the right to be taken seriously by the critics.

Read More: Best Holocaust Movies of All Time

11. Milk (2009)

Widely remembered for Sean Penn ’s endearing performance as the California politician and gay rights activist Harvey Milk, Gus Van Sant ’s epic film was brutally honest about the prevalent social stigma and its vile encroachment in the straight politics. Beautifully made, ‘Milk’ takes the audience on an emotional journey, exploring the avenues of injustice and hypocrisy in the modern, open-minded society. The death of Harvey Milk in the final scene is a piece of art, both cinematically and performance-wise. ‘Milk’ is honest and remains true throughout the length of the reel. Hope and hope, he says.

Read More: Heartbreaking Romantic Movies of All Time

10. Downfall (2004)

‘Downfall’ is best known for the famous Hitler Rants that still remains popular on the Internet. And it’s kind of sad that it has kind of overshadowed the greatness of the film. ‘Downfall’ is, in my opinion, one of the greatest war/political dramas of the century. Featuring an unforgettable performance by the great Bruno Ganz in the lead role of Adolf Hitler , the film offers humane insights into the mind of the most evil man to have born on the planet. Ganz effortlessly gets into the skin of his character in a performance that is physically and mentally draining. It must have been extremely difficult to feel compassion and empathy for someone like Hitler, but Ganz manages to do so for the role, which is what makes it one of the great acting performances of all time.

‘Downfall’ is brilliantly directed by Oliver Hirschbiegel, whose attention to detail is one of the highlights of the film. His command over the medium is astonishing and never does he lose track of the story. The attention to detail here is commendable and the film attempts to provide an objective look at the events that unfolded days before Hitler’s death. ‘Downfall’ is a film that must be seen for its vision, honest approach and the performances, which further elevate the film to a different level altogether. It is, without a doubt, one of the greatest films of that decade.

9. The Battle of Algiers (1966)

Every event has two sides of the story to it. Man concocts a version of this truth according to his own philosophies and narrates his story to his subsequent generations. The truth becomes divided and so does history. So we cannot really blame the films for taking sides while narrating its story. In 1966 came a film on the Algerian Revolution against the French Colonialism, called ‘The Battle of Algiers’ and directed by Gillo Pontecorvo and it set a benchmark on how history has to be told.

Apart from being well-directed and well filmed, the essence of this black and white masterpiece lay in its unique storytelling, never giving impetus to one part and never admitting the moral superiority of either one. It shows their reasons and flaws in the same note, telling history like it should be told. The audience sympathizes with the revolutionaries as they fight for their freedom but that sympathy is divided when the Algerians openly bombard public French spots, killing dozens of innocent bystanders. The French act of counter- terrorism thus had its reasons but the way they followed raised several questions on ethics. This duality conundrum was ever prevalent in this biopic making the film realistic. ‘The Battle of Algiers’ is one of the best war dramas and most certainly one of the the best movies based on politics ever made.

Read More: Best Serial Killer Movies of All Time

8. Malcolm X (1992)

Spike Lee ’s 1992 political biography chronicles the life of Afro-American criminal turned social activist Malcolm X who was brutally assassinated for his work against the prejudices of Islam, his adoptive religion. ‘Malcolm X’ tells us the horrible consequences when one attempts to break the stigma prevalent in society. The cruel retaliation to protect certain individual interests is shown clearly in this film. This is certainly one of the most powerful films in recent history, hitting the nail right on the head. Crisp, accurate and spot on, ‘Malcom X’ is also responsible for giving us a wonderful actor in Denzel Washington who was astonishingly believable as the enigmatic leader.

Read More: Best Conversational Movies of All Time

7. Z (1969)

Costa-Garvas in his third film, brought to the screen a satire on the military dictatorship in Greece and the assassination of democratic politician Grigoris Lambrakis. In his patented style, he spoke about the eternal political struggle and how a seemingly moral victory may also be corrupted in a style fit for a thriller. He delivered his opinion on the political hypocrisy without making the film seem like a propaganda. He struck a sensitive chord among many of the morally corrupted hypocrites who live in the illusion that their acts are actually right. ‘Z’ is a maze of alibis, facts and official corruption and is one of the most honest political movies ever made.

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6. Munich (2005)

One of Steven Spielberg ‘s greatest works, ‘Munich’ is a film that to this day remains hugely underrated. The film chronicles the efforts of five men who are assigned the task of finding and killing members of the terrorist organization that was responsible for the devastating Munich massacre. The team of five men is headed by Avner Kaufman (played brilliantly by Eric Bana). Their mission, however, involves serious risks and Avner, a Mossad agent, is asked to resign in order to provide plausible deniability to the Israeli government. These men begin their mission but they soon realize that things are far more complicated and struggle to deal with the moral dilemma the mission often poses. They set off for the mission as naive, idealistic men who are hell bent on doing the ”right” thing, but they eventually realize that a world filled with secrets, lies and conspiracies is beyond comprehension.

I never thought Spielberg could make a film that would keep me awake at nights. ‘Munich’ was just that kind of a film. There are several disturbing moments in that film that will haunt you for the rest of you life. The one that shook me the most was the lovemaking scene between Avner and his wife. While they have sex, Avner is haunted by visions of the Munich massacre, leading to a mental breakdown. ‘Munich’ is a film that must be seen for its unflinching honesty and for its sheer craft.

5. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

One of the best political thrillers ever made, ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ revolves around the brainwashing of a right-wing party candidate into becoming an unwitting assassin for a communist conspiracy. Aptly released during the Cuban Missile Crisis, ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ became a cult classic over the years for the ingenuity of the plot and the uniqueness of execution. Political play was shown tensely as the heroes attempt to thwart the conspiracy. It was a silent nod to the actual brainwashing done to the innocents by the top players in order to fulfill their cause. Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey gave stellar performances in the lead in this evergreen movie. The godfather of neo-noir movies, ‘The Manchurian Candidate’ is a gem in the history of Hollywood.

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4. Citizen Kane (1941)

Arguably, the greatest film ever made needs no introduction. Orson Welles’ debut feature broke barriers and revolutionized filmmaking in many ways. Amongst others, it gave the insight of the life of a newspaper magnet who began his journey as an idealist but became consumed by the power in his pursuit of greatness. Sheer political play proved to be the boon and the bane for the protagonist as he was reduced to a mental wreck in the end. Powerfully narrated with flashbacks, ‘Citizen Kane’ trod on the lines of a Shakespearean tragedy whilst staying true to its own origin story. It was visually enhancing and took the audience to a whole new level of realization through the life of the protagonist. Rosebud?

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3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Frank Capra was much, much ahead of his time, evident by his 1939 political comedy-drama about a common man who enters the complex maze of national politics and immediately becomes a pawn of a much bigger game. This film showed the common man’s gullibility when it came to the nuances of the political game and his urge to clean up the vat of selfishness for society’s benefit. Unsurprisingly, it touched quite a few sore spots with the higher officials who dictate the wheels of the society and generated a fair amount of controversy upon its release. The audience were never deterred though and turned up in throngs to make the film a box office success. James Stewart stepped into the spotlight after this film’s release and the rest is history. ‘Mr. Smith Goes to Washington’ is perhaps Capra’s best work till date and one of the best political-comedies in history.

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2. Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Trust Stanley Kubrick to come up with something so ingenious. Loosely based on Peter George’s thriller, Red Alert, Stanley’s satire on cold war fears about a nuclear holocaust is one of the best comedies ever made. The sheer genius of his screenplay coupled by his magical touch of direction set ‘Dr. Strangelove’ apart from other comedies. It touched man’s selfishness and vulnerability through its funny narrative. It showed clearly how man, blinded by political superiority, can make choices which would make the entire world suffer. This film brought down the power players to their knees and showed them what the world looked like from the ground itself. ‘Dr. Strangelove’ gave a powerful message to the world through a comic verse and shook the very foundations of foul politics at play.

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1. All the President’s Men (1976)

It takes great courage to dip your hand in the political dirt and Alan J. Paluka showed great courage when he decided to adapt the 1974 book by journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward for the big screen. The effect was magnanimous, becoming an audience and a critical hit overnight. Alan’s narration of the infamous Watergate Scandal of the U.S. Senate in an investigative journalism pattern stewed the heat away from the mainstream politics, yet never failed to capture the dark side of the manipulations and coercions in the national level politics. Solid performances by Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford aided in the success of the movie, making the story believable to the audience and exposing the horror behind the political games at play. Political Movies don’t come in better form or shape than this.

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The 60+ Best Political Drama Movies, Ranked

Netflix is a treasure trove for cinema aficionados, offering a myriad of genres to explore. Among these, political thriller movies on Netflix have carved a niche for themselves, captivating audiences with their intricate plots, suspenseful narratives, and profound socio-political commentaries. These films serve as an engaging amalgamation of drama, suspense, and real-world politics that not only entertain but also educate their viewers. A superb example of this is the best political thrillers on Netflix , which intricately weave stories, providing both riveting entertainment and engaging discourse about global politics. 

Diving deeper into the realm of good political thrillers on Netflix, films such as The Trial of the Chicago 7 and Patriots Day epitomize the genre's ability to enthrall and entertain. The Trial of The Chicago 7 , for instance, captures the political and social turmoil of an era through its balanced depiction of establishment tensions and public disillusionment, setting a high bar for Netflix political movies. Patriots Day , on the other hand, offers a gripping account of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, reflecting the palpable tension and chaos in the aftermath of such events. These films successfully encapsulate the essence of the thriller genre, drawing the audience into unchartered territories. 

In addition to these cinematic gems, there are numerous other noteworthy political drama movies on Netflix worth mentioning. The Iron Lady , for instance, provides an insightful look into the life of Britain's first female Prime Minister , Margaret Thatcher, magnificently portrayed by Meryl Streep. Beasts of No Nation is another powerful film, shedding light on the tragic world of child soldiers. Each of these films boasts streaming buttons for various platforms such as Disney+, Amazon Prime, Hulu, Max, Paramount+, and Netflix, ensuring a seamless viewing experience for the audience. 

If you're in the mood for an enthralling binge-watch session, the best political thrillers on Netflix have much to offer. These films will not only satisfy your craving for suspense but will also provide a lens through which to view and understand global politics. They are the epitome of what makes a great Netflix psychological thriller - gripping narratives, compelling performances, and thought-provoking themes - offering an immersive experience that is simultaneously entertaining and enlightening.

All the President's Men

For Fans Of : Spotlight, The Post, Frost/Nixon, The Insider, Good Night, and Good Luck Why Should I Watch All the President's Men: This classic political drama delves into the Watergate scandal that shook America to its core, featuring standout performances by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman as journalists Woodward and Bernstein on a relentless quest for truth. Immerse yourself in the thrilling world of investigative journalism and witness a story that uncovers a web of deceit and corruption at the highest levels of power.

• # 154 of 252 on The 200+ Best Psychological Thrillers Of All Time
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Thirteen Days

For Fans Of : JFK, War Games, The Day After Tomorrow, Apollo 13, Bridge of Spies Why Should I Watch Thirteen Days: Thirteen Days is an enthralling account of the Cuban Missile Crisis, showcasing the tense struggle between President John F. Kennedy (Bruce Greenwood) and his advisors as they race against time to prevent nuclear war. As a gripping portrayal of one of history's most dangerous moments, this film offers viewers an intimate look at global politics during an era when humanity was teetering on the edge of destruction.

• # 42 of 59 on The Best Movies Based on Non-Fiction Books
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V for Vendetta

For Fans Of : Watchmen, The Matrix, Dark City, Fight Club, The Dark Knight Why Should I Watch V for Vendetta: Set in a dystopian future where Britain is ruled by a totalitarian regime, V for Vendetta provides a thought-provoking exploration of resistance, freedom, and individuality through its revolutionary protagonist, played masterfully by Hugo Weaving. From its iconic Guy Fawkes mask to its powerful themes, this film remains relevant today as it challenges both the abuse of government power and society's complicity in oppression.

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Bridge of Spies

For Fans Of : Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Lincoln, The Ghost Writer, Argo, Munich Why Should I Watch Bridge of Spies: Directed by Steven Spielberg, Bridge of Spies delves into the tense world of Cold War espionage as Tom Hanks plays a lawyer tasked with negotiating the release of a captured American pilot. Based on true events , this suspenseful drama showcases the delicate balance required in international diplomacy and offers an intriguing look at the human side of geopolitics.

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For Fans Of : Amistad, The Butler, A Civil Action, The Contender, 12 Years a Slave Why Should I Watch Lincoln: Daniel Day-Lewis delivers an Oscar-winning performance as President Abraham Lincoln in this historical drama that focuses on his efforts to pass the 13th Amendment, abolishing slavery in America. Directed by Steven Spielberg, Lincoln provides an insightful examination of political maneuvering and strategic decision-making during a tumultuous time in US history.

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Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

For Fans Of : Meet John Doe, To Kill a Mockingbird, 12 Angry Men, It's a Wonderful Life, The Great Dictator Why Should I Watch Mr. Smith Goes to Washington: Starring James Stewart as an idealistic young senator who takes on political corruption within his own party, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington is both inspiring and timely with its message about fighting for justice in government. Directed by Frank Capra , this beloved classic still resonates today due to its timeless portrayal of democracy at work amid moral dilemmas.

Miss Sloane

For Fans Of : The Ides of March, Michael Clayton, Zero Dark Thirty, Erin Brockovich, The Insider Why Should I Watch Miss Sloane: Jessica Chastain delivers a tour-de-force performance as a ruthless lobbyist who takes on the powerful gun lobby in this nail-biting political thriller. Spotlighting the inner workings of Washington's lobbying industry, Miss Sloane raises questions about ethics, loyalty, and personal integrity within an often-corrupt system of power.

In the Line of Fire

For Fans Of : Die Hard, Three Days of the Condor, Air Force One, The Fugitive, Clear and Present Danger Why Should I Watch In the Line of Fire: Clint Eastwood plays a Secret Service agent haunted by his past failures who must confront a deadly assassin targeting the president in this high-stakes thriller. Beyond its adrenaline-pumping action sequences, In the Line of Fire delves into themes such as duty, sacrifice, and redemption within a politically charged environment.

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The Candidate

For Fans Of : Bulworth, Network, The War Room, The Front Runner, Wag the Dog Why Should I Watch The Candidate: Robert Redford stars as an idealistic young senatorial candidate thrust into the cutthroat world of political campaigning in this engaging exploration of ambition and compromise within American politics. As relevant today as it was upon its release in 1972, The Candidate exposes the darker side of elections while contemplating how far one should go to win office.

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The Contender

For Fans Of : JFK, Good Night, and Good Luck, All the President's Men, Miss Sloane, Frost/Nixon Why Should I Watch The Contender: In this riveting political drama, Joan Allen stars as Laine Hanson, a vice-presidential nominee whose confirmation process is mired in scandal and personal attacks. Exploring themes of gender, ethics, and power dynamics in politics, The Contender challenges societal preconceptions about women's roles and capabilities within government.

All the King's Men

For Fans Of : The Godfather, Citizen Kane, The Departed, Network, JFK Why Should I Watch All the King's Men: Based on Robert Penn Warren's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel inspired by real-life politician Huey Long, this riveting drama traces the meteoric rise and eventual fall of a charismatic Southern governor played by Broderick Crawford. Through its exploration of power, ambition, and morality, All the King's Men offers a striking examination of corruption inherent in American politics.

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For Fans Of : JFK, Frost/Nixon, The Butler, Lincoln, The Front Runner Why Should I Watch Truman: Gary Sinise brings President Harry S. Truman to life in this compelling biopic that follows his rise from humble beginnings to the Oval Office during some of the most challenging years in American history. With captivating insights into both public and private aspects of Truman's life, this film sheds light on an influential figure whose decisions continue to shape global politics today.

Good Night, and Good Luck

For Fans Of : Frost/Nixon, All the President's Men, The Contender, The Ides of March, Citizenfour Why Should I Watch Good Night, and Good Luck: George Clooney directs and co-stars in this engrossing account of journalist Edward R. Murrow's courageous stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy during the height of Cold War paranoia in America. Shot in black-and-white to evoke its 1950s setting, this highly praised film highlights not only journalistic integrity but also courage amid challenges to individual liberties.

Frost/Nixon

For Fans Of : The Post, Spotlight, The Social Network, The Contender, The Front Runner Why Should I Watch Frost/Nixon: This critically acclaimed drama chronicles David Frost's (Michael Sheen) landmark interviews with former President Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) following his resignation over Watergate scandal allegations. Focusing on both men's motivations and vulnerabilities amid high-stakes political drama, Frost/Nixon showcases two powerhouse performances and provides a captivating look at the struggle for truth in the public sphere.

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For Fans Of : Argo, Zero Dark Thirty, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Bridge of Spies, Black Sunday Why Should I Watch Munich: Steven Spielberg directs this gripping thriller based on the true story of a secret Israeli squad tasked with hunting down and assassinating eleven Palestinians allegedly involved in the 1972 Munich massacre. As it follows its characters' morally ambiguous actions, Munich raises challenging questions about justice, vengeance, and the human cost of political violence.

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• # 159 of 262 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time

Wag the Dog

For Fans Of : Primary Colors, The Ides of March, Burn After Reading, Bulworth, The Candidate Why Should I Watch Wag the Dog: In this biting satire of media manipulation and political spin-doctoring, Robert De Niro plays Conrad Brean, a PR expert who concocts an elaborate diversion to cover up a presidential scandal. Delivering dark humor and scathing commentary on American politics, Wag the Dog remains as relevant today as when it was released during the Clinton administration's own share of controversies.

For Fans Of : The King's Speech, The Iron Lady, A Royal Night Out, The Crown, Philomena Why Should I Watch The Queen: Helen Mirren delivers an Oscar-winning performance as Queen Elizabeth II, grappling with her response to Princess Diana's tragic death in this highly acclaimed biographical drama that humanizes both royalty and government during a time of national grief. Through its masterful storytelling and nuanced portrayals, The Queen offers a rare glimpse into palace intrigue amid public scrutiny.

For Fans Of : Philadelphia, Brokeback Mountain, The Normal Heart, The Butler, Longtime Companion Why Should I Watch Milk: Sean Penn's transformative portrayal of Harvey Milk—the first openly gay elected official in California—anchors this powerful biopic directed by Gus Van Sant. Chronicling Milk's groundbreaking activism for LGBTQ+ rights before his tragic assassination, this compelling film stands as both a poignant tribute to his legacy and an examination of social change within American politics.

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The Ides of March

For Fans Of : Miss Sloane, Frost/Nixon, Charlie Wilson's War, State of Play, All the King's Men Why Should I Watch The Ides of March: Showcasing George Clooney's directorial prowess once again, this gripping political thriller stars Ryan Gosling as an idealistic campaign staffer caught in deception among high-ranking officials during their quest for power. Set against the backdrop of a hotly-contested presidential race, The Ides of March explores moral ambiguity within American politics while offering sharp insights into ambition and loyalty.

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For Fans Of : The Irishman, Casino, Bronx Tale, The Untouchables, On the Waterfront Why Should I Watch Hoffa: Jack Nicholson embodies labor leader Jimmy Hoffa in this intensely dramatic biopic that delves into the complex life and mysterious disappearance of one of America's most influential union organizers. Directed by Danny DeVito, Hoffa touches on themes such as corruption, power dynamics, and personal sacrifice while showcasing Nicholson's unforgettable performance.

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For Fans Of : The Manchurian Candidate, Nixon, All The President's Men, Thirteen Days, The Parallax View Why Should I Watch JFK: Oliver Stone's controversial examination of President John F. Kennedy's assassination explores conspiracy theories surrounding his death through Kevin Costner's portrayal of New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison in this engrossing epic drama. By blending historical fact with speculation, JFK encourages viewers to revisit a pivotal moment in American history and question accepted truths.

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For Fans Of : The Help, 12 Years a Slave, Selma, Marshall, King Why Should I Watch The Butler: Forest Whitaker stars as Cecil Gaines, a White House butler who serves eight American presidents during his tenure spanning over three decades in this thought-provoking exploration of race relations within the highest echelons of government power. With an ensemble cast including Oprah Winfrey, Cuba Gooding Jr., and Robin Williams, The Butler offers an insightful look at how national politics intersect with personal lives.

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The American President

For Fans Of : Dave, An American In Paris, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, Frost/Nixon, The Post Why Should I Watch The American President: Michael Douglas stars as a widowed U.S. president navigating both the complexities of international diplomacy and newfound love with an environmental lobbyist (Annette Bening) in this romantic drama directed by Rob Reiner. Featuring witty dialogue from screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, The American President offers an engaging look at the personal side of politics while exploring themes such as leadership, integrity, and public opinion.

• # 178 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
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Charlie Wilson's War

For Fans Of : Argo, Syriana, The Good Shepherd, The Post, The Ides of March Why Should I Watch Charlie Wilson's War: This engaging adaptation of George Crile's book features Tom Hanks as Texas Congressman Charlie Wilson whose covert dealings to aid Afghan rebels against Soviet invaders had lasting global repercussions during the Cold War era. In equal parts comedic and dramatic, Charlie Wilson's War offers an intriguing look at international politics while highlighting moral complexities in decision-making.

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The Manchurian Candidate

For Fans Of : JFK, The Parallax View, Three Days of the Condor, State of Play, The Day of the Jackal Why Should I Watch The Manchurian Candidate: This suspenseful political thriller revolves around a brainwashed former Korean War prisoner (Frank Sinatra) who becomes an unwitting pawn in a communist conspiracy to assassinate an American presidential candidate. With its tense plot and striking commentaries on Cold War paranoia, The Manchurian Candidate remains a provocative examination of the machinations behind power dynamics.

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The Ghost Writer

For Fans Of : The Ides of March, State of Play, All the President's Men, The Parallax View, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Why Should I Watch The Ghost Writer: Directed by Roman Polanski, this suspenseful thriller follows Ewan McGregor's titular character as he uncovers dangerous secrets while ghostwriting the memoirs of a former British prime minister played by Pierce Brosnan. As it unravels its twisting plot against the backdrop of political intrigue, The Ghost Writer delivers edge-of-your-seat tension alongside thought-provoking commentary on truth and power.

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The Good Shepherd

For Fans Of : Charlie Wilson's War, Bridge of Spies, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Syriana, Munich Why Should I Watch The Good Shepherd: Matt Damon stars as Edward Wilson—a founding member of the CIA—in Robert De Niro's ambitious exploration of America's intelligence community during the early years of Cold War espionage. Through its complex narrative spanning multiple decades and continents, The Good Shepherd delves into themes such as loyalty, betrayal, and morality within a world often shrouded in secrecy.

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For Fans Of : Primary Colors, Wag the Dog, The Candidate, Network, Bob Roberts Why Should I Watch Bulworth: In this satirical comedy-drama directed by Warren Beatty (who also stars), disillusioned Senator Jay Billington Bulworth turns his re-election campaign upside-down when he begins speaking blunt truths about race relations, corporate influence, and political corruption. Offering a biting critique of American politics through both humor and heart, Bulworth encourages viewers to question the status quo and search for authentic leadership.

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For Fans Of : Syriana, The Insider, Sicario, Blow, The Departed Why Should I Watch Traffic: This multi-layered examination of the global drug trade weaves together multiple storylines featuring an ensemble cast including Michael Douglas, Benicio Del Toro, and Catherine Zeta-Jones. Directed by Steven Soderbergh , Traffic offers an unflinching look at the morally complex world of drug trafficking while shedding light on its broader implications within society.

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Zero Dark Thirty

For Fans Of : The Hurt Locker, Argo, Munich, 13 Hours, Green Zone Why Should I Watch Zero Dark Thirty: Jessica Chastain leads this riveting depiction of the CIA's decade-long hunt for Osama bin Laden following the September 11th attacks—an operation culminating in his capture at the hands of Navy SEAL Team 6 in May 2011. Directed by Kathryn Bigelow, Zero Dark Thirty provides an intense portrayal of intelligence work amid global threats while exploring themes such as determination, sacrifice, and the costs of war.

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The 20 Best Political Drama Movies of All Time, Ranked

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Whistleblowers, journalists, presidential campaigns, and court proceedings—political dramas love digging into the nittiest and grittiest aspects of politics and keeping us on the edges of our seats.

The political movie genre has a lot to offer, whether it's the microcosmic metaphor of high school hierarchy in Mean Girls (2004) to the leaking of confidential information to the press by British Intelligence in Official Secrets (2019).

Here are our picks for the best political drama movies that exemplify the different ways this genre can compellingly mix politics with intriguing plots and fascinating characters.

20. Suffragette (2015)

Directed by Sarah Gavron

Starring Carey Mulligan, Annie-Marie Duff, Helena Bonham Carter

Drama, History (1h 46m)

6.9 on IMDb — 73% on RT

The story of the suffragette women is undoubtedly the most important feminist event in UK history. In 1928, (white) women were finally granted the right to vote, giving them as much say in local politics as men.

Well... almost. It didn't come without a fight, and director Sarah Gavron shows us the grueling, violent, and deadly run up to female suffrage in Suffragette , starring Carey Mulligan, Helena Bonham Carter, Brendan Gleeson, Anne-Marie Duff, Ben Whishaw, and Meryl Streep.

19. Vice (2018)

Directed by Adam McKay

Starring Christian Bale, Amy Adams, Steve Carell

Biography, Comedy, Drama (2h 12m)

7.2 on IMDb — 65% on RT

No other actor is as prepared to change their appearance as much as Christian Bale is, who's basically the chameleon of A-list actors.

He slims down and fattens up at the drop of a hat, and in 2018, he turned himself into the heavyset, former Vice President Dick Cheney for Vice —by indulging in pie after pie.

Bale's portrayal of the widely-loathed war-loving politician was hailed as the saving grace of Adam McKay's somewhat scatterbrained biopic (that tries to be a satire), alongside Amy Adams as Mrs. Cheney.

18. Bridge of Spies (2015)

Directed by Steven Spielberg

Starring Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda

Drama, History, Thriller (2h 22m)

7.6 on IMDb — 91% on RT

The director/actor duo of Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks never fails to capture the feeling of spirit, courage, and adventure in a film.

In Bridge of Spies , it's bravery and kindness that Spielberg inspires, motivating us to rise above any obstacle and remain a "standing man," just like Hanks as James B. Donovan.

Spielberg even manages to make this Cold War thriller emit a little warmth from its true story of a lawyer negotiating the release of a US Air Force pilot in exchange for a KGB spy.

17. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

Directed by Aaron Sorkin

Starring Eddie Redmayne, Alex Sharp, Sacha Baron Cohen

Drama, History, Thriller (2h 9m)

7.7 on IMDb — 89% on RT

A whole string of movies have been made about the Vietnam War, in which numerous young men were sent to fight on foreign soil while students and hippies protested back home.

Aaron Sorkin's The Trial of the Chicago 7 is one such film, a historical drama that takes us away from the frontlines and into the courthouse for one of the most unprecedented cases ever recorded.

Eight anti-war protestors were arrested for conspiracy, and the government barely even tried to cover their tampering with the jury to keep them quiet in their chains.

16. Frost/Nixon (2008)

Directed by Ron Howard

Starring Frank Langella, Michael Sheen, Kevin Bacon

Biography, Drama, History (2h 2m)

7.7 on IMDb — 93% on RT

Based on Peter Morgan's 2006 play, Frost/Nixon has a self-explanatory title that basically gives away what it's about: the Richard Nixon interviews by British journalist Robert Frost in 1977.

Richard Nixon was put under scrutiny across four radio and television programs, in which he tries to exonerate himself from everything he was part of, from the Vietnam War to Watergate.

Frank Langella and Michael Sheen star as the word-dueling men from similar backgrounds, knowing that these interviews could make or break both their careers.

15. Malcolm X (1992)

Directed by Spike Lee

Starring Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, Delroy Lindo

Biography, Drama, History (3h 22m)

Malcolm X is one of the most prominent political figures in black American history, who helped to propel the Civil Rights Movement alongside notable spokespeople like Martin Luther King, Jr.

The voice of Islam in 1960s America, Malcolm X advocated for black power, pride, and self-defense, which Denzel Washington embodied in Spike Lee's epic on-screen biography Malcolm X .

Spike Lee—and many others—believed that Denzel Washington was "robbed" of his Oscar win for the role, but nonetheless Malcolm X was still a successful retelling of a legend worthy of it.

14. State of Play (2009)

Directed by Kevin Macdonald

Starring Russell Crowe, Rachel McAdams, Ben Affleck

Crime, Drama, Mystery (2h 7m)

7.1 on IMDb — 84% on RT

State of Play (as in the 2003 British TV series) was Paul Abbott's first attempt at writing a political thriller, and he has since admitted to making most of it up as he went!

He did a pretty good job of it, though, as Hollywood eventually got their hands on it for a cinematic reboot six years later.

Starring Russell Crowe, Ben Affleck, Rachel McAdams, Helen Mirren, and Jason Bateman, Kevin Macdonald's State of Play follows the investigations of a dead Congressman's mistress via journalists and police.

13. The Ides of March (2011)

Directed by George Clooney

Starring Ryan Gosling, George Clooney, Philip Seymour Hoffman

Drama, Thriller (1h 41m)

7.1 on IMDb — 83% on RT

Beau Willimon's debut 2008 play Farragut North formed the basis of The Ides of March , directed by and starring George Clooney.

In it, George Clooney plays the Governor of Pennsylvania and presidential candidate Mike Morris, who hires Stephen Meyers (Ryan Gosling) as his junior manager. Bad move!

Stephen ends up (accidentally) roping Mike into a seedy deal that could blow his chances at election.

It might sound a little boring on paper, but The Ides of March was considered a top-ten film of 2011 and was nominated for an Oscar!

12. The Candidate (1972)

Directed by Michael Ritchie

Starring Robert Redford, Peter Boyle, Melvyn Douglas

Comedy, Drama (1h 50m)

7.0 on IMDb — 89% on RT

Jeremy Larner was the principal speechwriter for Eugene McCarthy's presidential campaign in 1968, which gave him tons of experience to draw from when penning The Candidate .

Larner wrote an early, documentary-style script in 1971, which Michael Ritchie directed into a taut, Oscar-winning movie.

But don't let the synopsis ("man campaigns for President") fool you! The Candidate is actually smart, cynical, and funny. Just try not to find Robert Redford's Kennedy-esque performance insulting.

11. Lincoln (2012)

Starring Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, David Strathairn

Biography, Drama, History (2h 30m)

7.3 on IMDb — 89% on RT

"Honest Abe," "The Ancient One," "Great Emancipator"—these were all nicknames for the 16th President of the United States.

In Lincoln , Steven Spielberg focuses on the final four months of his Presidency, up to when Lincoln was assassinated in April 1865.

There's no one more fit to play the elderly, soft-spoken, wise Abraham Lincoln than Daniel Day-Lewis, who delivered a humble and compelling performance. A ton of other famous faces also stud Spielberg's biopic that gives history a glossy sheen of hope.

10. JFK (1991)

Directed by Oliver Stone

Starring Kevin Costner, Gary Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones

Drama, History, Thriller (3h 9m)

8.0 on IMDb — 84% on RT

The circumstances of John F. Kennedy's assassination continue to inspire all kinds of debates and conspiracy theories. Who was that guy on the grassy knoll? What about the magic bullet?

Jim Garrison (Kevin Costner) is here to inspect as he interviews witnesses and probes various theories throughout the 1960s.

Oliver Stone's political epic JFK: The Story That Won't Go Away is based on a real investigation, which was taken to court in 1969.

9. All the President's Men (1976)

Directed by Alan J. Pakula

Starring Dustin Hoffman, Robert Redford, Jack Warden

Drama, History, Thriller (2h 18m)

7.9 on IMDb — 94% on RT

When the Watergate scandal broke, Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward were there to cover it. In fact, they were the only ones to cover it, working on behalf of The Washington Post in 1972.

Played by Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford, the two reporters rely on the anonymous government source "Deep Throat" to access secret information and bring President Nixon's actions to public light.

Like most of my picks on this list, Alan J. Pakula's All the President's Men is based on true events.

8. The Report (2019)

Directed by Scott Z. Burns

Starring Adam Driver, Annette Bening, Jon Hamm

Biography, Crime, Drama (1h 59m)

7.2 on IMDb — 82% on RT

The fact that this movie is stylized as The Torture Report tells you most of what you need to know. (If you didn't already know, the CIA is known to use torture methods to question suspected terrorists.)

The Report centers specifically on interrogations following the September 11 attacks, which were detailed in a 6,700-page report by the United States Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI).

Most of this work was done by Daniel Jones, played by Adam Driver. Written and directed by Scott Z. Burns, The Report was likened to All the President's Men by critics.

7. Argo (2012)

Directed by Ben Affleck

Starring Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman

Biography, Drama, Thriller (2h)

7.7 on IMDb — 96% on RT

Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Islamic students took over the American Embassy and held everyone hostage in Tehran, save for a handful of people who escaped and needed evacuation.

The "Canadian Caper" plan involved turning six Americans into a pretend Canadian film crew, who went in under the pretense of a production company scouting for their fake sci-fi film titled "Argo."

Wired published an article about the events in 2007, which Ben Affleck used to create the award-winning historical drama Argo .

6. The Manchurian Candidate (1962)

Directed by John Frankenheimer

Starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, Janet Leigh

Drama, Thriller (2h 6m)

7.9 on IMDb — 97% on RT

The Manchurian Candidate was first adapted from Richard Condon's novel in 1962 by John Frankenheimer, and again in 2004 by Jonathan Demme.

I'm picking John Frankenheimer's original black-and-white version for this list, starring Frank Sinatra, Laurence Harvey, and Angela Lansbury. (The 2004 version starring Denzel Washington and Liev Schreiber is okay but far from the original's greatness.)

The neo-noir psychological thriller praises Staff Sergeant Raymond Shaw for his bravery in the Korean War, but buried beneath all of that glory is the fact that he actually killed two other soldiers.

5. Hunger (2008)

Directed by Steve McQueen

Starring Michael Fassbender, Liam Cunningham, Stuart Graham

Biography, Crime, Drama (1h 36m)

7.5 on IMDb — 90% on RT

Hunger is one of those films that's hard to watch entirely. When Michael Fassbender is peeled from his bed as a sore-covered skeleton, it's difficult to comprehend that this could really happen in real life.

But, tragically, it did. Back in 1981, Bobby Sands led the IRA hunger strike while serving time in prison as a "non-conforming prisoner."

We don't really see many other people in the movie, aside from Liam Cunningham as a priest in the impressive 28-minute long take.

4. Dr. Strangelove (1964)

Directed by Stanley Kubrick

Starring Peter Sellers, George C. Scott, Sterling Hayden

Comedy, War (1h 35m)

8.4 on IMDb — 98% on RT

Dr. Strangelove is a former Nazi and war expert with alien hand syndrome, a condition where he has no control over one of his hands—not ideal given that he's at an Air Force base with nuclear bombs.

Stanley Kubrick's dark satire mocks the Cold War fears found in Peter George's 1958 novel Red Alert , on which the film is loosely based.

Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb is considered by many to be the greatest comedy ever made, full of unhinged generals and Peter Sellers taking on various roles.

3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

Directed by Frank Capra

Starring James Stewart, Jean Arthur, Claude Rains

Comedy, Drama (2h 9m)

8.1 on IMDb — 97% on RT

Jimmy Stewart was America's sweetheart, always giving us a pep talk at the end of heartwarming family flicks.

Although he was cast in a few anti-heroic roles here and there, Stewart was usually the do-gooder everyman who fought against the greedy elite, the most prominent example being Mr. Potter in It's a Wonderful Life .

In Mr. Smith Goes to Washington , he goes up against Washington itself. Directed by Frank Capra, the film was condemned by the US government for being "anti-American," which lended even more weight to its depiction of government corruption.

2. Judas and the Black Messiah (2021)

Directed by Shaka King

Starring LaKeith Stanfield, Daniel Kaluuya, Jesse Plemons

Biography, Drama, History (2h 6m)

7.4 on IMDb — 97% on RT

Judas and the Black Messiah is a story of betrayal amidst the Black Panther Party during the Civil Rights Movement.

Fred Hampton—the chairman of the Panthers in Illinois—formed gang alliances while feeding poor children, which stirred up all kinds of noise that the FBI just didn't like.

In response, the FBI offered petty criminal William O'Neal a get-out-of-jail-free card for being an informant.

The stunning tale of Judas and the Black Messiah earned Oscar nominations for both Daniel Kaluuya and LaKeith Stanfield in the same category (Best Supporting Actor), which Kaluuya ultimately won.

1. Citizen Kane (1941)

Directed by Orson Welles

Starring Orson Welles, Joseph Cotten, Dorothy Comingore

Drama, Mystery (1h 59m)

8.3 on IMDb — 99% on RT

Considering Citizen Kane was Orson Welles's first feature-length film, you might say he did fairly well. After all, Sight and Sound consistently ranked it the greatest movie ever made for 50 consecutive years!

The dialogue, the cinematography, the blocking, the narrative, the pacing, the characters... everything comes together in Welles's black-and-white masterpiece to pitch-perfect results.

But wait! Isn't Citizen Kane about a newspaper tycoon? It sure is, but if you look deeper beneath the surface, you'll find it an obvious attack on the political beliefs of real-life media baron William Randolph Hearst.

From 'Elvis' to 'The Pianist': 20 Best Biopic Movies of the 21st Century (So Far)

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Oppenheimer , Christopher Nolan 's most anticipated biopic will soon hit theaters this summer (July 21), marking not only Nolan's return but also the newest installment in the biopic genre, which is currently popular in Hollywood. In the meantime, there are tons of great biopics of the 21st century that fans can watch.

What is a biopic? A biopic (short for "biographical picture") is a non-fictional film that depicts the tale of a real person's life. Biopic movies are usually about a historical figure or a well-known individual. However, they can be about anyone as long as the subject exists. A biopic film must focus on a single protagonist and portray the narrative of that person's life across many years (rather than simply one event or era in their life).

Biopics are the goldmines of Hollywood movies, regardless of whose life they show. Many of these films served as stepping stones in the careers of their filmmakers and actors, helping to launch them to stardom. Even though many excellent biopics are produced each year, a special few have gone above and beyond after the turn of the millennia.

Updated on March 30, 2023, by Jessie Nguyen:

20 'bohemian rhapsody' (2018).

Bohemian Rhapsody tells the story of the British rock band Queen and their lead singer, Freddie Mercury , played by Rami Malek . The film traces the band’s rise to fame, from their early days playing small gigs to their legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985. It also explores Mercury’s relationships with his bandmates, as well as his romantic ones and his struggle with his sexuality.

Bohemian Rhapsody nevertheless serves as a good reminder of the band's musical brilliance and Freddie's singular stage presence owing to the film's aesthetically stunning musical moments and Malek's dominating leading role. Despite its limitations, the movie is still an exquisite tribute to the band and its dedicated fans.

Watch on Hulu

19 'A Beautiful Mind' (2001)

Inspired by the 1998 biography of the same name by Sylvia Nasar , A Beautiful Mind chronicles the life of John Forbes Nash Jr. ( Russell Crowe ), who went through it all – from fame's pinnacles to its darkest abysses. He was a mathematical prodigy who was on the verge of receiving international renown when he made an astounding discovery early in his career. Yet he quickly finds himself embarking on a torturous and terrifying quest of self-discovery.

A Beautiful Mind has become one of the most engaging and well-liked movies of all time, despite issues with tone and structure as well as some significant absences from Nash's real life. Because Nash's life is the focus of the film rather than his mental health , and because of Russell Crowe's stirring portrayal, Nash is given a second chance to relive both his success and his failure.

Watch on Prime Video

18 'Elvis' (2022)

Elvis chronicles the life story of American music legend Elvis Presley , played by Austin Butler , from his youth to his 1950s rise to rock and roll stardom while retaining a complicated bond with Colonel Tom Parker ( Tom Hanks ), his manager.

Butler's spectacular portrayal of Elvis humanized the legend by bringing down the spotlight from his physical gestures to the enormous, gruff voice to reveal the troubled man hiding behind the timeless God of Rock. In addition, the wild singing, set design, reenactment of iconic incidents, and compelling performers give the impression that audiences are viewing a documentary instead.

Watch on Max

17 'Ray' (2004)

Ray tells the story of the legendary musician Ray Charles ( Jamie Foxx ) and his struggles with blindness, poverty, and addiction, as well as his relationships with the women in his life. It also delves into Charles' musical career, including his experimentation with different genres such as R&B, gospel, and country, and his collaborations with other musicians.

Ray is a moving and inspiring film that offers a window into the life of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, and the struggles and triumphs that shaped his extraordinary career. Also, the acting is strong, the directing is deft, the storyline is insightful, and Foxx gives an outstanding performance.

Watch on Netflix

16 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013)

The story of 1990s stock trader Jordan Belfort , whose company, Stratton Oakmont, participated in unprecedented levels of corruption and fraud, is told in Martin Scorsese 's smash biopic The Wolf of Wall Street .

Scorsese's picture is the ultimate of excess, with Leonardo DiCaprio as Belfort giving a truly outrageous performance. As they are in many of Scorsese’s films , the sins are visited upon the sinner, but the "Wolf" warns us at the end that no number of cautionary stories will prevent future generations from engaging in short-sighted, amoral, selfish ambitions.

Watch on Fubo

15 'A Hidden Life' (2019)

Based on the true story of Franz Jägerstätter , an Austrian farmer who refused to fight for the Nazis during World War II, The Hidden Life follows Franz ( August Diehl ) as he lives a quiet life with his family in the small village of St. Radegund. When war breaks out, Franz is called up to serve in the German army, but he refuses to swear allegiance to Hitler and fight for the Nazis.

Through a genuine account of faith, family, and the indomitable human spirit in the face of extreme persecution, director Terrence Malick presents the viewers with a rare image of a special kind of hero. Additionally, it serves as an engaging and oftentimes moving example of how regular people respond to the ills of the world.

14 'Lincoln' (2012)

Lincoln follows the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln ( Daniel Day-Lewis ), as he navigates the political landscape of the Civil War era, trying to garner support for the amendment from both Republicans and Democrats. It also focuses on the final months of his presidency and his efforts to pass the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which would abolish slavery.

Lincoln is one of Steven Spielberg 's most methodical efforts as a director, and it is undeniably a respectable, absorbing film. Additionally, despite having a history lesson at its center, it is deftly concealed by one outstanding performance and a number of steadfast supporting characters.

13 'Capote' (2005)

Capote tells the story of Truman Capote ( Philip Seymour Hoffman ), a famous American writer, as he travels to Kansas to investigate and write about the brutal murders of the Clutter family in 1959, which later becomes the basis for his novel, In Cold Blood . The film explores Capote’s relationship with the murderers, Richard ‘Dick’ Hickock ( Mark Pellegrino ) and Perry Smith ( Clifton Collins Jr. ), as he spends them with them in jail.

Hoffman offers a captivating portrayal of and perspective on a troubled character who is nonetheless regarded by many as one of America's best authors. Moreover, Bennett Miller was able to convey the complexity of human brains and relationships, as well as the source of artistic inspiration, thanks to a fantastic screenplay.

Watch on Roku

12 'I, Tonya' (2017)

After her husband ordered an assault on her opponent, Nancy Kerrigan , Tonya Harding ( Margot Robbie ) went from one of the most skilled athletes in the country to a worldwide laughingstock. Her troubles as an outcast, her dysfunctional family, and her outspoken nature were all depicted in the film.

Craig Gillespie 's film does more than convey Harding's story, it completely reframes the narrative and rewrites her as the hero of her own story in a complicated but persuasive way. I, Tonya also provides Robbie with her first opportunity to demonstrate her entire range as an actor, and she is radiant.

11 'Dallas Buyers Club' (2013)

Dallas Buyers Club follows Ronald Woodroof ( Matthew McConaughey ), a philandering, drug addict, and homophobic electrician from Texas, living a carefree life until his doctor diagnoses him with HIV/AIDS, which will likely kill him in 30 days. Woodroof discovers an experimental medicine that can potentially prolong his life and establishes the titular "Dallas Buyers Club" to import the drug from Mexico to anyone who needs it.

The combination of sharp character study and moving pharmaceutical docudrama is lively and memorable at just under two hours. Moreover, McConaughey and Jared Leto ’s transformative performances are the reason to visit this biopic. Not only do they successfully give voice to the disaffected of the 1980s, but to everyone who is suddenly confronted with unfathomable challenges.

10 'Hidden Figures' (2016)

Loosely based on the 2016 non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly , Hidden Figures chronicles the story of a group of female Black mathematicians (played by Taraji P. Henson , Octavia Spencer , and Janelle Monáe ) who played crucial roles in NASA during the early stages of the US space program.

With its recognizable period-piece perspective on a neglected moment in space history, Hidden Figures maintains optimism for what science and technology may accomplish when the sharpest minds work together. Moreover, the film respectfully honors the unheralded female heroines of history by featuring three exceptional performances from the three leads.

Watch on Disney+

9 'Milk' (2008)

Milk is about the life of an openly gay activist and politician, Harvey Milk (played by Sean Penn ), who became the first LGBTQ+ person elected to public office in California. The film chronicles the period from Milk's 40th birthday until his horrific killing in 1978, using archival footage from his life.

The film, directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Dustin Lance Black , immerses us in the political process as Penn's brilliant performance captures Milk's playful intellectual personality. Furthermore, by combining 1970s news footage with newly shot sequences, Van Sant constructed his film around some massive, screen-filling set pieces, making the audience feel as if they had stepped inside the story.

8 'The King's Speech' (2010)

When Albert "Bertie" George 's father, King George V , dies and his brother King Edward VIII chooses love over the kingdom, he is compelled to crown himself king. The King's Speech depicts the narrative of King George VI 's friendship with his speech therapist, who helped the king overcome his stutter to confidently address his subjects.

Instead of being a film about a monarch triumphantly leading his folks to victory, it is about a would-be king battling to find his voice and the strength to lead his people through one of the most challenging periods in their history. Colin Firth as Bertie also imbues his restrained character with complexity, dignity, and wit, making a lasting impression.

Watch on Plex

7 '12 Years a Slave' (2013)

Solomon Northup (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor ) was a free Black man from New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. For a dozen terrifying years, he was subjected to various forms of torture and wickedness before being free once more.

Though 12 Years a Slave is full of intriguing characters, Ejiofor steals the show by maintaining the character's dignity throughout. Moreover, director Steve McQueen immerses the spectators in an unforgivably hideous era from which there is no way out. It's about as intense as a biopic can go and many viewers deem this movie to be too heartbreaking for a second screening .

6 'The Pianist' (2002)

Based on the autobiographical book of the same name by a Polish-Jewish pianist, composer, and Holocaust survivor, Władysław Szpilman , The Pianist follows Szpilman ( Adrien Brody ), who after being forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, loses contact with his family as a result of Operation Reinhard. He then hides in various places among the rubble of Warsaw from this point until the captives of the concentration camps are released.

The unflinching anti-war film is a masterpiece about the struggle between good and evil, the tenacity and mercy of art, and the horrific personal toll left by one of history's worst moments. Like many films about the Holocaust, The Pianist can be difficult to see, but it's important to remember what happened and Brody was mesmerizing in it.

5 'The Social Network' (2010)

Though it wasn’t perfectly accurate, The Social Network covers the narrative of Facebook's early years and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg ’s ( Jesse Eisenberg ) initial social decline, starting with the break-up of his romantic relationship with Erica Albright ( Rooney Mara ) and concluding with the tragic end of his friendship with co-founder Eduardo Saverin ( Andrew Garfield ).

The film is one of the best performing and acclaimed films of 2010 , thanks to screenwriter Aaron Sorkin 's typical quick-witted writing and Jesse Eisenberg's riveting portrayal of the renowned social network creator. Moreover, everyone in the film is on the verge of snapping, which adds to the film's authenticity and realism.

4 'Catch Me If You Can' (2002)

Catch Me If You Can follows Frank Abagnale Jr. (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), a skilled con man who pretended to be a doctor, lawyer, and pilot while only being 21 years old. Meanwhile, Tom Hanks ' FBI agent Carl Hanratty gets obsessed with finding Frank and later succeeds in persuading Frank to become an FBI assistant for atonement.

The story was brought to life by Steven Spielberg's skill as a filmmaker, exquisite cinematography, elegant editing, brilliant script, and a beautiful score by John Williams . Not to mention DiCaprio and Hanks' incredible chemistry and performances resulting in a gentle, charmingly adventurous film that makes you feel wonderful.

3 'BlacKkKlansman' (2018)

Based on Ron Stallworth ’s 2014 memoir Black Klansman , BlacKkKlansman takes place in the 1970s in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and follows the city's first Black detective ( John David Washington ) as he attempts to infiltrate and out the local Ku Klux Klan chapter.

BlacKkKlansman is timely because it engages in a crucial national dialogue that is full of metaphors and juxtapositions. Moreover, the chemistry between Washington and Adam Driver is crucial to keep the film's rhythm enjoyable as the movie alternates between comedy and crime . Also, through their characters, viewers feel like they have just walked through the lane of history in over two hours.

2 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' (2018)

Melissa McCarthy plays Lee Israel , a struggling writer who seeks to revive her career by selling counterfeit letters from celebrities who have died. Can You Ever Forgive Me? by Marielle Heller is one of the finest contemporary films on economic hardship and ethical compromise.

The biopic is an intellectually interesting drama due to the contradiction between blatant deception, undeniable necessity, and a group of victims who, presumably, can afford to be fooled. Moreover, McCarthy's impressive performance is both fierce and compassionate at the same time, constantly improving the material and stealing every scene she is in.

1 'Selma' (2014)

Selma was praised for its historical authenticity as it followed Martin Luther King Jr. as he fought for Black voting rights. The film follows King's frenetic three months leading up to the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. Their efforts directly contributed to President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The film focuses primarily on King's role in the events without diminishing the importance of the other leaders' contributions to molding this pivotal moment in American history. Moreover, the screenplay by Paul Webb and David Oyelowo ’s performance as King gives us a profound, gratifying depiction of King as a man capable of errors, self-doubt, and pain.

Watch on Showtime

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‘Orlando, My Political Biography’ Review: A Collective Approach to Joy

The filmmaker Paul B. Preciado shares the title role with 20 trans and nonbinary performers to make a point about the cage of identity.

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By Manohla Dargis

Few movies this year have lived in my head as long and as happily as “Orlando: My Political Biography,” which I’ve been thinking about since I first saw it in September. Written and directed by the Spanish-born philosopher and activist Paul B. Preciado — a trans man making his feature directing debut — the movie is, at its simplest, an essayistic documentary about transgender and nonbinary identity that draws inspiration from Virginia Woolf’s novel “Orlando: A Biography.” Yet trying to squeeze “My Political Biography” into a tidy categorical box is fundamentally at odds with Preciado’s expansive project, which is at once an argument, a confession, a celebration and a road map.

It’s also a sharp, witty low-budget experimental work of great political and personal conviction, one that breathes life into Woolf’s novel about a 16-year-old boy in Elizabethan England who, after centuries of trippy adventures, enigmatically ends up as a 36-year-old woman in 1928, the year the novel was published. Woolf dedicated the book to her lover Vita Sackville-West, whose son Nigel Nicolson described it as “the longest and most charming love letter in literature,” one in which Woolf weaves Vita “in and out of the centuries, tosses her from one sex to the other, plays with her, dresses her in furs, lace and emeralds.”

Don’t expect luxurious trappings here; this isn’t the usual screen waxworks with meticulous details but few ideas. It is instead a pointed, spirited, up-to-the-minute exploration of sex, gender and sexual difference through the character of Orlando, who serves as Preciado’s mirror and avatar. In the novel, Orlando (long story short!) awakes one day to trumpets blaring “Truth!” and finds that he’s become a woman — a development that is, well, complicated.

“The change of sex,” the book’s narrator asserts, “did nothing whatever to alter their identity.” As Preciado explains, his own transformation was more complex. “You didn’t know, perhaps,” he says, gently addressing Woolf, “this was not how one became trans.”

From the very start Preciado expresses love and admiration for Woolf and her novel, but he also critiques some of her choices; he’s enraged, for one, that Orlando is an aristocratic colonialist. Even so, for the most part he expresses palpable tenderness toward Woolf, a quality that suffuses “My Political Biography” as he loosely re-creates Orlando’s narrative trajectory and plucks characters, episodes and sentences from the book. Along the way, Preciado draws attention to the construction of identity and that of the movie itself, fusing form and subject. While he’s peering behind the scenes (and as crew members drop in and out), he also introduces a chorus of other voices, including that of trans pioneers like the American actress-singer Christine Jorgensen and those of his trans performers.

Preciado’s most provocative conceit is that he shares the role of Orlando with 20 other trans and nonbinary individuals of different ages, hues and shapes. While Preciado largely remains offscreen, other Orlandos enter and exit, introducing themselves to the camera, talking about their lives and — with both naturalism and charming, at times goofy, theatrical flourishes — playing out scenes from the novel, their words mingling with Woolf’s. Like her Orlando, his travels widely (if on a shoestring budget), undergoes metamorphoses and weaves through the centuries. One Orlando (Amir Baylly) wears a magnificent headpiece and shows off his legs; another (Naëlle Dariya) preens in a billowy wig festooned with tiny ships.

By sharing the role of Orlando, Preciado shifts the story from the individual to the collective, taking it out of the private realm and into the public sphere. This communitarian shift from me to we also allows Preciado to attenuate the familiar documentary binarism (and power dynamic) in which there is one person who films and another who is filmed. Everyone is invited to this party. As Woolf writes, Orlando had “a great variety of selves to call upon”; Preciado similarly calls on a multiplicity of selves, at one point introducing a sweet-faced, pink-haired Orlando (Liz Christin) who visits a psychiatrist, Dr. Queen (Frédéric Pierrot), as other Orlandos chat in the waiting room sharing stories, hormones and laughter.

Liz-Orlando’s mother has sent her to Dr. Queen for dressing like a girl and speaking about herself in the feminine. When the doctor asks Orlando how she believed herself “authorized to wear a skirt as a young man,” she answers that she’s not a man. “So you’re a woman?” the visibly confused shrink asks, brow furrowing. “I wouldn’t exactly say that either,” Orlando says with a Mona Lisa smile. The visit to the psychiatrist’s office takes place fairly early on and while the doctor’s bafflement is played for obvious, somewhat uneasy laughs, his inability (or refusal) to truly see Liz-Orlando has a sharp sting that lingers for the rest of the movie.

The office face-off comically distills the rigid medical orthodoxies that Preciado challenges in greater detail in his electrifying short book “ Can the Monster Speak? : Report to an Academy of Psychoanalysts,” a published version of a speech that he delivered in Paris in 2019 at a conference of 3,500 psychoanalysts. Having been invited to talk about “women in psychoanalysis,” Preciado instead spoke about, as he put it in his speech, “finding a way out of the regime of sexual difference.” For him, that meant a world beyond the cages of masculinity and femininity, an idea that inspired this audience of putative professionals to heckle Preciado, who writes that he was only able to deliver a quarter of his talk.

“My Political Biography” is lighter and certainly funnier than “Can the Monster Speak?,” though the two work as companion pieces. The movie is serious, which you would expect given the political and personal stakes that one after another Orlando — with open faces and feeling — express. This is, on the one hand, a movie made by a philosopher who studied with Jacques Derrida. At the same time, Preciado’s lightness of touch and intellectual nimbleness buoys the movie, lifting both it and you. There is nothing tragic other than the world that insists on policing bodies. Preciado’s superpower in this warm, generous movie is that while he speaks brilliantly to the cages of identity, he sees — and shares — a way out of them. He talks and listens, he exhorts and confesses. He insists on pleasure, speaks to happiness, invites laughter and opens worlds. Here, joy reigns supreme, and it is exhilarating.

Orlando, My Political Biography Not rated. In French, with subtitles. Running time: 1 hour 38 minutes. In theaters.

An earlier version of this review misidentified the philosopher with whom Paul B. Preciado studied. It was Jacques Derrida, not Michel Foucault.

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Manohla Dargis is the chief film critic of The Times, which she joined in 2004. She has an M.A. in cinema studies from New York University, and her work has been anthologized in several books. More about Manohla Dargis

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