Top 50 History Movies and TV Shows
1. Vikings: Valhalla (2022– )
TV-MA | 51 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Follow-up series to 'Vikings' set 100 years afterward and centering on the adventures of Leif Erikson, Freydis, Harald Hardrada and the Norman King William the Conqueror.
Stars: Sam Corlett, Frida Gustavsson, Leo Suter, Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson
Votes: 9,716
2. Vikings (2013–2020)
TV-MA | 44 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Vikings transports us to the brutal and mysterious world of Ragnar Lothbrok, a Viking warrior and farmer who yearns to explore - and raid - the distant shores across the ocean.
Stars: Katheryn Winnick, Gustaf Skarsgård, Alexander Ludwig, Georgia Hirst
Votes: 496,059
3. Belfast (2021)
PG-13 | 98 min | Biography, Drama, History
A young boy and his working-class Belfast family experience the tumultuous late 1960s.
Director: Kenneth Branagh | Stars: Jude Hill, Lewis McAskie, Caitriona Balfe, Jamie Dornan
Votes: 34,626
4. The Last Kingdom (2015–2022)
TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Drama, History
As Alfred the Great defends his kingdom from Norse invaders, Uhtred--born a Saxon but raised by Vikings--seeks to claim his ancestral birthright.
Stars: Eliza Butterworth, Alexander Dreymon, Arnas Fedaravicius, Millie Brady
Votes: 107,829
5. The Last Duel (2021)
R | 152 min | Action, Drama, History
King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges settle his dispute with his squire by challenging him to a duel.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Matt Damon, Adam Driver, Jodie Comer, Harriet Walter
Votes: 123,207
6. Call the Midwife (2012– )
TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, History
Chronicles the lives of a group of midwives living in East London in the late-1950s to late-1960s.
Stars: Vanessa Redgrave, Laura Main, Jenny Agutter, Stephen McGann
Votes: 24,766
7. Oppenheimer (2023)
Biography, Drama, History | Filming
The story of American scientist J. Robert Oppenheimer and his role in the development of the atomic bomb.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, Robert Downey Jr.
8. The Crown (2016– )
TV-MA | 58 min | Biography, Drama, History
Follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the twentieth century.
Stars: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Matt Smith
Votes: 187,487
9. Redeeming Love (2022)
PG-13 | 134 min | Drama, History, Romance
Sold into prostitution as a child, Angel knows nothing but betrayal. Can her heart ever be mended? Based upon the novel by Francine Rivers.
Director: D.J. Caruso | Stars: Abigail Cowen, Tom Lewis, Eric Dane, Famke Janssen
Votes: 3,149
10. The Great (2020– )
TV-MA | 45 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A royal woman living in rural Russia during the 18th century is forced to choose between her own personal happiness and the future of Russia, when she marries an Emperor.
Stars: Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Sacha Dhawan
Votes: 37,128
11. Chernobyl (2019)
TV-MA | 330 min | Drama, History, Thriller
In April 1986, an explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics becomes one of the world's worst man-made catastrophes.
Stars: Jessie Buckley, Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Adam Nagaitis
Votes: 658,209
12. Killers of the Flower Moon (2022)
Crime, Drama, History | Post-production
Members of the Osage tribe in the United States are murdered under mysterious circumstances in the 1920s sparking a major F.B.I. investigation involving J. Edgar Hoover.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Jesse Plemons, Leonardo DiCaprio, Brendan Fraser, Robert De Niro
13. The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021)
R | 105 min | Drama, History, Thriller
A Scottish lord becomes convinced by a trio of witches that he will become the next King of Scotland, and his ambitious wife supports him in his plans of seizing power.
Director: Joel Coen | Stars: Denzel Washington, Frances McDormand, Alex Hassell, Bertie Carvel
Votes: 24,043
14. Munich: The Edge of War (2021)
PG-13 | 130 min | Biography, Drama, History
A British diplomat travels to Munich in the run-up to World War II, where a former classmate of his from Oxford is also en route, but is working for the German government.
Director: Christian Schwochow | Stars: George MacKay, Jannis Niewöhner, Jeremy Irons, Liv Lisa Fries
Votes: 22,064
15. Being the Ricardos (2021)
R | 131 min | Biography, Drama, History
Follows Lucy and Desi as they face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.
Director: Aaron Sorkin | Stars: Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, J.K. Simmons, Nina Arianda
Votes: 31,483
16. The Courier (2020)
PG-13 | 112 min | Drama, History, Thriller
Businessman Greville Wynne is asked by a Russian source try to help put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Director: Dominic Cooke | Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Merab Ninidze, Rachel Brosnahan, Vladimir Chuprikov
Votes: 50,012
17. Band of Brothers (2001)
TV-MA | 594 min | Drama, History, War
The story of Easy Company of the U.S. Army 101st Airborne Division and their mission in World War II Europe, from Operation Overlord to V-J Day.
Stars: Scott Grimes, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, Shane Taylor
Votes: 417,048
18. Rocket Boys (2022– )
45 min | Drama, History
The story of two extraordinary men, Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha and Dr. Vikram Ambalal Sarabhai, who created history while building India's future.
Stars: Jim Sarbh, Ishwak Singh, Regina Cassandra, Rajit Kapoor
Votes: 7,993
19. The Northman (2022)
Action, Adventure, Drama | Post-production
From visionary director Robert Eggers comes The Northman, an action-filled epic that follows a young Viking prince on his quest to avenge his father's murder.
Director: Robert Eggers | Stars: Alexander Skarsgård, Nicole Kidman, Claes Bang, Ethan Hawke
20. Benedetta (2021)
Unrated | 131 min | Biography, Drama, History
A 17th-century nun in Italy suffers from disturbing religious and erotic visions. She is assisted by a companion, and the relationship between the two women develops into a romantic love affair.
Director: Paul Verhoeven | Stars: Virginie Efira, Charlotte Rampling, Daphne Patakia, Lambert Wilson
Votes: 12,363
21. Schindler's List (1993)
R | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History
In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall
Votes: 1,302,090 | Gross: $96.90M
22. Tombstone (1993)
R | 130 min | Action, Biography, Drama
A successful lawman's plans to retire anonymously in Tombstone, Arizona are disrupted by the kind of outlaws he was famous for eliminating.
Directors: George P. Cosmatos, Kevin Jarre | Stars: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton
Votes: 141,706 | Gross: $56.51M
23. Our Flag Means Death (2022– )
30 min | Action, Adventure, Biography | Completed
The year is 1717. Wealthy landowner Stede Bonnet has a midlife crisis and decides to blow up his cushy life to become a pirate. It does not go well. Based on a true story.
Stars: Taika Waititi, Nat Faxon, Fred Armisen, Leslie Jones
24. Boardwalk Empire (2010–2014)
TV-MA | 55 min | Crime, Drama, History
An Atlantic City politician plays both sides of the law by conspiring with gangsters during the Prohibition era.
Stars: Steve Buscemi, Kelly Macdonald, Michael Shannon, Shea Whigham
Votes: 183,453
25. Hamilton (2020)
PG-13 | 160 min | Biography, Drama, History
The real life of one of America's foremost founding fathers and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Captured live on Broadway from the Richard Rodgers Theater with the original Broadway cast.
Director: Thomas Kail | Stars: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr., Renée Elise Goldsberry
Votes: 83,595
26. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
R | 139 min | Biography, Drama, History
World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.
Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer
Votes: 492,040 | Gross: $67.21M
27. The King (I) (2019)
R | 140 min | Biography, Drama, History
Hal, wayward prince and heir to the English throne, is crowned King Henry V after his tyrannical father dies. Now the young king must navigate palace politics, the war his father left behind, and the emotional strings of his past life.
Director: David Michôd | Stars: Tom Glynn-Carney, Gábor Czap, Tom Fisher, Edward Ashley
Votes: 117,778
28. Braveheart (1995)
R | 178 min | Biography, Drama, History
Scottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.
Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen
Votes: 1,008,661 | Gross: $75.60M
29. The Impossible (2012)
PG-13 | 114 min | Adventure, Drama, History
The story of a tourist family in Thailand caught in the destruction and chaotic aftermath of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
Director: J.A. Bayona | Stars: Naomi Watts, Ewan McGregor, Tom Holland, Oaklee Pendergast
Votes: 217,540 | Gross: $19.02M
30. Spartacus (2010–2013)
TV-MA | 55 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
The life of Spartacus, the gladiator who lead a rebellion against the Romans. From his time as an ally of the Romans, to his betrayal and becoming a gladiator, to the rebellion he leads and its ultimate outcome.
Stars: Andy Whitfield, Lucy Lawless, Manu Bennett, Daniel Feuerriegel
Votes: 235,477
31. The Big Short (2015)
R | 130 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
In 2006-2007 a group of investors bet against the US mortgage market. In their research, they discover how flawed and corrupt the market is.
Director: Adam McKay | Stars: Christian Bale, Steve Carell, Ryan Gosling, Brad Pitt
Votes: 409,770 | Gross: $70.26M
32. Troy (2004)
R | 163 min | Drama, History
An adaptation of Homer's great epic, the film follows the assault on Troy by the united Greek forces and chronicles the fates of the men involved.
Director: Wolfgang Petersen | Stars: Brad Pitt, Eric Bana, Orlando Bloom, Julian Glover
Votes: 518,270 | Gross: $133.38M
33. Deadwood (2004–2006)
TV-MA | 55 min | Crime, Drama, History
A show set in the late 1800s, revolving around the characters of Deadwood, South Dakota; a town of deep corruption and crime.
Stars: Timothy Olyphant, Ian McShane, Molly Parker, Brad Dourif
Votes: 103,048
34. The First Lady (2022– )
Biography, Drama, History | Filming
In the East Wing of the White House, many of history's most impactful and world-changing decisions have been hidden from view, made by America's charismatic, complex and dynamic first ladies.
Stars: Viola Davis, Michelle Pfeiffer, Gillian Anderson, Dakota Fanning
35. Dunkirk (2017)
PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Drama, History
Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Fionn Whitehead, Barry Keoghan, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy
Votes: 620,658 | Gross: $188.37M
36. The Chosen (2017– )
TV-PG | 54 min | Drama, History
A charismatic fisherman struggling with debt. A troubled woman wrestling with demons. A gifted accountant ostracised from his family and people. In this ground-breaking first season of The Chosen see how Jesus reaches each of these and more as He works His first miracles and embarks on His ministry to change the world. See Him through the eyes of those who knew Him.
Stars: Elizabeth Tabish, Shahar Isaac, Jonathan Roumie, Paras Patel
Votes: 24,226
37. The Revenant (2015)
R | 156 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
A frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.
Director: Alejandro G. Iñárritu | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hardy, Will Poulter, Domhnall Gleeson
Votes: 768,650 | Gross: $183.64M
38. Mississippi Burning (1988)
R | 128 min | Crime, Drama, History
Two F.B.I. Agents with wildly different styles arrive in Mississippi to investigate the disappearance of some civil rights activists.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Gene Hackman, Willem Dafoe, Frances McDormand, Brad Dourif
Votes: 97,721 | Gross: $34.60M
39. Eiffel (2021)
R | 108 min | Biography, Drama, History
The government is asking Eiffel to design something spectacular for the 1889 Paris World Fair, but Eiffel simply wants to design the subway. Suddenly, everything changes when Eiffel crosses paths with a mysterious woman from Arun's past.
Director: Martin Bourboulon | Stars: Romain Duris, Emma Mackey, Pierre Deladonchamps, Armande Boulanger
Votes: 1,926
40. The Tudors (2007–2010)
TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance
A dramatic series about the reign and marriages of King Henry VIII.
Stars: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Anthony Brophy, James Frain
Votes: 73,025
41. Everything's Gonna Be All White (2022)
TV-MA | 54 min | Documentary, History
Explores the history of race in the USA from the perspective of people of color, delving deeply into the root causes of racial inequities.
Stars: Amanda Seales, Jemele Hill, Willie D., Sharp
Votes: 3,836
42. 13 Hours (2016)
R | 144 min | Action, Drama, History
During an attack on a U.S. compound in Libya, a security team struggles to make sense out of the chaos.
Director: Michael Bay | Stars: John Krasinski, Pablo Schreiber, James Badge Dale, David Denman
Votes: 135,618 | Gross: $52.85M
43. Black Hawk Down (2001)
R | 144 min | Action, Drama, History
The story of 160 elite U.S. soldiers who dropped into Mogadishu in October 1993 to capture two top lieutenants of a renegade warlord, but found themselves in a desperate battle with a large force of heavily-armed Somalis.
Director: Ridley Scott | Stars: Josh Hartnett, Ewan McGregor, Tom Sizemore, Eric Bana
Votes: 385,741 | Gross: $108.64M
44. Cool Runnings (1993)
PG | 98 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
When a Jamaican sprinter is disqualified from the Olympic Games, he enlists the help of a dishonored coach to start the first Jamaican Bobsled Team.
Director: Jon Turteltaub | Stars: John Candy, Leon, Doug E. Doug, Rawle D. Lewis
Votes: 101,559 | Gross: $68.86M
45. Rome (2005–2007)
TV-MA | 52 min | Action, Drama, History
A down-to-earth account of the lives of both illustrious and ordinary Romans set in the last days of the Roman Republic.
Stars: Kevin McKidd, Ray Stevenson, Polly Walker, Kerry Condon
Votes: 165,606
46. Kingdom (2019– )
TV-MA | 45 min | Action, Drama, History
While strange rumors about their ill King grip a kingdom, the crown prince becomes their only hope against a mysterious plague overtaking the land.
Stars: Ju Ji-Hoon, Bae Doona, Kim Sungkyu, Kim Hye-jun
Votes: 42,509
47. Straight Outta Compton (2015)
R | 147 min | Biography, Drama, History
The rap group NWA emerges from the mean streets of Compton in Los Angeles, California, in the mid-1980s and revolutionizes Hip Hop culture with their music and tales about life in the hood.
Director: F. Gary Gray | Stars: O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr.
Votes: 194,786 | Gross: $161.20M
48. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
R | 134 min | Biography, Drama, History
In the antebellum United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery.
Director: Steve McQueen | Stars: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt
Votes: 679,544 | Gross: $56.67M
49. Poldark (2015–2019)
TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance
Ross Poldark returns home after American Revolutionary War and rebuilds his life with a new business venture, making new enemies and finding a new love where he least expects it.
Stars: Aidan Turner, Eleanor Tomlinson, Jack Farthing, Beatie Edney
Votes: 29,967
50. Midway (2019)
PG-13 | 138 min | Action, Drama, History
The story of the Battle of Midway, told by the leaders and the sailors who fought it.
Director: Roland Emmerich | Stars: Ed Skrein, Patrick Wilson, Woody Harrelson, Luke Evans
Votes: 80,440 | Gross: $56.85M