1492: Conquest of Paradise
1992 · TMDB 6.3/10 · 930 votes
1492: Conquest of Paradise depicts Christopher Columbus’ discovery of The New World and his effect on the indigenous people. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Curated by SceneIt · United States
History Movies
Discover popular and highly rated history movies. This page focuses on useful, popular choices for viewers in the United States.
Updated 2026-08-03 · Ratings from TMDB
How we chose these titles
Eligible titles are ranked using TMDB popularity, audience rating, and vote count. Streaming availability and ratings can change over time.
The Testament of Ann Lee
2025 · TMDB 6.4/10 · 168 votes
The extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers as the female Christ. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Lions for Lambs
2007 · TMDB 6.0/10 · 842 votes
Three stories told simultaneously in ninety minutes of real time: a Republican Senator who's a presidential hopeful gives an hour-long interview to a skeptical television reporter, detailing a strategy for victory in Afghanistan; two special forces ambushed on an Afghani ridge await rescue as Taliban forces close in; a poli-sci professor at a California college invites a student to re-engage. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
October Sky
1999 · TMDB 7.7/10 · 1,460 votes
The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Emancipation
2022 · TMDB 7.8/10 · 1,282 votes
Inspired by the gripping true story of a man who would do anything for his family—and for freedom. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Christy
2025 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 207 votes
Christy Martin never imagined life beyond her small-town roots in West Virginia—until she discovered a knack for punching people. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Serpico
1973 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 2,219 votes
New York cop Frank Serpico blows the whistle on the rampant corruption in the force only to have his comrades turn against him. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Way Back
2010 · TMDB 7.0/10 · 1,789 votes
A small band of multicultural convicts stages a daring escape from a WWII-era Siberian gulag, and embarks on a treacherous journey across five countries in a desperate race for freedom and survival. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Man on the Moon
1999 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 2,012 votes
The story of the life and career of eccentric avant-garde comedian, Andy Kaufman. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Defiance
2008 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 1,924 votes
Based on a true story, during World War II, four Jewish brothers escape their Nazi-occupied homeland of West Belarus in Poland and join the Soviet partisans to combat the Nazis. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Chernobyl: Abyss
2021 · TMDB 6.2/10 · 581 votes
The aftermath of a shocking explosion at the Chernobyl nuclear power station made hundreds of people sacrifice their lives to clean up the site of the catastrophe and to successfully prevent an even bigger disaster that could have turned a large part of the European continent into an uninhabitable exclusion zone. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Robe
1953 · TMDB 6.8/10 · 288 votes
Drunk and disillusioned Roman, Marcellus Gallio, wins Jesus' robe in a dice game after the crucifixion. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Battleship Potemkin
1925 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 1,312 votes
A dramatized account of a great Russian naval mutiny and a resultant public demonstration, showing support, which brought on a police massacre. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins
2012 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 924 votes
In 1868, after the Bakumatsu war ends, the ex-assassin Kenshin Himura traverses Japan with an inverted sword, to defend the needy without killing. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Pompeii
2014 · TMDB 5.5/10 · 3,424 votes
In 79 A.D., Milo, a slave turned gladiator, finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Mission
1986 · TMDB 7.4/10 · 1,569 votes
When a Spanish Jesuit goes into the South American wilderness to build a mission in the hope of converting the Indians of the region, a slave hunter is converted and joins his mission. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Finding Forrester
2000 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 1,236 votes
Gus Van Sant tells the story of a young African American man named Jamal who confronts his talents while living on the streets of the Bronx. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Voice of Hind Rajab
2025 · TMDB 8.0/10 · 330 votes
January 29, 2024. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
William Tell
2025 · TMDB 6.2/10 · 257 votes
The narrative unfolds in the 14th Century, when the European nations vie for supremacy within the Holy Roman Empire. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Ip Man
2008 · TMDB 7.8/10 · 4,178 votes
A semi-biographical account of Yip Man, the first martial arts master to teach the Chinese martial art of Wing Chun. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.