Curated by SceneIt · United States
This SceneIt list helps you quickly choose acclaimed dramas and true-story favorites with an uplifting arc. Results are selected for the United States and balance audience response with practical watchability.
Updated 2026-08-03 · Ratings from TMDB
We rank eligible titles using TMDB audience ratings, vote confidence, relevance to the theme, and current popularity. Ratings can change as new votes are added.
2023 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 369 votes
The triumphant underdog story of the University of Washington men's rowing team, who stunned the world by competing at the 1936 Berlin Olympics. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2015 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 279 votes
In 1925 Korea, Japanese rulers demand the last remaining tiger be killed. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2020 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 290 votes
After being blinded in a coup against the king, Joseon's greatest swordsman goes into hiding, far removed from his city's anguish. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2017 · TMDB 8.0/10 · 402 votes
In 1950, amidst the ravages of the Korean War, Sergeant Süleyman stumbles upon a a half-frozen little girl, with no parents and no help in sight and he risks his own life to save her, smuggling her into his army base and out of harm’s way. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1976 · TMDB 7.8/10 · 688 votes
The epic tale of a class struggle in twentieth century Italy, as seen through the eyes of two childhood friends on opposing sides. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2010 · TMDB 7.9/10 · 569 votes
A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic American who has become one of the leading scientists in humane livestock handling. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2021 · TMDB 7.0/10 · 1,704 votes
Buddy is a young boy on the cusp of adolescence, whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1966 · TMDB 7.9/10 · 959 votes
An expansive Russian drama, this film focuses on the life of revered religious icon painter Andrei Rublev. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2010 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 1,046 votes
A faithful retelling of the 1942 "Vel' d'Hiv Roundup" and the events surrounding it. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2019 · TMDB 7.9/10 · 719 votes
A look at the Apollo 11 mission to land on the moon led by commander Neil Armstrong and pilot Buzz Aldrin. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1981 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 552 votes
Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1962 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 352 votes
The Bounty leaves Portsmouth in 1787. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1973 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 473 votes
Pat Garrett is hired as a lawman on behalf of a group of wealthy New Mexico cattle barons to bring down his old friend Billy the Kid. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2021 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 784 votes
During WWII's crucial Battle of the Scheldt, the lives of a glider pilot, a Nazi soldier and a reluctant Resistance recruit tragically intersect. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1966 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 503 votes
A depiction of the conflict between King Henry VIII of England and his Lord Chancellor, Sir Thomas More, who refuses to swear the Oath of Supremacy declaring Henry Supreme Head of the Church in England. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1956 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 410 votes
Widowed Welsh mother Anna Leonowens becomes a governess and English tutor to the wives and many children of the stubborn King Mongkut of Siam. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2016 · TMDB 7.9/10 · 639 votes
Japan, 1943, during World War II. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
1975 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 296 votes
In Montauban in 1944, Julien Dandieu is a surgeon in the local hospital. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2018 · TMDB 7.4/10 · 1,413 votes
Free-spirited writer Juliet Ashton forms a life-changing bond with the delightful and eccentric Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, when she decides to write about the book club they formed during the occupation of Guernsey in WWII. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
2008 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,230 votes
The story of Bobby Sands, the IRA member who led the 1981 hunger strike during The Troubles in which Irish Republican prisoners tried to win political status. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.