Devotion
2022 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 838 votes
The harrowing true story of two elite US Navy fighter pilots during the Korean War. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Curated by SceneIt · United States
Inspiring Movies
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
How we chose these titles
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.
Casualties of War
1989 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,024 votes
During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Escape from Pretoria
2020 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,514 votes
South Africa, 1978. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Big George Foreman
2023 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 371 votes
Fueled by an impoverished childhood, George Foreman channeled his anger into becoming an Olympic Gold medalist and World Heavyweight Champion, followed by a near-death experience that took him from the boxing ring to the pulpit. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Suffragette
2015 · TMDB 7.2/10 · 1,681 votes
Based on true events about the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement, women who were forced underground to pursue a dangerous game of cat and mouse with an increasingly brutal State. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Agora
2009 · TMDB 7.0/10 · 1,578 votes
A historical drama set in Roman Egypt, concerning philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria and her relationship with her slave Davus, who is torn between his love for her and the possibility of gaining his freedom by joining the rising tide of Christianity. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Trial of the Chicago 7
2020 · TMDB 7.7/10 · 3,400 votes
What was supposed to be a peaceful protest turned into a violent clash with the police. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Judgment at Nuremberg
1961 · TMDB 8.0/10 · 965 votes
In 1947, four German judges who served on the bench during the Nazi regime face a military tribunal to answer charges of crimes against humanity. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Seabiscuit
2003 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 950 votes
True story of the undersized Depression-era racehorse whose victories lifted not only the spirits of the team behind it but also those of their nation. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Best of Youth
2003 · TMDB 8.0/10 · 614 votes
After a fateful encounter in the summer of 1966, the lifepaths of two brothers from a middle-class Roman family diverge, intersecting with some of the most significant events of postwar Italian history in the following decades. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Young Woman and the Sea
2024 · TMDB 7.9/10 · 444 votes
This is the extraordinary true story of Trudy Ederle, the first woman to successfully swim the English Channel. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Selena
1997 · TMDB 7.7/10 · 1,327 votes
In this biographical drama, Selena Quintanilla is born into a musical Mexican-American family in Texas. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Cadillac Records
2008 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 484 votes
The story of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, and the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Killing Fields
1984 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 840 votes
New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg is on assignment covering the Cambodian Civil War, with the help of local interpreter Dith Pran and American photojournalist Al Rockoff. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Quiz Show
1994 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 999 votes
Herbert Stempel's transformation into an unexpected television personality unfolds as he secures victory on the cherished American game show, 'Twenty-One.' However, when the show introduces the highly skilled contestant Charles Van Doren to replace Stempel, it compels Stempel to let out his frustrations and call out the show as rigged. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
The Devils
1971 · TMDB 7.4/10 · 443 votes
In 1634 France, charismatic Father Urbain Grandier becomes the target of a sexually obsessed nun’s witchcraft accusations, which corrupt church and state officials are all too happy to exploit. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Hotel Mumbai
2019 · TMDB 7.5/10 · 1,767 votes
Mumbai, India, November 26, 2008. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
A Million Miles Away
2023 · TMDB 7.6/10 · 542 votes
The life of engineer and former NASA astronaut José M. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Jesus Christ Superstar
1973 · TMDB 7.1/10 · 622 votes
As played out by a theatre troupe, the last days of Jesus Christ are depicted from the perspective of Judas Iscariot, his betrayer. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.
Harriet
2019 · TMDB 7.3/10 · 954 votes
The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. This title fits the list's theme and selection thresholds.