26 Best Historical Epics Streaming Right Now
Historical epics once ruled the box office, taking home both money and trophies every year. This has changed over the last decade or so; With most of Hollywood’s big money now going to either sci-fi spectacles or superhero films, the traditionally expensive historical epics have gone a little out of fashion – at least on the big screen. Ridley Scott hasn’t given up, though, and the Gladiator director is fighting to stay in shape, with the sprawling big-budget Napoleon coming soon and an incredible Gladiator sequel in the works for his next film. It could be an uphill battle: 2022’s The Woman King received excellent reviews and still did only decent box office, while Scott’s own 2021 The Last Duel received equally good reviews, although it lost quite a bit of money. That said, movie tastes are always a bit cyclical, and if we start to see signs of superhero fatigue, there might be an opportunity for big-budget trips into the real-life past.
Titanic (1997)
Historical setting: North Atlantic, April 1912.
There’s melodrama here, sure, but James Cameron’s tearjerker is also a superb portrait of a very specific moment in time, luring us in with the glamor of its era before hitting us with the cost of those living their lives on the lower decks of society. . It’s also a surprisingly sophisticated form of relaxation, the plot of which cleverly takes us on a journey through the Titanic. In the end, we feel like we know her as well as any of her passengers.
Where to watch: Paramount+
Malcolm X (1992)
Historical Setting: The Whole Life of Malcolm X, 1925–1965.
Spike Lee shies away from all the boring biographical tropes to chronicle the life of a black activist who helped define the 1960s and the era of the civil rights movement. It’s stylish and exciting, and Denzel Washington practically captures the theme of the film with his outstanding performance.
Where to watch: Tubi
The Last Duel (2021)
Historical setting: medieval France, circa 1386.
Ridley Scott’s previous epic is a non-fiction work by Eric Jaeger that chronicles the trial in medieval France between Jean de Carrouges (Matt Damon) and Jacques Le Gris (Adam Driver) after the rape of Jean’s wife, Marguerite (Jodie Comer). Scott deftly approaches the story like a European Rashomon, presenting the story from each person’s vastly different perspective before we get the full picture from Margarita’s point of view. History and the participants in the duel may not have cared about this point of view, but Scott does, and so does the film.
Where to watch: Fubo
Schindler’s List (1994)
Historical setting: Germany, Poland and Czechoslovakia during World War II.
Steven Spielberg won his first director’s Oscar for this harrowing and important film set during the Holocaust. Oskar Schindler, an industrialist and Nazi himself, becomes gradually disillusioned and then horrified by the Party’s actions, hiring over 1,000 Jewish refugees to work in its factories to save them from concentration camps.
Where to watch: Showtime, Fubo
Aguirre: The Wrath of God (1972)
Historical setting: 16th century South America.
This is probably the most low-budget epic you’ll find on this list. Werner Herzog’s film follows conquistador Lope de Aguirre (played by the legendarily mad Klaus Kinski) on his hunt for the mythical golden kingdom of Eldorado. The real Aguirre was called El Loco for his grandiose and manic plans; Herzog and Kinski convey a sense of doomed obsession. This film was a huge inspiration for Francis Ford Coppola’s Apocalypse Now .
Where to watch: Tubi, Vudu, The Roku Channel, Freevee, Shout Factory TV, Plex.
Battle of Algiers (1966)
Historical setting: Algeria, 1954–1962.
A shockingly relevant film about the tensions between Algerian nationalists and French troops in North Africa, a conflict that escalated into a three-year war. The hyper-realistic film directed by Gillo Pontecorvo is on the one hand exciting, but also very complex. While the moral of the film leans slightly towards the Algerians trying to retake their home from the French, it is also clear that the shocking acts of violence committed by the guerrillas make any discussion of heroes and villains seem ridiculous.
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel
Battleship Potemkin (1925)
Historical location: Odessa, 1905.
Sergei Eisenstein’s masterpiece of revolutionary propaganda has lived a cinematic life far beyond its intended purpose (namely, to commemorate the first Russian Revolution on its 20th anniversary). Innovative and hugely influential, echoes of his style and editing techniques can be found in everything from Laurel and Hardy to Star Wars and beyond, and Brian De Palma’s The Untouchables recreated one of the film’s most iconic scenes on the steps of Odessa, in in which a baby stroller gets out of control amidst the chaos.
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel
Gladiator (2000)
Historical setting: Roman Empire, around 180 AD.
Ridley Scott tells the story of a high-ranking Roman officer forced into the gladiatorial arena after a clash with the new emperor Commodus; The film became a box office record-breaker and an awards season favorite of its year, signaling a revival of the historical epic genre that never materialized. But since we’re talking about Scott so much, his next historical epic will be a follow-up to this Oscar winner.
Where to watch: Netflix, Paramount+.
Run (1985)
Historical setting: Honshu during the Sengoku period, Japan.
One of Akira Kurosawa’s later films and his last true epic, Ran remains one of the director’s most beloved, combining Japanese history and folklore with hints of Shakespeare. The action takes place in the 16th century. Kurosawa invents the story of the real-life daimyo Mori Motonari, mixing it with King Lear. Elderly warlord Ichimonji Hidetora (Tatsuya Nakadai) decides to divide his kingdom among his three sons, but discovers that greed and the lust for power are stronger than loyalty. It was the director’s most expensive film, with rich cinematography and elaborate period designs.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Death of Stalin (2017)
Historical location: Moscow, 1953.
Armando Iannucci brings his signature dark wit to the story of the political games and scams that occur after the death of the Soviet leader. As in Veep , Iannucci exposes the greed and petty greed that underlies power politics, no matter how outwardly respectable it may be. It may not be the most historically accurate piece of history in cinema in terms of detail, but it is nonetheless one of the most honest.
Where to watch: Hulu, Tubi, The Roku Channel.
Mishima: A Life in Four Chapters (1985)
Historical site: Tokyo, 1920s – 1970s.
Paul Schrader’s kaleidoscopic drama begins on the last day of the life of Yukio Mishima, the writer who famously committed public seppuku. One of Japan’s most important artists of the 20th century, Mishima’s rejection of modern material culture led him to extreme traditionalism and resulted in the creation of his own private army. He is an unconventional hero of an unconventional historical epic (in which moments from his works are dramatized alongside scenes from his life), but it was a life lived on a grand scale, for better or for worse.
Where to watch: Criterion Channel.
Becket (1964)
Historical setting: 12th century England.
It’s based on a play rather than a specific story, so a lot of it is either questionable or outright wrong. Still! It’s a big, fun, old-school cinematic epic about the political and religious struggle between Henry II (Peter O’Toole) and Thomas Becket (Richard Burton), the king’s former friend who becomes his opponent as Archbishop of Canterbury. Burton is a bit of a snoozer, but O’Toole is clearly having a lot of fun – he’ll play the character again, and just a few years later he’ll be joined by Katharine Hepburn as Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter. .
Where to watch: Peacock, Tubi, Freevee, The Roku Channel.
From Here to Eternity (1953)
Historic Site: Pearl Harbor, Oahu, Hawaii, 1941.
At first it looks more like a solid romantic melodrama than a war picture: the film’s iconic image is Deborah Kerr and Burt Lancaster kissing on the beach. But it’s all designed to draw us into the lives of the people orbiting Schofield Barracks on the island of Oahu, played by an all-star cast including Lancaster and Kerr, as well as Montgomery Clift, Frank Sinatra, Donna Reed and Ernest. Borgnine and others. By the time the bombs start falling, we are deeply involved in the lives and fates of these characters.
Where to stream: Max
Quiet on the Western Front (2022)
Historical setting: Western Europe, 1917-1918.
Idealistic soldier Paul Bäumer (Felix Kammerer) hopes to become a hero when he and his friends agree to fight for the German army. His ideas of glory and noble sacrifice are quickly shattered as he is forced to confront horrors and learns that survival is the best he can hope for. While it doesn’t have the same power as the 1930 original, it’s still a powerful film about the futility of war, set in the trenches of the First World War.
Where to watch: Netflix
Edward II (1991)
Historical setting: 14th century England.
Filmmaker, provocateur and activist Derek Jarman removes any historical ambiguity from the relationship between Edward II and his beloved courtier Piers Gaveston (not that it was particularly ambiguous), presenting medieval Europe as a postmodern fantasy replete with deliberate anachronisms and Annie Lennox on the soundtrack. Think Sofia Coppola ‘s Marie Antoinette , only more fun.
Where to watch: Tubi, The Roku Channel, Pluto, Freevee.
Ahsoka (2001)
Historical Setting: Mauryan Empire (encompassing most of modern India), 3rd century BC.
Hyper-stylized in its action sequences and peppered with musical interludes, the film tells a dramatized version of the life of the titular Mauryan emperor (Shah Rukh Khan), who famously discovered Buddhism and pacifism after an early life of brutal conquest. Luckily, this transition happens late in the film, so we still get plenty of brilliantly choreographed fight scenes in the lead-up. It was a huge success in much of Asia and was the rare Indian film of its time to receive wide worldwide release.
Where to watch: Netflix
Seven Samurai (1954)
Historical setting: Japan during the Sengoku period, 1586.
Both a dramatic and technical achievement, Akira Kurosawa’s masterpiece succeeds brilliantly as a straightforward action film, but presents the members of the assembled team as unique and complex individuals, in many ways not much better than the bandits they were hired to fight. In the film, poor villagers decide to hire samurai to protect them from raiders. With nothing to offer other than food, they have no choice but to seek help from only the most desperate ronin. A ragtag group of outsiders are forced to band together in the face of a relentless attack, and while it’s more about the historical setting than any specific real-life events, the film’s style embraces a striking verisimilitude.
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel
Northerner (2022)
Historical Setting: Northern Europe, circa 895 AD.
Surprisingly, The Northman by Robert Eggers is not based on any specific part of Norse history, but blends elements of legend and mythology in a carefully recreated historical setting. Alexander Skarsgård plays Amleth, a Viking prince who narrowly escapes a coup that destroys his dynasty and begins a Shakespearean quest for revenge at any cost. The film offers a sharply nihilistic view of the world while challenging ideas of honor taken to extremes. Nicole Kidman is amazing.
Where to stream: Peacock
Fortress (2017)
Historical Setting: Joseon State, Korea, 1636
The Fortress is set during the Qing invasion of Joseon in 1636. The state of Joseon in modern Korea maintained relations with the Chinese Ming dynasty, but was under pressure from the Qing until the all-out invasion. The film follows the end of this story, with King Injo and his vassals taking refuge in the fortress of the title. However, this is not the story of the Alamo, but a story of moral compromise and politics as the fort’s defenders struggle to choose between two larger powers while under literal siege. The film was a huge success in South Korea and won several major awards.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Woman King (2022)
Historical setting: Dahomey, West Africa, 1823.
While the film has much deeper ambitions, there’s something to be said for the sheer joy of watching a wonderfully hyped Viola Davis lead a team of nearly unstoppable African female warriors as they fight against colonialist invaders. The film is set in West Africa in 1823 and is based on the real Agoja people (also known as the Dahomey Amazons). In the film, Davis plays General Naniska, the leader of the country’s army, forced to navigate complex regional politics despite his skills, and the film’s most thrilling scenes involve kicking the ass of a slave trader.
Where to watch: Netflix
1917 (2019)
Historical setting: Western Front of the First World War, 1917.
Sam Mendes’s World War I drama doesn’t work as well as it does, given that its premise involves a bit of a gimmick: it’s presented as if it were filmed in two continuous takes, with no breaks in between. The result could have been reminiscent of a video game, but instead the conceit lends an unusual, heart-wrenching immediacy to the story of two soldiers, Will Schofield (George MacKay) and Tom Blake (Dean-Charles Chapman), desperately trying to convey a message that will call off an offensive they know is doomed. .
Where to watch: Showtime, Fubo
The Last Emperor (1987)
Historical setting: China, especially Beijing, in the early 20th century.
Although it shouldn’t be taken as a history lesson (very few should be), Bernardo Bertolucci’s magnificent epic does its best in its location, filming in Beijing’s Forbidden City. John Lone is superb as the adult Puyi, who became Emperor of China at age two and was forced to abdicate at age six. The film shows his life in defiance of the new communist government of China and later as a puppet.
Where to watch: Max, The Criterion Channel
Kesari (2019)
Historical site: Saragarhi (modern Pakistan), 1894
There’s nothing particularly challenging here, but Kesari is nonetheless an inspiring tale of military bravery and heroism in the face of impossible odds. The film depicts the events surrounding the Battle of Saragarhi, during which 21 Sikh soldiers of the British Raj fought 10,000 Afghan attackers (about 300 men ) in 1897. The film’s politics are complex, but the performances are top-notch and the battles are impeccably choreographed.
Where to watch: Prime Video
Spartacus (1960)
Historical Setting: Third Servile War, Mediterranean in the first century BC.
Stanley Kubrick’s Roman Republic epic eschews most of the sword-and-sandal conventions the film’s release year has to offer, instead telling an uplifting tale of freedom and nonconformity. Written by blacklisted writer Dalton Trumbo, Spartacus challenged not only Roman slavery but also modern communist witch hunts.
Where to stream: History Vault.
13 Killers (2010)
Historical setting: Eco-period Japan, 1844.
Near the end of the Tokugawa Shogunate, the completely sadistic (not to mention corrupt) Lord Naritsugu would be offered a seat on the Shogunate Council, a promotion that would not only increase the brutal lord’s power, but would likely start a civic spirit. a war between his supporters and those who hate him. The shogun’s minister of justice decides that murder is the only option and hires a dozen samurai to carry out the execution. Kinetic and violent, the film reminds us that director Takashi Miike made a name for himself with several memorable, visceral horror films.
Where to watch: Hulu
Rustin (2023)
There are certainly no wars here, although the Civil Rights Movement was an era of violent conflict; there are few better and more overlooked lenses through which to view this than the life of Bayard Rustin (the brilliant Colman Domingo), one of the movement’s leaders and the chief architect of the March on Washington. However, being a frankly strange man, he was ignored and erased from the history of the movement – at least until the release of this rather epic biopic.
Where to watch: Netflix