50 Best Political Movies You Should Watch Now

50 Best Political Movies You Should Watch Now

When will light dawn on Gotham City? Or how long will the night last? What’s more, how far is Batman willing to go to save his city? Find out in The Dark Knight (2008).

Moreover, Gotham is infamous for crime operations. Then there’s the Joker who is testing the patience of the city’s superhero. So who bows to who? Batman the hero is given to his city and is willing to go all extends for Gotham City. That is the sneak preview of our highlights of the 50 Best Political Movies.

Now what excites you about political movies? Is it snappy titles, a catch-up to trends, the satirical sense in some movies, or the adrenaline triggers brought by some movies?

Whether you’re a political buff or curious to learn political historical events, this list of 50 best political movies will be handy. Better still it’s also for you who’s looking for a laid-back entertaining experience. You too seeking to understand the political space and how it runs the world throughout history.

Here are the 50 Best Political Movies You Should Watch Now.

Popular political movies on various streaming services

1. The Dark Knight (2008)

This superhero film is the second work of The Dark Knight trilogy and a sequel to Batman Begins (2005). In this political action movie, the storyline is centered in the fictional city called Gotham.

To add on, Gotham City is dominated by organized crime. Hence Batman, James Gordon, and Harvey Dent team up to save the day in Gotham City. Batman plays the superhero, Gordon acts as a police lieutenant and Dent is a district attorney.

The trio’s efforts are crashed by a psychopathic criminal mastermind, the Joker. He uses a warped sense of humor to arouse conflict with Batman. This tests Batman to the extent he can go to rescue Gotham City from falling into chaos.

Practical Information

Director: Christopher Nolan

Production or Distribution Company: Warner Bros. Pictures

Running time: 2h 32m

Ratings: IMDb 9/10

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2. The Godfather (1972)

It is a political crime drama movie adapted from Mario Puzo’s 1969 best-seller novel under the same title. Thus making the movie the first of The Godfather trilogy.

Furthermore, the plot is based on the Corleone family during the era 1945 to 1955. This family is under a patriarch known as Vito Corleone in the novel who is represented by Brando in the movie. The action focuses on Corleone’s youngest son who appears to be a reluctant family outsider yet he grows into a merciless mafia boss. His name is Michael Corleone in the novel and portrayed as AI Pacino in the film.

Practical Information

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Production or Distribution Company: Paramount Pictures

Running time: 2h 55m

Ratings: IMDb 9.2/10

Trailer: The Godfather 1972

3. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)

A narrative of a United States Senator who is a strong fighter against corruption. He seeks to root out the menace in the country’s political system.

Practical Information

Director: Frank Capra

Production or Distribution Company: Columbia Pictures

Running time: 2h 9m

Ratings: IMDb 8.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 97%

4. Forrest Gump (1994)

Though the film is an adaptation of the 1986 novel by Winston Groom, there is much difference between the two. Yet the plot of the two is identical. It follows decades into the journey of life of the character, Forrest Gump played by actor Tom Hanks.

Additionally, the protagonist is an Alabama man who is slow-witted but kindhearted. So this political comedy-drama explores the 20th-century experiences of Forrest Gump in the United States.

Practical Information

Director: Robert Zemeckis

Production or distribution Company: Paramount Pictures

Running time: 2h 22m

Ratings: IMDb 8.8/10

Trailer: Forrest Gump 1994 

5. Inglourious Basterds (2009)

This political historical war movie drew inspiration from the 1978 film, Euro War by Italian director Enzo G. Castellari. Inglourious Basterds is a plot of two groups trying to assassinate the leadership of Nazi Germany.

To add on, one of the assassinations is organized by Shosanna Dreyfus who is a young man of French Jewish descent. On the other end is a British team with the same agenda. Yet a third group emerges and they are successful with the assassination mission. It is a group of Jewish American soldiers led by Aldo Raine who is in the military rank of First Lieutenant.

Practical Information

Director: Quentin Tarantino

Production or Distribution Company: Universal Pictures

Running time: 2h 33m

Ratings: IMDb 8.3/10

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6. The Godfather Part II (1974)

A political crime drama that is a sequel to The Godfather (1972) movie. Its storyline also makes it a prequel to the latter. Hence this movie provides a parallel narrative of the Corleone family.

Subsequently, it serves as a sequel in that it follows the 1972 version to show the activities of crime boss Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). He fights to defend Corleone’s family business amidst threats to his life.

Further, the movie also fits in as a prequel to the 1972 release because it gives the life accounts of Pacino’s father, Vito Corleone. It tells of his Sicilian heritage and his upbringing from childhood up to establishing the family venture in New York City.

Practical Information

Director: Francis Ford Coppola

Production or Distribution Company: Paramount Pictures

Running time: 3h 22m

Ratings: IMDb 9/10

7. On the Waterfront(1954)

Terry Mallory is the errand person for the gang lord Johnny Friendly. Mallory is loyal to his boss until he encounters a lady whose brother was murdered by Johnny. Driven to seek justice, he plots how to avenge the act of murder.

Practical Information

Director: Elia Kazan

Production or Distribution Company: Columbia Pictures

Running time: 1h 48m

Ratings: IMDb 8.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 99%

Trailer: On the Waterfront 1954

8. Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977)

https://youtu.be/qCmPI5AbgTs

It is a political-themed Sci-fi movie and the first of the Star Wars collection. It’s also the fourth chapter in chronological order of the Star Wars franchise trilogies Skywalker Saga.

This movie is based on a fictional universe that dates long ago. In this universe, there is a tyrannical Galactic Empire that rules the galaxy. The epicenter of the movie is the Rebel Alliance which is a group of freedom fighters. They seek to destroy a new weapon called the Death Star which is invented by the ruling Empire.

In the end, the protagonist Luke Skywalker finds himself in a conflict while acquiring a metaphysical power referred to as “the Force”. He is taught this skill by Obi-Wan Kenobi who is a master of the Jedi Order.

Practical Information

Director: George Lucas

Production or Distribution Company: 20th Century-Fox

Running time: 2h 1m

Ratings: IMDb 8.6/10

9. Aliens (1986)

The action film has a political theme related to military investigations. It’s a sequel to the 1979 title, Alien. It has a futuristic setting starring American actress Sigourney Weaver who plays Ellen Ripley in the movie. Ripley is the only survivor of an alien attack on a ship she was aboard.

Following the invasion, the ship loses contact with the human colony on the moon. The ship’s crew including Ripley had spotted the aliens on the moon before communication is cut off. Thus she accepts to go back to the site of the incident with Colonial Marines to carry out investigations.

Practical Information

Director: James Cameron

Production or Distribution Company: 20th Century-Fox

Running time: 2h 17m

Ratings: IMDb 8.4/10

Trailer: Aliens 1986

10. A Clockwork Orange (1972)

This movie adapted the novel of the same title penned by British author Anthony Burgess and published in 1962. The movie addresses the expected social, political, and economic issues of Britain in a futuristic period.

On top of that, English actor Malcolm McDowell is the star of the movie playing the role of Alex. He is a young charismatic and antisocial individual with a knack for classical music. Alex is also involved in criminal offenses such as rape and theft.

The movie delves into the criminal activities of Alex and his gang. He is the leader of the group and it consists of three of his buddies (Pete, Georgie, and Dim). Other than the criminal accounts of the group, the film also shows the capture of Don Alex as well as his attempted rehabilitation.

Practical Information

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Production or Distribution Company: Warner Bros.

Running time: 1h 36m

Ratings: IMDb 8.3/10

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11. Strangelove (1964)

This political satire is indirectly based on the 1958 novel Red Alert. The movie offers a satirical view of the Cold War fears that existed between the Soviet Union and the United States relating to nuclear war conflicts.

Practical Information

Director: Stanley Kubrick

Production/Distribution Company: Columbia Pictures

Running time: 1h 35m

Ratings: IMDb 8.4/10

Trailer: Strangelove 1964

12. Dune (2021)

The Sci-fi/Adventure has a war political theme. It is the adaptation of the 1965 novel of the same name by American writer Frank Herbert. The movie gives the narrative of a young Paul Atreides whose destiny is beyond his imagination.

Atreides finds himself on the fictional desert planet, Arrakis. This was after his father accepted to become the steward of the deadly planet. Conflicts arise as different forces strive to control a precious resource in the area. So Atreides is forced to fight to defend his family and his community.

Practical Information

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Production or Distribution Company: Warner Bros. Pictures

Running time: 2h 35m

Ratings: IMDb 8/10

Trailer: Dune 2021 

War political movies

13. Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol (2011)

This action film is the follow-up of Mission: Impossible III (2006) meaning it’s the fourth of the collection. American actor Tom Cruise is the main character and he plays the role of Ethan Hunt.

Hunt and his team, Impossible Missions Force (IMF) are accused of bombing the Kremlin in Moscow. So the IMF is shut and they are forced to search for the culprits of the attacks to restore the credibility of their organization.

Practical Information

Director: Brad Bird

Production/Distribution Company: Paramount Pictures

Running time: 2h 13m

Ratings: IMDb 7.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes 93%

14. Zero Dark Thirty 2012

This thriller is about the dramatic events of the international manhunt for the Al-Qaeda terrorist group leader, Osama bin Laden. The decade-or-so-long journey ends in Osama’s Pakistan home where the military raided and killed him in May 2011.

Practical Information

Director: Kathryn Bigelow

Production/Distribution Company: Sony Pictures Entertainment

Running time: 2h 37m

Ratings: IMDb 7.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes 91%

Trailer: Zero Dark Thirty 2012

15. The Death of Stalin (2017)

A political satire that paints the picture of the internal social and political power struggles that arose in 1953. This was after the death of Soviet politician Joseph Stalin. The Soviet Council of Ministers was all in a fight to secure Stalin’s position. The plot is lifted from La Mort de Staline (2010–2012), which was a French graphic novel.

Practical Information

Director: Armando Iannucci

Production/Distribution Company: Entertainment One Films

Running time: 1h 46m

Ratings: IMDb 7.2/10, Rotten Tomatoes 92%

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16. The Silence of Others (2018)

It is a political documentary that showcases the silenced fight of the Spanish victims from 1939 up to 1978 under the rulership of Francisco Franco. It was after Franco’s death that Spain became a democratic country. This film has won several accolades such as a Goya Award, a Platino Award, and two Emmy Awards.

Practical Information

Director: Almudena Carracedo, Robert Bahar

Production or Distribution Company: El Deseo

Running time: 1h 36m

Ratings: IMDb 8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 100%

Trailer: The Silence of Others 2018

17. Rang De Basanti (2006)- Color me Saffron

The story of a British film student who travels to India. She aims to document a story about freedom fighters. She chooses five young men for her cast, sparking a patriotic desire in them to fight against corruption in their country.

Practical Information

Director: Rakeysh Omprakash Mehra

Production/Distribution Company: UTV Motion Pictures

Running time: 2h 37m

Ratings: IMDb 8.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 88%

Trailer: Rang De Basanti 2006 

Other notable War political movies are The Dark Knight (2008), Aliens (1986), and Star Wars: Episode IV – A New Hope (1977) all discussed earlier.

Military political movies

18. Das Boot (1981)-The Boat

The political-themed movie is an adaptation of the 1973 novel by German author Lothar-Günther Buchheim. The movie recounts first-hand experiences of World War II aboard the German Navy submarine U-96.

Over and above that, the movie opens the eyes of the audience to the facts of a marine patrol via the U-96. It reveals the excitement of the crew and the tedious efforts during the Battle of the Atlantic. It also proves the patriotism of the U-boats crew as they are committed to serving their country and colleagues.

Practical Information

Director: Wolfgang Petersen

Production/Distribution Company: Bavaria Film

Running time: 2h 29m

Ratings: IMDb 8.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes 98%

19. Incendies (2011)

Nawal is the protagonist in the film and Belgian actress Lubna Azabal stars in this role. Being of Middle Eastern origin, Nawal leaves two different letters to her twin children after her death. One of the children is Jeanne and she is to give the letter left to her to their father, unknown to them.

Additionally, Simon is to give his letter to their brother who is also unknown to them. Hence they set out for the Middle East in separate ways to fulfill their mother’s wishes. They discover who they are and get to know their family’s history amidst a fierce civil war.

Practical Information

Director: Denis Villeneuve

Production or Distribution Company: Entertainment One

Running time: 2h 10m

Ratings: IMDb 8.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 91%

20. RED (2010)

Bruce Willis who stars in the role of Frank Moses leverages his skills as a former black-ops agent. He catches wind that his life is threatened by an assassin who has vowed to kill him. So he teams up with his old team to capture his foe.

Practical Information

Director: Robert Schwentke

Production or Distribution Company: Warner Bros.

Running time: 1h 51m

Ratings: IMDb 7/10, Rotten Tomatoes 72%

Trailer: Red 2010 

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21. Rush Hour (1998)

A Chinese diplomat’s daughter is missing as a result of a kidnapping incident. So actor Jackie Chan who plays a Hong Kong detective called Lee is teamed with an L.A.P.D. detective of a reckless and loudmouth character.

Furthermore, this L.A.P.D. detective is called Carter and American comedian Chris Tucker is tasked with the role. Since the duo’s work styles vary as well as their cultural differences, their mission becomes challenging.

Practical Information

Director: Brett Ratner

Production/Distribution Company: Warner Bros.

Running time: 1h 38m

Ratings: IMDb 7/10

22. Team America: World Police (2004)

The North Korean ruler Kim Jong-il has conspired a global terrorism plot. Thus Team America is focused on a rescue scheme. Little known to the team, it’s not only Kim Jong-il they are up against, but there is also a group of Hollywood liberals they have to contend with. This group of Film Actors Guild (F.A.G) is unhappy with the way Team America is making the rules for the world.

Practical Information

Director: Trey Parker

Production/Distribution Company: Paramount Pictures

Running time: 1h 45m

Ratings: IMDb 7.2/10

Trailer: Team America: World Police 2004

Political Drama movies

23. The Batman (2022)

The English actor Robert Pattinson stars in this movie as Batman or Bruce Wayne. Batman is credited for fighting crime in Gotham City for a few years following the death of the city’s mayor. His investigations lead him to unveil corruption dealings in Gotham. He is also in pursuit of a serial killer by the name of Riddler, who has terrorized the corrupt elite of the city.

Practical Information

Director: Matt Reeves

Production or Distribution Company: Warner Bros. Pictures

Running time: 2h 56m

Ratings: IMDb 7.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 85%

24. The Hunger Games: Catching Fire (2013)

A storyline borrowed from the 2009 novel by American author Suzanne Collins titled Catching Fire. It is also a sequel to The Hunger Games (2012) movie.

American actress Jennifer Lawrence plays the role of Katniss Everdeen in the film. American actor Josh Hutcherson is Peeta Mellark. So Katniss and Peeta are triumphant in the Games which ignites rebellion among the Panem citizens. Thus the duo becomes the target of the Capitol that strives to stamp out the uprisings.

Practical Information

Director: Francis Lawrence

Production or Distribution Company: Lionsgate

Running time: 2h 26m

Ratings: IMDb 7.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes 90%

25. The Last Samurai (2003)

Actor Ken Watanabe stars alongside Tom Cruise. Nathan Algren who is portrayed by Cruise is an American captain given the duty to train Japanese military troops to fight a Samurai revolution.

Practical Information

Director: Edward Zwick

Production or Distribution Company: Warner Bros. Pictures

Running time: 2h 34m

Ratings: IMDb 7.8/10

Trailer: The Last Samurai 2003

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26. The Boy in the Striped Pajamas (2008)

Adapted from the 2006 work of the Irish novelist John Boyne is an eight-year-old Bruno. The era is during World War II in the Nazi-occupied Poland region. Bruno who is a son of a commandant at a concentration camp, befriends a boy of his age who he meets across the fence. Bruno’s friend is the son of one of the Holocaust prisoners.

Practical Information

Director: Mark Herman

Production or Distribution Company: Miramax Films, Walt Disney Studios

Running time: 1h 34m

Ratings: IMDb 7.7/10

27. Dangal (2016)- Wrestling Competition

This Hindi-language movie is an exposure to the fight against social stigmas. The Indian actor Aamir Khan stars as Mahavir Singh Phogat who is a former professional wrestler in the movie. So he defies societal norms and barriers by training his daughters to contest in the Commonwealth Games. He aims to win his country a gold medal.

Practical Information

Director: Nitesh Tiwari

Production or Distribution Company: UTV Motion Pictures, Walt Disney Studios

Running time: 2h 41m

Ratings: IMDb 8.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 88%

Trailer: Dangal 2016 

Action/Adventure Political Movies

28. Braveheart (1995)

Scottish knight Sir William Wallace portrayed by American actor Mel Gibson leads his community to a rebellion against King Edward I of England. Edward had killed his bride a few days after their marriage.

Practical Information

Director: Mel Gibson

Production or Distribution Company: Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox

Running time: 2h 58m

Ratings: IMDb 8.4/10

29. RoboCop (1987)

A police officer Alex Murphy in the film is the lead role portrayed by American actor Peter Weller. The dystopic crime-ridden Detroit is where Murphy is killed by a criminal gang. He is revived into a cyborg enforcer of the law under the name of RoboCop. As a cyborg, he loses memory of his previous life yet battles with his humanity fragments. But his mission is a severe fight against crime.

Practical Information

Director: Paul Verhoeven

Production or Distribution Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Orion Pictures

Running time: 1h 42m

Ratings: IMDb 7.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes 91%

Trailer: RoboCop 1987

30. Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (2014)

It follows the Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011). Caesar who is a chimpanzee that leads his territory of evolved ape community permits humans into their space. A pandemic arises and the humans struggle to survive which causes tensions between the apes and the humans. It results in a war in the empire as Caesar tries to control his territory.

Practical Information

Director: Matt Reeves

Production or Distribution Company: 20th Century Studios

Running time: 2h 11m

Ratings: IMDb 7.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes 91%

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31. WarGames (1983)

American actor Matthew Broderick plays the role of David Lightman who is a high school student. While on a search for video games, he accesses a US military supercomputer. Unaware, he hacks and activates a nuclear war programmed against the Soviet Union. In a panic, he is helped by his girlfriend Ally Sheedy to report the occurrences to the authorities before a war breaks out between the two nations.

Practical Information

Director: John Badham

Production or Distribution Company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer

Running time: 1h 54m

Ratings: IMDb 7.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 93%

Trailer: WarGames 1983

32. Dr. No (1962)

With a plot based on the 1958 novel Dr. No by British writer Ian Fleming, the movie kickstarts the James Bond series. Thus James Bond in the movie is a British agent who is sent to Jamaica to conduct a probe into the disappearance of a colleague. His investigations lead him to the scientist Dr. Julius No who is scheming a way to disrupt an American space expedition.

Practical Information

Director: Terence Young

Production or Distribution Company: United Artists

Running time: 1h 50m

Ratings: IMDb 7.2/10, Rotten Tomatoes 95%

Adaptations political movies

33. Children of Men (2006)

Based on the 1992 novel of the same name the work of English author P. D. James. In a 2027 universe, there is human infertility for almost two decades. Then a refugee woman known as Kee is miraculously pregnant. So the government official Theo provides her with an escape plan to flee the chaotic scene.

Practical Information

Director: Alfonso Cuarón

Production or Distribution Company: Universal Pictures

Running time: 1h 49m

Ratings: IMDb 7.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 92%

Trailer: Children of Men 2006 

34. District 9 (2009)

The 2006 short film Alive in Joburg is the motivation for this movie. Its main theme is social segregation. The scene is in 1982 when an alien spaceship is spotted on the South African air space. Upon investigation, it’s discovered that the ship is ferrying aliens in devastating health conditions. So the government confines them in camps for twenty years.

Afterward, the government decides to transfer them to another camp. One of the aliens, Christopher Johnson attempts an escape with his family to exit Earth to their home. It angers the bureaucrat in charge of the relocation exercise and he is at odds with Johnson.

Practical Information

Director: Neill Blomkamp

Production or Distribution Company: Sony Pictures

Running time: 1h 52m

Ratings: IMDb 7.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 90%

35. Lincoln (2012)

It’s a loose adaptation of the 2005 biography Team of Rivals by American biographer Doris Kearns Goodwin. It is a detailed cover of Lincoln’s final month’s achievements as president. With attention to his commitment to abolishing slavery and championing unity in the country post the Civil War.

Practical Information

Director: Steven Spielberg

Production or Distribution Company: 20th Century Studios, DreamWorks Pictures

Running time: 2h 30m

Ratings: IMDb 7.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 89%

Trailer: Lincoln 2012

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36. Inherit the Wind (1960)

Its concept is borrowed from the 1955 play of the same name done by American playwrights, Jerome Lawrence and Robert Lee. A 1920’s setting sees a Tennessee schoolteacher on trial for teaching evolution rather than creationism (the Butler Act). The case draws national attention and the country’s top legal minds go head-on.

Practical Information

Director: Stanley Kramer

Production or Distribution Company: United Artists

Running time: 2h 8m

Ratings: IMDb 8.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 93%

37. Being There(1979)

Centered on the 1970 masterpiece of Polish-American novelist Jerzy Kosiński. The novel goes by the same name as the film. The protagonist Chance who is a gardener finds himself on the streets following the death of his employer. Yet he rises to become an advisor to an influential tycoon. Better still he becomes an insider in the Washington political circles.

Practical Information

Director: Hal Ashby

Production or Distribution Company: Warner Bros., United Artists

Running time: 2h 10m

Ratings: IMDb 8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 95%

Trailer: Being There 1979

History political movies

38. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)

This legal drama offers the image of the countercultural uprisings that arose in Chicago during the 1968 Democratic National Convention. The movie delves into the trial of the group of seven who were charged with conspiracy.

Practical Information

Director: Aaron Sorkin

Production or Distribution Company: Netflix

Running time: 2h 9m

Ratings: IMDb 7.7/10, Rotten Tomatoes 89%

39. Selma (2014)

An account of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery march. The march was led by Martin Luther King Jr. who is portrayed by British actor David Oyelowo. This event birthed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which was signed by President Lyndon.

Practical Information

Director: Ava DuVernay

Production or Distribution Company: Paramount Pictures, 20th Century Fox

Running time: 2h 8m

Ratings: IMDb 7.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes 99%

40. The Lion in Winter (1968)

An insight into the family of England’s Henry II and his struggle over who to choose as heir. The setting is during the Christmas festivities of 1183.

Practical Information

Director: Anthony Harvey

Production or Distribution Company: Embassy Pictures

Running time: 2h 14m

Ratings: IMDb 7.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 91%

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41. The Battle of Algiers (1966)

A revelation of the Algerian War events that took place from 1954 up to 1962. The climax was the Battle of Algiers which happened in Algeria’s capital culminating in the fall of the French colony in the country. Thus Algeria received independence.

Practical Information

Director: Gillo Pontecorvo

Production or Distribution Company: Shochiku

Running time: 2h 1m

Ratings: IMDb 8.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 99%

Trailer: The Battle of Algiers 1966 

42. JFK(1991)

District attorney Jim Garrison pieces the puzzle of the occurrences of the assassination of United States President John Kennedy. He is opposed by many quarters of the government. But his investigations led to a conspiracy that the assassination was a collaboration of Lee Oswald and a network of other unknown figures.

Practical Information

Director: Oliver Stone

Production or Distribution Company:    Warner Bros.

Running time: 3h 26m

Ratings: IMDb 8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 84%

Crime Political movies

43. Gone Baby Gone (2007)

This crime thriller is an adaptation of the 1998 work of American writer Dennis Lehane a novel of the same name. Amanda who is four years old is abducted from their apartment in Dorchester, Boston. Her mother hires private detectives to look into the matter. The detectives are forced to deal with pedophiles, gangs, drug dealers, and other forms of criminal activities while still on their search mission.

Practical Information

Director: Ben Affleck

Production or Distribution Company: Miramax Films

Running time: 1h 54m

Ratings: IMDb 7.6/10, Rotten Tomatoes 95%

44. Mississippi Burning (1988)

The FBI is on a mission to investigate a case of three civil rights workers’ disappearance. The locals are against the operation. Hence detectives are left with the option of using unconventional ways to perform their operation.

Practical Information

Director: Alan Parker

Production or Distribution Company: Orion Pictures

Running time: 2h 8m

Ratings: IMDb 7.8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 85%

Trailer: Mississippi Burning1988 

45. Batman Returns (1992)

A follow-up to Batman (1989). Batman in this scenario clashes with the deformed crime boss, the Penguin. This crime Don is only after amassing power and influence at the expense of Gotham City.

Practical Information

Director: Tim Burton

Production or Distribution Company: Warner Bros.

Running time: 2h 6m

Ratings: IMDb 7.1/10, Rotten Tomatoes 81%

Trailer: Batman Returns 1992

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Mystery political movies

46. All the President’s Men (1976)

The resignation of President Richard Nixon’s narrative following the Watergate political scandal. The movie is adapted from a 1974 book by investigative journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward.

Practical Information

Director: Alan J. Pakula

Production or Distribution Company: Warner Bros.

Running time: 2h 18m

Ratings: IMDb 7.9/10, Rotten Tomatoes 94%

47. Citizen Kane (1941)

This mystery political movie shows the utterance of a dying tycoon who speaks out a strange word before his demise. A curious journalist goes further to uncover the meaning of the mysterious word.

Practical Information

Director: Orson Welles

Production or Distribution Company: RKO Radio Pictures, Warner Bros.

Running time: 1h 59m

Ratings: IMDb 8.3/10, Rotten Tomatoes 99%

Other Notable Political Movies

48. Fail Safe (1964)

A 1964 political Cold War thriller movie that was inspired by the 1962 novel of the same name. The work of two American authors Eugene Burdick and Harvey Wheeler. A crisis is caused by a wrong signal sent to a group of U.S. bombers giving them an order to fire at Russia. The dilemma is on the US military as they try to avert the false alarm and stop the bombers from releasing a nuclear strike.

Practical Information

Director: Sidney Lumet

Production or Distribution Company: Columbia Pictures

Running time: 1h 52m

Ratings: IMDb 8/10, Rotten Tomatoes 93%

Trailer: Fail Safe 1964

49. Good Night, and Good Luck (2005)

This historical political drama shows the ins and outs that surrounded US Senator’s Joseph McCarthy push to root out Communists in the country. Legend journalist Edward R. Murrow who plays the role of Strathairn leads a quest for truth in McCarthy’s investigations team (Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations).

Practical Information

Director: George Clooney

Production or Distribution Company: Warner Bros. Pictures

Running time: 1h 33m

Ratings: IMDb 7.4/10, Rotten Tomatoes 93%

50. Milk (2008 film)

The movie is the narrative of US politician Harvey Milk who is also renowned as a gay rights activist. This politician was the first California public official to be elected to office as an openly gay individual.

Practical Information

Director: Gus Van Sant

Production or Distribution Company: Focus Features, Universal Pictures

Running time: 2h 8m

Ratings: IMDb 7.5/10, Rotten Tomatoes 93%

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Other Political movies worth noting are Seven Days in May (1964), Meet John Doe(1941), Malcolm X(1992), and The Manchurian Candidate (1962). Also, The Hunt for Red October (1990), No Way Out (1987), The Queen (2006), Wag the Dog (1997), Frost/Nixon (2008), and many more.

These political movies paint the picture of the state of the world in political matters. With an emphasis on various factors that affect the political space, these films offer a platform to inform, broaden understanding as well as entertain on the subject of politics.