| Title | Release date | Time period | Notes on setting |
| The Pharaohs' Woman | 1960 | 3100 BC | A beautiful girl and a young physician fall in love in the midst of a family, and power struggle between rival princes of Upper and Lower Egypt. |
| La Donna dei Faraoni | 1961 | 3100 BC | Set shortly after the unification of Upper Egypt and Lower Egypt by the First Dynasty of Egypt. |
| Land of the Pharaohs | 1956 | 2589–2566 BC | Based on the reign of Pharaoh Khufu, a member of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt. |
| Il Sepolcro dei re | 1960 | 2589–2566 BC | Based on the reign of Pharaoh Khufu, a member of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt. |
| Sudan | 1945 | 2558–2532 BC | Set during the reign of the pharaoh Khafra, a member of the Fourth Dynasty of Egypt. |
| Sodom and Gomorrah | 1962 | 2100 BC | An epic film which is loosely based on the tale of the cities Sodom and Gomorrah in the Book of Genesis. |
| Abraham | 1994 | 2100–2000 BC | A television film based on the life of the patriarch Abraham. |
| The Bible | 2013 | 2100 BC – 67 AD | Television miniseries based on the Bible, starting with Abraham. |
| Mohenjo Daro | 2016 | 2016 BC | Filmset in 2016 BC, in the ancient city of Mohenjo-daro. The historical city was one of the largest settlements of the Indus Valley Civilisation, and one of the world's earliest major cities. |
| Jacob | 1994 | 2000 BC | A German/Italian/American television film based on the novel Giacobbe by Francesco Maria Nappi. The novel is in turn based on the depiction of the patriarch Jacob in the Book of Genesis. |
| Slave of Dreams | 1995 | 1901–1850 BC | Set in Ancient Egypt and based on the story of Joseph, a Vizier depicted in the Book of Genesis. The era of the film's setting corresponds to the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. |
| Joseph | 1995 | 1901–1850 BC | Set in Ancient Egypt and based on the story of Joseph, a Vizier depicted in the Book of Genesis. The era of the film's setting corresponds to the Twelfth Dynasty of Egypt. |
| The Red Tent | 2014 | 1700–1750 BC | Set in The Holy Land during the time of the Old Testament patriarchs of the Book of Genesis. Dinah, the only daughter of Leah and Jacob, chronicles her story from youth through adulthood. |
| Atlantis: End of a World, Birth of a Legend | 2011 | 1600 BC | Docudrama which depicts a re-enactment of the events surrounding the Minoan eruption, a major catastrophic volcanic eruption in the island of Thera. The historical eruption devastated the island, and communities and agricultural areas on nearby islands and Crete. The event is thought to be connected to a decline and eventual downfall for the Minoan civilization, an incident believed to have inspired the legend of Atlantis. |
| Nefertiti, Regina del Nilo | 1961 | 1370–1330 BC | Set in Ancient Egypt; loosely based on the life of Nefertiti, Great Royal Wife of the Pharaoh Akhenaten. Nefertiti and her husband were members of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt, and were ruling figures of the Amarna Period. |
| The Egyptian | 1954 | 1350 BC | Based on the novel The Egyptian by Mika Waltari, who adapted the Story of Sinuhe. The film mentions the pharaoh Akhenaten, the Hittite Empire, and iron technology. |
| Tut | 2015 | 1332–1323 BC | The three-part miniseries is based on the life of Egyptian pharaoh Tutankhamun, a member of the Eighteenth Dynasty of Egypt. |
| The Ten Commandments | 1956 | 1290–1213 BC | Set in Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Ramesses II, a member of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. The film is based on the founding narrative of the Exodus, as depicted in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. |
| ' | 2014 | 1290–1213 BC | Set in Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Ramesses II, a member of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. The film is based on the founding narrative of the Exodus, as depicted in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. |
| The Prince of Egypt | 1998 | 1290–1213 BC | Set in Ancient Egypt, during the reign of Ramesses II, a member of the Nineteenth Dynasty of Egypt. The film is based on the founding narrative of the Exodus, as depicted in the books of Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. |
| Helen of Troy | 1956 | 1250 BC | Set in western Anatolia during the Trojan War, largery based on the epic poems Iliad and Odyssey by Homer. |
| Helen of Troy | 2003 | 1250 BC | TV miniseries set in western Anatolia during the Trojan War, loosely based on the epic poem Iliad by Homer. |
| Troy | 2004 | 1250 BC | Set in western Anatolia during the Trojan War, loosely based on the epic poem Iliad by Homer. |
| ' | 2018 | 1250 BC | Miniseries that tells the story of the 10-year siege of Troy. |
| Immortals | 2011 | 1228 BC | Loosely based on the Greek myth of Theseus and the Minotaur and the Titanomachy. |
| Iphigenia | 1977 | 1200 BC | Set in the port town of Aulis, Greece immediately before the Greek expeditionary force set sails to attack Troy. Due to unfavorable weather conditions, king Agamemnon of Mycenae offers his daughter Iphigenia as a human sacrifice to the goddess Artemis. The film is based on the theatrical play Iphigenia in Aulis by Euripides. |
| The Fury of Achilles | 1962 | 1200 BC | Set in western Anatolia in the 9th year of the Trojan War, based on the epic poem Iliad by Homer. King Agamemnon of Mycenae has lost his slave concubine Chryseis, and demands Briseis as a replacement concubine. Briseis is the slave concubine of Achilles, the leader of the Myrmidons, and Achilles feels insulted due to having to give her up to his superior. In retaliation, Achilles refuses to fight or lead his troops alongside the other Greek forces. The Trojans temporarily start gaining an advantage in the ongoing war. |
| The Trojan Horse | 1961 | 1200 BC | Set in western Anatolia in the 10th and final year of the Trojan War. |
| The Trojan Women | 1971 | 1200 BC | Set in the immediate aftermath of the Trojan War, based on the theatrical play The Trojan Women by Euripides. The city of Troy has been sacked and the victors of the war are taking decisions on the fates of surviving captives. The film focuses on the fates of female captives Hecuba, Andromache, Cassandra, and Helen of Sparta. Meanwhile, Astyanax, the underage heir to the Trojan throne and relative of all four women, is scheduled for execution. |
| The Avenger | 1962 | early 12th century BC | Aeneas struggles to establish a new home-land in the Italian Peninsula for his fellow survivors of the Trojan War. The film is based on the epic poem Aeneid by Virgil, which depicts Aeneas and his Trojan colonists as ancestor of the Romans. |
| Electra | 1962 | early 12th century BC | Set in the aftermath of the Trojan War in Mycenae, based on the theatrical play Electra by Euripides and the traditional accounts of conflicts within the family of the Atreidai. Agamemnon, King of Mycenae returned victorious from the Trojan War, but was assassinated by his own wife Clytemnestra and by his first cousin Aegisthus. Years, later Electra seeks revenge for her father's murder, by plotting the assassinations of both her mother and her stepfather. |
| Ulysses | 1954 | early 12th century BC | Set in the aftermath of the Trojan War, based on the epic poem Odyssey by Homer. It depicts the ten-year struggle of war veteran Odysseus to return home to the island of Ithaca following the war. |
| The Odyssey | 1997 | early 12th century BC | Set in the aftermath of the Trojan War, based on the epic poem Odyssey by Homer. It depicts the ten-year struggle of war veteran Odysseus to return home to the island of Ithaca following the war. |
| Samson and Delilah | 1949 | 1118–1078 BC | A romantic biblical drama film which depicts the story of Samson, a strongman whose secret lies in his uncut hair, and his love for Delilah, the woman who seduces him. Samson and Delilah are characters in the Book of Judges, where Samson is depicted as the last of the Biblical judges in its narrative, and Delilah as a woman of Nahal Sorek who was bribed by the lords of the Philistines to learn his secrets. |
| Pharaoh | 1966 | 1069 BC | Set in Ancient Egypt during the reign of a fictitious king "Ramses XIII". The film is based on the novel Pharaoh by Bolesław Prus, and depicts the final years of the historical Twentieth Dynasty of Egypt. Ramses XIII rises to the throne when still in his 20s, following the deaths of his father, and the incapacitating illnesses and of a number of older brothers. Egypt is in decline due to a combination of internal and external threats, and Ramses is pushing for necessary reforms but his efforts are resisted by the powerful, bureaucratic priesthood. Ramses dies young, before accomplishing his goals. His political rival "Herhor" succeeds him on the throne and attempts some of the same reforms, but still fails to rescue Egypt from its decline. |
| King David | 1985 | 1040–970 BC | Set in the Southern Levant, it depicts the life and reign of David, Kings of Israel. Based on the Books of Samuel. David is the supposed founder of the House of David. |
| A Story of David | 1960 | 1040–970 BC | Set in the Southern Levant, it depicts the complex relationship between Saul, Kings of Israel and his son-in-law and eventual successor David. Based on the Books of Samuel, where Saul is depicted as the founder of the Kingdom of Israel. |
| David and Goliath | 1960 | 1040–970 BC | Set in the Southern Levant, focused on the conflict between rival kings Saul and Asrod, and their representatives in champion warfare: David and Goliath of Gath. Based on the Books of Samuel, which depict Achish as a king of Gath who was in conflict with Saul and recruited David to serve in his army. |
| David and Bathsheba | 1951 | 1040–970 BC | Set in the Southern Levant, during the reign of David, Kings of Israel. David is married to Michal, daughter of his predecessor Saul. David has an extramarital affair with Bathsheba, wife of the soldier Uriah the Hittite. Uriah is one of David's Mighty Warriors, but David arranges for Uriah to be killed in battle and then claims Bathsheba as his new wife. Based on the Books of Samuel. |
| Solomon and Sheba | 1959 | 1011–931 BC | Set in the Southern Levant, during the reign of Solomon, Kings of Israel. Solomon forms a political alliance with the Queen of Sheba, becomes a lover of his new ally, and introduces pagan rituals in his kingdom. His exiled half-brother Adonijah offers his military services to Ancient Egypt and leads an Egyptian army in an invasion of Kingdom of Israel. The events of the film are loosely based on narratives from the Books of Kings and the Books of Chronicles. The Books of Kings depict Adonijah and Solomon as sons of David and rival claimants to the throne of Israel, but do not feature Adonijah as loyal to Egypt. Instead, Solomon himself is traditionally depicted as an ally of Egypt and as husband of a Pharaoh's daughter. |
| Sins of Jezebel | 1953 | 874–853 BC | Set in the Southern Levant, during the reign of Ahab, Kings of Israel. The film depicts the reign of the Omrides, based on Books of Kings and the Books of Chronicles. Jezebel, Ahab's queen comsort, is depicted as having an extramarital affair with the military commander Jehu. This contradicts the traditional narrative, where Jezebel never has extramarital affairs and where she is assassinated by Jehu during the coup d'état which elevated him to the throne. |
| I Am Semiramis | 1962 | 810 BC | Set in the Neo-Assyrian Empire, during the reign of semi-legendary queen Semiramis. The legends are in part based on the historical Shammuramat, queen consort of Shamshi-Adad V and regent for her son Adad-nirari III. |
| King Lear | 1905– | 800 BC | Celtic Britain |
| Romolo e Remo | 1961 | 753 BC | Based on the story of Romulus and Remus, and the founding of the city of Rome and the Roman Kingdom. |
| ' | 2019 | 753 BC | Set in the 8th century BC, it is about the shepherd brothers Romulus and Remus and the founding of Rome. |
| Romulus and the Sabines | 1961 | 750 BC | Based on the Rape of the Sabine Women, an origin myth for the Roman Kingdom. Shortly after the founding of the kingdom and the start of the reign of Romulus, Rome still lacks a female population and its residents can not reproduce. Romulus organizes bride kidnappings from neighboring people, primarily targeting the Sabines. This leads to a war between the Roman and Sabines, and the eventual assimilation of the Sabines by the Romans. |
| Duel of Champions | 1961 | 650 BC | Based on the Roman legend of the Horatii, set in the reign of Tullus Hostilius. The Roman Kingdom is at war with the city of Alba Longa and the outcome will by decided by champion warfare. Rome sends three brothers from gens Horatia and Alba Longa sends three brothers from gens Curiatia. Publius Horatius emerges as the sole survivor of the combat, and Alba Longa is annexed by the Roman Kingdom. |
| War Gods of Babylon | 1962 | 627 BC | Set in the Neo-Assyrian Empire; focusing largely on Sardanapalus and Hammurabi. |
| Queen of Babylon | 1954 | 600 BC | Set in the Neo-Babylonian Empire, depicts Semiramis as a Babylonian queen. |
| Gautama Buddha | 2007 | 563–483 BC | Depicting the life of the Gautama Buddha. Siddhārtha Gautama is a member of the Ikshvaku dynasty, and seeks a solution to human misery and a path for salvation. He redefines the concept of the Dharma. |
| The Beast of Babylon Against the Son of Hercules | 1963 | 539 BC | A fictionalized account of the downfall of the Neo-Babylonian Empire and its conquest by the Achaemenid Empire under the Cyrus the Great. The cruel Balthazar has usurped the Babylonian throne and rules through state terrorism. He systematically offers young women as human sacrifice to his gods. Nippur, a descendant of former king Sargon II, fails to stop the usurper on his own. His life is saved by Zairus and he agrees to help the Persian king in his campaign to conquer Babylon. The historical Belshazzar was a son of king Nabonidus and served as a regent in his father's absence, but never became a king in his own right. During Cyrus' conquest, Nabonidus was captured and his life apparently spared, but Belshazzar may have died during the fall of the city. |
| Hero of Rome | 1964 | 509 BC | The story combines the Roman legends of Gaius Mucius Scaevola and the expulsion of king Lucius Tarquinius Superbus. In the film, Lucius Tarquinius Superbus has already been deposed, and the Roman Kingdom has been replaced by a Roman Republic. Lars Porsena, King of Clusium wages war against the Republic in an attempt to restore his ally Tarquinius to the throne. The Roman Senate offers the military leadership to Gaius Mucius Scaevola, a recently released prisoner of war whose right hand is permanently disabled. Scaevola trains himself to fight with his left hand, and leads his troops to victory against Lars Porsena. |
| ' | 1964 | 493 BC | The Roman legend of Gaius Marcius Coriolanus. Coriolanus is a Roman general who distinguishes himself in a war between the Roman Republic and the Volsci. When the aristocratic Coriolanus proposes political reforms which will severely reduce the rights of the plebs, most of the Romans turn against him and he is exiled. The vengeful Coriolanus offers his military services to the Volsci, and leads an invasion army against Rome. Coriolanus refuses requests for a peaceful resolution by his former countrymen, but changes his mind when the Romans send his own mother and his wife as their representatives. |
| Title | Release date | Time period | Notes on setting |
| La battaglia di Maratona | 1959 | 490 BC | Greece: Battle of Marathon |
| Ester e il re | 1960 | 486–482 BC | the biblical story of Esther |
| One Night with the King | 2006 | 486–482 BC | the biblical story of Esther set in the Achaemenid Empire |
| The 300 Spartans | 1961 | 480 BC | Greece: Battle of Thermopylae |
| 300 | 2007 | 480 BC | Greece: Battle of Thermopylae |
| ' | 2014 | 480 BC | Greece: Battle of Salamis |
| Il tiranno di Siracusa | 1961 | 400 BC | Syracuse, Sicily |
| Brenno il nemico di Roma | 1963 | 387 BC | the Gallic sack of Rome |
| Hercules | 2014 | 358 BC | An American action fantasy adventure film based on the graphic novel ', which presents a realistic and more human version of Hercules. |
| Alexander the Great | 1956 | 356–323 BC | Ancient kingdom of Macedonia and Persia |
| Alexander | 2004 | 356–323 BC | Ancient kingdom of Macedonia and Persia |
| The Cleopatras | 1983 | 305–30 BC | Egypt – The entire Ptolemaic dynasty |
| Asoka | 2001 | 304–232 BC | Ancient India, during early years of the rule of Maurya emperor Asoka |
| Il Colosso di Rodi | 1961 | 280 BC | |
| Revak the Rebel | 1960 | 218 BC | Iberian Peninsula immediately before the Second Punic War |
| Cabiria | 1914 | 218–202 BC | during the Second Punic War |
| Hannibal | 1959 | 218–202 BC | during the Second Punic War |
| Hannibal – Rome's Worst Nightmare | 2006 | 218–202 BC | during the Second Punic War |
| Barbarians Rising | 2016 | 218 BC –455 AD | From the Second Punic War to the Sack of Rome. History channel Docu-drama. |
| Siege of Syracuse | 1960 | 214–212 BC | the Roman Siege of Syracuse during the Second Punic War |
| ' | 1937 | 202 BC | Battle of Zama which ended the Second Punic War |
| The Centurion | 1961 | 146 BC | Battle of Corinth between Rome and the Achaean League |
| ' | 2006 | 146 BC – 410 AD | From Tiberius Gracchus to the Sack of Rome. BBC Docu-drama. |
| ' | 2008 | 113 BC - 476 AD | From the cimbrian war to the last Western Roman emperor. History channel Docu-drama. |
| Julius Caesar | 2002 | 100–44 BC | a bio-pic of Julius Caesar, not the Shakespeare play about his death and the aftermath |
| Roman Empire | 2016- | 81 BC - 192 AD | Anthology series with each season presenting an independent story. |
| Burebista | 1980 | 82–44 BC | The reign of King Burebista of Dacia |
| Spartaco | 1953 | 73–71 BC | the Third Servile War in Rome |
| Spartacus | 1960 | 73–71 BC | the Third Servile War in Rome |
| Spartacus | 2004 | 73–71 BC | the Third Servile War in Rome |
| Spartacus | 2010–2013 | 73–71 BC | the Third Servile War in Rome |
| Druids | 2001 | 58–51 BC | the struggle between Julius Caesar and Vercingetorix in the Gallic Wars |
| Rome | 2005–2007 | 52–30 BC | from the end of the Gallic Wars to the death of Mark Antony and the beginning of the Principate |
| ' | 2003 | 49 BC – 14 AD | Rome – the life of Augustus, the first emperor |
| A Queen for Caesar | 1962 | 48 BC | Egypt leading up to the arrival of Julius Caesar |
| Cleopatra | 1934 | 48–30 BC | Egypt and Rome – follows her relationships first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony |
| Cleopatra | 1963 | 48–30 BC | Egypt and Rome – follows her relationships first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony |
| Cleopatra | 1999 | 48–30 BC | Egypt and Rome – follows her relationships first with Julius Caesar and then with Mark Antony |
| Julius Caesar | 1953 | 44–42 BC | Shakespeare's play about the death and aftermath of this famous dictator |
| Julius Caesar | 1970 | 44–42 BC | Shakespeare's play about the death and aftermath of this famous dictator |
| Empire | 2005 | 44 BC | Covers the struggle of a young Octavius to become the first emperor of Rome. |
| The Caesars | 1967 | 27 BC – 68 AD | Rome – the Julio-Claudian dynasty |
| I, Claudius | 1976 | 12 BC – 54 AD | Rome – the reigns and family life of the Julio-Claudians |
| The Nativity Story | 2006 | 4 BC | Judea – The Biblical account of the nativity of Jesus, following the story of Mary and Joseph until the birth of Jesus occurs. |
| Jesus of Nazareth | 1977 | 4 BC to 30–33 AD | Judea – the life of Jesus Christ |
| Massacre in the Black Forest | 1967 | 9 AD | Germany – The Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, where the Cherusci ambushed and annihilated three Roman legions. |
| Ben-Hur | 1959 | 26–30 AD | Based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace |
| Ben-Hur | 2016 | 26–30 AD | Based on the 1880 novel Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ by Lew Wallace |
| The Last Temptation of Christ | 1988 | 27–30 AD | Judea – the life of Jesus Christ |
| The Passion of the Christ | 2004 | 33 AD | Judea – The final 12 hours of Jesus Christ's life |
| Risen | 2016 | 33 AD | Judea – Immediately after Jesus' crucifixion |
| Barrabas | 1961 | 33–64 | Rome – ending reign of Tiberius, the reign of Nero |
| The Robe | 1953 | 30–36 | Rome – ending reign of Tiberius, the beginning of Caligula |
| ' | 2005 | 33–67 | Saint Peter |
| A.D. The Bible Continues | 2015 | 33–41 | Beginning with the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, and continues with the first ten chapters of the Book of Acts. |
| The Inquiry | 2006 | 37 | Roman province of Judea shortly after the death of Jesus |
| Caligula | 1979 | 37–41 | Rome – the reign of the third emperor |
| Demetrius and the Gladiators | 1954 | 41 | Ancient Rome – the end Caligula reign |
| Messalina | 1951 | 41–48 | Rome – about the reign of Messalina and Claudius |
| Messalina | 1960 | 41–48 | Rome – about the reign of Messalina and Claudius |
| Nero | 2004 | 41–68 | Rome – spanning the reigns of Claudius and Nero |
| Britannia | 2018–2019 | 43 | Set in AD 43, the series follows the Roman conquest of Britain |
| St. Thomas | 1975 | 52–72 | Rome – low budget Indian film on the missionary work of Thomas the Apostle in India. |
| Quo Vadis | 1951 | 54–68 | Rome during the reign of Nero |
| Quo Vadis | 2001 | 54–68 | Rome during the reign of Nero |
| Boudica | 2003 | 60 | Britain – a rebellion shortly after the area had been conquered by Rome |
| Pompeii | 2014 | 62–79 | Pompeii in the days leading up to the eruption of Mount Vesuvius |
| The Sign of the Cross | 1932 | 64 | Persecution of the Christians immediately after the Great Fire of Rome |
| Masada | 1981 | 72–73 | Roman province of Judea during the First Jewish–Roman War |
| Dacii | 1967 | 86–87 | Dacia – Domitian's Dacian War |
| The Apocalypse | 2002 | 90–96 | Rome – Ephesus |
| Revolt of the Praetorians | 1964 | 96 | Rome – the assassination of Domitian |
| The Column | 1968 | 105–106 | the Roman Emperor Trajan conquering Dacia |
| Centurion | 2010 | 117 | Roman Britain – the supposed fate of the Ninth Legion |
| The Eagle | 2011 | 140 | Roman Britain – a young Roman man attempts to find out what happened to his father and the Ninth Legion |
| The Fall of the Roman Empire | 1964 | 180–192 | Rome during the reign of Commodus |
| Gladiator | 2000 | 180–192 | Rome - spanning the reigns of Marcus Aurelius and Commodus |
| The Magnificent Gladiator | 1964 | 260–268 | Rome during the reign of Gallienus |
| Sheba and the Gladiator | 1959 | 260–273 | Rome and the Palmyrene Empire during the reigns of Aurelian and Zenobia |
| Sebastiane | 1976 | 288 | Rome Low-budget homo-erotic film about Saint Sebastian |
| Constantine and the Cross | 1962 | 306–312 | Rome's first Christian emperor from the death of Constantius Chlorus to the Battle of the Milvian Bridge |
| Katherine of Alexandria | 2012 | 307 | Roman province of Egypt shortly before the legalization of Christianity |
| Fabiola | 1949 | 312 | Rome early in the reign of Constantine I |
| ' | 2010 | 354–430 | Roman province of Africa – focusing on the life of Augustine of Hippo, and including the Vandal conquest of Carthage |
| Agora | 2009 | 360–415 | Life and death of scientist/philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria and the destruction of the Library. |
| ' | 2000 | 387–493 | Ireland and Roman Britain during the life of Saint Patrick |
| Roar | 1997 | 400 | Ireland – Celtic warriors attempt to repel a fictitious Roman invasion |
| King Arthur | 2004 | early 5th century | the Roman withdrawal from Britain and the Battle of Mount Badon |
| Hagbard and Signe | 1967 | 5th century | Scandinavia during the Germanic Heroic Age |
| Arthur of the Britons | 1972–1973 | 5th century | Britain after the Roman withdrawal |
| Sign of the Pagan | 1954 | 406–453 | Rome – the Huns conquests and the downfall of the Roman Empire |
| Attila | 1954 | 406–453 | Rome – the Hunnic leader up to his retreat from the Po river |
| Attila | 2001 | 406–453 | Rome – the life and death of the famous Hunnic leader |
| Revenge of the Barbarians | 1960 | 410 | the Visigothic sack of Rome |
| Die Nibelungen | 1924 | 450 | about the Germanic hero Siegfried, his murder, and his widow's vengeance |
| Die Nibelungen | 1967 | 450 | about the Germanic hero Siegfried, his murder, and his widow's vengeance |
| ' | 2004 | 450 | about the Germanic hero Siegfried |
| The Last Legion | 2007 | 476–490 | connecting the deposition of the last Roman emperor Romulus Augustus by Odoacer with the Battle of Mount Badon |
| The Mists of Avalon | 2001 | late 5th – early 6th centuries | heavily fictionalized story of King Arthur |
| Lovespell | 1981 | 6th century | Britain and Ireland – adaptation of the Brythonic legend of Tristan and Iseult |
| Fire and Sword | 1982 | 6th century | Britain and Ireland – adaptation of the Brythonic legend of Tristan and Iseult |
| Tristan & Isolde | 2006 | 6th century | Britain and Ireland – adaptation of the Brythonic legend of Tristan and Iseult |
| Grendel Grendel Grendel | 1981 | 6th century | animated film based on the 1971 novel Grendel, retelling the Anglo-Saxon poem from the monster's perspective |
| Beowulf & Grendel | 2005 | 6th century | Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age – loose adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon poem of Beowulf |
| Grendel | 2007 | 6th century | Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age – very loose adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon poem of Beowulf |
| Beowulf | 2007 | 6th century | Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age – loose adaptation of the Anglo-Saxon poem of Beowulf |
| Hamlet | 1964 | 6th century | Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age – this is a Russian adaptation of the Shakespeare play based on the Danish legend of Amleth |
| Prince of Jutland | 1994 | 6th century | Denmark in the Germanic Heroic Age – legend of Amleth from the Danish Gesta Danorum |
| Teodora | 1921 | 500–548 | Byzantine empress Theodora |
| Theodora, Slave Empress | 1954 | 500–548 | Byzantine empress Theodora |
| The Last Roman | 1968/1969 | 526–553 | the Ostrogoths' struggle against the Byzantine emperor Justinian I and his generals Belisarius and Narses – adaption of a novel by Felix Dahn |
| Sword of the Conqueror | 1961 | 567–572 | Alboin and the Lombard invasion of Italy |
| Goliath and the Barbarians | 1959 | 568 | the Lombard invasion of Italy |
| The Message | 1976 | 570–632 | Arabian Peninsula – the life of Muhammad |
| 2015 | 570–632 | Arabian Peninsula – the life of Muhammad |
| Omar | 2012 | 595–644 | the life of Omar ibn Al-Khattab, one of the companions of Muhammad |
| Title | Release date | Time period | Setting | Notes |
| Tirante el Blanco | 2006 | 15th century | France and Constantinople | adaptation of the 1490 romance, Tirant lo Blanc, about a French knight in the service of the Byzantine emperor in campaigns against the Ottoman Turks |
| 12 Paces Without a Head | 2009 | 1401 | Baltic Sea | medieval German folk-hero Klaus Störtebeker, a pirate captain in the Baltic Sea who was said to have walked 12 paces after being decapitated by officials of the Hanseatic League |
| The King | 2019 | 1403–1420 | England and northern France | Henry V of England |
| Krzyzacy | 1960 | 1406–1410 | Central Europe | the Battle of Grunwald |
| Medici | 2016–2019 | 1409–1492 | Italy | The series follows the Medici family, bankers of the Pope, during Renaissance Florence. |
| Henry V | 1944 | 1413–1422 | England and northern France | Henry V of England's wars in France |
| Henry V | 1989 | 1413–1422 | England and northern France | Henry V of England's wars in France |
| The Whore | 2010 | 1414–1415 | Germany | |
| Joan of Arc | 1948 | 1429–1431 | France | Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War |
| Saint Joan | 1957 | 1429–1431 | France | Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War |
| Joan of Arc | 1999 | 1429–1431 | France | Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War |
| ' | 1999 | 1429–1431 | France | Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War |
| Joan the Maiden, Part 1: The Battles, Part 2: The Prisons | 1994 | 1429–1431 | France | Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War |
| The Passion of Joan of Arc | 1928 | 1431 | England | The trial and execution of Joan of Arc |
| The Silence of Joan | 2011 | 1431 | France | Joan of Arc, the French heroine of the Hundred Years' War |
| Vlad Tepes | 1979 | 1439–1476 | Wallachia | about prince Vlad the Impaler of Wallachia, who fought to repel the invading Muslim Ottoman Empire throughout his reign |
| ' | 2000 | 1439–1476 | Wallachia | about prince Vlad the Impaler of Wallachia, who fought to repel the invading Muslim Ottoman Empire throughout his reign |
| ' | 2020 | 1444–1453 | Constantinople | the Fall of Constantinople to Mehmed the Conqueror, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ending the Byzantine Empire |
| The Hour of the Pig | 1993 | 1452 | France | a public defender in a remote, rural province finds himself expected to defend a pig in a murder trial |
| Richard III | 1955 | 1452–1485 | | Richard III of England |
| The Life of Leonardo da Vinci | 1971 | 1452–1519 | Italy, France | The life of the Italian Renaissance genius Leonardo da Vinci. |
| :it:Io, Leonardo|Io, Leonardo | 2019 | 1452–1519 | Italy, France | A journey in Leonardo da Vinci's mind. |
| The Conquest of Constantinople | 1951 | 1453 | Constantinople | the Fall of Constantinople to Mehmed the Conqueror, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ending the Byzantine Empire |
| Fetih 1453 | 2012 | 1453 | Constantinople | the Fall of Constantinople to Mehmed the Conqueror, sultan of the Ottoman Empire, ending the Byzantine Empire |
| Black Arrow | 1985 | 1455–1485 | | adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson novel about the Lancastrian hero in the Wars of the Roses |
| The Conclave | 2006 | 1458 | | depicting this tense, politically charged Papal election |
| Isabel | 2012–2014 | 1460–1504 | Spain | Biography about the Queen of Castile, Isabella the Catholic. |
| Tower of London | 1939 | 1462–1483 | | during the reign of Edward IV of England |
| The White Queen | 2013 | 1464 | | the House of York and the House of Lancaster, are in violent conflict over the throne |
| Da Vinci's Demons | 2013–2015 | 1475–1490 | Italy | Historical fantasy drama series that presents a fictional account of Leonardo da Vinci's early life |
| Maximilian and Marie De Bourgogne | 2017 | 1477–1507 | Austria | Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor and Mary of Burgundy |
| Tower of London | 1962 | 1483–1485 | | during the reign of Richard III of England |
| The Shadow of the Tower | 1972 | 1485–1509 | | during the reign of Henry VII of England |
| The White Princess | 2017 | 1485 | England | Elizabeth of York's marriage to Henry VII, as well as his early reign |
| :it:Princes in the Tower|Princes in the Tower | 2005 | 1490s | | the trial of Perkin Warbeck, who claimed to be prince Richard, rightful heir to the throne before his untimely death in the Tower as a child |
| Christopher Columbus | 1985 | 1492 | | the discovery and conquest of the New World by Christopher Columbus |
| ' | 1992 | 1492 | | the discovery and conquest of the New World by Christopher Columbus |
| 1992 | 1492–1506 | | the discovery and conquest of the New World by Christopher Columbus |
| The Borgias | 1981 | 1492–1503 | | the family life and papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, widely considered to be the epitome of papal corruption of the era |
| Los Borgia | 2006 | 1492–1503 | | the family life and papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, widely considered to be the epitome of papal corruption of the era |
| Borgia | 2011 | 1492–1503 | | the family life and papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, widely considered to be the epitome of papal corruption of the era |
| The Borgias | 2011 | 1492–1503 | | the family life and papacy of Rodrigo Borgia, widely considered to be the epitome of papal corruption of the era |
| Muhteşem Yüzyıl | 2011–2014 | 1494–1566 | | Based on the life of Ottoman Sultan Süleyman the Magnificent |
| Title | Release date | Time period | Notes on setting |
| The Favourite | 2018 | 1708 | A frail Queen Anne occupies the throne and her close friend, Lady Sarah, governs the country in her stead. When a new servant, Abigail, arrives, her charm endears her to Sarah. |
| Rákóczi hadnagya | 1954 | 1708 | Adventure movie in Hungary during Rákóczi's War of Independence. |
| The Sovereign's Servant | 2007 | 1709 | The Battle of Poltava during the Great Northern War. |
| Rob Roy, the Highland Rogue | 1953 | 1713 | Scottish folk hero Robert Roy MacGregor |
| Rob Roy | 1995 | 1713 | Scottish folk hero Robert Roy MacGregor |
| Black Sails | 2014–2017 | 1715–1726 | Set roughly two decades before the events of Treasure Island and during the Golden Age of Piracy |
| Blackbeard | 2006 | 1718 | the infamous pirate Edward Teach |
| Maria Theresia | 2017 | 1723–1741 | Depicts the life of the young Maria Theresa |
| King of the Wind | 1990 | 1727 | Depicts the life of the Godolphin Arabian, an Arabian colt in 18th-century Kingdom of Great Britain during the reign of George II of Great Britain. |
| The Great King | 1942 | 1740–1786 | It depicts the life of Frederick the Great |
| Maria Theresa | 1951 | 1740–1780 | Depicts the life of Maria Theresa |
| George Washington | 1984 | 1743–1783 | George Washington's life up to the American Revolutionary War. |
| The Scarlet Empress | 1934 | 1744–1762 | Catherine II of Russia |
| The Rise of Catherine the Great | 1934 | 1744–1762 | Catherine II of Russia |
| Young Catherine | 1991 | 1744 | Catherine II of Russia |
| Catherine the Great | 1995 | 1744–1762 | Catherine II of Russia |
| Ekaterina | 2014–2019 | 1744–1782 | Catherine II of Russia |
| The Master of Ballantrae | 1953 | 1745–1746 | Jacobite Rising of 1745 |
| Culloden | 1964 | 1745–1746 | Jacobite Rising of 1745 |
| The Master of Ballantrae | 1984 | 1745–1746 | Jacobite Rising of 1745 |
| Chasing the Deer | 1994 | 1745–1746 | Jacobite Rising of 1745 |
| Mein Name ist Bach | 2003 | 1747 | Depicts Johann Sebastian Bach's visit to Frederick the Great in Potsdam, Prussia, when The Musical Offering was composed. |
| Horseman | 2003 | 1747 | Set in the borders between the regions of Bosnia and Dalmatia, the crossroads of the Ottoman Empire and the Republic of Venice. It deals with issues relating to the region's native Croats as they struggle to live between two empires and two faiths: Catholicism and Islam. Also covers the possibility of a love affair between a Christian soldier and a Muslim noblewoman. |
| The Amazing Grace | 2006 | 1748 | Tells the story of John Newton's transformation from slave trader to Anglican priest; story is set in Calabar, Nigeria. |
| Plunkett & Macleane | 1999 | 1748 | Loosely based on The Gentlemen Highwaymen William Plunkett and Captain James MacLaine. They were highwaymen noted for their restrained and courteous behavior towards their victims. |
| Treasure Island | 1934 | 1750 | Adaptation of the famous pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson |
| Treasure Island | 1950 | 1750 | Adaptation of the famous pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson |
| Treasure Island | 1972 | 1750 | Adaptation of the famous pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson |
| Treasure Island | 1990 | 1750 | Adaptation of the famous pirate story by Robert Louis Stevenson |
| Casanova | 2005 | 1753–1757 | Giacomo Casanova |
| A Tale of Two Cities | 1911 | 1755–1792 | England and France prior and during the French Revolution. |
| A Tale of Two Cities | 1935 | 1755–1792 | England and France prior and during the French Revolution. |
| A Tale of Two Cities | 1958 | 1755–1792 | England and France prior and during the French Revolution. |
| A Tale of Two Cities | 1980 | 1755–1792 | England and France prior and during the French Revolution. |
| Amadeus | 1984 | 1756–1791 | Austria composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart |
| Barry Lyndon | 1975 | 1756–1789 | The Seven Years' War, etc. |
| The Last of the Mohicans | 1936 | 1757 | French and Indian War |
| The Last of the Mohicans | 1992 | 1757 | French and Indian War |
| Northwest Passage | 1940 | 1757 | French and Indian War and the ranger campaign of Robert Rogers |
| Clive of India | 1935 | 1757 | Robert Clive, Commander-in-Chief, India and the Battle of Plassey. The Battle was part of the Carnatic Wars. |
| The Mission | 1986 | 1760–1763 | Jesuit missionaries in South America |
| Belle | 2013 | 1761–1804 | The true history of Dido Elizabeth Belle, a mixed–race daughter of British Naval officer John Lindsay and an African woman. She was taken to England by her father to be raised by his uncle, William Murray, 1st Earl of Mansfield, as an aristocratic Lady, as befits her blood line. This forces Lord Mansfield, the Lord Chief Justice, to confront his own views on race, society and the antiquated laws of the time. |
| Mozart's Sister | 2010 | 1763 | The early life of Maria Anna Mozart, older sister of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. |
| Unconquered | 1947 | 1763 | Pontiac's War focusing on the Siege of Fort Pitt. |
| Brotherhood of the Wolf | 2001 | 1764–1767 | Based on a real-life series of killings that took place in France in the 18th century and on the famous legend of the Beast of Gévaudan |
| Catherine the Great | 2019 | 1764–1796 | Catherine II of Russia |
| Sons of Liberty | 2015 | 1765–1776 | A story about the Founding Fathers of the United States and the American Revolution. |
| A Royal Affair | 2012 | 1766–1783 | Set at the court of the mentally ill King Christian VII of Denmark, and focuses on the romance between his wife, Caroline Matilda of Great Britain, and the royal physician Johann Friedrich Struensee. |
| The Duchess | 2008 | 1774–1806 | The life of Georgiana Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire |
| John Adams | 2008 | 1770–1826 | The story about the American Founding Father John Adams from the Boston massacre in 1770 to his death in 1826. |
| Marie Antoinette | 1938 | 1774–1792 | Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France |
| Marie Antoinette Queen of France | 1956 | 1774–1792 | Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France |
| Marie Antoinette | 2006 | 1774–1792 | Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France |
| Drums Along the Mohawk | 1939 | 1776 | Settlers during the American Revolution. They suffer British, Loyalist, and Indian attacks on their farm. |
| 1776 | 1972 | 1776 | A musical retelling of the American Revolution's political struggle in the Continental Congress to declare independence. |
| The Crossing | 2000 | 1776 | George Washington's crossing of the Delaware River and the Battle of Trenton |
| Revolution | 1985 | 1776–1777 | Fictionalized story of the American Revolution in New York |
| The Patriot | 2000 | 1776–1781 | Based on the life of Francis Marion, an officer of the Continental Army officer during the American Revolutionary War. |
| ' | 2003 | 1776–1782 | Depicting Benedict Arnold, both an early hero of the American Revolution and a notorious defector. |
| ' | 2014–2017 | 1776–1814 | American Revolutionary War |
| The Queen's Necklace | 1946 | 1780s | Based on the Affair of the Diamond Necklace. Jeanne of Valois-Saint-Rémy, a descendant of the House of Valois and courtesan takes revenge by scamming Marie Antoinette, Cardinal de Rohan, and others. The scandal kindling the flames of the French Revolution. |
| The Affair of the Necklace | 2001 | 1780s | Based on the Affair of the Diamond Necklace. Jeanne of Valois-Saint-Rémy, a descendant of the House of Valois and courtesan takes revenge by scamming Marie Antoinette, Cardinal de Rohan, and others. The scandal kindling the flames of the French Revolution. |
| Ridicule | 1996 | 1783–1794 | On the brink of the French Revolution. A minor baron and engineer from Lyon tries to gain audience with King Louis XVI of France to fund drainage of the mosquito-infested swamps bringing sickness and death to his region. |
| Botany Bay | 1953 | 1787 | Fictional story about the First Fleet sailing to Botany Bay, New South Wales |
| The Madness of King George | 1994 | 1788 | The deteriorating mental health of George III of the United Kingdom, King of Great Britain and Ireland |
| 1986 | 1788–1797 | George Washington's life during his time as President of the United States. |
| Mutiny on the Bounty | 1935 | 1789 | the Mutiny on the Bounty |
| Mutiny on the Bounty | 1962 | 1789 | the Mutiny on the Bounty |
| The Bounty | 1984 | 1789 | The Mutiny on the Bounty |
| Farewell, My Queen | 2012 | 1789 | Marie Antoinette, Queen consort of France |
| The French Revolution | 1989 | 1789–1794 | French Revolution |
| The Scarlet Pimpernel | 1934 | 1792 | French Revolution |
| The Scarlet Pimpernel | 1982 | 1792 | French Revolution |
| Charlotte Corday | 2008 | 1793 | Trial and execution of Charlotte Corday after her murder of Jean-Paul Marat. Marat was a Jacobin journalist and politician. |
| Danton | 1983 | 1794 | Conflict between Georges Danton and Maximilien Robespierre during the French Revolution. |
| Beau Brummell | 1954 | 1795 | Beau Brummell, a 19th-century arbiter of fashion in England who popularized the man's suit and necktie |
| Sangolli Rayanna | 2012 | 1798–1831 | Film is about Sangolli Rayanna, a prominent freedom fighter from Karnataka, who fought the British East India Company until he was captured and executed in 1831. |
| Sleepy Hollow | 1999 | 1799 | Set in the years after the American Revolution, when a Headless Horseman haunted a little town, Sleepy Hollow, New York. |
| The Remains of Nothing | 2004 | 1799 | Eleonora Fonseca Pimentel |
| Désirée | 1954 | 1799–1815 | The love story between Désirée Clary and Napoleon I |
| Napoléon | 1927 | 1799–1815 | Napoléon I of France |
| Northanger Abbey | 1986 | late 18th century | adaptation of Jane Austen's 1817 novel set during the time Miss Austen wrote the novel. |
| Title | Release date | Time period | Notes on setting |
| The Knick | 2014 | 1900 | Doctors, Nurses, and others work at The Knickerbocker hospital |
| 55 Days at Peking | 1963 | 1900 | Depicts the Battle of Peking during the Boxer Rebellion. |
| Breaker Morant | 1980 | 1901 | An Australian Lieutenant, Harry "Breaker" Morant, who ordered the summary execution of several prisoners during the Second Boer War |
| Nicholas and Alexandra | 1971 | 1904–1918 | Covers the last 14 years of the life and reign of Nicholas II of Russia, last Emperor of Russia. Includes the events of World War I, the Russian Revolution, the Russian Civil War and the shooting of the Romanov family. |
| A Dangerous Method | 2011 | 1904–1912 | Covers personal and professional relationships between Carl Jung, Sigmund Freud and Sabina Spielrein |
| Rosa Luxemburg | 1986 | 1904–1919 | Biography Of Marxist And Anti-War Activist Rosa Luxemburg and her assassination in 1919. |
| The Battleship Potemkin | 1925 | 1905 | The Russian battleship Potemkin uprising, part of the Revolution of 1905 in the Russian Empire. |
| The Real Glory | 1939 | 1906 | Moro Rebellion |
| The Passion of Marie | 2012 | 1910 | Biopic about Marie, the wife of Danish painter Peder Severin Krøyer |
| Tolkien | 2019 | 1890s–1930s | Biopic about the life of J. R. R. Tolkien |
| Iron Jawed Angels | 2004 | 1913–1920 | American women's suffrage movement during the 1910s |
| Titanic | 1943 | 1912 | the Titanic disaster |
| Titanic | 1953 | 1912 | the Titanic disaster |
| A Night to Remember | 1958 | 1912 | the Titanic disaster |
| Titanic' | 1997 | 1912 | the Titanic disaster |
| Titanic' | 2012 | 1912 | the Titanic disaster |
| Reds | 1981 | 1912–1920 | Russian Revolution |
| Doctor Zhivago | 1965 | 1912–1923 | World War I, the Russian Revolution and the Russian Civil War |
| Downton Abbey | 2010–2015 | 1912–1926 | set in a fictional Yorkshire country estate during the post-Edwardian era |
| Gallipoli | 1981 | 1914–1915 | Gallipoli Campaign of World War I |
| Flyboys | 2006 | 1914–1917 | Focusing on the Lafayette Escadrille, a unit of American volunteer combat pilots in service for the Allies of World War I. |
| Admiral | 2008 | 1914–1917, 1964 | Covers the last three years of the naval career of Alexander Kolchak, a vice-admiral in the Imperial Russian Navy and leader of the anti-communist White Movement during the Russian Civil War. The film also depicts the love triangle between the Admiral, his wife, and the poet Anna Timiryova. |
| All Quiet on the Western Front | 1930 | 1914–1918 | Western Front of World War I |
| All Quiet on the Western Front | 1979 | 1914–1918 | Western Front of World War I |
| A Very Long Engagement | 2004 | 1914–1920s | Western Front of World War I |
| The Aviator | 2004 | 1914–1947 | Biopic about Howard Hughes, an aviation pioneer, director, and successful film producer. |
| La Masseria Delle Allodole | 2007 | 1915 | Set during World War I in the Ottoman Empire, depicting the Armenian Genocide. |
| Ararat | 2002 | 1915 | Based on the Defense of Van in 1915, an Armenian insurgence in the Ottoman Empire during the Armenian Genocide. |
| The Promise | 2017 | 1915 | The Armenian Genocide |
| Shimon Haber | 2008 | 1915–1919 | Development and usage of Chemical weapons in World War I |
| ' | 2007 | 1915 | The Sinking of the RMS Lusitania |
| Lawrence of Arabia | 1962 | 1916–1918 | T. E. Lawrence and the Arab Revolt in the Ottoman Empire. |
| Michael Collins | 1996 | 1916–1922 | Later life of Irish resistance leader Michael Collins and his participation in the Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War. |
| 1917 | 2019 | 1917 | European theatre of World War I |
| The Lighthorsemen | 1987 | 1917 | Battle of Beersheba in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. |
| Stalin | 1992 | 1917–1953 | Brutal Career and Corruption of Soviet Leader Joseph Stalin |
| The Wind Rises | 2013 | 1918–1945 | The life of Jiro Horikoshi |
| The Lost Battalion | 1919 | 1918 | Covers the fate of the Lost Battalion, units of the 77th Infantry Division. The units under the command of Major Charles White Whittlesey penetrated deep into the Forest of Argonne in France during World War I. They were trapped and surrounded by the German Army. |
| The Lost Battalion | 2001 | 1918 | Covers the fate of the Lost Battalion, units of the 77th Infantry Division. The units under the command of Major Charles White Whittlesey penetrated deep into the Forest of Argonne in France during World War I. They were trapped and surrounded by the German Army. |
| 1918 | 1985 | 1918 | Written by Horton Foote, depicts life in Texas and the devastating effect of the great flu epidemic of 1918. |
| The Wind that Shakes the Barley | 2006 | 1919–1923 | The Irish War of Independence and the Irish Civil War |
| Chariots of Fire | 1981 | 1919–1924 | British runners face prejudice and compete in the 1924 Summer Olympics. The runners are Eric Liddell and Harold Abrahams. Liddell was a Scottish man and Abrahams was A British Jew. |
| Evita | 1996 | 1919–1952 | Biopic of Eva Perón, First Lady of Argentina. |
| J. Edgar | 2011 | 1919–1972 | Life and career of J. Edgar Hoover, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1935 to 1972. |
| Anastasia | 1956 | 1920s | Based upon theories on the survival of Grand Duchess Anastasia Nikolaevna of Russia and the activities of Anna Anderson. Anderson was the most famous of the Romanov impostors. |
| Legionnaire | 1998 | 1920–1926 | Rif War |
| Boardwalk Empire | 2010–2014 | January 1920 – October 1931 | Crime and power in Atlantic City during the Prohibition Era |
| Jinnah | 1998 | 1920–1947 | Depicts the role of Muhammad Ali Jinnah in the independence of Pakistan. |
| The First of the Few | 1942 | 1922–1936 | Aerospace engineer R.J. Mitchell designs the Spitfire despite his failing health. |
| The King's Speech | 2010 | 1924–1939 | The quest of George VI, King of the United Kingdom to overcome his stammer. |
| Togo | 2019 | 1925 | the story of Togo, a lead dog during the 1925 serum run to Nome |
| The Ogre | 1996 | 1925–1945 | The account of a simple Frenchman caught up in the events of World War II. He involuntarily serves in the French Army, spends time as a prisoner of war in East Prussia, and gets hired to take care of the animals in the local estate of Hermann Göring. When fired, the Frenchman finds a new job at nearby Kaltenborn Castle, a Nazi Germany military academy for boys. He gets tasked with recruiting children to serve the cause. Continuing service while Nazi Germany deteriorates and East Prussia faces a Soviet invasion. |
| Downton Abbey | 2019 | 1927 | film sequel to the television series of the same name |
| Phar Lap | 1983 | 1928–1932 | Biography about the New Zealand-born Australian racehorse Phar Lap |
| The Imitation Game | 2014 | 1928–1950 | British cryptanalyst Alan Turing, who decrypted German intelligence messages for the British government during the Second World War |
| Lion of the Desert | 1981 | 1929–1931 | About the struggle of Libyan rebels under Omar Mukhtar against the Italian Royal Army in the years leading up to World War II. |
| Mildred Pierce | 2011 | 1930s | based on the 1941 novel, set during the Great Depression |
| Rabbit-Proof Fence | 2002 | 1931 | Australia's Stolen Generations |
| The Legend of Bagger Vance | 2000 | 1931 | Set in Savannah, Georgia, during the Great Depression; loosely based on the Bhagavad Gita. The story starts by setting a background. A noteworthy golf player went off to fight in World War I. He returned a decorated veteran but traumatized by the deaths of his unit in battle. He then sank into a life of habitual alcohol intoxication. In 1931, there is to be an exhibition match between famous golfers Bobby Jones and Walter Hagen. The veteran is asked to participate and compete against them. A mysterious man volunteers to be his caddie, helping the veteran to come to grips with his personal demons and play golf again. |
| Road to Perdition | 2002 | winter 1931 | A film set in Illinois during the Great Depression, and featuring Prohibition Era-organized crime figures. The protagonist is a mob enforcer for an Irish mob boss. The son of the boss wants to kill him, however, and manages to kill his wife and one of his sons. The protagonist and his remaining son escape to Chicago, attempting to find new work under Al Capone and his Chicago Outfit. Underboss Frank Nitti rejects the offers of the protagonist to join them. Nitti also contacts the Irish mob boss and they agree to have the protagonist killed. Starting an escalating conflict. |
| Perry Mason | 2020 | 1931–1932 | a fictional detective in Depression-era Los Angeles, based on the award-winning series of the same name broadcast from 1957 to 1966 |
| Bonnie and Clyde | 1967 | 1931–1934 | About the exploits of Bonnie and Clyde, American outlaws and robbers during the Great Depression. |
| Frances | 1982 | 1931–1958 | Life of actress Frances Farmer |
| Last Man Standing | 1996 | 1932 | During Prohibition in the United States, gun-wielding mercenary John Smith, arrives at the small town Jericho, Texas, close to the Mexico–United States border. He plays on both sides in a gang war between the Irish Mob and the American Mafia, while scheming to eliminate both gangs. The film is a loose remake of Yojimbo, which was set in Japan during the Tokugawa shogunate. The original film was a loose adaptation of the novels Red Harvest and The Glass Key by Dashiell Hammett. |
| Gosford Park | 2001 | 1932 | murder mystery set at an English country house during the Interwar period |
| Public Enemies | 2009 | 1933–1934 | Set during the Great Depression, it chronicles the final years of the notorious bank robber John Dillinger. |
| The National Anthem | 1999 | 1934–1935 | Set in Shanghai during the Japanese occupation of Manchuria and the resulting conflict. |
| Murder on the Orient Express | 2017 | 1934 | murder mystery set aboard the Orient Express train traveling from Istanbul to London |
| A Pearl in the Forest | 2008 | 1934–1938 | Set during the Great Purge initiated by Joseph Stalin in the Soviet Union. The film focuses on the spillover effects of the Purge on the Mongolian People's Republic, a satellite state of the Soviet Union. |
| Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom | 1984 | 1935 | Archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones travels to India, and is asked to find a mystical stone. He then stumbles upon a secret cult committing enslavement and human sacrifices in the catacombs of an ancient palace. |
| Atonement | 2007 | 1935–1940 | A romantic suspense war film. Opening in the interwar period of the United Kingdom, during the late 1930s, and continuing to the early days of World War II. The film opens in 1935 with the interactions between the girls of the wealthy Tallis family and their cousin Lola on one side, and a lower class-man by the name of Robbie Turner on the other. When Lola gets raped, Robbie gets blamed for the act, arrested, and imprisoned. Four years later, Robbie is released on condition of serving in the British Army as part of the British Expeditionary Force on the areas of the French Third Republic. |
| Olga | 2004 | 1935–1942 | The relationship between German-Brazilian communist militant Olga Benário and Luís Carlos Prestes, one of the main leaders of the opposition against Brazilian dictatorship of Getúlio Vargas. |
| Unbroken | 2014 | 1936–1998 | The life of Louis Zamperini. |
| Race | 2016 | 1936 | The life of Jesse Owens wons four gold medals during Athletics. |
| Raiders of the Lost Ark | 1981 | 1936 | Archaeologist and adventurer Indiana Jones is hired by the U.S. government to find the Ark of the Covenant before Adolf Hitler's Nazis can obtain its awesome powers. |
| The Hindenburg | 1975 | 1937 | The Hindenburg disaster at Naval Air Station Lakehurst, New Jersey. |
| O Brother, Where Art Thou? | 2000 | 1937 | set in 1937 rural Mississippi during the Great Depression. Its story is a modern satire loosely based on Homer's epic poem The Odyssey that incorporates mythology from the American South |
| Seabiscuit | 2003 | 1937 | Race horse Seabiscuit |
| John Rabe | 2009 | 1937 | The Nanking massacre during the Second Sino-Japanese War. |
| The Flowers of War | 2011 | 1937 | The Nanking massacre during the Second Sino-Japanese War. |
| Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade | 1989 | 1938 | After his father Professor Henry Jones, Sr. goes missing while pursuing the Holy Grail, Indiana Jones finds himself up against Adolf Hitler's Nazis again to stop them obtaining its powers. |
| The Good Shepherd | 2006 | 1938–1961 | Rise of Central Intelligence Agency's counterintelligence, leading up to the Bay of Pigs Invasion |
| Voyage of the Damned | 1976 | 1939 | Based on the events of the MS St. Louis |
| Schindler's List | 1993 | 1939–1945 | German industrialist Oskar Schindler's efforts to keep Jewish people from being interred in Nazi concentration camps during World War II. |
| The Last Bastion | 1984 | 1939–1945 | Australia during World War II |
| Hacksaw Ridge | 2016 | 1939–1945 | World War II experiences of Desmond Doss |
| The Pianist | 2002 | 1939–1945 | World War II experiences of Polish-Jewish pianist/composer and Holocaust survivor Władysław Szpilman |
| ' | 2008 | 1939–1945 | Norway during World War II and Winter War |
| Battle of Britain | 1969 | 1940 | The Battle of Britain |
| April 9th | 2015 | 1940 | 9 April, German invasion of Denmark. A group of Danish bicycle infantry is sent as a vanguard to slow down the German advance until reinforcements can arrive. |
| Kongens nei | 2016 | 1940 | The film focuses on King Haakon VII and the Norwegian Royal family in the days before and immediately after the German invasion of Norway in April 1940. |
| Hurricane | 2018 | 1940 | The Battle of Britain |
| Malèna | 2000 | 1940–1944 | Italy during World War II |
| Darkest Hour | 2017 | 1940 | May–June 1940. Winston Churchill's early days as Prime Minister, as Hitler closes in on Britain during World War II. |
| Dunkirk | 2017 | 1940 | The Dunkirk evacuation of World War II |
| Life Is Beautiful | 1997 | early 1940s | a Jewish-Italian man and his son during their internment in a Nazi concentration camp |
| The Way Back | 2010 | 1941 | Escape from a Siberian Gulag |
| Sink the Bismarck! | 1960 | May 1941 | Depicts German battleship Bismarck and its last battle. |
| Defiance | 2008 | August 1941 | Story of three Jewish brothers of the Bielski partisans who saved and recruited Jews during the Nazi occupation of Belarus. |
| Das Boot | 1981 | October 1941 | Battle of the Atlantic |
| Tora! Tora! Tora! | 1970 | 7 December 1941 | The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor |
| Pearl Harbor | 2001 | December 1941 – April 1942 | The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, and the subsequent American retaliation in the Doolittle Raid. |
| Hong Kong 1941 | 1984 | December 1941 | The Japanese occupation of Hong Kong, and the story of local resistance against Japanese forces. |
| The Gallant Hours | 1960 | 1942 | U.S. Navy admiral William Halsey in the crucial early weeks of his command of American forces in the Guadalcanal campaign of World War II. |
| U-571 | 2000 | 1942 | Battle of the Atlantic |
| The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas | 2008 | 1942 | Set during the Holocaust |
| Allied | 2016 | 1942 | a Canadian intelligence officer and a French Resistance fighter pose as a married couple during a mission in Casablanca |
| The Bridge on the River Kwai | 1957 | 1942–1943 | Construction of the Burma Railway by forced labour, mainly British prisoners of war, during the Burma Campaign of World War II. |
| Midway | 1976 | June 1942 | The Battle of Midway |
| Midway | 2019 | June 1942 | The Battle of Midway |
| Kododa | 2006 | August 1942 | Australia's 39th Battalion during the early days of the Kokoda Track campaign |
| Band of Brothers | 2001 | August 1942 – May 1945 | Miniseries portraying the soldiers in Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, from training in boot camp to action in the European Theatre of World War II. |
| The Pacific | 2010 | August 1942 – August 1945 | Miniseries portraying the Pacific Theater of World War II |
| Stalingrad | 1993 | August 1942 – February 1943 | The Battle of Stalingrad from a German perspective. |
| The Thin Red Line | 1998 | August 1942 – February 1943 | The Guadalcanal Campaign |
| Enemy at the Gates | 2001 | winter 1942–1943 | The activities of Soviet sniper Vasily Zaytsev in the Battle of Stalingrad |
| Patton | 1970 | 1943–1945 | The exploits of United States Army General George S. Patton during World War II |
| Sophie Scholl – The Final Days | 2005 | February 1943 | The ultimate days of Sophie Scholl, a White Rose revolutionary. She actively opposing Nazi Germany until her execution and death. |
| Cross of Iron | 1977 | spring 1943 | Eastern Front |
| Hvidsten Gruppen | 2012 | 1943 | the story about the Danish resistance movement Hvidsten Gruppen. |
| The Dam Busters | 1955 | May 1943 | Development of the Upkeep bouncing bomb and its use in Operation Chastise |
| Memphis Belle | 1990 | May 1943 | About the 25th and last mission of the Memphis Belle, an American Boeing B-17 Flying Fortress bomber flying over Nazi Germany as part Strategic bombing operations. |
| Eye of the Needle | 1981 | 1944 | a German spy in England who discovers vital information about the upcoming D-Day invasion |
| Black Book | 2006 | 1944 | a Dutch-Jewish singer becomes a spy for the resistance in German-occupied Netherlands |
| Flame & Citron | 2008 | 1944 | the story of two Danish resistance movement fighters nicknamed Flame and Citron, during the Nazi occupation of Denmark |
| Red Tails | 2012 | 1944 | Tuskegee Airmen during World War II |
| The Longest Day | 1962 | 6 June 1944 | The Normandy landings, the first stage of the Invasion of Normandy |
| Saving Private Ryan | 1998 | June 1944 | The Normandy landings and their aftermath |
| Windtalkers | 2002 | June–July 1944 | Focuses on Navajo code talkers during the Battle of Saipan |
| Valkyrie | 2008 | July 1944 | Set in Nazi Germany during World War II. It depicts the 20 July plot in 1944 by German army officers to assassinate Adolf Hitler and to use the Operation Valkyrie national emergency plan to take control of the country. |
| A Bridge Too Far | 1977 | September 1944 | Operation Market Garden |
| Kanal | 1956 | September 1944 | Warsaw uprising |
| When Trumpets Fade | 1998 | September 1944 | The Battle of Hürtgen Forest |
| Saints and Soldiers | 2003 | December 1944 – January 1945 | The Malmedy massacre and its aftermath during the Battle of the Bulge. |
| Battle of the Bulge | 1965 | December 1944 – January 1945 | The Battle of the Bulge. Based on the last major German offensive campaign on the Western Front during World War II. It was launched through the densely forested Ardennes region of Wallonia in eastern Belgium, northeast France, and Luxembourg, towards the end of the war in Europe. |
| The Founding of a Republic | 2009 | 1945–1949 | Inspired by true events, The Founding of a Republic weaves a rousing tale of Mao Zedong, who fought against Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang. Mao Zedong led his people in battle during the Chinese Civil War, to establish a new People's Republic of China. |
| The Great Raid | 2005 | January 1945 | Liberation of the Cabanatuan Prison Camp on the island of Luzon, Philippines. The camp was set up during the Japanese occupation of the Philippines. |
| Flags of Our Fathers | 2006 | February–March 1945 | the Battle of Iwo Jima from an American perspective. |
| Letters from Iwo Jima | 2006 | February–March 1945 | The Battle of Iwo Jima from a Japanese perspective. |
| Grave of the Fireflies | 1988 | March–September 1945 | Japanese sibling struggle to survive toward the end of World War II during the firebombing of Kobe and its aftermath. |
| Fury | 2014 | April 1945 | 2nd Armored Division Tank crewmen during the Western Allied invasion of Germany |
| Downfall | 2004 | April–May 1945 | Depicting the final ten days of Adolf Hitler's reign over Nazi Germany and their immediate aftermath. Events take place during the Battle of Berlin. |
| The Godfather | 1972 | 1945–1955 | Vito Corleone, the aging patriarch of an organized crime dynasty, transfers control of his clandestine empire to his reluctant son Michael Corleone. The film is set primarily in New York City, and is based on the novel The Godfather by Mario Puzo. The novel and film fictionalize actual people and events connected to the Five Families. Vito Corleone himself was a composite of real-life organized crime bosses Frank Costello and Carlo Gambino. |
| Ashes and Diamonds | 1958 | May 1945 | Polish Home Army soldiers assigned to assassinate a Communist commissar |
| 2016 | July 1945 | The sinking of the. |
| The Good German | 2006 | July–August 1945 | During the Potsdam Conference |
| Nuremberg | 2000 | November 1945 – Octobeeer 1946 | The first of the Nuremberg trials |
| Judgment at Nuremberg | 1961 | 1947 | The Judges' Trial |
| The Black Dahlia | 2006 | 1947 | The murder of Elizabeth Short and subsequent investigation. |
| Exodus | 1960 | 1947–1948 | Foundation of Israel |
| Cast a Giant Shadow | 1966 | 1948 | United States Army colonel Mickey Marcus's involvement in the Israeli War of Independence |
| Title | Release date | Time period | Notes on setting |
| ' | 2013 | 1925–1995 | Nelson Mandela |
| Walk the Line | 2005 | 1944–1968 | Johnny Cash |
| The Crown | 2016 | 1947–present | Follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century. |
| The Shawshank Redemption | 1994 | 1947–1987 | takes place in a state penitentiary set in mid-century New England |
| A Beautiful Mind | 2001 | 1947–1994 | based on the life of John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics |
| American Hot Wax | 1978 | 1950 | Disc jockey Alan Freed's involvement in the emergence of rock and roll |
| ' | 2010 | 1950 | The story of student-soldiers trying to protect a middle school during the early days of the Korean War |
| Taegukgi | 2004 | 1950–1953 | A drama about the fate of brothers forced to fight in the Korean War |
| Sayonara | 1957 | 1950–1953 | the story of an American Air Force pilot during the Korean War who falls in love with a famous Japanese dancer |
| Rocketman | 2019 | 1950s–1982 | Elton John |
| The Finest Hours | 2016 | 1952 | The SS Pendleton Coast Guard rescue mission attempt |
| The Motorcycle Diaries | 2004 | 1952–1967 | The life of Che Guevara |
| The Kennedys | 2011 | 1952–1968 | The triumphs and tragedies of the Kennedy family |
| The Front Line | 2011 | 1953 | A drama centered on the Korean War's final battle which will determine the border between North Korea and South Korea |
| The Death of Stalin | 2017 | 1953 | The events that transpired after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953 |
| Good Night, and Good Luck | 2005 | 1953 | The conflict between veteran radio and television journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S. Senator Joseph McCarthy relating to the anti-Communist Senator's actions with the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations |
| Elvis | 1979 | 1953–1972 | The story follows the life and career of rock and roll icon Elvis Presley |
| The People vs. Larry Flynt | 1996 | 1953–1988 | Biopic about Larry Flynt, publisher of Hustler magazine |
| The Quiet American | 2002 | 1954 | The film covers early American covert involvement in Vietnam during the last days of the First Indochina War. It set the stage for the subsequent Vietnam War. |
| The Founder | 2016 | 1954 | The story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned the innovative fast food eatery of
Richard and Maurice McDonald, McDonald's, into one of the biggest restaurant businesses in the world. Th film depicts Kroc using a combination of ambition, persistence, and ruthlessness. |
| Shutter Island | 2010 | 1954 | In Massachusetts, U.S. Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels investigates the disappearance of murderer Rachel Solando, who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane. The film is set in Boston Harbor, and is based on the novel Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane. The hospital is loosely based on the Chronic Disease Hospital of Long Island. |
| The Battle of Algiers | 1966 | 1954–1960 | During the Algerian War |
| Forrest Gump | 1994 | 1954–1981 | The remarkable life story of a kind and brave Alabama man with an IQ of 75. |
| Lumumba | 2000 | 1955–1961 | Path of the first Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo Patrice Lumumba and his killing. The Republic itself was the former Belgian Congo following its independence. |
| Che | 2008 | 1955–1967 | The life and death of Che Guevara |
| Goodfellas | 1990 | 1955–1980 | Biopic about mobster Henry Hill. Hill was an associate of the
Lucchese crime family, who later became an informant of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. |
| Blow | 2001 | 1955–1994 | Biopic about drug trafficker George Jung |
| Nasser 56 | 1996 | 1956 | The Suez Crisis from the Egyptian point of view |
| Children of Glory | 2006 | 1956 | Hungarian Revolution of 1956 |
| Great Balls of Fire! | 1989 | 1956–1958 | The early career of Rock and roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis |
| Quiz Show | 1994 | 1956–1958 | Twenty-One Quiz show scandals |
| My Week with Marilyn | 2011 | 1956 | The film focuses on the week during the shooting of the 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl. Marilyn Monroe was escorted around London by Colin Clark, after her husband Arthur Miller had returned to the United States. |
| Motherless Brooklyn | 2019 | 1957 | A private investigator struggling with Tourette syndrome works to solve the mystery of his mentor's demise during the 1950s in New York City |
| Bridge of Spies | 2015 | 1957–1961 | During the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet-captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers. |
| Loving | 2016 | 1958–1967 | Based on the lives of Mildred and Richard Loving and the events surrounding the landmark court case of Loving v. Virginia. |
| In Cold Blood | 1967 | 1959 | Based on Truman Capote's nonfiction book of the same name about the murdered Clutter family in Holcomb, Kansas. |
| Black and White | 2002 | 1959 | Biographical film about the Max Stuart case where an Indigenous Australia man was found guilty of murder and the legal fight to have his death sentence commuted. |
| Hollywoodland | 2006 | 1959 | a private detective investigates the circumstances surrounding the death of actor George Reeves |
| Scandal | 1989 | 1959–1963 | Christine Keeler, Stephen Ward and the Profumo affair |
| Heaven & Earth | 1993 | 1960–1980 | Vietnam War |
| The Odd Angry Shot | 1979 | 1960s | Experiences of Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War. |
| The German Doctor | 2013 | 1960 | The life of Josef Mengele in Argentina. He was a former Nazi wanted for War crimes. He was a target for Nazi hunters. |
| ' | 2013 | 1960–1961 | The Vostok 1 mission, making the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin the first human to cross into outer space. It was the first human spaceflight. |
| City of God | 2002 | 1960–1980 | The growth of organized crime in Cidade de Deus, Rio de Janeiro. |
| Hidden Figures | 2016 | 1961 | The black female mathematicians who worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration during the Space Race |
| ' | 2002 | 1961, 1989 | Soviet submarine K-19 nuclear disaster |
| Saving Mr. Banks | 2013 | 1961–1964 | Events surrounding the development of the film Mary Poppins |
| JFK | 1991 | 1961–1966 | The assassination of President of the United States John F. Kennedy and subsequent investigation |
| First Man | 2018 | 1961–1969 | About the life of Neil Armstrong and the decade leading up to the Apollo 11 lunar mission |
| Thirteen Days | 2000 | 1962 | The Cuban Missile Crisis |
| Green Book | 2018 | 1962 | a tour of the Deep South by African American classical and jazz pianist Don Shirley and Italian American bouncer Frank "Tony Lip" Vallelonga who served as Shirley's driver and bodyguard |
| Z | 1969 | 1963 | The assassination of Grigoris Lambrakis |
| A Perfect World | 1993 | 1963 | A kidnapped boy strikes up a friendship with his captor: an escaped convict on the run from the law, while the search is headed up by an honorable Texas Ranger. |
| The Help | 2011 | 1963 | Race relations in the Deep South during the Civil Rights Movement |
| All the Way | 2016 | 1963–1965 | Lyndon Baines Johnson becomes the President of the United States in the chaotic aftermath of the Assassination of John F. Kennedy. He spends his first year in office fighting to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964. |
| LBJ | 2016 | 1963–1969 | The story of President of the United States Lyndon Baines Johnson from his young days in West Texas to the White House. |
| Catch Me If You Can | 2002 | 1963–1974 | The life of Frank Abagnale, a con artist and famous check forger. |
| Ghosts of Mississippi | 1996 | 1963–1990 | Events surrounding the murder of NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers during the civil rights movement in Mississippi |
| 1965 | 2014 | 1963–1966 | Singapore in Malaysia, 1964 race riots in Singapore and National Day of 1965 |
| Mississippi Burning | 1988 | 1964 | The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation into the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner |
| The Doors | 1991 | 1964–1971 | Biopic about the 1960s–1970s rock band of the same name which emphasizes the life of its lead singer, Jim Morrison |
| Selma | 2014 | 1965 | Selma to Montgomery march in Alabama during the civil rights movement |
| The Year of Living Dangerously | 1982 | 1965 | Set in Indonesia during the overthrow of President Sukarno |
| We Were Soldiers | 2002 | 1965 | The Battle of Ia Drang in the Vietnam War |
| An American Crime | 2007 | 1965 | The film tells the story of the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens by Indianapolis housewife Gertrude Baniszewski. |
| Born on the Fourth of July | 1989 | 1965–1968 | Ron Kovic's experiences in the Vietnam War |
| Coming Home | 2014 | 1966–1976 | Cultural Revolution in China. |
| W. | 2008 | 1966–2003 | The life and presidency of President of the United States George W. Bush |
| Platoon | 1985 | 1967–1968 | Vietnam War |
| Half of a Yellow Sun | 2013 | 1967–1970 | the Nigerian Civil War |
| Detroit | 2017 | 1967 | The 12th Street Riot in Detroit, Michigan |
| Bobby | 2006 | 1968 | The assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy |
| Full Metal Jacket | 1987 | 1968 | Battle of Huế in the Vietnam War |
| Coming Home | 1978 | 1968 | Vietnam War |
| The Damned United | 2009 | 1968–1975 | Brian Clough as manager of Derby County and Leeds United |
| American Gangster | 2007 | 1968–1976 | Frank Lucas and his heroin drug trade. |
| The Deer Hunter | 1978 | 1968–1975 | Vietnam War |
| Hamburger Hill | 1987 | 1969 | Battle of Hamburger Hill in the Vietnam War |
| Apocalypse Now | 1979 | 1969 | Vietnam War |
| Chappaquiddick | 2017 | 1969 | Chronicles the untold story of Ted Kennedy and the Chappaquiddick incident during July 1969. |
| Once Upon a Time in Hollywood | 2019 | 1969 | follows an actor and his stunt double as they navigate the changing film industry in Los Angeles, set during the time of the Manson murders |
| Nixon | 1995 | 1969–1974 | The political life of President of the United States Richard M. Nixon |
| Zodiac | 2007 | 1969–1975 | the Zodiac murders in Northern California |
| Secretariat | 2010 | 1969–1973 | Race horse Secretariat. |
Dekada '70
' | 2002 | 1970 | Based on the novel of the same name by Lualhati Bautista. The setting is the period of martial law in the Philippines, under the control of President Ferdinand Marcos. |
| Elvis & Nixon | 2016 | 1970 | The untold true story behind the meeting between Elvis Presley, the King of rock and roll, and President Richard Nixon. |
| Apollo 13 | 1995 | 1970 | Apollo 13 lunar mission |
| Bohemian Rhapsody | 2018 | 1970–1985 | Follows the band Queen from their formation all the way to the Live Aid concert. |
| Milk | 2008 | 1970–1978 | Gay rights activist Harvey Milk |
| Remember the Titans | 2000 | 1971 | Follows a desegregated high school's football team in 1970s Alexandria, Virginia |
| The Last King of Scotland | 2006 | 1971–1976 | President of Uganda Idi Amin |
| Pirates of Silicon Valley | 1999 | 1971–1997 | Follows the growth of the personal computer industry through the lives of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs |
| The Post | 2017 | 1971–1972 | Journalists from The Washington Post and The New York Times who published the Pentagon Papers, regarding the United States' covert political and military involvement during the Vietnam War. |
| Bloody Sunday | 2002 | 1972 | Bloody Sunday shootings in Northern Ireland |
| All the President's Men | 1976 | 1972 | The Nixon-era Watergate scandal |
| Alive | 1993 | 1972 | Crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 |
| Cry Freedom | 1987 | 1972–1978 | Steve Biko and Donald Woods in the apartheid era of South Africa |
| Munich | 2005 | 1972–1979 | Mossad efforts to avenge the Munich massacre, the murder of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Summer Olympics |
| All the Money in the World | 2017 | 1973 | The kidnapping of John Paul Getty III in July 1973. |
| Missing | 1982 | 1973 | The 1973 Chilean coup d'état and the murder of Charles Horman |
| Vinyl | 2016 | 1973 | The musical industry in 1973. |
| The Killing Fields | 1984 | 1973–1979 | The Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge regime |
| Balibo | 2009 | 1975 | the Indonesian invasion of East Timor and the Balibo Five |
| The Amityville Horror | 2005 | 1975 | A year after the murders of the DeFeo family in Amity, New York, another family moves into the house where the murders took place. Soon, it becomes clear that the house is haunted. The film was based on the novel The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson. The novel was inspired by real-life reports of a haunted house in Amity, and by the house's connection to six murders performed by former resident Ronald DeFeo Jr. in 1974. |
| Raid on Entebbe | 1977 | 1976 | The July 1976 rescue of passengers from a hijacked plane |
| Dazed and Confused | 1993 | 1976 | Based on Richard Linklater's life experiences. |
| Invincible | 2006 | 1976–1978 | story of Vince Papale, who played for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1976 to 1978 |
| Frost/Nixon | 2008 | 1977 | the Frost-Nixon interviews |
| Summer of Sam | 1999 | 1977 | The Son of Sam murders in New York City |
| Romero | 1989 | 1977–1980 | The assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero at the height of the Salvadorian Civil War |
| Boogie Nights | 1997 | 1977–1984 | Golden Age of Porn: The rise and fall of fictional pornographic film actor Dirk Diggler |
| Gracie | 2007 | 1978 | Six years after the introduction of Title IX |
| American Hustle | 2013 | 1978 | Abscam operation |
| Detroit Rock City | 1999 | 1978 | Four teenagers embark on a roadtrip from Columbus, Ohio, to Detroit, Michigan, to attend a concert by KISS, their favourite band. The film is named after the song Detroit Rock City and depicts a concert within Cobo Center. |
| 54 | 1998 | 1979 | The last year of Studio 54 in New York City. |
| ' | 1990 | 1979 | Aging Mafia Don Michael Corleone seeks to avow for his sins, while taking his nephew Vincent Mancini under his wing. The film is loosely based on the sudden death of Pope John Paul I, whose entire term lasted 33 days, and the Banco Ambrosiano scandal. |
| Argo | 2012 | 1979–1980 | A portrayal of the CIA's role in the Canadian Caper. |
| The 9th Company | 2005 | 1979–1989 | Young Soviet Army recruits are stuck in the bloody War in Afghanistan, that was started by politicians. |
| House of Saddam | 2008 | 1979–2006 | A mini-series that explores the inner workings of President of Iraq Saddam Hussein's family and his relationship with his closest advisers. |
| The Iron Lady | 2011 | 1979–1990 | An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband Denis Thatcher, as she struggles to come to terms with his death. Scenes from her past life, from girlhood to her terms as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, intervene. |
| ' | 2013 | 1980–1989 | Portrayal of Polish labor leader Lech Walesa and the Solidarity movement. |
| Oranges and Sunshine | 2010 | 1980s | Based on the book Empty Cradles by Margaret Humphreys about her investigations in British Home Children. |
| Miracle | 2004 | 1980 | The United States men's national ice hockey team's gold medal victory at the 1980 Winter Olympics |
| No Country For Old Men | 2007 | 1980 | While hunting in West Texas, Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon several dead men and dogs, and a suitcase full of cash. This makes him the target for psychotic hitman Anton Chigurh, who hunts him down to retrieve the stolen money. The film is based on the novel No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy, and dramatizes the illegal drug trade across the Mexico–United States border. The character Llewelyn Moss is depicted as a veteran of the Vietnam War. |
| The Reagans | 2003 | 1980–1989 | Legacy and career of Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy Reagan. |
| Charlie Wilson's War | 2007 | 1980–1989 | CIA's covert involvement in the Soviet–Afghan War |
| Goodbye Bafana | 2007 | 1980–1990 | Nelson Mandela's imprisonment |
| Barry | 2016 | 1981–2009 | A look into the early life of President of the United States Barack Obama. |
| Scarface | 1983 | 1980–1983 | Ruthless Cuban criminal Tony Montana arrives in Miami, Florida as part of the Mariel boatlift and builds a drug empire. The film was a remake of Scarface, and dramatizes the war on drugs and the illegal drug trade. |
| Catch a Fire | 2006 | 1980–1994 | Set during the early 1980s concerning the plight of the ANC's military wing in the apartheid-era of South Africa |
| The Falklands Play | 2002 | 1980–1982 | Diplomacy leading up to and during the Falklands War |
| Wonderland | 2003 | 1981 | Wonderland murders |
| Joker | 2019 | 1981 | In Gotham City, mentally-troubled comedian Arthur Fleck is disregarded and mistreated by society. He then embarks on a downward spiral of revolution and bloody crime. This path brings him face-to-face with his alter-ego: "The Joker". |
| Hunger | 2008 | 1981 | 1981 Irish hunger strike |
| The Americans | 2013–2018 | 1981–1987 | spy thriller series detailing the lives of KGB agents posing as Americans during the Cold War |
| An Ungentlemanly Act | 1992 | 1982 | The first days of the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands |
| Tumbledown | 1988 | 1982 | Falklands War |
| Heartbreak Ridge | 1986 | 1983 | United States invasion of Grenada: A hard-nosed, hard-living Marine gunnery sergeant clashes with his superiors and his ex-wife, as he takes command of a spoiled recon platoon with a bad attitude. |
| The Hunt for Red October | 1990 | 1984 | Soviet submarine during the late Cold War era |
| Steve Jobs | 2015 | 1984–1998 | Covers fourteen years of Steve Jobs' computing career |
| The Lives of Others | 2006 | 1984–1993 | In East Berlin, a Stasi agent is assigned to wire-tap a playwright and his lover, who are suspected to be disloyal to the GDR. However, the agent finds himself increasingly absorbed by their lives. |
| Paid in Full | 2002 | 1985 | During the Crack epidemic of the 1980s |
| Climber's High | 2008 | 1985 | Historical drama about Japan Airlines Flight 123 |
| Shizumanu Taiyō | 2009 | 1985 | Historical drama about Japan Airlines Flight 123 |
| Chernobyl | 2019 | 1986–1987 | Mini-series depicting the Chernobyl disaster. |
| ' | 2016 | 1986–2016 | A satirical rendition of Donald Trump's 1987 best selling business book, The Art of the Deal. |
| Foxcatcher | 2014 | 1986–1996 | Wrestling coach John Eleuthère du Pont and Wrestlers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz and the events of Foxcatcher farm in the lead up to, and following, the 1988 Summer Olympics. |
| Straight Outta Compton | 2015 | 1986–1996 | The story behind hip hop group, N.W.A |
| Endgame | 2009 | 1987–1990 | final days of apartheid in South Africa |
| Narcos | 2015 | 1989 | Pablo Escobar rules the Medellín Cartel. |
| Atomic Blonde | 2017 | 1989 | Spy thriller set in the days before, during and after the Fall of the Wall |
| Good Bye, Lenin! | 2003 | 1989–1990 | Fall of the Berlin Wall and German reunification |
| Jarhead | 2005 | 1989–1991 | Gulf War |
| Three Kings | 1999 | 1991 | 1991 uprisings in Iraq against Saddam Hussein and aftermath of the Gulf War and the Dissolution of the Soviet Union |
| The Perfect Storm | 2000 | 1991 | 1991 Perfect Storm |
| Invictus | 2009 | 1991–1995 | Post-apartheid South Africa and the 1995 Rugby World Cup |
| Welcome to Sarajevo | 1997 | 1992 | Bosnian War |
| No Man's Land | 2001 | 1992 | Bosnian War |
| As If I Am Not There | 2010 | 1992 | Bosnian War |
| In the Land of Blood and Honey | 2011 | 1992 | Bosnian War |
| Snowtown | 2011 | 1992–1999 | Snowtown murders |
| Black Hawk Down | 2001 | 1993 | The Battle of Mogadishu, Somali Civil War |
| The Fighter | 2010 | 1993 | About boxer Micky Ward and his family |
| Hotel Rwanda | 2004 | 1994 | Assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira and Rwandan genocide |
| Shooting Dogs | 2005 | 1994 | Rwandan genocide |
| Sometimes in April | 2005 | 1994 | Rwandan genocide |
| Shake Hands with the Devil | 2007 | 1994 | Rwandan genocide |
| The Special Relationship | 2010 | 1994–2001 | The United Kingdom–United States Special Relationship between Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair and President of the United States Bill Clinton |
| Savior | 1998 | 1995 | During the Bosnian War in former Yugoslavia |
| Pain & Gain | 2013 | 1995 | Based on the criminal activities of the short-lived Sun Gym gang of Miami Lakes, Florida, which consisted mostly of bodybuilders. In the film, a trio of bodybuilders in Florida get caught up in an extortion ring and a kidnapping scheme that goes terribly wrong. |
| Behind Enemy Lines | 2001 | 1995 | the Mrkonjić Grad incident during the Bosnian War in former Yugoslavia |
| The Queen | 2006 | 1997 | A fictional account of the immediate events following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales |
| Open Water | 2003 | 1998 | Tom and Eileen Lonergan |
| American Sniper | 2014 | 1998–2011 | Based on the 2012 memoir of former US Navy SEAL, Chris Kyle |
| Blood Diamond | 2006 | 1999 | During the Sierra Leone Civil War |
| The Rookie | 2002 | 1999–2000 | The story of Jim Morris, an American baseball player who reached the major leagues at the age of 35 |
