30 Gripping Films Exploring War, Conflict, and History Through Time

Diaz - Don't Clean Up This Blood

2012 • 127 min • Budget $6M • Box office $1M

Drama, History

In July 2001, Genoa, Italy, became the site of massive protests against the G8 summit, drawing over 200,000 demonstrators. Clashes erupted between anti-globalization activists and police, culminating in the fatal shooting of a 23-year-old protester, Carlo Giuliani, after he confronted…

7.1

7.3

The Day of the Siege: September Eleven 1683

2012 • 114 min • Budget $16M

History, Adventure, Drama

In the summer of 1683, 300,000 Ottoman soldiers lay siege to Vienna, threatening to open the door for conquest of Europe. The pivotal moment arrives on September 11th, when Polish cavalry, led by King Jan III Sobieski, clashes with the…

4.3

4.4

17+

The Guillotines

2012 • 113 min • Budget $15M • Box office $5K

Action, History, Adventure

During the Qing Dynasty, Emperor Yongzheng established a clandestine army called the Guillotines. Their mission was to safeguard the Emperor by eliminating anyone perceived as a danger to him or his authority. After 348 successful assignments, the Guillotines receive a…

5.5

4.8

17+

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Britain's Greatest Codebreaker

2012 • 84 min

Documentary, Drama, History

Alan Turing was a brilliant British mathematician who played a crucial role in deciphering the German Enigma code during World War II, a feat that likely saved countless lives. Despite his vital contributions, Turing was not recognized during his life.…

5.9

7.0

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WWII From Space

2012 • 88 min

Documentary, History, War

WWII from Space presents World War II with a unique perspective. This HISTORY special uses satellite imagery to show the conflict from above, providing a global view of key events. It recreates historical moments and illustrates how events unfolded simultaneously,…

7.3

7.4

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The Last Tycoon

2012 • 118 min

Drama, History

Set up by the police chief, young Cheng is forced to abandon his life and the woman he loves, Qiu. After escaping prison, he rapidly climbs the ranks of Shanghai's criminal underworld, becoming one of the city's most powerful mob…

6.4

6.5

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+10

In the Fog

2012 • 127 min

Drama, War, History

1942. The Soviet Union's western borderlands are occupied by Germany. A man is falsely accused of working with the enemy. Determined to clear his name, he is forced to confront a deeply difficult ethical dilemma.

6.2

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You Are God

2012 • 110 min • Budget $1M

Drama, Music, History

This film follows Magik, Fokus, and Rahim – three friends who rise to prominence in the late 1990s music scene. Based on a true story, it details their persistent fight for success with their band, Paktofonika, set against the backdrop…

6.4

6.7

How to Survive a Plague

2012 • 109 min • Box office $122K

Documentary, History

This is the story of two activist groups, ACT UP and TAG, who revolutionized the fight against AIDS. Through innovative activism, they transformed a deadly disease into something manageable. Without medical backgrounds, these determined individuals challenged the pharmaceutical industry, helping…

6.8

7.6

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+11

Xingu

2012 • 102 min

Drama, History

In the 1940s, three brothers – Orlando, Claudius, and Leonardo Villas Boas – embark on a daring adventure by joining the Roncador-Xingu Expedition to explore and develop the heart of Central Brazil. The brothers lead the expedition as they blaze…

7.4

7.1

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Gonzaga: From Father to Son

2012 • 120 min

Drama, History, Music

Luiz Gonzaga leaves his hometown for the city, seeking a fresh start after a heartbreak. There, he meets and falls in love with Odaleia. The arrival of his son and his wife's declining health prompt him to return to his…

7.2

7.5

Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring

2012 • 95 min

Comedy, History

In 1733, Johann Sebastian Bach delivers a surprising and intense music lesson at the Leipzig church.

7.4

7.7

Rose

2012 • 90 min • Budget $1M

Drama, History, War

Rose, a woman from Masuria, struggles to survive alone on her farm after her German soldier husband dies in the war. Vulnerable as a single woman, she faces violence from both Russian soldiers seeking revenge and desperate Polish civilians. She…

7.1

7.6

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The Untold History Of The United States

2012 • 585 min

Documentary, History

Oliver Stone chronicles the history of the United States, spanning the period from World War II to the present day.

8.1

8.6

17+

Purge

2012 • 125 min • Budget $3M

Drama, History

During Stalin's Great Terror, Aliide endured immense hardship. Decades later, living in isolation, she encounters Zara, a young woman who has just escaped from Russian mafia sex slavery. Both survivors, Aliide and Zara begin to explore their pasts, and their…

6.8

7.1

Les Misérables

2012 • 158 min • Budget $61M • Box office $442M

History, Drama

This film adapts the popular stage musical, which itself is based on Victor Hugo's 19th-century French novel. Jean Valjean, who served a prison sentence for stealing bread, is relentlessly pursued by Police Inspector Javert. Their ongoing chase dominates their lives,…

7.3

7.5

13+

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Piazza Fontana: The Italian Conspiracy

2012 • 129 min

Drama, Crime, Mystery

In December 1969, a bombing at a Milan bank kills 17 people, triggering a period of intense political unrest known as the Years of Lead. Italian authorities and the press quickly blame local anarchists for the attack. However, a determined…

7.2

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Hyde Park on Hudson

2012 • 94 min • Box office $8M

Comedy, Drama, History

This is the story of the relationship between Franklin D. Roosevelt and his second cousin, Margaret Stuckley, focusing on a weekend in 1939 when King George VI and Queen Elizabeth visited upstate New York.

5.2

5.9

17+

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No

2012 • 118 min • Box office $2M

Drama, History

In 1988, facing international pressure, Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet is compelled to hold a vote on whether he can stay in power for another eight years. Opposition leaders recruit a young, ambitious advertising executive named René Saavedra to lead their…

7.2

7.4

17+

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Escape

2012 • 76 min

Action, History

A decade after the Black Death ravaged the land, a poor family journeys in search of a better life. While traveling through a deserted mountain pass, they are attacked by a brutal gang of thieves. Nineteen-year-old Signe is the sole…

5.9

6.1

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Game Change

2012 • 118 min

TV Movie, Drama, Comedy

In the 2008 Republican presidential race, John McCain chooses Alaskan Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate. As the campaign intensifies, her inexperience with both politics and the media proves to be a burden for McCain and his advisors.

6.9

7.4

17+

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Rommel

2012 • 120 min

Action, War, History

This is the story of the last seven months of German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel's life.

6.2

6.6

14+

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+12

Asura

2012 • 76 min

Animation, Drama, History

Lost and alone in the desolate landscapes of Kyoto, a feral orphan fights for survival. His encounters with people force him to confront his primal instincts and learn to control his violent nature.

7.2

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A Royal Affair

2012 • 137 min • Budget $8M • Box office $14M

Drama, History, Romance

A young queen develops feelings for her royal physician, and together they ignite a revolution that fundamentally alters their country.

7.4

7.5

17+

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+10

Masquerade

2012 • 131 min

Drama, History

To save his kingdom from descending into turmoil after the king is poisoned, a commoner who bears an uncanny resemblance to him secretly assumes the throne, risking his own life in the process.

7.7

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Red Tails

2012 • 125 min • Budget $58M • Box office $50M

Drama, Action, Adventure

This is the story of the Tuskegee Airmen, the pioneering African-American pilots who served in a combat squadron during World War II.

6.6

5.9

13+

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Outlaws - For Greater Glory

2012 • 145 min • Budget $12M • Box office $10M

History, Drama, Action

This is the story of the Cristero War (1926-1929), a conflict sparked by a rebellion against the Mexican government's efforts to remove religion from public life.

6.8

6.6

17+

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Anna Karenina

2012 • 130 min • Budget $40M • Box office $68M

Drama, Romance, History

In Imperial Russia, Anna Karenin travels to Moscow to see her brother. There, she encounters the captivating cavalry officer Vronsky and is instantly drawn to him. However, pursuing a relationship of this nature poses a severe threat to a woman's…

6.7

6.6

17+

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Lincoln

2012 • 149 min • Budget $65M • Box office $275M

History, Drama

This is the story of Abraham Lincoln's challenging last months as President. As the country grapples with civil war and a nation shifting towards change, Lincoln works to bring an end to the conflict, reunite the nation, and abolish slavery.…

6.9

7.3

13+

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Rurouni Kenshin Part I: Origins

2012 • 134 min • Box office $61M

Adventure, Action, Fantasy

Following the end of the Bakumatsu war in 1868, Kenshin Himura, a former assassin, journeys across Japan wielding his sword reversed. He dedicates himself to protecting the vulnerable, striving to do so without taking lives.

7.5

7.4

17+

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