The Best History Movies of All Time
The definitive history watchlist, ranked by the people who actually watched them — over 160K ratings sit behind this page. Schindler's List takes the top spot at 8.6, followed by Saving Private Ryan and Green Book. Start at number one and work down; there is no filler in the first twenty.
20 titles · average score 8.1 ·
The top 5 picks
- 1
Schindler's List (1993)
★ 8.6 · 17,751 ratingsThe true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II.
- 2
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
★ 8.2 · 17,609 ratingsAs U.S. troops storm the beaches of Normandy, three brothers lie dead on the battlefield, with a fourth trapped behind enemy lines. Ranger captain John Miller and seven men are tasked with penetrating German-held…
- 3
Green Book (2018)
★ 8.2 · 13,110 ratingsTony Lip, a bouncer in 1962, is hired to drive pianist Don Shirley on a tour through the Deep South in the days when African Americans, forced to find alternate accommodations and services due to segregation laws below…
- 4
Come and See (1985)
★ 8.2 · 1,913 ratingsThe invasion of a village in Belarus by German forces sends young Florya into the forest to join the weary Resistance fighters, against his family's wishes. There he meets a girl, Glasha, who accompanies him back to his…
- 5
Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
★ 8.2 · 15,143 ratingsWWII American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first Conscientious Objector in American history to receive the Congressional Medal of Honor.
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How this list is ranked
Nothing on this page is hand-picked to hit a word count. We pull films matching this list's criteria from TMDB, require a real audience behind each score, and rank by that score — 20 titles averaging 8.1. The page rebuilds daily, so new releases appear here as soon as enough people have rated them.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best history movie ever made?
By audience score, Schindler's List (1993) — 8.6 from 18K ratings. Saving Private Ryan, Green Book and Come and See round out the top of the list.
Where should I start with history movies?
Start at number one and work down. The first ten on this page are the genre's consensus picks; below that the list gets more varied and is a good place to find something you have not seen.
Is this list updated?
Yes — it rebuilds every day from TMDB, so newly released movies appear as soon as enough people have rated them. You do not need an account to browse it, and there is no paywall on anything at MovieAI.