You may have heard that this is a Presidential election year, dear reader. And even if you’re not a political junkie glued to cable television, you may find that a viewing marathon of movies with political themes is in order. After all, film can sometimes be a clearer and sharper window into our collective history than the daily headlines. Our correspondent Abbie Martin Greenbaum has curated a list of the best movies about American politics, politicians and political campaigns. Curious about which films give us the most insight into the political process in America? Read on.
January is the perfect month for films with political themes
This seems like a good moment look back and reflect on the history of politics and politicians in the United States as seen on the big screen.
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Not only are we a month away from Presidents’ Day Weekend, we are only a few months from the 2020 Presidential Election. It seems everyone has politics on the brain. There’s plenty to critique and celebrate in our shared history – and also so many big personalities from real life to learn more about. Because let’s face it: sometimes the truth about politics in reality is far, far stranger than fiction.
the best movies about American politics and politicians
In that spirit, here are our top picks of films with political themes that are worth re-watching, each of them illuminating a different part of the past American century, or an essential element of the American psyche.
1. All the President’s Men
The 1976 movie All the President’s Men is one of the most iconic American films of all time on any topic. It’s fitting to start our list of the best movies about American politics and politicians with this 4-time Oscar-winning film.
The best movies about political campaigns: All the President’s Men. Courtesy Photo.
It’s a fictional re-telling of the true story of how two Washington Post reporters, Bob Woodward (Robert Redford) and Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) uncovered the details of the Watergate scandal that ultimately led to President Richard Nixon’s resignation.
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2. Selma
Ava DuVernay took our collective breath away with Selma, her 2014 film about Martin Luther King Jr. and the civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery during the summer of 1965.
The best movies about politics and politicians: Selma. Courtesy Photo.
The film is an epic, emotional portrait of the history of racial inequality and injustice in America. And the cast is stellar: David Oyelowo is Dr. King. Other cast members include Oprah Winfrey, Carmen Ejogo, Tessa Thompson, Common and Wendell Pierce. Their performances put a human face on the pivotal events of three months in America’s history, sweeping from moments of wrenching violence to triumphant catharsis. People will be talking about this film for many years to come – it’s immensely powerful and well-made. And still highly relevant today.
3. All the Way
The 2016 HBO film All the Way is perfect companion viewing alongside Selma. In it, the brilliant Bryan Cranston portrays Lyndon Baines Johnson, who ascends to the Presidency in the tragic aftermath of John F. Kennedy’s assassination.
The best films with political themes: All the Way. Courtesy Photo.
Based on the acclaimed Broadway play, which also starred Cranston, this is a fictional account of the true story of how LBJ used his prodigious political gifts and trove of political capital to pass the Civil Rights Act of 1964, outlawing discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex or national background.
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4. Knock Down the House
This documentary about a select group of candidates in the 2018 Congressional elections, including Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez exploded at Sundance 2019, where it won the Audience Choice Award for best documentary. Knock Down the House one of those movies that is quietly miraculous in its existence.
The best movies about politics and politicians: Knock Down the House. Courtesy Photo.
So much of the footage comes from long before anyone knew what a sensation AOC would become. It gives you a front row seat to all of the highs and lows that come with trying to make a difference as a potential political leader. And the sheer grit that it takes. There is something really moving in watching her succeed while others who ran at the same time – who are also profiled here – did not.
5. Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed
Before there was AOC, or Barak Obama, there was Shirley Chisholm. Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed is a must-watch documentary on the Brooklyn-based Congresswoman’s 1972 presidential bid.
U.S. Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm at the Democratic National Convention, July 1972. (Photo by Pictorial Parade/Getty Images)
She was a true pioneer: the first African-American to seek a major party’s presidential nomination. While she didn’t win the nomination, she did blaze a trail that others have successfully followed.
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6. Lincoln
You may remember Lincoln, the 2012 Oscar-nominated film that was written by Tony Kushner and directed by Steven Spielberg. The film is not a straight biopic, though it does draw from the biography of the President by Doris Kearns Goodwin, Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln.
The best movies about American politicians and political campaigns: Lincoln. Courtesy Photo.
It captures Lincoln’s presidency through the Civil War, and stars Daniel Day-Lewis in one of his greatest and most transformational roles. If you are looking for a film that is beautifully written to take you for a brief trip through time, look no further.
7. Malcolm X
At three hours and twenty-two minutes, Malcolm X is a film that may seem like a lot to commit to – but you absolutely should commit to watching Spike Lee’s masterpiece. It is a biopic in the best possible way, combining tremendous visuals and Denzel Washington’s incredible performance to show what is truly the tale of a full life.
The best movies about American politicians and political campaigns: Malcolm X. Courtesy Photo.
Showing how Malcolm X became the man he is famous for being, how he amassed political power and how he chose to wield it, this is an essential American story brought to brilliant life. This is a film that uses the medium to its fullest extent, not merely telling you a story, but using every possible detail to take in the viewer and convey an entire life.
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8. Milk
Milk in this case refers to Harvey Milk, the first openly gay ever elected to public office. Here he is played exquisitely by Sean Penn, in a heartrending biopic from Gus Van Sant.
The best movies about American politicians and political campaigns: Milk. Courtesy Photo.
The film takes you all the way from the beginning of Milk’s career to its tragic end, showing the ways in which Milk inspired so many people in the fight for equal rights.
9. Weiner
Remember Anthony Weiner? In case you missed this excellent 2016 documentary, Weiner follows the congressman from his 2011 resignation through his 2013 run for Mayor of New York.
The best movies about American political campaigns: Weiner. Courtesy Photo.
Because the movie was being filmed in real time, the second half of Weiner’s scandal unfurled as the footage was being captured, meaning that you get to watch the film crackle with irresistible, real-life tension as the events unfold.
10. Wag the Dog
Films with political themes occasionally actually change the way we think about the real world of politics. The 1997 film Wag the Dog gave birth to a common phrase that is still used today to describe a President’s decision to take a military action to distract the public from domestic political problems or scandals. (it’s a shorthand version of the old saying “don’t let the tail wag the dog.”)
The best movies about American politics, politicians and political campaigns: Wag the Dog. Courtesy Photo.
In this dark comedy, directed by Barry Levinson and nominated for two Oscars, a spin-doctor (Robert DeNiro) and a Hollywood producer (Dustin Hoffman) join forces to fabricate a war in Albania in order to cover up a Presidential sex scandal. The idea is that the sitting Commander in Chief will heroically end the conflict, saving American lives, boosting his popularity and returning him to office for a second term. If any of this makes you nervous, it should.
11. Frost/Nixon
Based on the play of the same name, Ron Howard’s 2008 film Frost/Nixon is a magnetic retelling of former President Richard Nixon’s interview with British journalist David Frost.
Our picks for the best movies about American politics: Frost/Nixon. Courtesy Photo.
It captures each of the sit-downs between the two men on the days leading up to Nixon’s televised confession of his involvement in the Watergate scandal and his subsequent resignation. This is the perfect example of how quality film-making can take even a story we know the end of and make it an exhilarating cinematic experience.
12. 13th
Also from Ava DuVernay, the film 13th is one of the best films with political themes and one of the most significant documentaries of the past decade. It’s a perfectly made, profoundly upsetting film about the history of systemic racial injustice in America.
Our picks for the best movies about American politics: 13th. Courtesy Photo.
The specific focus is on the prison industrial complex, taking the viewer all the way from the Civil War through 2017. It illuminates how the past relates to the present, and it’s a must-watch.
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13. The American President
Directed by Rob Reiner and written by Aaron Sorkin, fans of the TV show The West Wing will love The American President. It has much of the same lively, hopeful tone and touches on many of the same political themes.
The best movies about politics and politicians: The American President. Courtesy Photo.
Here in 2020, the world looks very different than it did during the era in which this movie was made. So there is a kind of comforting nostalgia re-watching this film. Especially since the story also functions as a romantic comedy between the President, played by Michael Douglass, and an environmental lobbyist, played by Annette Bening.
14. Good Night, and Good Luck
In another film about a journalist saving the day, George Clooney directs, writes and stars in Good Night and Good Luck, a film about Edward Murrow. who went after Joseph McCarthy in the 1950’s.
The best movies about politics and politicians: Good Night and Good Luck. Courtesy Photo.
The film uses its formidable cast and precise script to illustrate both the darkness of this time in our history and the power that the press can wield when they choose to protect us. It is as entertaining and full of cinematic twists and turns as it is informative of actual history.
15. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
How could a list of films with political themes be complete without Frank Capra’s Mr. Smith Goes to Washington? Despite coming out in 1939, this is one of those movies that stands the test of time.
The best movies politics politicians: Mr. Smith Goes to Washington. Courtesy Photo.
It is a film about the fate of idealism in the hands of the political system and is made with the kind of gold-hearted optimism typical of Capra’s films. Watch Jimmy Stewart take on the US Senate, and feel a little better about the world afterwards.
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16. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb
We all need a little comedy in our lives. These movies range from stomach-churning drama to existentially apocalyptic. At the end of your marathon of watching movies with political themes, turn on Dr. Strangelove, the dark comedy about that time General Jack D. Ripper went after the Soviet Union.
The best movies about politics and politicians: Dr. Strangelove. Courtesy Photo.
17. The War Room
This 1993 Oscar-nominated documentary about Bill Clinton’s 1992 Presidential bid was recommended by one our readers as a must-see for political junkies. And he’s right: The War Room is catnip for anyone who wants a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to get a candidate elected to office.
The best movies about politics and politicians: The War Room. Courtesy Photo.
James Carville and George Stephanopoulos are the real stars here – the candidate himself is almost invisible. Which may be part of the point.
18. A Perfect Candidate
Another documentary, this one about Oliver North’s failed bid in 1994 for a US Senate seat from Virginia, the 1996 film A Perfect Candidate is a reminder that internecine party warfare can be more lethal to a candidate’s hopes than the actual opposition.
Lt. Col. Oliver North before the Iran Contra Committee. Photo Credit: AP Photo/Lana Harris.
Lt. Col. North finds himself competing against not just Democrat Chuck Robb, but also against his own party. He’s the third candidate in the race, because independent and former Virginia Republican Party insider Marshall Coleman has been endorsed by the beloved Republican Governor at the time. Potential spoiler candidates take note: it doesn’t end well.
19. Boys State
the best films with political themes
That’s it! Our top picks for the best movies about politics and politicians. What’s your favorite? Did we miss anything?
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Abbie Martin Greenbaum grew up in New York City and currently lives in Brooklyn, where she drinks a lot of coffee and matches roommates together for a living. At Oberlin College, she studied English and Cinema, which are still two of her favorite things, along with dessert and musical theater. She believes in magic.
