Best History Movies of This Year (So Far)

At the tense 1938 Munich Conference, former friends who now work for opposing governments become reluctant spies racing to expose a Nazi secret.

In 1909, two explorers fight to survive after they're left behind while on a Denmark expedition in ice-covered Greenland.

The Crawley family goes on a grand journey to the South of France to uncover the mystery of the dowager countess's newly inherited villa.

In 1943, two British intelligence officers concoct Operation Mincemeat, wherein their plan to drop a corpse with false papers off the coast of Spain would fool Nazi spies into believing the Allied forces were planning to attack by way of Greece rather than Sicily.

Four hard-hitting stores, from the deadliest period in U.S. Army Aviation, since Vietnam. Actual footage from the events, and interviews from the Soldiers, who were there - bring these intense and touching stories of courage and sacrifice to life.

King Louis XIV's quest for immortality leads him to capture and steal a mermaid's life force, a move that is further complicated by his illegitimate daughter's discovery of the creature.

Harry Haft is a boxer who fought fellow prisoners in the concentration camps to survive. Haunted by the memories and his guilt, he attempts to use high-profile fights against boxing legends like Rocky Marciano as a way to find his first love again.

A retelling of the biblical book of Hosea set against the backdrop of the California Gold Rush of 1850.

Acclaimed actors draw from five of Douglass’ legendary speeches, to represent a different moment in the tumultuous history of 19th century America as well as a different stage of Douglass’ long and celebrated life, while famed scholars provide context for the speeches, and remind us that Frederick Douglass’ words about racial injustice still resonate deeply today.

A man narrates stories of his life as a 10-year-old boy in 1969 Houston, weaving tales of nostalgia with a fantastical account of a journey to the moon.

Ken Burns’s four-hour documentary, Benjamin Franklin, explores the revolutionary life of one of the 18th century’s most consequential figures, whose work and words unlocked the mystery of electricity and helped create the United States.

The story of soldier and poet Siegfried Sassoon (1886–1967), who was decorated for bravery on the Western Front, and is best remembered for his angry and compassionate poems about the First World War, which brought him public and critical acclaim. Avoiding the sentimentality and jingoism of many war poets, Sassoon wrote of the horror and brutality of trench warfare and contemptuously satirised generals, politicians, and churchmen for their incompetence and blind support of the war.

Insiders recount the events, controversies and effects of the accident at the Three Mile Island nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania.

When a pack of werewolves attack a medieval village, Thorfinn, whose lover perished in the attack, joins knights Thomas, Osmund, Hamelin, and Hal Skullsplitter as they lead the fight back against the vicious lycanthropes.

Former P.O.W. Jack Calgrove moves Heaven and Earth to be reunited with his children following the Civil War. After returning home, Jack discovers that his wife has tragically died and his children, presumed to be orphans, are heading deep into the West on a train crossing enemy lines, with the intent of being placed into new homes. Calgrove and another soldier team up with a troop of Native American sharpshooters and a freed slave as they try to stop the train.

Ursula Todd dies one night in 1910 before she can draw her first breath. On that same night in 1910, Ursula is born and survives

Based on a true story of a meeting in June 1945 between two powerful men with very opposite philosophies and perspectives on the future of their country.

Laleh is a true story of a young woman in post-revolution Iran, struggling against all odds to break through in one of the most male dominated sports worldwide.

Kenai, Alaska. July 1998. Commercial fishing has been closed for nine days. Dozens of workers have lost nearly an entire year's income waiting for regulations to lift... all while a nearby tourist spot teems with joyfully unregulated sportfishermen.

Valentine Gallardo, a Mexican matador is torn between the love of his life and his love for bullfighting after having a near-death injury in his last fight. Valentin has to come to terms with what is truly important to him, family or fame.

When President Abraham Lincoln discovers a group of villians plotting to destroy fashion, he decides that he needs to get history's strongest heros together to destroy them.

In the 1960s the cattle mutilation phenomenon became a widespread concern across the American west. Cases erupted around states like Wyoming, South Dakota and Colorado of livestock being preyed upon in ways that puzzled even established scientists. Today, cattle mutilations are thought to go hand in hand with mysterious objects in the skies (commonly referred to as UFOs or UAPs) and that’s what first brought indie documentary crew Small Town Monsters and investigator Shannon LeGro to the Miller Ranch in southern Colorado.

The Year is 1966, a Boy and a Girl get ready for their date together

32 years after the fall of communism and one hundred years after the founding of the Romanian Communist Party, three young independent filmmakers set out to make their feature film debut with a film about an invisible enemy, the radioactive cloud since 1986. Although a large part of the artistic team of the film The Lost Year 1986 was born after the 1989 Revolution, they will tell with humor and sincerity the story of a family from a village in communist Romania, affected by the Chernobyl nuclear accident.

Following the recent news of the history-making discovery of Shackleton’s ship The Endurance, Shackleton’s Endurance: The Lost Ice Ship Found will serve as a definitive look at Sir Ernest Shackleton’s historic and ill-fated 1914 Antarctic expedition resulting in the loss of his highly revered ship, Endurance, as well as maritime archaeologists’ relentless mission to find this holy grail of shipwrecks.

Preserving American Jazz and the efforts of Dr. Albert Vollmer for his life's work in honoring Jazz's Senior Citizenry through the founding of the Harlem Blues and Jazz Band. Founded in 1973 by trombonist Clyde Bernhardt and jazz aficionado Albert Vollmer, the Harlem Blues & Jazz Band became the world's most authentic swing band. It stars veteran jazz and blues musicians (64 to 96 years old) whose roots reach back to the classic period of the 20's and 30's. These 'originals' actually did 'jump' at the Woodside and 'stomp' at the Savoy, with Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Count Basie, Lionel Hampton

The story of the Czech immigrant experience in Chicago, past and present. Spanning nearly two centuries of turbulent times, it shows how the Bohemians helped build and shape the city, and what Chicago did in turn, to empower them to thrive in a new land and help establish a free and sovereign Czechoslovakia

Over 3,500 years ago, the powerful Shang Dynasty emerged from the Central Chinese plains. Their armies were led by a fierce and brilliant young general - her name was Fu Hao.

You think you know Kong? Think again. Explore the wonders of Skull Island with over 30 interviews compiled by director Tom Grove. With a run time of 250 minutes, this docu-series goes into detail about every aspect of Kong's cinematic history.

ROY G BIV re-creates [sic] a gallery in the Philadelphia Museum of Art–the Artist’s hometown museum–that houses sculptures by Constantin Brancusi. Da Corte plays four characters in the video: the artist Marcel Duchamp; Duchamp’s female alter ego, Rrose Sélavy; Duchamp dressed as the Joker in Tim Burton’s 1989 film Batman; and one of two figures in Brancusi’s sculpture The Kiss (1916), who comes to life via stop motion animation. The accumulation of color and eventual emancipation of The Kiss is central to this story of love, loss, and transformation. [Overview courtesy of the Whitney Museum of American Art]

Encounters at the edges of imperialism. An experimental documentary concerning mega-corp Foxconn's Wisconsin Deal.

Five-time Olympic medalist and Native Hawaiian Duke Paoa Kahinu Mokoe Hulikohola Kahanamoku shattered records and brought surfing to the world while overcoming a lifetime of personal challenges. Waterman explores his journey and legacy as a legendary swimmer, trailblazer, and the undisputed father of modern-day surfing, following the sport’s first-time inclusion in this year’s Summer Olympics – a fitting tribute to his work promoting the sport around the globe.

For the first time in company history, the Met presents the original five-act French version of Verdi’s epic opera of doomed love among royalty, set against the backdrop of the Spanish Inquisition. Patrick Furrer leads a world-beating cast of opera’s leading lights in this March 26 performance, including tenor Matthew Polenzani in the title role, soprano Sonya Yoncheva as Élisabeth de Valois, and mezzo-soprano El?na Garan?a as Eboli. Bass Günther Groissböck and bass-baritone John Relyea are Philippe II and the Grand Inquisitor, and baritone Étienne Dupuis rounds out the all-star principal cast as Rodrigue. Verdi’s masterpiece receives a monumental new staging by David McVicar that marks his 11th Met production, placing him among the most prolific and popular directors in recent Met memory. This live cinema transmission is part of the Met’s award-winning Live in HD series, bringing opera to movie theaters across the globe.

The wife of a former general in the German army received a letter in witch she was informed that her husband has to enlist in the German army and fight on the frontline. Affected by this news, she opposed the commanders who brought the letter, which shot her on the site. Her husband, in an act of revenge, starts being a hero on the frontline, violating orders and deciding the fate of the battle of Verdun.

This wonderfully entertaining dance documentary tells the extraordinary story of how Irish dance developed over centuries from a traditional peasant dance to a form that has taken the world by storm and is enjoyed by tens of millions. The film shows how Irish dance has both been influenced by and influenced the dance of many cultures and how it developed as an expression of resistance.

In the eighteenth century, the family of BBC World News anchor and correspondent, Laura Trevelyan, were absentee slave owners on the island of Grenada, profiting for years from the sale of sugar harvested from five different sugar cane plantations. When slavery was abolished in 1834, the UK government paid compensation to slave owners, but the enslaved received nothing. In the wake of the racial reckoning in America following the death of George Floyd, Grenada's national commission on reparations for slavery has begun to meet and debate what reparations means. In this film, Laura she travels to Grenada to try and learn more about the legacy of slavery on Grenada and her family's involvement in the slave trade.

A look into the life of American astronaut John S. Bull from the original class of 19 astronauts chosen to go to the Moon in the 60's. Director Vince Williams Writers Vince WilliamsJarrett KsiazekJames Michael Douglas Stars Jacob YoungAmanda BakerEthan Pogue

Historical drama centered around Theosophical Society, one of the most controversial organizations of the 19th century.

A short story taking place during the COVID-19 pandemic, following a boy named Alex as he struggles his way through the restrictions that were set.

Ben Fogle uncovers one of the untold stories of the Falklands War - a battle fought by 70 British Marines against an Argentine invading force ten times that number.

Edgar, a young man in his 20s goes on social media everyday. He lives and breathes Instagram, Twitter, Snapchat. Edgar soon questions the meaning of the platforms and any kind of use for it.

1974 Beirut. It's the height of the Cold War. A Yemeni politician is shot dead in his car. Almost 50 years later, his granddaughter Mai Noman, a BBC journalist, seeks answers.

Ardal O’Hanlon explores a 1930s quest to find the first Irish men and women using archaeology, answering his deepest questions about what it means to be Irish.

Discover how the 1900 outbreak of bubonic plague set off feat and anti-Asian sentiment in San Francisco. A fascinating medical mystery and timely examination of the relationship between the medical community, city powerbrokers and the Chinese-American community, Plague at the Golden Gate tells the gripping story of the race against time to save San Francisco and the nation from the deadly plague.

Hulu Original. ABC News Studios. As the war between Russia and Ukraine rages, this George Stephanopoulos documentary pulls back the curtain on the rise of the two men at the center of the conflict – Russian President Vladimir Putin and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy.

The village of Odenton is cursed. Every month, for three nights as long as days, the sky turns purple, and the moon red. Doors lock, curtains close, and Odenton falls silent...as beasts arrive to hunt. Not a soul is heard...except for a Doctor determined to cure the curse, and end the BLOODHAVEN.

Madre Drone was made at a period of crisis, that encompassed decades of political, economic, and environmental catastrophes in South America, including: the burning of Bolivia's Chiquitania dry forests and Amazon rainforests; mass uprisings in Santiago, Chile over low wages and the high cost of living; and eruptions of police brutality. Created while Domínguez was volunteering at an improvised animal shelter that cared for wildlife burned or maimed in the forest fires, the dreamlike video Madre Drone draws a line between environmental disaster and human political crisis. In it, imagery of a toucan blinded by flames merges with laser-clad robots, cosmic serpents, spy drones, and footage of protests in Santiago, during which hundreds suffered eye trauma from hardened rubber bullets and tear gas fired by Chilean security forces. [Overview courtesy of New Museum]

As his health rapidly deteriorates, legendary Algonquin Park fishing guide Frank Kuiack spends his last fishing season searching for someone to whom he can pass on his wisdom.

The Bayeux Tapestry is a remarkable and unique work of art that has survived for almost 1,000 years. Made in the 11th century, it tells the story of William of Normandy’s claim to the English throne, culminating in the Norman invasion of England and the Battle of Hastings. At nearly 70 metres in length, the Bayeux Tapestry includes 623 characters, hundreds of animals and a wide diversity of scenes depicting everyday life and epic events. It is a treasure trove of information, offering an extraordinary insight into a pivotal moment in history.