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Best History Movies of the 1990s
#1 Schindler's List (1993) · ★ 8.6 · 17,970 votes · 3h 15m · drama, history, warThe 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 · 17,802 votes · 2h 49m · drama, history, warAs 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 tas…
#3 Casino (1995) · ★ 8.0 · 6,758 votes · 2h 59m · drama, history, crimeIn Las Vegas, two best friends--a casino executive and a Mafia enforcer--compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.…
#4 Paris Is Burning (1991) · ★ 8.0 · 571 votes · 1h 18m · history, documentaryWhere does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African A…
#5 Braveheart (1995) · ★ 7.9 · 11,460 votes · 2h 58m · action, drama, historyEnraged at the slaughter of Murron, his new bride and childhood love, Scottish warrior William Wallace slays a platoon of the local English lord's soldiers. This leads the village…
#6 Ninja Scroll (1993) · ★ 7.8 · 784 votes · 1h 34m · action, fantasy, adventureJubei is a masterless ninja who travels the land alone, lending his services to those with gold—or a worthy cause. His fearsome abilities have served him well, but a plot to overth…
#7 The Straight Story (1999) · ★ 7.7 · 1,887 votes · 1h 52m · adventure, drama, historyRetired farmer and widower Alvin Straight learns one day that his estranged brother Lyle has suffered a severe stroke. Alvin is determined to make things right with Lyle while he s…
#8 October Sky (1999) · ★ 7.7 · 1,504 votes · 1h 47m · drama, family, historyThe true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes.…
#9 Selena (1997) · ★ 7.7 · 1,342 votes · 2h 7m · drama, history, musicIn this biographical drama, Selena Quintanilla is born into a musical Mexican-American family in Texas. Her father, Abraham, realizes that his young daughter is talented and begins…
#10 JFK (1991) · ★ 7.6 · 2,506 votes · 3h 9m · thriller, drama, historyFollows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison.…
#11 Malcolm X (1992) · ★ 7.6 · 2,003 votes · 3h 22m · action, drama, historyA tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then…
#12 Apollo 13 (1995) · ★ 7.5 · 6,125 votes · 2h 20m · drama, historyThe true story of technical troubles that scuttle the Apollo 13 lunar mission in 1970, risking the lives of astronaut Jim Lovell and his crew, with the failed journey turning into…
#13 Ed Wood (1994) · ★ 7.5 · 2,594 votes · 2h 7m · comedy, drama, historyThe mostly true story of the legendary "worst director of all time", who, with the help of his strange friends, filmed countless B-movies without ever becoming famous or successful…
#14 The Last of the Mohicans (1992) · ★ 7.4 · 3,562 votes · 1h 52m · action, adventure, romanceIn war-torn colonial America, in the midst of a bloody battle between British, the French and Native American allies, the aristocratic daughter of a British Colonel and her party a…
#15 The Thin Red Line (1998) · ★ 7.4 · 3,425 votes · 2h 51m · drama, history, warThe story of a group of men, an Army Rifle company called C-for-Charlie, who change, suffer, and ultimately make essential discoveries about themselves during the fierce World War…
#16 Rudy (1993) · ★ 7.4 · 788 votes · 1h 54m · drama, historyRudy grew up in a steel mill town where most people ended up working, but wanted to play football at Notre Dame instead. There were only a couple of problems. His grades were a lit…
#17 Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) · ★ 7.3 · 852 votes · 2h 17m · comedy, romance, dramaFamed swordsman and poet Cyrano de Bergerac is in love with his cousin Roxane. He has never expressed his love for her as he his large nose undermines his self-confidence. Then he…
#18 Stalingrad (1993) · ★ 7.3 · 655 votes · 2h 14m · drama, history, warA German Platoon is explored through the brutal fighting of the Battle of Stalingrad. After half of their number is wiped out and they're placed under the command of a sadistic cap…
#19 Seven Years in Tibet (1997) · ★ 7.2 · 3,213 votes · 2h 16m · adventure, drama, historyAustrian mountaineer Heinrich Harrer journeys to the Himalayas without his family to head an expedition in 1939. But when World War II breaks out, the arrogant Harrer falls into Al…
#20 Man on the Moon (1999) · ★ 7.2 · 2,051 votes · 1h 58m · comedy, drama, historyThe story of the life and career of eccentric avant-garde comedian, Andy Kaufman.…
#21 Elizabeth (1998) · ★ 7.2 · 1,535 votes · 2h 3m · drama, historyThe story of the ascension to the throne and the early reign of Queen Elizabeth the First, the endless attempts by her council to marry her off, the Catholic hatred of her and her…
#22 Quiz Show (1994) · ★ 7.2 · 1,018 votes · 2h 13m · drama, history, mysteryHerbert Stempel's transformation into an unexpected television personality unfolds as he secures victory on the cherished American game show, 'Twenty-One.' However, when the show i…
#23 Les Misérables (1998) · ★ 7.2 · 713 votes · 2h 14m · romance, drama, historyIn 19th century France, Jean Valjean, a man imprisoned for stealing bread, must flee a relentless policeman named Javert. The pursuit consumes both men's lives, and soon Valjean fi…
#24 The Doors (1991) · ★ 7.1 · 1,650 votes · 2h 20m · drama, history, musicThe story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison.…
#25 Amistad (1997) · ★ 7.0 · 1,465 votes · 2h 35m · drama, history, mysteryIn 1839, the slave ship Amistad set sail from Cuba to America. During the long trip, Cinque leads the slaves in an unprecedented uprising. They are then held prisoner in Connecticu…
#26 Alive (1993) · ★ 6.9 · 1,643 votes · 2h 7m · adventure, drama, historyThe amazing true story of a Uruguayan rugby team's plane that crashed in the middle of the Andes mountains, and their immense will to survive and pull through alive, forced to do a…
#27 Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993) · ★ 6.9 · 825 votes · 1h 59m · action, drama, historyThis film is a glimpse into the life, love and the unconquerable spirit of the legendary Bruce Lee. From a childhood of rigorous martial arts training, Lee realizes his dream of op…
#28 Michael Collins (1996) · ★ 6.9 · 537 votes · 2h 12m · thriller, drama, historyMichael Collins plays a crucial role in the establishment of the Irish Free State in the 1920s, but becomes vilified by those hoping to create a completely independent Irish republ…
#29 Shakespeare in Love (1998) · ★ 6.8 · 3,286 votes · 2h 4m · comedy, romance, dramaYoung William Shakespeare is forced to stage his latest comedy, 'Romeo and Ethel, the Pirate's Daughter', before it's even written. When lovely noblewoman Viola de Lesseps audition…
#30 The Ghost and the Darkness (1996) · ★ 6.8 · 1,154 votes · 1h 49m · action, adventure, thrillerSir Robert Beaumont is behind schedule on a railroad in Africa. Enlisting noted engineer John Henry Patterson to right the ship, Beaumont expects results. Everything seems great un…
#31 Anna and the King (1999) · ★ 6.8 · 829 votes · 2h 28m · romance, drama, historyThe story of the romance between the King of Siam (now Thailand) and the widowed British school teacher Anna Leonowens during the 1860s. Anna teaches the children and becomes roman…
#32 Kundun (1997) · ★ 6.8 · 513 votes · 2h 14m · drama, historyFrom childhood to adulthood, Tibet's fourteenth Dalai Lama deals with Chinese oppression and other problems.…
#33 The 13th Warrior (1999) · ★ 6.7 · 2,150 votes · 1h 43m · action, adventure, historyA Muslim ambassador exiled from his homeland joins a group of Vikings, initially offended by their behavior but growing to respect them. As they travel together, they learn of a le…
#34 Rob Roy (1995) · ★ 6.7 · 736 votes · 2h 19m · action, adventure, dramaIn the highlands of Scotland in the 1700s, Rob Roy tries to lead his small town to a better future, by borrowing money from the local nobility to buy cattle to herd to market. When…
#35 The Crucible (1996) · ★ 6.6 · 578 votes · 2h 3m · drama, historyA Salem resident attempts to frame her ex-lover's wife for being a witch in the middle of the 1692 witchcraft trials.…
#36 The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999) · ★ 6.4 · 1,658 votes · 2h 38m · action, adventure, dramaIn 1429, a French teenager stood before her King with a message she claimed came from God; that she would defeat the world's greatest army and liberate her country from its politic…
#37 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992) · ★ 6.3 · 953 votes · 2h 34m · action, adventure, drama1492: Conquest of Paradise depicts Christopher Columbus’ discovery of The New World and his effect on the indigenous people.…
#38 Evita (1996) · ★ 6.1 · 532 votes · 2h 15m · drama, history, musicThe hit musical based on the life of Evita Duarte, an Argentinian actress who eventually became the wife of Argentinian president Juan Perón, and the most beloved and hated woman i…
#39 Legionnaire (1998) · ★ 5.9 · 637 votes · 1h 38m · action, adventure, historyAlain Lefevre is a boxer paid by a Marseille mobster to take a dive. When he wins the fight he attempts to flee to America with the mobster's girlfriend Katrina. This plan fails an…