33 Historical Movies You Need to See at Least Once in Your Life

Although you might be the kind of person who loves any type of movie, there's something about historical films that makes movie night so much more interesting. Knowing that a story actually happened — or is loosely based on something that happened — makes it so intriguing and powerful. Whether you're into the opulent life of the old English monarchy, courageous stories of soldiers during World War II, or accounts from everyday folks who witnessed major moments from the past, historical movies can offer a lot —romance, comedy, action, horror and sometimes a little bit of all four.

No matter if you're searching specifically for a movie with a historical background to watch with your family members or are just open to trying something brand new, our list of the best historical movies offers top picks that cover everything from the reign of the ever-extravagant Marie Antoinette to the controversial background of Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding to The Boston Globe newspaper team who broke the Catholic Church abuse scandal. Some of these movies are definitely more serious than light-hearted, so make sure to take that into account if you're watching with young teens or kids. Check out our favorite picks below, grab your movie theatre candy of choice and get watching.