Movies and TV shows like Death by Lightning
If you like "Death by Lightning" you are looking for period piece, historical drama and bleak movies or TV shows about / with assassination, american politics, biopic, obsession, white house, true crime and character study themes of Biography, Drama and History genre shot in USA.
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1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
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Death by Lightning (2025)
16K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 50 min.
TV show
Story:
The epic and stranger-than-fiction true story of James Garfield, reluctant 20th president of the United States, and his greatest admirer Charles Guiteau — the man who would come to kill him.
Style:
period piece, historical drama, bleak, dark, political thriller, intense, melancholic, satirical, epic, period drama ...
Plot:
assassination, american politics, biopic, obsession, white house, true crime, character study, madness, gilded age, ambition, rise and fall, election campaign, religious fanaticism, conspiracy, president, usa president, assassin, politics, mental illness, community, husband wife relationship, fan, civil war veteran, presidential election, medical malpractice ...
Time:
19th century, 1880s, victorian era
Place:
washington d.c., new york
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Death by Lightning
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out historical drama, period piece, serious and period drama films and TV series with plots about biopic, politics, ambition, president, usa president, character study and american politics mostly in Drama, Biography and History genres. Some movies like Death by Lightning: Blind Ambition (1979), House of Guinness (2025), Kennedy (1983), A Woman Named Jackie (1991), Gaslit (2022). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 480 min.
TV show
Story:
Television series docu-drama traces the career of John Dean, special counsel of president Nixon.
Style:
serious, period piece, contemplative, suspenseful, reflective ...
Plot:
president, u.s. president, cover up, corruption, white house, scandal, political intrigue, nixon, ambition, conspiracy, downfall, biopic ...
Time:
70s
Place:
washington d.c.
Similarity:
95%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min.
TV show
Story:
Set in 19th-century Dublin and New York, the story reimagines the period immediately after the death of Sir Benjamin Guinness, the man responsible for the extraordinary success of the Guinness brewery, and the far-reaching impact of his will on the ...
Style:
period piece, historical drama, family saga, dramatic, atmospheric ...
Plot:
based on real people, legacy, inheritance, ambition, dynasty, class conflict, betrayal, loyalty, family secret, entrepreneurship, city life, industrialization ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, 1860s
Place:
dublin ireland, new york
Similarity:
84%
659
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 282 min.
TV show
Story:
Biography of the 1961-1963 presidency of John F. Kennedy
Style:
political, captivating, thought provoking, serious, realistic ...
Plot:
politics, u.s. president, president, crisis, biopic, american politics, cuban missile crisis, kennedy family, missile, intrigue, north american history, vietnam war ...
Time:
60s
Place:
washington d.c., cuba, north america, usa, dallas texas
Similarity:
83%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 246 min.
TV show
Story:
A film about the life of Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis.
Style:
historical drama, dramatic, period piece, melancholic
Plot:
first lady, president, u.s. president, female protagonist, grief, assassination, biopic, mourning, fashion, glamour, legacy, american politics ...
Time:
60s, 1950s, 70s
Place:
washington d.c., new york, europe
Similarity:
79%
Movie in collections
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
A modern take on the 1970s political Watergate scandal centering on untold stories and forgotten characters of the time.
Style:
political, psychological, captivating, thrilling, anthology ...
Plot:
politics, political scandal, conspiracy, political conspiracy, female protagonist, political campaign, political corruption, real life, political activism, political intrigue, politician, scandal ...
Time:
year 1974, 70s, 20th century, year 1973, year 1972
Place:
america, usa, washington d.c.
Similarity:
67%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: UK, Canada
Duration: 52 min.
TV show
Story:
Drama series about the private lives of seven British prime ministers who lived in Number 10 Downing Street between the 1780s and the 1920s: William Pitt the Younger, the Duke of Wellington (Arthur Wellesley), Benjamin Disraeli, William Ewart ...
Style:
historical drama, costume drama, serious, educational, melancholic ...
Plot:
politics, government, british history, leadership, biopic, rivalry, ambition, behind the scenes, thoughtful, class society, ideology, diplomacy ...
Time:
19th century, edwardian era, victorian era, regency period
Place:
london, england
Similarity:
60%
34K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
The story of Queen Victoria, who came to the throne at a time of great economic turbulence and resurgent republicanism – and died 64 years later the head of the largest empire the world had ever seen, having revitalised the throne’s public image ...
Style:
historical drama, romantic, costume drama, period piece, realistic ...
Plot:
royal family, british history, royalty, monarchy, queen victoria, queen of england, british monarchy, european history, queen, british politics, female protagonist, british empire ...
Time:
victorian era, 19th century, future, 1800s, 1830s
Place:
britain, england, london, united kingdom, buckingham palace
Similarity:
59%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Sweden
Duration: 50 min.
TV show
Story:
Born into a powerful Swedish family, Jan Stenbeck takes over after his father and brother's deaths. He challenges monopolies, launches TV channels and newspapers, becoming a visionary who changed Sweden, but at a high personal cost.
Style:
historical drama, tense, period piece, melancholic, inspirational
Plot:
media industry, entrepreneurship, power struggle, biopic, ambition, visionary, rise and fall, rivalry, office politics, inheritance, scandal, corruption ...
Time:
80s, 70s, 90s, 60s, 20th century
Place:
stockholm sweden, scandinavia
Similarity:
59%
Movie in collections
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
The life of one of the USA's Founding Fathers, its second President, and his role in the nation's first 50 years.
Style:
period piece, costume drama, political, realistic, serious ...
Plot:
american history, president, politics, american revolution, true love, lawyer, u.s. president, independence, colonial america, politician, leader, historical character ...
Time:
18th century, 19th century, ancient times, 2000s, year 2008 ...
Place:
usa, boston, massachusetts, america, paris france ...
Similarity:
59%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Italy, France
Duration: 52 min.
TV show
Story:
The series follows Benito Mussolini's career from his founding of the Fasci Italiani in 1919 through the assassination of socialist politician Giacomo Matteotti in 1925.
Style:
historical drama, period piece, dramatic, political thriller, grim ...
Plot:
italian history, fascism, rise to power, nationalism, biopic, italian politics, authoritarianism, political violence, tyranny, character study, ambition, assassination ...
Time:
1910s, 20th century, 1920s
Place:
rome italy, italy
Similarity:
55%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, Canada, UK
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
A revelatory reframing of American leadership through the lens of the First Ladies. Exploring everything from their journeys to Washington, family life, and world-changing political contributions, the impact of the White House's women is no ...
Style:
costume drama, political, captivating, thought provoking, anthology ...
Plot:
first lady, politics, feminism, women, politician, life, female protagonist, american politics, american history, historical character, president, lgbtq ...
Time:
20th century, 21st century
Similarity:
51%
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 309 min.
TV show
Story:
A personal portrait of one of the most controversial men of this century and the turbulent times in which he lived. An entire era, including the fight for civil rights, the Cuban Missile Crisis, the American entry into Vietnam, and the eventual ...
Style:
political, historical drama, period piece, emotional, reflective ...
Plot:
kennedy family, vietnam war, civil rights, cuban missile crisis, american history, american politics, biopic, cold war, idealism, tragedy, legacy, social change ...
Time:
60s
Similarity:
50%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Hungary
Duration: 127 min.
Story:
Set in 19th century Vienna, Ignac Semmelweis, a short-tempered but passionate doctor, delivers babies and carries out autopsies on a daily basis while looking for the cause of puerperal fever, the mysterious epidemic that decimates patients in the ...
Style:
medical drama, historical drama, serious, period piece, tense ...
Plot:
scientific discovery, epidemic, biopic, maternity ward, hospital, investigation, realism, social criticism, ethical dilemma, character study, obsession, tragic hero ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era
Place:
vienna
Similarity:
49%
34K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 192 min.
Story:
An all-star cast powers this epic look at American President Richard M. Nixon, a man carrying the fate of the world on his shoulders while battling the self-destructive demands within. Spanning his troubled boyhood in California to the shocking ...
Style:
political, factual, compassionate, talky, intense ...
Plot:
politics, vietnam war, government, american politics, political corruption, biopic, nixon, campaign, election, conspiracy, political leader, manipulation ...
Time:
20th century, 60s, 70s, year 1972, year 1973 ...
Place:
washington d.c., chile, north america, china, vietnam ...
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 200 min.
TV show
Story:
The passionate love story that was Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's lengthy marriage. Beginning in 1837, the year of King William IV's death and 18-year-old Victoria's ascension to the throne, the series charts the tumultuous period ...
Style:
costume drama, captivating, sentimental, realistic, serious ...
Plot:
queen victoria, husband wife relationship, royal family, monarch, royalty, monarchy, victorian england, royal court, state affairs, british monarchy, couple relations, political unrest ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era
Place:
england, europe, united kingdom
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: China
TV show
Story:
The Emperor in Han Dynasty,[1] also released under the title The Emperor Han Wu in some countries, is a 2005 Chinese historical television series based on the life of Emperor Wu of the Han dynasty. It uses the historical texts Records of the Grand ...
Style:
historical drama, epic, saga, serious, educational ...
Plot:
political intrigue, chinese emperor, chinese history, historical figure, ruler, emperor, empire, palace intrigue, biopic, historical character, politics, intrigue ...
Place:
ancient china
Similarity:
47%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 183 min.
TV show
Story:
Looks at the early years of America's most dashing president from his early childhood through his nomination for Congress.
Style:
historical drama, serious, dramatic, inspirational
Plot:
president, u.s. president, biopic, coming of age, ambition, character study, social climbing, john f. kennedy, intrigue, kennedy family, usa president, childhood ...
Time:
1950s
Place:
boston, new england, harvard university
Similarity:
44%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Poland
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story:
The series is about a group of conspirators fighting against Tsarism at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. The main character is young Józef Pilsudski and his closest friends - later prime ministers and presidents. The action takes place in ...
Style:
tense, suspenseful, period piece, historical drama, thrilling ...
Plot:
biopic, polish history, conspiracy, friends, historical event, political conspiracy, friendship, intrigue, assassination plot, teamwork, police officer, nationalism ...
Time:
victorian era, turn of the century, edwardian era
Place:
poland, warsaw poland
Similarity:
44%
Movie in collections
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Country: UK
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
Drama following the life and times of disgraced Labour politician John Stonehouse, a high-flying minister under Prime Minister Harold Wilson’s government vanished from the beach of a large luxury hotel in Florida in Nov. 1974, leaving a neatly ...
Style:
political, captivating, thrilling, satirical, semi serious ...
Plot:
biopic, politics, conspiracy, british politics, character study, faked death, scandal, satire, secret, british, faking one's own death, faking own death ...
Time:
70s
Place:
london, florida
Similarity:
44%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK
Duration: 50 min.
TV show
Story:
Lee Remick stars as Jennie Jerome, born in the United States in 1845, who eventually became Lady Randolph Churchill, and gave birth to Sir Winston Churchill in this seven-part, seven-hour biographical mini-series.
Style:
costume drama, melancholic, period drama
Plot:
aristocracy, british history, female protagonist, character study, family drama, motherhood, wooing, dialogue, social climbing, class conflict, gilded age, intrigue ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, edwardian era
Similarity:
43%
464
Genre: Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
Following the death of his brother John, Robert Kennedy is forced to rise to the challenge of leading his country and carrying on his brother's vision of what America could be.
Style:
historical drama, period piece, bleak, emotional, intense ...
Plot:
john f. kennedy, biopic, campaigning, u.s. president, president, american politics, leadership, legacy, tragedy, democratic party, thoughtful, hopes ...
Time:
60s
Place:
washington d.c., harlem, new york, los angeles, manhattan new york city
Similarity:
43%
479
Genre: Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Duration: 188 min.
TV show
Story:
After arriving in Washington in 1861 after his election, Abraham Lincoln struggles with personal and political problems during his Presidency. Originally titled "Lincoln", the name of this miniseries was changed to "Gore Vidal's ...
Style:
historical drama, realistic, serious, talky, captivating ...
Plot:
american civil war, civil war, abraham lincoln, politics, u.s. civil war, knowledge, american politics, american history, usa president, assassination, usa history, white house ...
Time:
19th century, year 1865, 1860s
Place:
usa
Similarity:
43%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: France
Duration: 52 min.
TV show
Story:
Explore the early life and evolution of the philosopher and visionary Voltaire, from his love stories, his father's issues to the discovery of his vocation, his commitments against religious fanaticism and the arbitrary misuse of justice and ...
Style:
historical drama, disturbing, captivating, thought provoking, serious ...
Plot:
historical figure, philosopher, high society, biopic, religious fanatic, enlightenment, lifestyle, political intrigue, philosophy, historical character, social relations, family relations ...
Time:
18th century, georgian era
Place:
france, versailles
Similarity:
42%
Movie in collections
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
The true story of how Nixon’s own political saboteurs and Watergate masterminds accidentally toppled the Presidency they were zealously trying to protect.
Style:
political, captivating, serious, realistic, satirical ...
Plot:
politics, president, job, investigation, life, information leak, national security, mentor, male protagonist, male nudity, real life, biopic ...
Time:
70s, year 1971, 20th century
Similarity:
42%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 132 min.
Story:
Lyndon B. Johnson's amazing 11-month journey from taking office after JFK's assassination, through the fight to pass the 1964 Civil Rights Act and his own presidential campaign, culminating on the night LBJ is actually elected to the ...
Style:
factual, realistic, tense, intense, talky ...
Plot:
politics, racism, closeted homosexual, civil rights, president, u.s. president, african american, propaganda, biopic, election, civil rights movement, usa president ...
Time:
year 2016, year 1963, 60s
Place:
texas, dallas texas, america, vietnam, usa ...
Similarity:
42%
191
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Ireland
TV show
Story:
The political and personal life of Charlie Haughey during his time in office.
Style:
serious, captivating, realistic, dramatic, period piece ...
Plot:
political leader, rise and fall, ambition, biopic, political intrigue, rivalry, head of state, politics, state affairs, character study, leadership, political corruption ...
Time:
80s, 70s, 90s, 20th century
Place:
ireland, dublin ireland
Similarity:
41%
18K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story:
England in the 1520s is a heartbeat from disaster. If the King dies without a male heir, the country could be destroyed by civil war. Henry VIII wants to annul his marriage of twenty years and marry Anne Boleyn. The Pope and most of Europe oppose ...
Style:
costume drama, captivating, period piece, serious, stylized ...
Plot:
royal family, tudors, medieval, rise to the top, monarchy, cardinal the priest, british monarchy, queen, manipulation, state affairs, ambition, dishonesty ...
Time:
16th century, medieval times
Place:
england, britain, europe, london
Similarity:
39%
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: Sweden, Austria, West Germany, Denmark
Duration: 383 min.
TV show
Story:
A mini-series about the life of Swedish playwright, novelist, poet, essayist and painter, August Strindberg. He is portrayed as a misogynous, selfish and racial. And he loses everything, for the sake of the art.
Style:
psychological, intellectual, melancholic, realistic, intense ...
Plot:
biopic, painter, playwright, novelist, literary, character study, poet, ambition, obsession, isolation, misogyny, controversy ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
stockholm sweden
Similarity:
39%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: Ireland, Belgium, USA
Duration: 133 min.
Story:
As the world teeters on the brink of annihilation, Dietrich Bonhoeffer joins a deadly plot to assassinate Hitler, risking his faith and fate to save millions of Jews from genocide.
Style:
historical drama, thought provoking, intense, bleak, suspenseful ...
Plot:
nazi germany, world war two, genocide, holocaust, resistance, sacrifice, religious faith, biopic, conscience, moral dilemma, assassination, heroism ...
Time:
1940s, 20th century
Place:
berlin germany, germany, london
Similarity:
38%
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Denmark, Norway, Sweden
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
A powerful modern film narrative, set in a historical framework, about the crucial encounter between vulnerable eighteen-year-old Hans Christian Andersen, who rates himself so highly, and Mr. Meisling, the cynical school principal. An encounter that ...
Style:
period piece, historical drama, emotional, melancholic, art house ...
Plot:
writers, biopic, coming of age, hans christian andersen, school, character study, personal growth, ambition, identity crisis, isolation, social class, poet ...
Time:
19th century
Place:
denmark
Similarity:
38%
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