Social change movies and TV shows
The list contains the best, new and most relevant social change movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out serious, realistic, political, dramatic, captivating and thought provoking films and TV shows about / with social change, society, politics, justice, death, mentor, storytelling, corruption, dialogue and runaway plots mostly in Drama, History and Biography genres shot in USA, UK, France and other countries.
social change
TOP 10 movies tagged as social change: Silkwood (1983), All the President's Men (1976), Norma Rae (1979), Malcolm X (1992), The Siege at Ruby Ridge (1996), Ali (2001), Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005), Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee (2007), Rocca Changes the World (2019), To Kill a Mockingbird (1962).
Best films
List of social change movies
21K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 131 min.
Story:
The story of Karen Silkwood, a metallurgy worker at a plutonium processing plant who was purposefully contaminated, psychologically tortured and possibly murdered to prevent her from exposing blatant worker safety violations at the plant.
Style:
thought provoking, touching, sad, serious, disturbing ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
conspiracy, whistleblower, working class, workplace, women, research, environmental, fighting the system, contamination, uncover truth, corporate crime, lesbian ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, 70s, year 1974
Place:
oklahoma, usa, washington d.c., california
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 138 min.
Story:
In the run-up to the 1972 elections, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward covers what seems to be a minor break-in at the Democratic Party National headquarters. He is surprised to find top lawyers already on the defense case, and the discovery of ...
Style:
political, realistic, serious, thought provoking, cerebral ...
Audience:
family outing
Plot:
journalism, politics, investigation, newspaper, political conspiracy, conspiracy, political corruption, white house, american politics, journalist, president, media ...
Time:
70s, year 1972, year 1973, 20th century
Place:
washington d.c., usa, miami, florida
Is relevant ?
12K
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min.
Story:
Norma Rae is a southern textile worker employed in a factory with intolerable working conditions. This concern about the situation gives her the gumption to be the key associate to a visiting labor union organizer. Together, they undertake the ...
Style:
inspirational, political, touching, feel good, light ...
Plot:
labor union, working class, women, small town, courage, business, whistleblower, fighting the system, social change, american politics, feminist, workplace ...
Time:
70s, 20th century
Place:
alabama, usa
Is relevant ?
97K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, Japan
Duration: 202 min.
Story:
A 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 a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left ...
Style:
inspirational, political, factual, intense, stylized ...
Plot:
civil rights, racism, politics, african american, civil rights movement, black history, assassination, islam, childhood, society, prison, racial slur ...
Time:
20th century, 50s, 60s, 1940s, 1920s ...
Place:
usa, africa, new york, harlem, middle east ...
Is relevant ?
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Genre: Action, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Religious fanatics are barricaded in a building, and surrounded by police. But they're not going to surrender, they prefer to die.
Style:
realistic, serious, tense, suspenseful, disturbing
Plot:
religion, social change, terrorism, cult, fbi, mind control, brainwashing, religious fanaticism, faith, leadership, confined, investigation ...
Time:
90s
Place:
texas, usa
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 192 min.
Story:
A mini-series dramatization of the controversial 1992 attack by federal agents on the Idaho home of Randy Weaver, a white seperatist. The ten-day siege, begun over a minor gun charge, resulted in the deaths of Weaver's son, wife and dog, and a ...
Style:
tense, thought provoking, serious, realistic, suspenseful ...
Plot:
serial killer, social change, fbi, conspiracy, siege, white supremacist, religion, police, gunfight, extremist, injustice, murder ...
Time:
90s
Place:
idaho, usa
Is relevant ?
102K
Genre: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Duration: 157 min.
Story:
In 1964, a brash, new pro boxer, fresh from his Olympic gold medal victory, explodes onto the scene: Cassius Clay. Bold and outspoken, he cuts an entirely new image for African Americans in sport with his proud public self-confidence and his ...
Style:
inspirational, uplifting, touching, sincere, thought provoking ...
Plot:
boxing, muslim, african american, racism, sport, civil rights, friendship, fight, rise to the top, human spirit, politics, comeback ...
Time:
70s, 60s, year 1964, year 1974, 20th century
Place:
africa, usa, nigeria
Is relevant ?
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, France, UK, Japan
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
The story of journalist, Edward R Murrow's stand against Senator McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.
Style:
political, inspirational, factual, melancholic, tense ...
Plot:
media, politics, television, fighting the system, mccarthyism, cold war, journalism, reporter, propaganda, patriotism, society, investigation ...
Time:
50s, 20th century, post world war two
Place:
new york, washington d.c., california, usa, ussr ...
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, History, Western
Country: USA
Duration: 133 min.
Story:
Beginning just after the bloody Sioux victory over General Custer at Little Big Horn, the story is told through two unique perspectives: Charles Eastman, a young, white-educated Sioux doctor held up as living proof of the alleged success of ...
Style:
rough, emotional, serious, exciting, sincere ...
Plot:
native american, native american reservation, native americans, native american attack, indian reservation, murder, injustice, against humanity, massacre, buffalo, racism, life is a bitch ...
Time:
19th century, 1870s
Place:
usa, south dakota, washington d.c., canada
Is relevant ?
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Drama, Family
Country: Germany
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
11-year-old Rocca, a clever, creative and brave girl who lives all by herself in defiance of her teachers and the authorities has to fight to keep her independence and prove to everyone that a child also has the power to change the world.
Style:
captivating, entertaining, psychological
Audience:
family outing
Plot:
bullying, homeless, teacher student relationship, teenage girl, teenage life, teenager, children, space program, father daughter relationship, home alone, female bully, dead mother ...
Place:
germany, hamburg germany, northern germany
Is relevant ?
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min.
Story:
Scout Finch, 6, and her older brother Jem live in sleepy Maycomb, Alabama, spending much of their time with their friend Dill and spying on their reclusive and mysterious neighbor, Boo Radley. When Atticus, their widowed father and a respected ...
Style:
touching, enigmatic, compassionate, sentimental, thought provoking ...
Audience:
family outing, manly, chick flick
Plot:
racism, lawyer, courtroom, small town, courtroom drama, single father, legal, rape, childhood, poverty, court, prejudice ...
Time:
1930s, year 1932, 20th century
Place:
alabama, usa, africa
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
Life is rough in the coal mines of 1876 Pennsylvania. A secret group of Irish emigrant miners, known as the Molly Maguires, fights against the cruelty of the mining company with sabotage and murder. A detective, also an Irish emigrant, is hired to ...
Style:
serious, realistic, suspenseful, tense, rough ...
Plot:
terrorism, coal mining, fighting the system, working undercover, injustice, society, leadership, social decay, legal, rebel, sabotage, social change ...
Time:
19th century, 1870s
Place:
usa, pennsylvania
Is relevant ?
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19K
Genre: Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 131 min.
Story:
The new warden of a small prison farm in Arkansas tries to clean it up of corruption after initially posing as an inmate.
Style:
realistic, factual, harsh, serious, captivating ...
Plot:
prison, corruption, abuse of power, prison escape, fighting the system, prison warden, undercover, brutality, suspense, abuse, justice, liberal ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, 60s
Place:
california, louisiana, new jersey, arkansas, southern usa
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
Gilbert Ivy and his wife Jewell are farmers. They seem to be working against the odds, producing no financial surplus. Gilbert has lost hope of ever becoming prosperous, but his wife decides to fight for her family.
Style:
sentimental, serious, realistic, emotional, melancholic ...
Plot:
survival, farm, family relations, couples, life is a bitch, against the odds, couple relations, family business, family farm, family problems, hopes, crumbling marriage ...
Time:
80s, 70s
Place:
iowa, america
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: UK
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
George Orwell's novel of a totalitarian future society in which a man whose daily work is rewriting history tries to rebel by falling in love.
Style:
disturbing, thought provoking, psychological, bleak, atmospheric ...
Plot:
distopia, brainwashing, politics, totalitarianism, future dystopia, torture, fascism, surveillance, female nudity, alternate reality, political corruption, society ...
Time:
future, year 1984, 80s, 20th century, 18th century
Place:
london, england, europe, united kingdom, britain
Is relevant ?
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama, War
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
Radio funny man Adrian Cronauer is sent to Vietnam to bring a little comedy back into the lives of the soldiers. After setting up shop, Cronauer delights the G.I.s but shocks his superior officer, Sergeant Major Dickerson, with his irreverent take ...
Style:
funny, feel good, clever, political, realistic ...
Audience:
girls' night
Plot:
vietnam war, radio, military, radio dj, war, politics, soldier, satire, anti war, violence, death, rebellion ...
Time:
80s, 60s, 20th century, year 1965
Place:
vietnam, iraq, saigon, asia
Is relevant ?
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
At an elite, old-fashioned boarding school in New England, a passionate English teacher inspires his students to rebel against convention and seize the potential of every day, courting the disdain of the stern headmaster.
Style:
philosophical, sentimental, emotional, inspirational, intellectual ...
Audience:
teens, kids, girls' night, family outing, teen drama
Plot:
teacher, suicide, coming of age, literature, teachers and students, poetry, mentor, philosophy, poet, youth, dedicated educator, friendship ...
Time:
50s, 20th century, year 1959
Place:
vermont, new england, usa, harvard university
Is relevant ?
138K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Duration: 122 min.
Story:
Robert Gould Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates.
Style:
epic, intense, inspirational, factual, emotional ...
Plot:
american civil war, civil war, battles, slavery, war, prejudice, racism, military, human spirit, freedom, black history, heroic mission ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, 1860s
Place:
massachusetts, south carolina, africa, usa, boston ...
Is relevant ?
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194K
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, France, UK
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
On the day of his daughter's birthday, William "D-Fens" Foster is trying to get to the home of his estranged ex-wife to see his daughter. His car breaks down, so he leaves his car in a traffic jam in Los Angeles and decides to walk. ...
Style:
rough, psychological, disturbing, bleak, cerebral ...
Audience:
date night, manly
Plot:
rage, anger, midlife crisis, violence, obsession, urban decay, police officer, vigilante, alienation, losing-it hero, gang, revenge ...
Time:
90s, 80s, 20th century
Place:
los angeles, california, usa
Is relevant ?
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 195 min.
Story:
The 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.
Style:
touching, emotional, thought provoking, realistic, heartbreaking ...
Audience:
chick flick, date night
Plot:
holocaust, world war two, jewish, genocide, nazi, war, concentration camp, anti semitism, brutality, against humanity, wartime, racism ...
Time:
1940s, 20th century, 1930s, 90s
Place:
poland, germany, vatican, europe, israel ...
Is relevant ?
1.0M
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Duration: 178 min.
Story:
Enraged 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 to revolt and, eventually, the entire country to rise up against ...
Style:
epic, breathtaking, emotional, scenic, factual ...
Audience:
boys' night, manly, chick flick
Plot:
medieval, courage, war, freedom, sword fight, battles, vengeance, idealism, tragic hero, warrior, love story, beautiful scenery ...
Time:
middle ages, 14th century, 13th century, 19th century
Place:
scotland, england, scottish highlands, europe, united kingdom ...
Is relevant ?
Genre: Adventure, Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Country: Czech Republic, Netherlands, UK, France, Spain, Italy, Germany, USA
Duration: 188 min.
TV show
Story:
An ordinary man is called upon by God to do the impossible in this lovingly told production of the Old Testament story. When the Pharaoh of Egypt begins to tighten the noose on his Jewish slaves, Moses (Ben Kingsley) leads them to freedom. Philip ...
Style:
biblical, serious, epic, disturbing, suspenseful ...
Plot:
bible, oracle, jewish, religions or cults, state affairs, heroes, society, leadership, hopes, miraculous event, old testament, exodus ...
Place:
middle east, egypt, holy land, africa
Is relevant ?
249K
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: USA, Germany, Italy, Spain, France, Japan, UK
Duration: 121 min.
Story:
Wounded in Africa during World War II, Nazi Col. Claus von Stauffenberg returns to his native Germany and joins the Resistance in a daring plan to create a shadow government and assassinate Adolf Hitler. When events unfold so that he becomes a ...
Style:
factual, tense, bad ending, suspenseful, captivating ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
world war two, nazi, war, nazism, hitler, conspiracy, nazi germany, suspense, resistance, politics, german soldier, wehrmacht ...
Time:
1940s, year 1944, post world war two, year 1943, 20th century
Place:
germany, berlin germany, africa, poland, europe ...
Is relevant ?
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175K
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min.
Story:
The story of California's first openly gay elected official, Harvey Milk, who became an outspoken agent for change, seeking equal rights and opportunities for all. His great love for the city and its people brought him backing from young and ...
Style:
thought provoking, political, realistic, sincere, touching ...
Plot:
gay, politics, homosexual, murder, gays and lesbians, homosexuality, protest, discrimination, male homosexuality, politician, gender, homosexual history ...
Time:
70s, 20th century, year 1972, year 1977, year 1976 ...
Place:
california, san francisco, new york, usa, oklahoma ...
Is relevant ?
Genre: Action, Biography, Drama, History, War, Western
Country: USA, China
Duration: 139 min.
Story:
In 1863, Mississippi farmer Newt Knight serves as a medic for the Confederate Army. Opposed to slavery, Knight would rather help the wounded than fight the Union. After his nephew dies in battle, Newt returns home to Jones County to safeguard his ...
Style:
thought provoking, factual, intense, sexy, captivating ...
Plot:
american civil war, slavery, civil war, justice, u.s. civil war, racism, rebellion, revolution, wartime, vengeance, society, courage ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, 60s, 1920s, year 1865 ...
Place:
mississippi, louisiana
Is relevant ?
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 134 min.
Story:
In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In ...
Style:
motivational, heartbreaking, disturbing, harsh, bleak ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
slavery, racism, survival, civil rights, torture, african american, interracial relations, freedom, life is a bitch, kidnapping, american history, separation from family ...
Time:
19th century, victorian era, 1840s, 18th century
Place:
louisiana, new orleans, africa, usa, georgia ...
Is relevant ?
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: Australia
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
Julian Assange is one of the most significant figures of the twenty first century. But before he was famous, before WikiLeaks, before the internet even existed, he was a teenage computer hacker in Melbourne. This is his story. In 1989, known as ...
Style:
realistic, suspenseful, serious, captivating, political ...
Plot:
hacker, fighting the system, computers and web, programmer, computer hacker, computer virus, computer, computer system, troublemaker, politics, disorder, prank ...
Time:
20th century, 80s, 90s
Place:
australia
Is relevant ?
Genre: Drama, History
Country: UK, France
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
Based on true events about the foot soldiers of the early feminist movement who were forced underground to evade the State.
Style:
captivating, factual, inspirational, bleak, political ...
Audience:
chick flick, girls' night
Plot:
women, feminism, feminist, fighting the system, sexism, sexual harassment, girl power, adoption, rebelliousness, prejudice, politics, protest ...
Time:
year 1912, 1910s, edwardian era, victorian era, 20th century ...
Place:
england, london, israel, ireland, europe ...
Is relevant ?
54K
Genre: Crime, Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 143 min.
Story:
A police raid in Detroit in 1967 results in one of the largest citizens' uprisings in the history of the United States.
Style:
surprise ending, rough, tense, disturbing, factual ...
Plot:
racism, police violence, murder, african american, police, police brutality, motel, riot, suspense, racial tension, corruption, justice ...
Time:
60s, year 1967, year 1943, year 1969
Place:
detroit, michigan
Is relevant ?
3K
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
Ted Kaczynski, the infamous Unabomber, wants to destroy modern technology to create a world for himself in the Montana wilderness.
Plot:
recluse, social change, fbi, anarchist, mind control, cabin in the woods, wilderness, nude, helicopter, radio, countryside, anger ...
Time:
70s, 80s, 90s
Place:
usa, montana
Is relevant ?
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