Political drama movies and TV shows

The list contains the best, new and most relevant political drama movies ordered by relevance. The recommendation service has sorted out political drama, political, realistic, serious, suspense and clever films and TV shows about / with politics, politician, usa politics, american politics, government, conspiracy, political intrigue, state affairs, president and intrigue plots mostly in Drama, Thriller and Biography genres shot in USA, France, UK and other countries.
political drama movies
1270
TOP 10 movies tagged as political drama: House of Cards (2013), The Great Queen Seondeok (2009), I'm Still Here (2024), Borgen: Power & Glory (2010), The West Wing (1999), All the President's Men (1976), Veep (2012), Madam Secretary (2014), The Night Agent (2023), For All Mankind (2019).

List of political drama movies

 8.6
 557K
House of Cards (2013)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 50 min.
TV show
Story: Set in present day Washington, D.C., House of Cards is the story of Frank Underwood, a ruthless and cunning politician, and his wife Claire who will stop at nothing to conquer everything. This wicked political drama penetrates the shadowy world of ...
Style: clever, serious, political, cynical, captivating ...
Audience: boys' night, teens, adult
Plot: politics, political intrigue, political corruption, state affairs, manipulation, intrigue, strategy, usa politics, lobbyist, u.s. president, journalism, media ...
Time: 2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place: washington d.c., usa, syria
Is relevant?
The Great Queen Seondeok (2009)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: South Korea
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story: Queen Seondeok is a 2009 South Korean historical drama, starring Lee Yo-won, Go Hyun-jung, Uhm Tae-woong, Park Ye-jin, Kim Nam-gil and Yoo Seung-ho. It chronicles the life of Queen Seondeok of Silla. It aired on MBC from May 25 to December 22, 2009 ...
Style: epic, sageuk, psychological, captivating, tense ...
Plot: power struggle, korean history, political intrigue, prophecy, ancient korea, cross dressing, royal family, palace, political leader, murder, queen, desert ...
Time: ancient times, 7th century, medieval times
Place: korea, east asia
Is relevant?
 8.1
 144K
I'm Still Here (2024)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Brazil, France
Duration: 137 min.
Story: In Rio de Janeiro in the 1970s, during the dictatorship, former deputy Rubens Paiva was taken from his home by soldiers to be interrogated. He was never found again. The search for truth lasts 30 long years. And when the answers begin to appear, ...
Style: historical drama, realistic, independent film, hood, factual ...
Plot: brazilian military dictatorship, dictatorship, military dictatorship, based on real people, loss, missing father, female nudity, loss of husband, widow, husband, wrongful arrest, female protagonist ...
Time: year 1971, 20th century, year 2014, year 1996, 70s ...
Place: brazil, rio de janeiro, sao paulo, brazil, sao paulo brazil
Is relevant?
Borgen: Power & Glory (2010)
Genre: Drama
Country: Denmark
Duration: 58 min.
TV show
Story: Borgen is a drama series about the fight for political power – and about the personal sacrifices and consequences this has for those involved on and behind the political stage. The central figure is the 40-year old political leader Birgitte ...
Style: political, serious, tense, realistic, captivating ...
Plot: politics, prime minister, female politician, marriage, journalism, nordic, media coverage, politician, state affairs, ambition, power struggle, family life ...
Time: 21st century
Place: denmark, greenland, europe, copenhagen, scandinavia
Is relevant?
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 8.9
 98K
The West Wing (1999)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 42 min.
TV show
Story: The West Wing provides a glimpse into presidential politics in the nation's capital as it tells the stories of the members of a fictional presidential administration. These interesting characters have humor and dedication that touches the heart ...
Style: clever, sincere, political, talky, realistic ...
Plot: american politics, politics, white house, election, political intrigue, politician, president, government official, teamwork, team, democrat, liberal ...
Time: 90s, 20th century, 2000s, 21st century
Place: washington d.c., usa
Is relevant?
All the President's Men (1976)
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 thriller, political, cerebral, realistic, serious ...
Audience: family outing
Plot: journalism, newspaper, political conspiracy, politics, conspiracy, political corruption, investigation, american politics, white house, investigative journalism, whistleblower, president ...
Time: 70s, 20th century, year 1973, year 1972, year 1976
Place: washington d.c., usa, north america, miami, florida
Is relevant?
 8.4
 71K
Veep (2012)
Genre: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 30 min.
TV show
Story: A look into American politics, revolving around former Senator Selina Meyer who finds being Vice President of the United States is nothing like she expected and everything everyone ever warned her about.
Style: sitcom, humorous, political, clever, not serious ...
Audience: teens
Plot: politics, american politics, vice president, female protagonist, political satire, ambitious woman, political scandal, president, mother daughter relationship, female politician, white house, politician ...
Time: 2010s, 21st century
Place: usa, washington d.c.
Is relevant?
Madam Secretary (2014)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story: Former CIA agent Elizabeth Faulkner McCord is suddenly thrust into the position of US Secretary of State where she must quickly learn to drive international diplomacy, wrangle office politics and balance a complex family life.
Style: realistic, serious, political, intelligent, inspirational ...
Plot: politics, chief of staff, relationship vs career, workplace intrigue, usa politics, president, secretary of state, white house, u.s. president, female protagonist, workplace situations, power relations ...
Time: 2010s, 21st century
Place: usa, iraq, washington d.c., chicago, ukraine ...
Is relevant?
The American Society of Magical Negroes (2024)
Genre: Comedy, Fantasy
Country: USA, Denmark, Canada
Duration: 104 min.
Story: A young man, Aren, is recruited into a secret society of magical Black people who dedicate their lives to a cause of utmost importance: making white people’s lives easier.
Style: inspirational, political drama, f word, comfort
Plot: sarcasm, racism, fired from the job, erased memory, regret, feces, staircase, telephone call, virtual reality, scandal, social media, barbershop ...
Time: year 1955
Place: empire state building manhattan new york city, berlin germany, los angeles, virginia, new york ...
Is relevant?
 7.4
 150K
The Night Agent (2023)
Genre: Action, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story: While monitoring an emergency line, a vigilant FBI agent answers a call that plunges him into a deadly conspiracy involving a mole at the White House.
Style: suspenseful, exciting, captivating, tense, political ...
Plot: politics, special agent, oval office, fbi agent, world war three, law, world war, fbi, die hard, conspiracy, chief of staff, witness protection ...
Place: iran, washington d.c.
Is relevant?
For All Mankind (2019)
Genre: Drama, Sci-Fi
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story: Explore an aspirational world where NASA and the space program remained a priority and a focal point of our hopes and dreams as told through the lives of NASA astronauts, engineers, and their families.
Style: realistic, exciting, suspense, disturbing, stylized ...
Plot: astronaut, space program, space race, nasa, mining, moon, ice, u.s. president, moon landing, space shuttle, moon base, lesbian ...
Time: year 1969, future, 60s, 80s, 90s ...
Place: usa, soviet union
Is relevant?
 5.8
 210
Year One (1974)
Genre: Biography
Country: Italy
Duration: 115 min.
Story: Rossellini’s biopic of the postwar Christian Democrat leader, Alcide De Gaspari (Vannucchi), who was responsible for keeping the Communists out of power in the years that followed the fall of fascism.
Style: period piece, serious, educational, art house, reflective ...
Plot: politics, political leader, biopic, democracy, leadership, anti communism, cold war, european history, national identity, ideology, catholic church, bureaucracy ...
Time: 1950s, 1940s, post world war two
Place: italy
Is relevant?
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Kiss of the Spider Woman (2025)
Genre: Drama, Musical
Country: USA, Mexico
Duration: 129 min.
Story: Valentín, a political prisoner, shares a cell with Molina, a window dresser convicted of public indecency. The two form an unlikely bond as Molina recounts the plot of a Hollywood musical starring his favorite silver screen diva, Ingrid Luna.
Style: poignant, technicolor, political drama, gay cinema
Plot: gay interest, gay, gay sex, prison, political prisoner, jail cell, imprisonment, friendship, empathy, political repression, confined, survival ...
Time: 80s, year 1981, 20th century, year 1983
Place: argentina, latin america
Is relevant?
 3.1
 2K
Putin (2025)
Genre: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller, War
Country: Poland, Malta, Russia, Syria, USA, Ukraine, Israel, Jordan
Duration: 109 min.
Story: A portrait of a formidable political figure, unraveling the contrasting facets of an iron-fisted tyrant and a man haunted by fear.
Style: tense, controversial, serious, political thriller, bleak ...
Plot: biopic, kremlin, character study, authoritarianism, tyranny, leadership, moral ambiguity, paranoia, introspection, isolation, manipulation, surveillance ...
Time: 2000s, 70s, 60s, 80s, 90s
Place: russia, moscow russia
Is relevant?
 8.1
 34K
Z (1969)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: France, Algeria
Duration: 127 min.
Story: Repression is the rule of the day in this film that skewers Greek governance of the 1960s. Z, a leftist rabble rouser, is killed in what appears to be a traffic accident. But given the political climate, the death of such a prominent activist raises ...
Style: political thriller, political, realistic, tense, suspenseful ...
Plot: conspiracy, politics, military, investigation, corruption, police, government, government corruption, justice, political corruption, politician, violence ...
Time: year 1969, 60s, 20th century, 70s
Place: greece, france, africa, europe
Is relevant?
The Ides of March (2011)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story: Dirty tricks stand to soil an ambitious young press spokesman's idealism in a cutthroat presidential campaign where 'victory' is relative.
Style: political thriller, talky, tense, political, suspense ...
Audience: adult
Plot: politics, election, political intrigue, campaign, lobbyist, twists and turns, presidential campaign, intern, media, political corruption, conspiracy, corruption ...
Time: year 2011, future, 2010s, 70s, 21st century
Place: ohio, usa, columbus ohio, iran, cincinnati ohio ...
Is relevant?
 8.0
 181K
JFK (1991)
Genre: Drama, History, Thriller
Country: USA, France
Duration: 189 min.
Story: New Orleans District Attorney Jim Garrison discovers there's more to the Kennedy assassination than the official story.
Style: tense, political thriller, controversial, political, disturbing ...
Plot: investigation, assassination, kennedy assassination, president, political conspiracy, conspiracy theory, legal, politics, cia, assassination of president, cold war era, courtroom ...
Time: 20th century, 60s, 90s, year 1991, year 1963
Place: america, washington d.c., north america, midwest, chile ...
Is relevant?
 7.6
 116K
Frost/Nixon (2008)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, UK, France
Duration: 122 min.
Story: For three years after being forced from office, Nixon remained silent. But in summer 1977, the steely, cunning former commander-in-chief agreed to sit for one all-inclusive interview to confront the questions of his time in office and the Watergate ...
Style: clever, tense, political, period piece, tricky ...
Plot: journalism, politics, president, reporter, journalist, biopic, american politics, nixon, corruption, conspiracy, power struggle, scandal ...
Time: 70s, year 2008, 90s, 2000s, year 1977 ...
Place: california, new york, washington d.c., north america, usa ...
Is relevant?
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 7.6
 4K
The Best Man (1964)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story: The other party is in disarray. Five men vie for the party nomination for president. No one has a majority as the first ballot closes and the front-runners begin to decide how badly they want the job.
Style: serious, realistic, cynical, political, rough ...
Plot: politics, election, political intrigue, election campaign, american politics, corrupt politician, rise to the top, rivalry, head of state, media, state affairs, opponent ...
Time: 60s
Place: los angeles
Is relevant?
 7.6
 29K
Conspiracy (2001)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 96 min.
Story: The historical recreation of the 1942 Wannsee Conference, in which Nazi and SS leaders gathered in a Berlin suburb to discuss the "Final Solution to the Jewish Question". Lead by SS-General Reinhard Heydrich, this group of high ranking ...
Style: factual, political, disturbing, bleak, atmospheric ...
Plot: holocaust, genocide, nazi, politics, world war two, conspiracy, third reich, ss officer, shoah, war crime, brutality, racism ...
Time: 1940s, 20th century, year 1942, post world war two, 1930s
Place: berlin germany, germany, europe, poland
Is relevant?
Designated Survivor (2016)
Genre: Action, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story: Tom Kirkman, a low-level cabinet member is suddenly appointed President of the United States after a catastrophic attack during the State of the Union kills everyone above him in the Presidential line of succession.
Style: exciting, political, political thriller, tense, suspenseful ...
Audience: adult
Plot: politics, president, counter terrorism, usa president, usa politics, investigation, terrorism, weapons, american politics, spy, die hard, conspiracy ...
Time: 2010s
Place: washington d.c., afghanistan, usa, chicago
Is relevant?
Mississippi Burning (1988)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 128 min.
Story: Two FBI agents investigating the murder of civil rights workers during the 60s seek to breach the conspiracy of silence in a small Southern town where segregation divides black and white. The younger agent trained in FBI school runs up against the ...
Style: political thriller, southern gothic, political, suspenseful, suspense ...
Audience: adult
Plot: racism, small town, police, civil rights, african american, ku klux klan, murder, politics, deep south, investigation, racial prejudice, racial segregation ...
Time: year 1964, 20th century, 60s, year 1988
Place: mississippi, southern usa, america, usa, canada
Is relevant?
 7.7
 110K
Malcolm X (1992)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History
Country: Japan, USA
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: political, factual, inspirational, thought provoking, intense ...
Plot: civil rights, racism, politics, african american, black history, civil rights movement, assassination, islam, biopic, childhood, black, anti racism ...
Time: 20th century, 90s, 60s, 50s, 1940s ...
Place: usa, africa, new york, saudi arabia, manhattan new york city ...
Is relevant?
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 7.0
 13K
The Candidate (1972)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min.
Story: Bill McKay is a candidate for the U.S. Senate from California. He has no hope of winning, so he is willing to tweak the establishment.
Style: political, witty, cynical, thought provoking, biting ...
Plot: politics, election, american politics, satire, father son relationship, underdog, political campaign, campaign, political rally, candidate, election campaign, idealism ...
Time: 20th century, 70s, year 1972
Place: california, usa, san francisco, north america, san diego california ...
Is relevant?
Commander in Chief (2005)
Genre: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min.
TV show
Story: Commander in Chief is an American drama television series that focused on the fictional administration and family of Mackenzie Allen, the first female President of the United States, who ascends to the post from the Vice Presidency after the death ...
Style: sincere, realistic, serious, political, talky ...
Plot: white house, head of state, legal, rise to the top, sexism, idealism, workplace, society, workplace intrigue, workplace situations, government official, rivalry ...
Time: 21st century
Place: washington d.c., usa
Is relevant?
 8.0
 96K
The Diplomat (2023)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 50 min.
TV show
Story: In the midst of an international crisis, a career diplomat lands in a high-profile job she’s unsuited for, with tectonic implications for her marriage and her political future.
Style: political thriller, political, psychological, captivating, thrilling ...
Plot: marriage, politics, female nudity, husband wife relationship, government agency, diplomat, politician, betrayal, conspiracy, white house, career, political intrigue ...
Is relevant?
The Manchurian Candidate (1962)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min.
Story: The Manchurian Candidate is a political thriller from American director John Frankenheimer. An American soldier is brainwashed into being a killer for the communist Russians during the Korean War.
Style: political thriller, psychological, political, suspenseful, suspense ...
Audience: date night
Plot: conspiracy, cold war, political conspiracy, brainwashing, assassin, manipulation, nightmare, senator, cold war era, communism, korean war, election ...
Time: 1950s, 20th century, year 1962, 50s, year 1952
Place: new york, north korea, china, washington d.c., korea ...
Is relevant?
 7.7
 25K
Missing (1982)
Genre: Biography, Drama, History, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Mexico
Duration: 122 min.
Story: Based on the real-life experiences of Ed Horman. A conservative American businessman travels to a South American country to investigate the sudden disappearance of his son after a right-wing military takeover. Accompanied by his son's wife he ...
Style: political, emotional, political thriller, thought provoking, talky ...
Audience: family outing
Plot: dictatorship, politics, military coup, missing person, coup d'etat, political conspiracy, political intrigue, corruption, conspiracy, journalist, violence, military ...
Time: 20th century, 70s, year 1982, year 1973
Place: chile, latin america, south america, santiago chile, washington d.c. ...
Is relevant?
 6.9
 138K
Syriana (2005)
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Country: United Arab Emirates, USA
Duration: 128 min.
Story: The Middle Eastern oil industry is the backdrop of this tense drama, which weaves together numerous story lines. Bennett Holiday is an American lawyer in charge of facilitating a dubious merger of oil companies, while Bryan Woodman, a ...
Style: political thriller, cerebral, political, intense, serious ...
Plot: terrorism, espionage, corruption, cia, capitalism, spy, oil, globalization, conspiracy, middle east conflict, politics, terrorist ...
Time: 2000s, 20th century, year 2005, 21st century
Place: middle east, iran, lebanon, usa, israel ...
Is relevant?
 6.0
 314
One Man's War (1991)
Genre: Drama
Country: UK, Mexico
Duration: 87 min.
Story: Anthony Hopkins plays an English medical doctor living with his family in Paraguay and treating the poor people from the surroundings, who has his life turned upside down when his son was mysteriously murdered in what could have been an attack to ...
Style: tension, emotional, suspense, bleak, political thriller ...
Plot: justice, corruption, human rights, oppression, revenge, social injustice, authoritarianism, repression, dictatorship, family tragedy, courage, family drama ...
Place: paraguay, latin america
Is relevant?