Summary

• Political thrillers based on true events add to the shared cultural memory of significant political moments.
• The best political thrillers balance entertainment with a deeper message or moral stance on real events.
• While dramatizing for cinematic effect, these movies draw audiences into the complexities of historical narratives.

Political thrillers are always unbelievable, but the best movies base their plots on true stories, making them all the more shocking. Often involving corruption, intrigue, and violence, there's no shortage of real events for these films to draw inspiration from. Taking on stories of such magnitude is difficult for both filmmakers and actors because they represent real people and the events of their lives. It's a responsibility and a privilege that is respected in the most successful movies of the genre.

Thrillers based on true stories are popular because of the shared cultural memory surrounding the depicted events. Additionally, they give further insight into a significant moment in the political landscape that people want to be more informed about. Though films will dramatize the plot points and increase the pacing for the sake of cinematic storytelling, that doesn't detract from the overall message that the movie shares with the audience. A political thriller might choose to take a moral stance on the story or will simply present the events to the audience for them to draw their own conclusions.

A political thriller might choose to take a moral stance on the story or will simply present the events to the audience for them to draw their own conclusions.

10 JFK (1991)

Directed by Oliver Stone

Kevin Costner stars as Jim Carrison, the New Orleans District Attorney who led the investigation into the possibility of a conspiracy surrounding the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. This was a controversial opinion, and Garrison faced difficulty convincing others of the likelihood of his beliefs. His dedication to the case took a toll on his professional and personal life. Taking a highly critical stance on the war in Vietnam and the military-industrial complex, JFK received great critical and box office success. Though the truth of Garrison's claims remains dubious, JFK makes his journey to the truth highly entertaining.

9 Frost/Nixon (2008)

Directed by Ron Howard

The presidency and resignation of President Richard Nixon is one of the most famous scandals to come out of Washington in history. Frost/Nixon looks into the aftermath of the event. It tells the story of when Nixon (Frank Langella) appeared in a series of interviews with British TV host David Frost (Michael Sheen). Throughout the three interviews, Frost and Nixon spar, trying to get the upper hand, until the final interview when Nixon its he was not always honest with the American people.

The faithful performances of the two leads were vital to the success of the film, as the recorded interviews are well-known and carry significant cultural weight. Each actor approached their complex subjects with empathy in the face of such a heavy history. Additionally, the plot is careful not to paint either man as the villain but as equals who learn more about each other and themselves through a high-pressure event that will determine the public's opinion about them.

8 All The President’s Men (1976)

Directed by Alan J. Pakula

Though it was made many years ago, All The President's Men still holds up today because of how recently Watergate happened. It premiered only a few years after the scandal and follows the work of the journalists Carl Bernstein (Dustin Hoffman) and Bob Woodward (Robert Redford), the men who broke the Watergate scandal. While other stories of investigative journalism can grow tired and predictable within the first few minutes, All The President's Men doesn't have this problem. It doesn't matter how well the audience knows the story because the film remains shocking to the final moments.

7 Argo (2012)

Directed by Ben Affleck

Ben Affleck directed and stars in Argo, a film about the 1979 Iranian hostage crisis. His character, Tony Mendez, was a CIA agent who posed as a filmmaker to convince the Iranian government the six Americans he was rescuing were actors on his crew. The film's tone and pacing reflect the intensity of the events, as Mendez's life, as well as the lives of the hostages, were constantly at risk. Affleck's direction is a highlight of the movie, but the film should be viewed critically as it's a one-sided of relations between Iran and America at the time.

6 Nuremberg (2000)

Directed by Yves Simoneau

Nuremberg isn't strictly a film but a two-part miniseries that can be watched as a movie. Following World War II, a group of Nazi leaders were prosecuted for war crimes by the American government in what came to be known as the Nuremberg Trials. It's a tense story that blends elements of a courtroom drama with recreations of the horror and cruelty that the Nazis were responsible for. Though not all aspects of the story were accurate, the long-form medium allowed Nuremberg to fully develop the intricacies of its characters.

Watch Nuremberg on Prime Video.

5 Vice (2018)

Directed by Adam McKay

Christian Bale stars as the infamous Dick Cheney in Vice, a performance that makes a fantastic addition to the many real-life characters played by Bale. Cheney was the Vice President under George W. Bush and is widely thought of as a driving force behind many Conservative policies throughout his political career, as well as devastating death tolls in the Middle East following the 9/11 attacks. The film chronicles his life and rise to power with plenty of dark humor to balance the legacy of a widely hated man.

While levity is a vital part of any nuanced portrait of a human being, the film does attempt to grapple with the effect his actions had on so many individuals. It isn't up to the film to ask forgiveness for Cheney as a man or make excuses for him, and the story is often just as critical of the American people and the political machine as it is of Cheney himself. Watching him change alongside the country over his long life gives an interesting insight into the history of America and the current political climate.

4 No (2012)

Directed by Pablo Larraín

Nominated for Best Foreign Language Film at the Oscars and headed by veteran performer Gael García Bernal, No goes unrecognized all too often in the landscape of political thrillers. René Saavedra (Bernal) was an r who spearheaded the campaign to stop the reelection of the Chilean dictator General Augusto Pinochet in 1988. Centering on the power of propaganda and the dangers of censorship, No is a love letter to a movement that was instrumental in ending corruption within a world government. Saavedra faced threats and intimidation by the sitting government but never let that stop his work for the people.

Watch No on Prime Video.

3 Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Directed by Kathryn Bigelow

Zero Dark Thirty changed parts of the true story, but that didn't take away from the overall effect of the narrative. At times, it's a brutal film to watch and has faced criticism for its depiction of torture as an interrogation tactic. Zero Dark Thirty is a politically charged movie to this day. Jessica Chastain stars as Maya, a fictionalized CIA agent who works tirelessly to find bin Laden, which takes an enormous toll on her mentally and physically. As a work of art, it's compelling filmmaking, but as a depiction of history, it shouldn't be treated as fact.

Watch Zero Dark Thirty on Starz.

2 Good Night, And Good Luck (2005)

Directed by George Clooney

Good Night, and Good Luck features George Clooney as the director, as well as in the role of Fred W. Friendly. The film revolves around the period of McCarthyism and intense anti-Communist sentiment in the United States, which resulted in censorship and illegal persecution of many individuals. It is based on the true story of journalist Edward R. Murrow (David Strathairn), who frequently spoke out against Senator McCarthy. Upon reception, the film was heralded for its relevance within the current political climate. Additionally, it instructs those in the present how to handle men like McCarthy.

1 Lumumba (2000)

Directed by Raoul Peck

Directed by Raoul Peck, an extraordinary filmmaker best known for the film, I Am Not Your Negro, Lumumba is an emotionally harrowing film. It tells the story of the revolutionary Congolese politician Patrice Lumumba, who was dedicated to the liberation of the Congo from Belgium’s colonial rule but was targeted and killed. It’s a moving tale that illustrates his work on behalf of the Congolese people and the formation of a representative government. Lumumba is a vital part of any anti-colonial education, and it's through films like this that the legacy of men like Lumumba is not lost.

Watch Lumumba on Apple TV.