Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "british-history"

1. The Crown (2016–2023)

TV-MA | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History

Follows the political rivalries and romances of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped Britain for the second half of the 20th century.

Stars: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Matt Smith

Votes: 257,575

2. Call the Midwife (2012– )

TV-PG | 60 min | Drama, History

Chronicles the lives of a group of midwives living in East London in the late 1950s to late 1960s.

Stars: Vanessa Redgrave, Laura Main, Jenny Agutter, Stephen McGann

Votes: 31,641

3. The Last Kingdom (2015–2022)

TV-MA | 60 min | Action, Drama, History

As Alfred the Great defends his kingdom from Norse invaders, Uhtred--born a Saxon but raised by Vikings--seeks to claim his ancestral birthright.

Stars: Alexander Dreymon, Eliza Butterworth, Arnas Fedaravicius, Mark Rowley

Votes: 166,493

4. Braveheart (1995)

R | 178 min | Biography, Drama, War

Scottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.

Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen

Votes: 1,093,325 | Gross: $75.60M

5. The Tudors (2007–2010)

TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance

Epic series reveals the scandalous life of a young king whose affairs and obsession with producing a male heir changed marriage, the church, and the world.

Stars: Jonathan Rhys Meyers, Henry Cavill, Anthony Brophy, James Frain

Votes: 81,416

6. The Favourite (2018)

R | 119 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama

In early 18th-century England, the status quo at the court is upset when a new servant arrives and endears herself to a frail Queen Anne.

Director: Yorgos Lanthimos | Stars: Olivia Colman, Emma Stone, Rachel Weisz, Nicholas Hoult

Votes: 234,611 | Gross: $34.37M

7. The King (I) (2019)

R | 140 min | Biography, Drama, History

Young Henry V encounters deceit, war and treachery after becoming King of England in the 15th century, in the aftermath of his brother's death.

Director: David Michôd | Stars: Tom Glynn-Carney, Gábor Czap, Tom Fisher, Edward Ashley

Votes: 153,617

8. Dunkirk (2017)

PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Drama, History

Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.

Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Fionn Whitehead, Barry Keoghan, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy

Votes: 742,131 | Gross: $188.37M

9. Victoria (2016–2019)

TV-PG | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History

The early life of Queen Victoria, from her ascension to the throne at the tender age of 18 to her courtship and marriage to Prince Albert.

Stars: Jenna Coleman, Adrian Schiller, Tommy Knight, Jordan Waller

Votes: 30,999

10. Darkest Hour (2017)

PG-13 | 125 min | Drama, War

In May 1940, the fate of World War II hangs on Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler, or fight on knowing that it could mean the end of the British Empire.

Director: Joe Wright | Stars: Gary Oldman, Lily James, Kristin Scott Thomas, Ben Mendelsohn

Votes: 221,339 | Gross: $56.47M

11. The King's Speech (2010)

R | 118 min | Biography, Drama, History

The story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.

Director: Tom Hooper | Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi

Votes: 708,753 | Gross: $138.80M

12. Belgravia (2020)

TV-14 | 60 min | Drama, Romance

Follows events when the emerging nouveau riche, including the Trenchard family, rub shoulders with London's established upper classes and when secrets from the past threaten to emerge.

Stars: Philip Glenister, Tamsin Greig, Harriet Walter, Saskia Reeves

Votes: 8,937

13. The Bletchley Circle (2012–2014)

TV-14 | 314 min | Crime, Drama, History

In 1952, four women who worked at the wartime code-breaking centre, Bletchley Park, reunite to track down a serial killer.

Stars: Rachael Stirling, Julie Graham, Sophie Rundle, Anna Maxwell Martin

Votes: 14,122

14. The Spanish Princess (2019–2020)

TV-MA | 55 min | Drama, History, Romance

Spanish princess Catherine of Aragon navigates the royal lineage of England with an eye on the throne.

Stars: Laura Carmichael, Aaron Cobham, Charlotte Hope, Stephanie Levi-John

Votes: 10,771

15. The White Queen (2013)

TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance

Three different, yet equally relentless women vie for the throne in 15th-century England.

Stars: Aneurin Barnard, Rebecca Ferguson, Amanda Hale, Faye Marsay

Votes: 31,492

16. The Young Victoria (2009)

PG | 105 min | Biography, Drama, History

A dramatization of the turbulent first years of Queen Victoria's rule, and her enduring romance with Prince Albert.

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée | Stars: Emily Blunt, Rupert Friend, Paul Bettany, Miranda Richardson

Votes: 66,558 | Gross: $11.00M

17. Elizabeth (1998)

R | 124 min | Biography, Drama, History

The early years of the reign of Elizabeth I of England and her difficult task of learning what is necessary to be a monarch.

Director: Shekhar Kapur | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Liz Giles, Rod Culbertson, Paul Fox

Votes: 105,299 | Gross: $30.08M

18. The Other Boleyn Girl (2008)

PG-13 | 115 min | Biography, Drama, History

Two sisters contend for the affection of King Henry VIII.

Director: Justin Chadwick | Stars: Natalie Portman, Scarlett Johansson, Eric Bana, Jim Sturgess

Votes: 120,144 | Gross: $26.81M

19. The New World (2005)

PG-13 | 135 min | Biography, Drama, History

The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.

Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Colin Farrell, Q'orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, Christian Bale

Votes: 90,035 | Gross: $12.71M

20. Mary Queen of Scots (2018)

R | 124 min | Biography, Drama, History

Mary Stuart's (Saoirse Ronan's) attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie), Queen of England, finds her condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution.

Director: Josie Rourke | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn

Votes: 55,455 | Gross: $16.47M

21. The White Princess (2017)

TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Romance

Based on the Philippa Gregory book of the same name, the story of Elizabeth of York, the White Queen's daughter, and her marriage to the Lancaster victor, Henry VII.

Stars: Jodie Comer, Rebecca Benson, Jacob Collins-Levy, Richard Dillane

Votes: 15,660

22. The Pillars of the Earth (2010)

TV-MA | 59 min | Drama, Romance, Thriller

Set against a backdrop of war, religious strife and power struggles which tears lives and families apart.

Stars: Ian McShane, Matthew Macfadyen, Eddie Redmayne, Hayley Atwell

Votes: 33,171

23. The Beatles: Get Back (2021)

PG-13 | 156 min | Documentary, Biography, Music

In January 1969, The Beatles set out to write and record new songs for their first live show in more than two years, culminating in an impromptu concert atop their Savile Row studio.

Votes: 28,298

24. Wolf Hall (2015)

TV-14 | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History

After the downfall of Cardinal Wolsey, his secretary, Thomas Cromwell, finds himself amongst the treachery and intrigue of King Henry VIII's court and soon becomes a close advisor to the King, a role fraught with danger.

Stars: Mark Rylance, Damian Lewis, Claire Foy, Thomas Brodie-Sangster

Votes: 13,144

25. Gentleman Jack (2019–2022)

TV-MA | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History

A dramatization of the life of lesbian trailblazer, voracious learner, and cryptic diarist Anne Lister.

Stars: Suranne Jones, Sophie Rundle, Gemma Whelan, Ben Hunter

Votes: 15,994

26. The Hollow Crown (2012–2016)

TV-14 | 150 min | Drama, History, War

A mini-series of adaptations of Shakespeare's history plays: Richard II, Henry IV: Parts 1 and 2, and Henry V.

Stars: Anton Lesser, Simon Russell Beale, Tom Georgeson, John Mackay

Votes: 7,332

27. Mr Selfridge (2013– )

TV-14 | 45 min | Drama, History

Centers on the real-life story of the flamboyant and visionary American founder of Selfridge's, London's department store.

Stars: Ron Cook, Jeremy Piven, Tom Goodman-Hill, Amy Beth Hayes

Votes: 16,992

28. Battle of Britain (1969)

G | 132 min | Action, Drama, History

In 1940, the British Royal Air Force fights a desperate battle to prevent the Luftwaffe from gaining air superiority over the English Channel as a prelude to a possible Axis invasion of the U.K.

Director: Guy Hamilton | Stars: Michael Caine, Trevor Howard, Harry Andrews, Curd Jürgens

Votes: 24,585 | Gross: $4.36M

29. Fingersmith (2005)

Not Rated | 60 min | Crime, Drama, Romance

In Victorian England, Sue, a young thief, participates in a scam to defraud a rich heiress by becoming her maid. Things take an unexpected turn and Sue's plan goes horribly wrong.

Stars: Elaine Cassidy, Sally Hawkins, Imelda Staunton, Rupert Evans

Votes: 9,639

30. Elizabeth: The Golden Age (2007)

PG-13 | 114 min | Biography, Drama, History

A mature Queen Elizabeth endures multiple crises late in her reign including court intrigues, an assassination plot, the Spanish Armada, and romantic disappointments.

Director: Shekhar Kapur | Stars: Cate Blanchett, Clive Owen, Geoffrey Rush, Jordi Mollà

Votes: 75,182 | Gross: $16.29M

31. Becoming Elizabeth (2022– )

TV-MA | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History

Elizabeth Tudor, an orphaned teenager who becomes embroiled in the political and sexual politics of the English court on her journey to secure the crown.

Stars: Alicia von Rittberg, John Heffernan, Oliver Zetterström, Jamie Parker

Votes: 3,664

32. Upstairs, Downstairs (1971–1975)

TV-14 | 60 min | Drama

The lives and fortunes of the Bellamy family and their below-stairs servant staff at 165 Eaton Place play out against the social, political and historical backdrop of Edwardian London from 1903 to 1930.

Stars: Gordon Jackson, David Langton, Jean Marsh, Angela Baddeley

Votes: 3,581

33. Gunpowder (2017)

TV-MA | 59 min | Drama, History

Robert Catesby leads Guy Fawkes a group of English Catholic traitors plan to blow up the Palace Of Westminster and kill King James I in the infamous Gunpowder Plot.

Stars: Kit Harington, Liv Tyler, Edward Holcroft, Mark Gatiss

Votes: 11,691

34. Horrible Histories (2009–2024)

28 min | Comedy, Family, History

A group of British comedians show the sides of history they don't teach you in school. From the 'Savage Stone Age' to the 'Troublesome 20th Century', you see the full side to history.

Stars: Jim Howick, Simon Farnaby, Mathew Baynton, Martha Howe-Douglas

Votes: 6,035

35. Michael Collins (1996)

R | 133 min | Biography, Drama, Thriller

Neil Jordan's historical biopic of Irish revolutionary Michael Collins, the man who led a guerrilla war against the UK, helped negotiate the creation of the Irish Free State, and led the National Army during the Irish Civil War.

Director: Neil Jordan | Stars: Liam Neeson, Aidan Quinn, Julia Roberts, Ian Hart

Votes: 33,826 | Gross: $11.09M

36. A Very English Scandal (2018)

TV-14 | 56 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime

British Liberal Party leader Jeremy Thorpe is accused of conspiracy to murder his gay ex-lover and forced to stand trial in 1979.

Stars: Hugh Grant, Ben Whishaw, Alex Jennings, Patricia Hodge

Votes: 16,329

37. The Forsyte Saga (2002–2003)

TV-PG | 276 min | Drama, History, Romance

Chronicles the lives of three generations of the upper-middle-class British family, the Forsytes, from the 1870s to 1920.

Stars: Damian Lewis, Rupert Graves, Gina McKee, Amanda Root

Votes: 6,564

38. The English Game (2020)

TV-14 | 47 min | Drama, History, Sport

The story of the invention of football and how it quickly rose to become the world's most popular game by crossing class divides.

Stars: Edward Holcroft, Kevin Guthrie, Charlotte Hope, Niamh Walsh

Votes: 17,172

39. Zulu (1964)

Not Rated | 138 min | Drama, History, War

Outnumbered British soldiers do battle with Zulu warriors at Rorke's Drift.

Director: Cy Endfield | Stars: Stanley Baker, Jack Hawkins, Ulla Jacobsson, James Booth

Votes: 42,825

40. Home Fires (2015–2016)

TV-PG | 45 min | Drama, War

A drama following a group of inspirational women in a rural Cheshire community during World War II.

Stars: Clare Calbraith, Brian Fletcher, Samantha Bond, Ruth Gemmell

Votes: 4,369

41. The House of Eliott (1991–1994)

50 min | Drama

Two sisters in 1920s London work to achieve success in the dressmaking business.

Stars: Stella Gonet, Louise Lombard, Aden Gillett, Cathy Murphy

Votes: 1,644

42. A Very British Scandal (2021)

TV-MA | 59 min | Drama, History

The story of events surrounding the notorious divorce of the Duke and Duchess of Argyll during the 1960s.

Stars: Claire Foy, Paul Bettany, Olwen May, Albertine Kotting McMillan

Votes: 7,009

43. A Man for All Seasons (1966)

G | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History

The story of Sir Thomas More, who stood up to King Henry VIII when the King rejected the Roman Catholic Church to obtain a divorce and remarry.

Director: Fred Zinnemann | Stars: Paul Scofield, Wendy Hiller, Robert Shaw, Leo McKern

Votes: 37,224 | Gross: $28.35M

44. 6 Days (I) (2017)

R | 94 min | Action, Drama, History

Based on the Iranian Embassy siege of 1980, this action-thriller dramatizes a six-day standoff between armed Iranian Arabs and SAS soldiers ready for a counterattack.

Director: Toa Fraser | Stars: Jamie Bell, Mark Strong, Abbie Cornish, Martin Shaw

Votes: 24,726

45. The Iron Lady (2011)

PG-13 | 105 min | Biography, Drama

An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband as she struggles to come to terms with his death while scenes from her past life, from girlhood to British prime minister, intervene.

Director: Phyllida Lloyd | Stars: Meryl Streep, Jim Broadbent, Richard E. Grant, Susan Brown

Votes: 113,717 | Gross: $30.02M

46. Victoria & Abdul (2017)

PG-13 | 111 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama

Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim.

Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Tim Pigott-Smith, Eddie Izzard

Votes: 38,315 | Gross: $22.25M

47. This Is England '86 (2010)

TV-MA | 47 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama

Shaun has just finished his final exams and he realizes he is no longer a kid. It's mid 80's England, and the gang are back, looking for a laugh, a job and something that resembles a future.

Stars: Andrew Ellis, Andrew Shim, Chanel Cresswell, Danielle Watson

Votes: 14,531

48. Titanic (2012)

TV-PG | 48 min | Drama, History

The world's largest ship, the R.M.S. Titanic, meets with disaster when she strikes an iceberg on her maiden voyage.

Stars: Peter McDonald, Steven Waddington, Glen Blackhall, Ruth Bradley

Votes: 3,587

49. Anne Boleyn (2021– )

TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History

The final months of Boleyn's life, her struggle with Tudor England's patriarchal society, her desire to secure a future for her daughter, Elizabeth, and the brutal reality of her failure to provide Henry with a male heir.

Stars: Jodie Turner-Smith, Kris Hitchen, Thalissa Teixeira, Barry Ward

Votes: 28,040

50. The Trial of Christine Keeler (2019–2020)

352 min | Drama, History

Story of Christine Keeler, who found herself at the heart of a political sex scandal that rocked British government in the 1960s.

Stars: Sophie Cookson, James Norton, Ellie Bamber, Emilia Fox

Votes: 2,074