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Movies that feel like Gandhi (1982)

If you loved Gandhi, the closest films we have are Paris Is Burning (1991), Colonia (2016) and Lincoln (2012). All three share Gandhi's epic and dread feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 9 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Netflix, HBO Max and Criterion Channel and others, checked against today's data.

In the early years of the 20th century, Mohandas K. Gandhi, a British-trained lawyer, forsakes all worldly possessions to take up the cause of Indian independence. Faced with armed resistance from the British government, Gandhi adopts a policy of 'passive resistance', endeavouring to win freedom for his people without resorting to bloodshed.

πŸ… 89% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 8 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Richard Attenboroughcontemplativeepicdread

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If Gandhi hit the spot, these will too

Paris Is Burning poster
Paris Is Burning
1991 Β· dir. Jennie Livingston
πŸ… 99%β˜… 8.2documentary Β· history

Epic where it counts, dread-soaked underneath

The difference: Not nearly as contemplative as Gandhi

Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion "houses," from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women β€” including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.

Colonia poster
Colonia
2016 Β· dir. Florian Gallenberger
πŸ… 29%β˜… 7drama Β· history

Contemplative drama in both cases

The difference: Reviewed a good deal more coolly

A young woman's desperate search for her abducted boyfriend draws her into the infamous Colonia Dignidad, a sect nobody ever escaped from.

Lincoln poster
Lincoln
2012 Β· dir. Steven Spielberg
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.3history Β· drama

Contemplative history, and it commits to that

The difference: 30 years apart, and the 2010s show

The revealing story of the 16th US President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

The Trial of the Chicago 7 poster
The Trial of the Chicago 7
2020 Β· dir. Aaron Sorkin
πŸ… 89%β˜… 7.7drama Β· history

Drama built on scale, twice over

What was supposed to be a peaceful protest turned into a violent clash with the police. What followed was one of the most notorious trials in history.

Farewell My Concubine poster
Farewell My Concubine
1993 Β· dir. Chen Kaige
πŸ… 90%β˜… 8.1drama

History with a pulse of dread, in both cases

In an epic tale of theater, gender, love and class, two Beijing opera actors navigate political turmoil as their friendship evolves over decades.

The Act of Killing poster
The Act of Killing
2012 Β· dir. Joshua Oppenheimer
πŸ… 96%β˜… 8.2documentary Β· history

Both lean on scale more than on history

The difference: Leans harder into documentary than Gandhi does

In this chilling and groundbreaking documentary, former Indonesian death squad leaders reenact their real-life mass killings in the style of various film genres. As they recreate their past atrocities, the line between reality and performance blurs, exposing the lingering impact of Indonesia's 1965-66 anti-communist purge and the unsettling psychology of its perpetrators.

Fitzcarraldo poster
Fitzcarraldo
1982 Β· dir. Werner Herzog
πŸ… 78%β˜… 7.9drama Β· adventure

Contemplative drama, and it commits to that

Fitzcarraldo is a dreamer who plans to build an opera house in Iquitos, in the Peruvian Amazon, so, in order to finance his project, he embarks on an epic adventure to collect rubber, a very profitable product, in a remote and unexplored region of the rainforest.

Barry Lyndon poster
Barry Lyndon
1975 Β· dir. Stanley Kubrick
πŸ… 78%β˜… 8.1drama Β· history

The drama is handled with the same confidence

An Irish rogue uses his cunning and wit to work his way up the social classes of 18th century England, transforming himself from the humble Redmond Barry into the noble Barry Lyndon.

Judgment at Nuremberg poster
Judgment at Nuremberg
1961 Β· dir. Stanley Kramer
πŸ… 93%β˜… 8.3drama Β· history

The same preoccupation in both: world war ii

In 1947, four German judges who served on the bench during the Nazi regime face a military tribunal to answer charges of crimes against humanity. Chief Justice Haywood hears evidence and testimony not only from lead defendant Ernst Janning and his defense attorney Hans Rolfe, but also from the widow of a Nazi general, an idealistic U.S. Army captain and reluctant witness Irene Wallner.

Aguirre, the Wrath of God poster
Aguirre, the Wrath of God
1972 Β· dir. Werner Herzog
πŸ… 96%β˜… 7.8history Β· adventure Β· drama

History of the same temperament

A few decades after the destruction of the Inca Empire, a Spanish expedition led by the infamous Aguirre leaves the mountains of Peru and goes down the Amazon River in search of the lost city of El Dorado. When great difficulties arise, Aguirre’s men start to wonder whether their quest will lead them to prosperity or certain death.

Dances with Wolves poster
Dances with Wolves
1990 Β· dir. Kevin Costner
πŸ… 87%β˜… 8adventure Β· drama Β· western

Common ground: freedom

Wounded Civil War soldier John Dunbar tries to commit suicideβ€”and becomes a hero instead. As a reward, he's assigned to his dream post, a remote junction on the Western frontier, and soon makes unlikely friends with the local Sioux tribe.

Come and See poster
Come and See
1985 Β· dir. Elem Klimov
πŸ… 90%β˜… 8.3drama Β· war Β· horror

One thread runs through both: world war ii

The invasion of a village in Belarus by German forces sends young Flyora into the forest to join the weary Resistance fighters, against his family's wishes. There he meets a girl, Glasha, who accompanies him back to his village. On returning home, Flyora finds his family and fellow peasants massacred. His continued survival amidst the brutal debris of war becomes increasingly nightmarish, a battle between despair and hope.

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The best-reviewed films that share Gandhi’s defining feeling.