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Hidden Figures poster

Movies that feel likeHidden Figures (2016)

The untold story of Katherine G. Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson – brilliant African-American women working at NASA and serving as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in history – the launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit. The visionary trio crossed all gender and race lines to inspire generations to dream big.

If you loved Hidden Figures, the closest films we have are The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020), Steve Jobs (2015) and Dallas Buyers Club (2013). All three share Hidden Figures' contemplative and epic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Borg vs McEnroe (2017).

🍅 93% Rotten Tomatoes★ 7.8 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Theodore Melficontemplativeepic
6 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Paramount Plus Essential

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If Hidden Figures hit the spot, these will too

The Trial of the Chicago 7 poster
The Trial of the Chicago 7
2020 · dir. Aaron Sorkin
🍅 89%★ 7.7drama · historyNetflix

Both keep coming back to the same thing: historical fiction

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.

Steve Jobs poster
Steve Jobs
2015 · dir. Danny Boyle
🍅 85%★ 7.2drama · history

Backstage genius under pressure, arguing its way into history

The difference: Cold and talk-driven — three acts of backstage argument

Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter.

Dallas Buyers Club poster
Dallas Buyers Club
2013 · dir. Jean-Marc Vallée
🍅 92%★ 7.9drama · historyNetflix

One stubborn outsider forcing a system to change

The difference: Rawer and sadder — illness, not uplift, sets the tone

Loosely based on the true-life tale of Ron Woodroof, a drug-taking, women-loving, homophobic man who in 1986 was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and given thirty days to live.

Darkest Hour poster
Darkest Hour
2017 · dir. Joe Wright
🍅 84%★ 7.4drama · historyRent or buy

History hinging on people the moment nearly overwhelmed

The difference: One man's wartime speeches — a showcase, not an ensemble

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.

The Founder poster
The Founder
2016 · dir. John Lee Hancock
🍅 80%★ 7.2drama · historyNetflix

A true story about who really gets credit for a triumph

The difference: Its winner is ruthless — inspiration curdles into warning

The true story of how Ray Kroc, a salesman from Illinois, met Mac and Dick McDonald, who were running a burger operation in 1950s Southern California. Kroc was impressed by the brothers’ speedy system of making the food and saw franchise potential. He maneuvered himself into a position to be able to pull the company from the brothers and create a billion-dollar empire.

The Post poster
The Post
2017 · dir. Steven Spielberg
🍅 88%★ 7.2drama · historyMax

Institutional walls pushed against by a woman told to wait

The difference: Newsroom procedure — the stakes are legal, not cosmic

A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government. Inspired by true events.

Lincoln poster
Lincoln
2012 · dir. Steven Spielberg
🍅 90%★ 7.3history · drama

Both are built on the same subject: historical fiction

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.

12 Years a Slave poster
12 Years a Slave
2013 · dir. Steve McQueen
🍅 95%★ 8.1drama · history

Dignity held onto against an America built to deny it

The difference: Unflinching brutality — endurance, with no feel-good arc

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 the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

Borg vs McEnroe poster
Borg vs McEnroe
2017 · dir. Janus Metz
🍅 84%★ 6.9drama · historyNetflixParamount+

Excellence as pressure — genius examined mid-performance

The difference: A moody sports duel — private demons, not shared barriers

The Swedish Björn Borg and the American John McEnroe, the best tennis players in the world, maintain a legendary duel during the 1980 Wimbledon tournament.

The Walk poster
The Walk
2015 · dir. Robert Zemeckis
🍅 83%★ 7.3history · drama · adventure

An impossible feat pulled off through nerve and precision

The difference: A caper about one dreamer — spectacle stands in for struggle

The story of French high-wire artist Philippe Petit's attempt to cross the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in 1974.

Invictus poster
Invictus
2009 · dir. Clint Eastwood
🍅 76%★ 7.3drama · history

The same preoccupation in both: racism

Newly elected President Nelson Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's rugby union team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.

Sully poster
Sully
2016 · dir. Clint Eastwood
🍅 85%★ 7.4drama · history

Both land stillness and scale at once

On 15 January 2009, the world witnessed the 'Miracle on the Hudson' when Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger glided his disabled plane onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 souls aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and career.

In the mood for more contemplative?

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The best-reviewed films that share Hidden Figures’ defining feeling.