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Movies that feel like JFK (1991)

If you loved JFK, the closest films we have are Munich (2005), Milk (2008) and Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen (2010). All three share JFK's contemplative and epic feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 8 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and History Vault and others, checked against today's data.

Follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison.

πŸ… 85% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 8 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Oliver Stonecontemplativetenseepic

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If JFK hit the spot, these will too

Munich poster
Munich
2005 Β· dir. Steven Spielberg
πŸ… 79%β˜… 7.5drama Β· history Β· thriller

Common ground: assassination

During the 1972 Olympic Games in Munich, eleven Israeli athletes are taken hostage and murdered by a Palestinian terrorist group known as Black September. In retaliation, the Israeli government recruits a group of Mossad agents to track down and execute those responsible for the attack.

Milk poster
Milk
2008 Β· dir. Gus Van Sant
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.5history Β· drama

The same two preoccupations: politics, and homophobia

The difference: Not nearly as tense as JFK

The true story of Harvey Milk, the first openly gay man ever elected to public office. In San Francisco in the late 1970s, Harvey Milk becomes an activist for gay rights and inspires others to join him in his fight for equal rights that should be available to all Americans.

Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen poster
Legend of the Fist: The Return of Chen Zhen
2010 Β· dir. Andrew Lau Wai-Keung
πŸ… 47%β˜… 6.2drama Β· action Β· history

Both keep coming back to the same thing: assassination

The difference: Critics were much harder on this one

The Japanese forces occupy Shanghai and slowly start spreading terror in the city. Chen Zhen, who was presumed dead, returns to fight against the Japanese and put an end to their tyrannical rule.

Deliverance poster
Deliverance
1972 Β· dir. John Boorman
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.6drama Β· adventure Β· thriller

The same mix in both: stillness, then tension

The difference: Sits closer to adventure than JFK does

Intent on seeing the Cahulawassee River before it's turned into one huge lake, outdoor fanatic Lewis Medlock takes his friends on a river-rafting trip they'll never forget into the dangerous American back-country.

The Impossible poster
The Impossible
2012 Β· dir. J. A. Bayona
πŸ… 81%β˜… 7.5drama Β· thriller Β· history

The same preoccupation in both: a true story

The difference: 21 years apart, and the 2010s show

In December 2004, close-knit family Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand. But the day after Christmas, the idyllic holiday turns into an incomprehensible nightmare when a terrifying roar rises from the depths of the sea, followed by a wall of black water that devours everything in its path. Though Maria and her family face their darkest hour, unexpected displays of kindness and courage ameliorate their terror.

The Post poster
The Post
2017 Β· dir. Steven Spielberg
πŸ… 88%β˜… 7.2drama Β· history

Both are built on the same subject: vietnam war

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.

127 Hours poster
127 Hours
2010 Β· dir. Danny Boyle
πŸ… 93%β˜… 7.5adventure Β· drama Β· thriller

One thread runs through both: a true story

The true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston's remarkable adventure to save himself after a fallen boulder crashes on his arm and traps him in an isolated canyon in Utah.

Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India poster
Lagaan: Once Upon a Time in India
2001 Β· dir. Ashutosh Gowariker
πŸ… 95%β˜… 8.1adventure Β· drama Β· history

Epic drama, and it commits to that

The year is 1893 and India is under British occupation. In a small village, the tyrannical Captain Russell has imposed an unprecedented land tax on its citizens. Outraged, Bhuvan, a rebellious farmer, rallies the villagers to publicly oppose the tax. Russell offers a novel way to settle the dispute: he challenges Bhuvan and his men to a game of cricket, a sport completely foreign to India. If Bhuvan and his men can defeat Russell's team, the tax will be repealed.

The Perfect Storm poster
The Perfect Storm
2000 Β· dir. Wolfgang Petersen
β˜… 6.5drama Β· adventure Β· action

Thriller built on stillness, twice over

In October 1991, a confluence of weather conditions combined to form a killer storm in the North Atlantic. Caught in the storm was the sword-fishing boat Andrea Gail.

Labyrinth of Lies poster
Labyrinth of Lies
2014 Β· dir. Giulio Ricciarelli
πŸ… 83%β˜… 7.3drama Β· history

One thread runs through both: the investigation

A young prosecutor in postwar West Germany investigates a massive conspiracy to cover up the Nazi pasts of prominent public figures.

Runaway Train poster
Runaway Train
1985 Β· dir. Andrei Konchalovsky
πŸ… 84%β˜… 7.2action Β· thriller Β· drama

Both lean on tension more than on history

A hardened convict and a younger prisoner escape from a brutal prison in the middle of winter only to find themselves on an out-of-control train with a female railway worker while being pursued by the vengeful head of security.

Dallas Buyers Club poster
Dallas Buyers Club
2013 Β· dir. Jean-Marc VallΓ©e
πŸ… 92%β˜… 7.9drama Β· history

One thread runs through both: texas

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.

In the mood for more contemplative?

all contemplative movies β†’

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