HBO Max has a treasure trove of historical dramas on its platform. From two of HBO’s most acclaimed and beloved limited series to a 2010s masterpiece from one of animation’s greatest auteurs, the streamer offers plenty of different ways for its subscribers to take a trip back in time.
Whether you want to watch a grounded, gritty World War II drama or a more ruminative and reflective film that uses its historical backdrop to explore specific themes and ideas, HBO Max has just about every kind of historical drama there is. Here are the seven best streaming on the platform right now.
“Jackie” (2016)
Director Pablo Larraín’s “Jackie” is an elegiac, lyrical depiction of both personal grief and national tragedy. Written by “Zero Day” creator Noah Oppenheim and partly based on a 1963 interview, the film follows former First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy (Natalie Portman) as she reflects on her husband’s public assassination and her actions in the aftermath of that tragedy, as well as her days spent in the White House prior to her husband’s death.
Elevated by Portman’s performance, as well as those given by supporting stars Peter Sarsgaard and Greta Gerwig, “Jackie” is a haunting look at American pride and the fragile innocence that the entire country lost when John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.
“Chernobyl” (2019)
Much has been written and said about HBO’s “Chernobyl,” and for good reason. “The Last of Us” showrunner Craig Mazin’s 2019 historical drama is a masterful, measured exploration of government corruption and the importance of constant accountability. The 5-part series depicts, in agonizingly methodical fashion, the events leading up to the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the Soviet Union’s handling of it and its subsequent attempts to cover it all up.
Featuring unforgettable performances from stars Jared Harris, Stellan Skarsgård, Emily Watson and Jessie Buckley, “Chernobyl” is the rare piece of Hollywood-produced entertainment that is not just well-made but feels actually, legitimately important.
“The Battle of Algiers” (1966)
“The Battle of Algiers” is an explosive, sprawling portrait of rebellion, war and colonialism. Directed with astonishing control and vision by Gillo Pontecorvo, the film was inspired by the events of the Algerian War and charts the efforts and attacks orchestrated by a group of rebels who are intent on doing anything to combat the French government’s occupation of North Africa throughout the 1950s and ’60s. Here is a film that feels big in just about every frame.
That is due not only to the scope of Pontecorvo’s production, but also the escalating dramatic stakes of its story and the searing political subtext burning beneath each scene. The film’s influence continues to spread, and it was even an acknowledged point of inspiration for this year’s most acclaimed film, Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.”
“Band of Brothers” (2001)
“Band of Brothers” is a World War II historical drama of real complexity and power. Based on historian Stephen E. Ambrose’s 1992 non-fiction book of the same name, the series comes from co-creators Steven Spielberg and Tom Hanks. Across its 10 episodes, it dramatizes with stirring, immersive clarity the actions of the American “Easy” Company infantry battalion throughout WWII.
Its ensemble cast, which includes the likes of Michael Cudlitz, Damian Lewis, Ron Livingston, David Schwimmer, Michael Fassbender, Dominic Cooper, Stephen Graham, Tom Hardy, James McAvoy, Simon Pegg and Andrew Scott, only seems to grow more impressive with every passing year.
“The Brutalist” (2024)
Like a few other entries on this list, “The Brutalist” is a film of unique ambition. Directed and co-written by Brady Corbet, this 3-hour historical epic follows a Jewish-Hungarian architect (Adrien Brody, who won an Oscar for his performance) as he flees to America in the 1940s after surviving the Holocaust only to end up caught in a parasitic relationship with a wealthy American industrialist (Guy Pearce) who uses the promise of money and work to test his resolve, self-worth and sanity.
Shot on VistaVision, “The Brutalist” is a visually entrancing, heavy film concerned with complicated questions about the costs and rewards of life in a capitalistic system. Few contemporary independent movies swing as hard as “The Brutalist” does, and even fewer connect as successfully as it.
“John Adams” (2008)
The final limited series on this list is an exceptional, unfairly oft-forgotten historical drama. HBO’s “John Adams” is a comprehensive, compelling seven-part exploration of the life of John Adams (Paul Giamatti), America’s second president. Across its episodes, the series explores the many sides of its subject’s life, including his admirable role in the founding of the United States, as well as his many successes and failures as its second president.
Directed by Tom Hooper and anchored by Giamatti’s commanding, assured performance as its lead, “John Adams” is an effective portrait of America itself — in all of its beauty and ugliness.
“The Wind Rises” (2014)
The most visually stunning — and, perhaps, best — entry on this list is “The Wind Rises.” Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki’s 2014 magnum opus offers a fictionalized portrait of the life of Japanese aeronautical engineer Jiro Horikoshi, whose state-of-the-art planes were eventually used by the Japanese military during World War II.
Through quiet, small scenes of ordinary human life and mesmerizing, cloud-walking dream sequences, Miyazaki explores the disconnect between an artist’s work and the many ways it can interpreted and used. It is a profound piece of work, and while it did not end up being Miyazaki’s last film, it feels as complete and incisive an artistic statement as any other he has made.
