The Best History Movies of Last Year
Since the beginning of cinema, historical movies have been popular for their ability to transport audiences to bygone eras. These films serve as a cinematic journey into the past, reflecting our enduring fascination with history and its influence on modern culture. The most popular historical films of 2023 offer a new look at events that shaped our world, from the Manhattan Project to the Battle of Waterloo. Here, then, is a glimpse at some of the most memorable and powerful historical movies of the year.
Oppenheimer
Written and directed by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer traces the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the American theoretical physicist called the “father of the atomic bomb” for his role in the development of nuclear weapons for the U.S. government’s Manhattan Project. With a three-hour running time, the historical drama features an all-star cast that includes Cillian Murphy as Oppenheimer; Matt Damon as Leslie Groves, the head of the Manhattan Project; Robert Downey Jr. as Lewis Strauss, a U.S. Atomic Energy Commission member; Emily Blunt as Kitty, Oppenheimer’s wife; and Florence Pugh as psychiatrist and communist Jean Tatlock, Oppenheimer’s lover.
Inspired by the 2005 biography American Prometheus, and a collection of Oppenheimer’s speeches, Nolan wanted to explore how Oppenheimer grappled with the implications of his work. Nolan, best known for a string of moody, cerebral blockbusters including the Dark Knight trilogy, Interstellar, Tenet, and the World War II epic Dunkirk, has crafted another hit with Oppenheimer. With an 8.4/10 rating on IMDb, Oppenheimer has almost hit the $1 billion mark in global box-office sales, and Variety hailed the film as an “across-the-board contender” for Oscar wins.
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Killers of the Flower Moon
Based on the 2017 book by the same name, Killers of the Flower Moon is the latest project by legendary director Martin Scorsese, who also co-produced and co-wrote the script. The film centers on a series of killings of Osage Nation members that occurred in 1920s Oklahoma after oil was discovered on the tribal land. The ensemble cast includes Leonardo DiCaprio as Ernest Burkhart, a member of the crime ring responsible for the murders; Robert De Niro as William King Hale, Ernest’s uncle and crime boss; Lily Gladstone as Ernest’s wife, Mollie Kyle; and Jesse Plemons as Thomas Bruce White Sr., the Bureau of Investigation (which became the FBI) agent who solves the crimes.
Killers of the Flower Moon was one of the most anticipated films to debut at the Cannes Film Festival and is predicted to be an Oscar favorite in several categories. Its success was driven by the filmmakers’ collaboration with the Osage. The film has a 7.9/10 rating on IMDb and has been praised as “authentic” by Osage Nation Chief Standing Bear.
Asteroid City
Set in a retro-futuristic version of the 1950s, Asteroid City was written, directed, and produced by Wes Anderson, whose unique storytelling style has been described as “subversive” and “highly stylized.” Best known for films such as The Royal Tenenbaums, Moonrise Kingdom, and The Grand Budapest Hotel, Anderson weaves a story within a story in Asteroid City about a Junior Stargazer/Space Cadet convention and a TV documentary production about the fictional play Asteroid City.
With an ensemble cast that includes Jason Schwartzman, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Hanks, Tilda Swinton, Bryan Cranston, and Margot Robbie, the film was nominated for the Palme d’Or prize at the Cannes Film Festival and has a “Certified Fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Film critic Glenn Kenny called this homage to 1950s pop culture, “ingeniously conceived and seamlessly executed.”
Golda
With a script by Nicholas Martin and directed by Guy Nattiv, Golda stars Helen Mirren as Golda Meir, the “Iron Lady of Israel,” and Liev Schreiber as U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger, in a biopic about the life of Israel’s first and only female prime minister during the Yom Kippur War of 1973. Centered on three weeks in Meir’s life, the film explores the impact of the decisions she made after receiving intelligence about Egypt and Syria’s plan to launch a military campaign against Israel during its holiest day of the year. The film addresses the intense criticism Meir received about the government’s seeming lack of preparedness, and her subsequent resignation.
While film critics have offered mixed opinions on the film, Golda has an audience score of 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, with reviewers calling it an “outstanding character study” and “refreshingly thoughtful.” The Hollywood Reporter called it “one of those key-moment-in-world-events films,” comparing it to Gary Oldman’s portrayal of Winston Churchill in Darkest Hour or Daniel Day-Lewis in Lincoln.
Napoleon
In Napoleon, which Collider called director and producer Ridley Scott’s “slyly funny epic historical drama,” Joaquin Phoenix portrays the rise to power of French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, and his tumultuous relationship with Empress Joséphine, played by Vanessa Kirby. Phoenix, who previously worked with Scott on Gladiator, delivers a “character-first experience for fans,” according to Collider. Scott has also garnered praise for Napoleon’s battle scenes and the way he “treats battlefields as open canvases upon which to paint monumental scenes of heroism and spinelessness, glory and disgrace, sacrifice and selfishness.” Despite receiving mixed reviews from critics, Napoleon made a “strong start” at the box office after opening in the U.S. on November 22.
