List of historical period drama films and series set in Near Eastern and Western civilization
Films set in Atomic Era (1950–1999)

List of historical period drama films and series set in Near Eastern and Western civilization

Section Title: Films set in Atomic Era (1950–1999)
Table Section Text: None

Title	Release date	Time period	Notes on setting

The Founding of a Republic	2009	1945–1949	Inspired by true events, The Founding of a Republic weaves a rousing tale of Mao Zedong, who fought against Chiang Kai-shek and the Kuomintang.

The Crown	2016	1947–present	Follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the 20th century.

American Hot Wax	1978	1950	Disc jockey Alan Freed's involvement in the emergence of rock and roll

71: Into the Fire	2010	1950	The story of student-soldiers trying to protect a middle school during the early days of the Korean War.

Taegukgi	2004	1950–1953/2003	A drama about the fate of brothers forced to fight in the Korean War.

The Finest Hours	2016	1952	The SS Pendleton Coast Guard rescue mission attempt

The Motorcycle Diaries	2004	1952–1967	The life of Che Guevara

The Kennedys	2011	1952–1968	The triumphs and tragedies of the Kennedy family.

The Front Line	2011	1953	A drama centered on the Korean War's final battle which will determine the border between North Korea and South Korea.

The Death of Stalin	2017	1953	The events that transpired after the death of Joseph Stalin in 1953.

Good Night, and Good Luck	2005	1953	The conflict between veteran radio and television journalist Edward R. Murrow and U.S.

Elvis	1979	1953–1972	The story follows the life and career of rock and roll icon Elvis Presley.

The People vs. Larry Flynt	1996	1953–1988	Biopic about Larry Flynt, publisher of Hustler magazine

The Quiet American	2002	1954	The film covers early American covert involvement in Vietnam during the last days of the First Indochina War. It set the stage for the subsequent Vietnam War.

The Founder	2016	1954	The story of Ray Kroc, a salesman who turned the innovative fast food eatery of Richard and Maurice McDonald, McDonald's, into one of the biggest restaurant businesses in the world.

Shutter Island	2010	1954	In Massachusetts, U.S. Marshal Edward "Teddy" Daniels investigates the disappearance of murderer Rachel Solando, who escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane.

The Battle of Algiers	1966	1954–1960	During the Algerian War

Forrest Gump	1994	1954–1981	The remarkable life story of a kind and brave Alabama man with an IQ of 75.

Back to the Future	1985	1955	A high school student is accidentally sent thirty years into the past in a time-traveling DeLorean invented by his close friend, the maverick scientist Doc Brown

Lumumba	2000	1955–1961	Path of the first Prime Minister of the Republic of the Congo Patrice Lumumba and his killing. The Republic itself was the former Belgian Congo following its independence.

Che	2008	1955–1967	The life and death of Che Guevara

Goodfellas	1990	1955–1980	Biopic about mobster Henry Hill. Hill was an associate of the Lucchese crime family, who later became an informant of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Blow	2001	1955–1994	Biopic about drug trafficker George Jung

Nasser 56	1996	1956	The Suez Crisis from the Egyptian point of view

Children of Glory	2006	1956	Hungarian Revolution of 1956

Great Balls of Fire!	1989	1956–1958	The early career of Rock and roll pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis

Quiz Show	1994	1956–1958	Twenty-One Quiz show scandals

My Week with Marilyn	2011	1956	The film focuses on the week during the shooting of the 1957 film The Prince and the Showgirl. Marilyn Monroe was escorted around London by Colin Clark, after her husband Arthur Miller had returned to the United States.

Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull	2008	1957	Dr. Henry "Indiana" Jones, Jr.

A Summer Tale	2000	1958	Two young orphans are sent to spend the summer together with a disgruntled man on the Swedish countryside.

Evil	2003	1958–1959	In late 1950s Sweden, teenage boy Erik Ponti is expelled from school for fighting and his family sends him to a boarding school.

Bridge of Spies	2015	1957–1961	During the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet-captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.

Scandal	1989	1959–1963	Christine Keeler, Stephen Ward and the Profumo affair

Heaven & Earth	1993	1960–1980	Vietnam War

The Odd Angry Shot	1979	1960s	Experiences of Australian soldiers during the Vietnam War

The German Doctor	2013	1960	The life of Josef Mengele in Argentina. He was a former Nazi wanted for War crimes.

Gagarin: First in Space	2013	1960–1961	The Vostok 1 mission, making the Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin the first human to cross into outer space. It was the first human spaceflight.

Hidden Figures	2016	1961	The black female mathematicians who worked at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) during the Space Race

K-19: The Widowmaker	2002	1961, 1989	Soviet submarine K-19 nuclear disaster

Saving Mr. Banks	2013	1961–1964	Events surrounding the development of the film Mary Poppins

JFK	1991	1961–1966	The assassination of President of the United States John F. Kennedy and subsequent investigation

First Man	2018	1961–1969	The days leading to the Apollo 11 lunar mission

Thirteen Days	2000	1962	The Cuban Missile Crisis

Z	1969	1963	The assassination of Grigoris Lambrakis

A Perfect World	1993	1963	A kidnapped boy strikes up a friendship with his captor: an escaped convict on the run from the law, while the search is headed up by an honorable Texas Ranger.

All the Way	2016	1963–1965	Lyndon Baines Johnson becomes the President of the United States in the chaotic aftermath of the Assassination of John F. Kennedy.

LBJ	2016	1963–1969	The story of President of the United States Lyndon Baines Johnson from his young days in West Texas to the White House.

Catch Me If You Can	2002	1963–1974	The life of Frank Abagnale, a con artist and famous check forger.

Ghosts of Mississippi	1996	1963–1990	Events surrounding the murder of NAACP field secretary Medgar Evers during the civil rights movement in Mississippi

Mississippi Burning	1988	1964	The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation investigation into the murders of Chaney, Goodman, and Schwerner

The Doors	1991	1964–1971	Biopic about the 1960s–1970s rock band of the same name which emphasizes the life of its lead singer, Jim Morrison

Selma	2014	1965	Selma to Montgomery march in Alabama during the civil rights movement

The Year of Living Dangerously	1982	1965	Set in Indonesia during the overthrow of President Sukarno

1965	2014	1963–1966	Singapore in Malaysia, 1964 race riots in Singapore (Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation) and National Day of 1965

We Were Soldiers	2002	1965	The Battle of Ia Drang in the Vietnam War

An American Crime	2007	1965	The film tells the story of the torture and murder of Sylvia Likens by Indianapolis housewife Gertrude Baniszewski.

Born on the Fourth of July	1989	1965–1968	Ron Kovic's experiences in the Vietnam War

Coming Home	2014	1966–1976	Cultural Revolution in China.

Platoon	1985	1967–1968	Vietnam War

Half of a Yellow Sun	2013	1967–1970	the Nigerian Civil War

Detroit	2017	1967	The 12th Street Riot in Detroit, Michigan

Bobby	2006	1968	The assassination of Senator Robert F. Kennedy

Full Metal Jacket	1987	1968	Battle of Huế in the Vietnam War

Coming Home	1978	1968	Vietnam War

The Damned United	2009	1968–1975	Brian Clough as manager of Derby County and Leeds United

American Gangster	2007	1968–1976	Frank Lucas and his heroin drug trade.

The Deer Hunter	1978	1968–1975	Vietnam War

Hamburger Hill	1987	1969	Battle of Hamburger Hill in the Vietnam War

Apocalypse Now	1979	1969	Vietnam War

Chappaquiddick	2017	1969	Chronicles the untold story of Ted Kennedy and the Chappaquiddick Incident during July, 1969.

Nixon	1995	1969–1974	The political life of President of the United States Richard M. Nixon

Zodiac	2007	1969–1975	the Zodiac murders in Northern California

City of God	2002	1960–1980	The growth of organized crime in Cidade de Deus, Rio de Janeiro.

Secretariat	2010	1970–1973	Race horse Secretariat.

Dekada '70 (The 70s)	2002	1970	Based on the novel of the same name by Lualhati Bautista. The setting is the period of martial law in the Philippines, under the control of President Ferdinand Marcos.

Elvis & Nixon	2016	1970	The untold true story behind the meeting between Elvis Presley, the King of rock and roll, and President Richard Nixon.

Apollo 13	1995	1970	Apollo 13 lunar mission

Bohemian Rhapsody	2018	1970–1985	Follows the band Queen from their formation all the way to the Live Aid concert.

Milk	2008	1970–1978	Gay rights activist Harvey Milk

The Last King of Scotland	2006	1971–1976	President of Uganda Idi Amin

Pirates of Silicon Valley	1999	1971–1997	Follows the growth of the personal computer industry through the lives of Bill Gates and Steve Jobs

The Post	2017	1971–1972	Journalists from The Washington Post and The New York Times who published the Pentagon Papers, regarding the United States' covert political and military involvement during the Vietnam War.

Bloody Sunday	2002	1972	Bloody Sunday shootings in Northern Ireland

All the President's Men	1976	1972	The Nixon-era Watergate scandal

Alive	1993	1972	Crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571

Cry Freedom	1987	1972–1978	Steve Biko and Donald Woods in the apartheid era of South Africa

Munich	2005	1972–1979	Mossad efforts to avenge the Munich massacre, the murder of Israeli athletes during the 1972 Summer Olympics

All the Money in the World	2017	1973	The kidnapping of John Paul Getty III in July 1973.

Missing	1982	1973	The 1973 Chilean coup d'état and the murder of Charles Horman

Vinyl	2016	1973	The musical industry in 1973.

The Killing Fields	1984	1973–1979	The Cambodian genocide under the Khmer Rouge regime

Balibo	2009	1975	the Indonesian invasion of East Timor and the Balibo Five

The Amityville Horror	2005	1975	A year after the murders of the DeFeo family in Amity, New York, another family moves into the house where the murders took place.

Raid on Entebbe	1977	1976	The July 1976 rescue of passengers from a hijacked plane

Dazed and Confused	1993	1976	Based on Richard Linklater's life experiences.

Frost/Nixon	2008	1977	the Frost-Nixon interviews

Summer of Sam	1999	1977	The Son of Sam murders in New York City

Romero	1989	1977–1980	The assassination of Archbishop Oscar Romero at the height of the Salvadorian Civil War

Boogie Nights	1997	1977–1984	Golden Age of Porn: The rise and fall of fictional pornographic film actor Dirk Diggler

Gracie	2007	1978	Six years after the introduction of Title IX

American Hustle	2013	1978	Abscam operation

Detroit Rock City	1999	1978	Four teenagers embark on a roadtrip from Columbus, Ohio to Detroit, Michigan to attend a concert by KISS, their favourite band.

54	1998	1979	The last year of Studio 54 in New York City.

The Godfather: Part III	1990	1979	Aging Mafia Don Michael Corleone seeks to avow for his sins, while taking his nephew Vincent Mancini under his wing. The film is loosely based on the sudden death of Pope John Paul I (1978), whose entire term lasted 33 days, and the Banco Ambrosiano scandal (1981–1982).

Argo	2012	1979–1980	A portrayal of the CIA's role in the Canadian Caper.

The 9th Company	2005	1979–1989	Young Soviet Army recruits are stuck in the bloody War in Afghanistan, that was started by politicians.

Walesa: Man of Hope	2013	1980–1989	Portrayal of Polish labor leader Lech Walesa and the Solidarity movement.

Miracle	2004	1980	The United States men's national ice hockey team's gold medal victory at the 1980 Winter Olympics

No Country For Old Men	2007	1980	While hunting in West Texas, Llewelyn Moss stumbles upon several dead men and dogs, and a suitcase full of cash. This makes him the target for psychotic hitman Anton Chigurh, who hunts him down to retrieve the stolen money.

The Iron Lady	2011	1979–1990	An elderly Margaret Thatcher talks to the imagined presence of her recently deceased husband Denis Thatcher, as she struggles to come to terms with his death.

The Reagans	2003	1980–1989	Legacy and career of Ronald Reagan and his wife, Nancy Reagan.

Charlie Wilson's War	2007	1980–1989	CIA's covert involvement in the Soviet–Afghan War

Goodbye Bafana	2007	1980–1990	Nelson Mandela's imprisonment

Scarface	1983	1980–1983	Ruthless Cuban criminal Tony Montana arrives in Miami, Florida as part of the Mariel boatlift (1980) and builds a drug empire.

Catch a Fire	2006	1980–1994	Set during the early 1980s concerning the plight of the ANC's military wing in the apartheid-era of South Africa

Wonderland	2003	1981	Wonderland murders

Hunger	2008	1981	1981 Irish hunger strike (Part of the Cold War and The Troubles)

An Ungentlemanly Act	1992	1982	The first days of the Argentine invasion of the Falkland Islands

Tumbledown	1988	1982	Falklands War (Part of the Cold War and The Troubles)

The Falklands Play	2002	1980–1982	Diplomacy leading up to and during the Falklands War

Heartbreak Ridge	1986	1983	United States invasion of Grenada: A hard-nosed, hard-living Marine gunnery sergeant clashes with his superiors and his ex-wife, as he takes command of a spoiled recon platoon with a bad attitude.

Steve Jobs	2015	1984–1998	Covers fourteen years of Steve Jobs' computing career

The Lives of Others	2006	1984–1993	In East Berlin, a Stasi agent is assigned to wire-tap a playwright and his lover, who are suspected to be disloyal to the GDR.

Paid in Full	2002	1985	During the Crack epidemic of the 1980s

Climber's High	2008	1985	Historical drama about Japan Airlines Flight 123

Shizumanu Taiyō	2009	1985	Historical drama about Japan Airlines Flight 123

American Psycho (film)	2000	1987–1988	Materialistic Wall Street yuppie Patrick Bateman enjoys a life of wealth and partying. But under his perfect facade, a sadistic and psychotic monster is hidden.

Foxcatcher	2014	1986–1996	Wrestling coach John Eleuthère du Pont and Wrestlers Mark Schultz and Dave Schultz and the events of Foxcatcher farm in the lead up to, and following, the 1988 Summer Olympics.

Straight Outta Compton	2015	1986–1996	The story behind hip hop group, N.W.A

It	2017	1988–1989	Based on the novel It (1986) by Stephen King, and set in a fictionalized version of Bangor, Maine. In the town of Derry, Maine, a group of bullied junior high school students are stalked by It (also using the alias of Pennywise the Dancing Clown), an evil shape-shifting entity.

Narcos	2015	1989	Pablo Escobar rules the Medellín Cartel.

Atomic Blonde	2017	1989	Spy thriller set in the days before, during and after the Fall of the Wall

Jarhead	2005	1989–1991	Gulf War

Three Kings	1999	1991	1991 uprisings in Iraq against Saddam Hussein and aftermath of the Gulf War and the Dissolution of the Soviet Union

The Perfect Storm	2000	1991	1991 Perfect Storm

Invictus	2009	1991–1995	Post-apartheid South Africa and the 1995 Rugby World Cup

Snowtown	2011	1992–1999	Snowtown murders

Black Hawk Down	2001	1993	The Battle of Mogadishu, Somali Civil War

The Fighter	2010	1993	About boxer Micky Ward and his family

Hotel Rwanda	2004	1994	Assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana and Cyprien Ntaryamira and Rwandan Genocide

Shooting Dogs	2005	1994	Rwandan Genocide

Sometimes in April	2005	1994	Rwandan Genocide

Shake Hands with the Devil	2007	1994	Rwandan Genocide

The Special Relationship	2010	1994–2001	The United Kingdom–United States Special Relationship between Prime Minister of the United Kingdom Tony Blair and President of the United States Bill Clinton

Savior	1998	1995	During the Bosnian War in former Yugoslavia

Pain & Gain	2013	1995	Based on the criminal activities of the short-lived Sun Gym gang (1994–1995) of Miami Lakes, Florida, which consisted mostly of bodybuilders.

Behind Enemy Lines	2001	1995	the Mrkonjić Grad incident during the Bosnian War in former Yugoslavia

The Queen	2006	1997	A fictional account of the immediate events following the death of Diana, Princess of Wales

Open Water	2003	1998	Tom and Eileen Lonergan

Wolf Creek	2005	1999	Loosely based on both the Backpacker murders (1989–1993) and the Murder of Peter Falconio (2001), with both cases involving the murders of backpackers in areas of Australia.

Blood Diamond	2006	1999	During the Sierra Leone Civil War

Sentence(s)

Frost/Nixon is a 2008 historical drama film.

final_sentence: Frost/Nixon is a 2008 historical drama film.