Best political dramas

Elections, cover-ups, newsrooms and the people who run countries. This list mixes films and series about power and how it is used. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 7.0 or more from at least 300 votes, and new releases wait until their ratings settle. The order follows the Boxlist quality score, and we checked the list by hand to remove obvious misfits.

1
Oppenheimer (2023)
Film8.1
The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer's role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II.
US Amazon Prime (rent), iTunes (rent), UK Netflix, NowTV
2
The Lives of Others (2006)
Film8.1
A tragic love story set in East Berlin with the backdrop of an undercover Stasi controlled culture.
US Amazon Prime (rent), Google Play (rent)
3
The West Wing (1999)
TV8.4
The West Wing provides a glimpse into presidential politics in the nation's capital as it tells the stories of the members of a fictional...
US HBO, Amazon Prime (buy), UK Channel 4, Amazon Prime (buy)
4
All the President's Men (1976)
Film7.7
During the 1972 elections, two reporters' investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Richard Nixon to...
US Amazon Prime (rent), iTunes (rent), UK BBC, Amazon Prime (rent)
5
The Crown (2016)
TV8.3
The gripping, decades-spanning inside story of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the Prime Ministers who shaped Britain's post-war destiny.
US Netflix, UK Netflix
6
I'm Still Here (2024)
Film8.0
A woman married to a former politician during the 1971 military dictatorship in Brazil is forced to reinvent herself and chart a new course for...
US Netflix, Amazon Prime (rent), UK Amazon Prime (rent), Curzon (rent)
7
The Newsroom (2012)
TV8.1
A behind-the-scenes look at the people who make a nightly cable-news program.
US HBO, Amazon Prime (buy), UK NowTV, Amazon Prime (buy)
8
The Leopard (1963)
Film7.8
As Garibaldi's troops begin the unification of Italy in the 1860s, an aristocratic Sicilian family grudgingly adapts to the sweeping social...
US Amazon Prime (rent), Google Play (rent), UK Amazon Prime (rent), Google Play (rent)
9
Argo (2012)
Film7.3
As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA 'exfiltration' specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found...
US Amazon Prime (rent), Google Play (rent), UK Amazon Prime, Chili (rent)
10
Conclave (2024)
Film7.2
After the unexpected death of the Pope, Cardinal Lawrence is tasked with managing the covert and ancient ritual of electing a new one.
US Amazon Prime, iTunes (rent), UK Amazon Prime, iTunes (rent)
11
Investigation of a Citizen Above Suspicion (1970)
Film8.3
Rome, Italy. After committing a heinous crime, a senior police officer exposes evidence incriminating him because his moral commitment prevents...
US Amazon Prime, Google Play (rent), UK Amazon Prime (rent), iTunes (rent)
12
The Insider (1999)
Film7.5
Tells the true story of a 60 Minutes television series exposé of the tobacco industry, as seen through the eyes of a real tobacco executive...
US Hulu, Amazon Prime (rent), UK Disney, Amazon Prime (rent)
13
Paradise (2025)
TV7.4
The tranquility in a serene, wealthy community inhabited by some of the world's most prominent individuals explodes when a shocking murder occurs...
14
Downfall (2004)
Film7.8
In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Russian Army closing in from the east and the Allied Expeditionary Force...
US Amazon Prime, IMDB TV, UK Amazon Prime (rent), Rakuten (buy)
15
JFK (1991)
Film7.6
Follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F.
US Amazon Prime (rent), iTunes (rent), UK Disney, Rakuten
16
Darkest Hour (2017)
Film7.4
A thrilling and inspiring true story begins on the eve of World War II as, within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston...
US Amazon Prime (rent), Google Play (rent), UK Amazon Prime, Netflix
17
House of Cards (2013)
TV8.1
Set in present day Washington, D.C., House of Cards is the story of Frank Underwood, a ruthless and cunning politician, and his wife Claire who...
US Netflix, Amazon Prime (buy), UK Netflix, Amazon Prime (buy)
18
Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
Film7.1
The story of journalist Edward R. Murrow's stand against Senator Joseph McCarthy's anti-communist witch-hunts in the early 1950s.
US Amazon Prime (rent), Google Play (rent), UK Amazon Prime (rent), Chili (rent)
19
The Post (2017)
Film7.0
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...
US Amazon Prime (rent), Google Play (rent), UK Amazon Prime (rent), Bfi Player (rent)
20
The Queen (2006)
Film7.0
The Queen is an intimate behind the scenes glimpse at the interaction between HM Elizabeth II and Prime Minister Tony Blair during their struggle...
US Kanopy, Amazon Prime (rent), UK Amazon Prime (rent), Bfi Player (rent)