Costume dramas are usually fiction productions inspired by history. These films, which have high artistic value and attract attention with their decor and costumes as well as their success narratives, usually tell about the middle ages or before. But costume dramas about the post-1900s, even recent history, also increase over time. Period films are indispensable, especially for those who are passionate about history and the past.
These historical films, which immerse their audience in the period they are telling about, allow us to better understand the world, the future, and humanity. Period films are not documentaries, they are films that have no obligation to tell the truth. With this aspect, it is often confused with documentaries. That’s why we should not forget that there are fictional stories when criticizing period films.
Costume dramas continue to receive worldwide attention. Important productions in this field show themselves every year and are deemed worthy of successful awards. The best period movies that smell of love, passion, intrigue, throne wars and history are listed for you!
1) Love & Friendship (2016) | IMDb: 6.4
The film is named after Jane Austen’s novel Love & Friendship and is based on the author’s novel Lady Susan. The main subject of the film, which tells about Susan, a widowed woman, trying to choose ideal wives for herself and her daughter, is the attitudes of men towards women and their weak character. This modern adaptation combines excellent image quality and Austen’s story for those who thought old loves were something else.
Type: Comedy, Drama
IMDb : 6.4 Rotten Tomatoes : 97% Google : 70%
2) Shakespeare in Love (1998) | IMDb: 7.1
The movie takes place in London in the 1590s. Everyone now accepts the success of the famous writer William Shakespeare and great works are expected. Meanwhile, the only person who does not believe in Shakespeare is himself. At this very moment, a woman named Viola appears before the playwright, who is overwhelmed by the pressure he is under and thinks he has lost his creativity. Fascinated by this beautiful woman, Shakespeare begins to write again, inspired by love, and returns to his golden days. The cast of the film, which is about the love situations of this famous writer, who has made a name for himself with his works for centuries, is also extremely rich.
Type : Romance, Drama
IMDb : 7.1 Rotten Tomatoes : 92% Google : 84%
3) The Other Boleyn Girl (2008) | IMDb: 6.7
Love and politics are two concepts that we have not been able to overcome for centuries and for which great fights and even wars have been waged. This movie is about the story of two brothers who fall in love with the king simultaneously. The power of love is at its peak in this movie, where we will watch the war between two sisters with very different characters. You should watch the exciting story of these brothers, one of whom is a rebellious and unruly structure, and the other, who can never go against his father, set in an ancient period.
Type : Romance, Drama
IMDb : 6.7 Rotten Tomatoes : 43% Google : 90%
4) Cyrano de Bergerac (1990) | IMDb: 7.5
In the face of Cyrano de Bergerac, a highly successful gunslinger, all his opponents tremble with fear. Bergerac, who has an intelligence as sharp as his sword, is also intertwined with poetry and almost reads poetry even in his daily conversations. The only obstacle between this fearless and romantic gunslinger and women is his huge nose, which he has become obsessed with. Bergerac, who falls in love with a young and beautiful woman named Roxanne, cannot open up to her because of his insecurity. Meanwhile, he sees that Christian, who has just joined the musketeers, also likes Roxanne and decides to help her. Instead, he wins the love of the beautiful woman for Christian by writing poems. If you are curious about the continuation of this complex, dramatic and romantic story, be sure to watch the movie.
Type : Romance, Drama
IMDb : 7.5 Rotten Tomatoes : %one hundred Google : 87%
5) Remains of the Day (1993) | IMDb: 7.9
This production, which is a cult among period films, takes place in England during the days of the Second World War. Working as a butler at Darlington Manor and highly disciplined, James Stevenson suppressed the other employees with his authoritarian demeanor. As everything goes according to Stevenson’s wishes, a new cook arrives at the mansion. This female cook named Miss Kenton and Stevenson are pretty opposite characters. Before long, the sparks between this kind and sweet woman and the head chef will start to ignite despite the challenging conditions of the period.
Type : Romance, Drama
IMDb : 7.8 Rotten Tomatoes : 95% Google : 86%
6) Mother Joan of the Angels (1961) | IMDb: 7.7
This movie, which has an exciting plot, takes place in the 17th century. The movie can also be viewed as an old drama and horror movie. It is believed that the nuns in the monastery are possessed by the devil, and a priest is appointed to deal with the matter. The priest meets with the public to find the source of the problem, and events begin to develop. You can watch the movie to witness the devil in people’s nature and the conditions of the period.
Type : Horror, Drama
IMDb : 7.7 Rotten Tomatoes : 83% Google : 80%
7) The New World: The Discovery of America (2005) | IMDb: 6.7
In the movie, we witness the legendary love between John Smith and the Indian chief’s daughter, Pochahontas, in the early 17th century. There are serious obstacles in front of the Indians who are at enmity with the colonies and these two young people who love each other despite the severe cultural difference. Nevertheless, we would say to take a look at this story that pushes the boundaries and almost changes history by not letting go.
Type : Romance, Drama
IMDb : 6.7 Rotten Tomatoes : 63% Google : 81%
8) The Duchess (2008) | IMDb: 6.9
The movie takes place in the 18th century. Georgiana Cavendish is a windmill known for her beauty and is among the most extraordinary women of her time. However, despite being married, he experiences a rapid decline and loses his reputation due to his forbidden love, extravagant acts, and interference in politics. Her husband, her love, and her best friend, Lady Bess Foster, will get their share from the Duchess’s story, and there will be serious turmoil.
Type : Drama, Historical Fiction
IMDb : 6.9 Rotten Tomatoes : 62% Google : 90%
9) La Marseillaise (1938) | IMDb: 7.1
A classic for period films, La Marseille is now the French national anthem, surviving from the peasants’ rallying song during the French Revolution. The early days of the French Revolution, the people who took action to overthrow the monarchy, and finally, the 14th century. You will witness history with this movie, where you will watch the collapse of Louis. There are also thousands of actors in the film, which draws attention to the people who played very important roles for the period.
Type : Drama, Historical drama
IMDb : 7.1 Rotten Tomatoes : 78% Google : 74%
10) The Draftsman’s Contract (1982) | IMDb: 7.3
The film takes place in 17th century England and the events revolve around Mr. Neville, an arrogant painter. The film, which features the works of Baroque painters, reflects the spirit of the period quite well and has a detective feature. Mrs. Herbert, the owner of a resplendent mansion, hires Neville to paint 12 pictures of her house. Sexual issues are also included in the contract of the duo, who made a contract on this subject. The film is about our artist, who is overconfident with his intelligence, falling victim to intrigues and many mysteries.
Type : Drama, Mystery
IMDb : 7.3 Rotten Tomatoes : %one hundred Google : 86%
11) Amadeus (1984) | IMDb: 8.3
Amadeus is a masterpiece that focuses on the relationship between the 18th century musical genius Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and the less talented but royal composer Antonio Salieri. Amadeus won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Actor for F. Murray Abraham. It also won four Golden Globe Awards, including for best drama.
Type : Drama, History
IMDb : 8.3 Rotten Tomatoes : 93% Google : 89%
12) Atonement (2007) | IMDb: 7.8
In the movie, Keira Knightley and James McAvoy star based on the novel of the same name by Ian McEwan. In 1935, 13-year-old Briony Tallis and her family lead a wealthy and privileged life in their mansion. One summer’s day, Briony witnesses the intimacy of Robbie Turner, the educated son of the family’s housekeeper, and her older sister, Cecilia. From that day on, the lives of these three young people will change in ways they cannot even imagine.
Type : Romance, War Movie
IMDb : 7.8 Rotten Tomatoes : 83% Google : 90%
13) Elizabeth (1998) | IMDb: 7.4
This 1998 movie takes place in the 1550s and is about the life of Queen Elizabeth I of England. After the death of the Catholic Queen Mary in England, which was awash with intrigue, the throne was taken by her sister Mary, who was a Protestant, in the 16th century. Elizabeth, who was exiled at her age, passes. Elizabeth, who is at the head of a Catholic country, has to fight many issues, from church intrigues to the male-dominated ruling class. Cate Blanchett gives life to Elizabeth I, who turned into a powerful ruler who ruled the country for 45 years when she was a little girl.
Type : Drama, History
IMDb : 7.4 Rotten Tomatoes : 82% Google : 79%
14) The Great Gatsby (2013) | IMDb: 7.2
Adapted from the novel of the same name by the American author F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby is based on the events between Jay Gatsby, a mysterious, partying millionaire, and his neighbor Nick Carraway, who is a writer. The film, which deals with many emotions such as love, betrayal, selfishness, friendship, begins with Nick Carraway telling his psychiatrist the obsessive story of Gatsby. The cast of the movie, shot in 3D, featured names such as Leonardo DiCaprio, Tobey Maguire, Carey Mulligan and was directed by the unique creator Baz Luhrmann.
Type : Drama, Romance
IMDb : 7.2 Rotten Tomatoes : 48% Google : 91%
15) A Fortunate Man (2018) | IMDb: 7.2
Lucky Per tells the dreams, ambitions, and mistakes of Lykke Per, a talented and intelligent young man who lives in a time of intense social and cultural conflicts such as rich and poor, Christian and Jewish. Set in 1880s Copenhagen, the film was written by Nobel Prize-winning author Henrik Pontoppidan.
Type : Drama
IMDb : 7.2 Rotten Tomatoes : 80% Google : 91%
16) Eve Dönüş – Homecoming (2006) | IMDb: 6.8
Mustafa and his wife, both workers, have nothing to do with politics. While they live happily with their TV and children at home, there are conflicts every night outside. One morning, they wake up with the news of the coup. Mustafa is also happy with the situation that the clashes in the streets will stop and security will be provided, and he even believes that there is a reason for every arrest. However, one day, Mustafa was taken into custody on the grounds that he was politically responsible, codenamed Şehmuz, and was tortured for 22 days.
Type : Drama
IMDb : 6.8 Google : 78%
17) Sarajevo (2014) | IMDb: 6.7
Austrian Archduke Franz Ferdinand was assassinated on 28 June 1914 while on a tour with his wife, Sophie, in Sarajevo. In the movie, this event, which was also one of the reasons for the start of the First World War, and other historical events that took place at that time were discussed. The Austrian film was directed by Andreas Prochaska.
Type : History, Drama
IMDb : 6.7 Google : 91%
18) Gun City – La sombra de la ley (2018) | IMDb: 6.3
In 1921, there were street clashes between the police and anarchists in Spain, during which a military train with weapons powerful enough to start a civil war was stolen. It tells the story of events when a detective named Anibal Uriarte is sent to Barcelona to help arrest those responsible for the theft of the military train. The director of the 2018 French-Spain film is Dani de la Torre.
Type : Income
IMDb : 6.3 Rotten Tomatoes : 67% Google : 88%
19) Why Was Hacivat Karagöz Killed? (2006) | IMDb: 7.5
Hacivat and Karagöz, staged on the stages set in many Ramadan entertainment, this time meet the audience on the big screen. The screenwriter of the movie, which was released in 2006, is Levent Kazak, while Ezel Akay sits in the director’s chair. 14. The story takes place in Bursa in the 19th century. Karagöz and Hacivat’s sarcastic squabbles, both among themselves and with others, land them in trouble. What will happen to our heroes, who are at odds with the state?
Type : Drama, Comedy
IMDb : 7.5 Rotten Tomatoes : 80% Google : 89%
20) Elisa & Marcela (2019) | IMDb: 6.5
Elisa and Marcela, the production of Netflix, which is assertive in the field of Costume dramas and series, is about a lesbian couple who got married in Spain in 1901. It is the first known same-sex marriage in Spain, and in 2005 same-sex marriage became legal in Spain. Elsa disguised as a man and tricked one of the local churches into marrying Marcela. Gender roles and impositions have existed for centuries. However, passion and love continue to be experienced in every period without listening to any of them.
Type : Romance, LGBT
IMDb : 6.5 Rotten Tomatoes : 33% Google : 95%
21) Emma (2020) | IMDb: 6.8
Based on Jane Austen’s novel of the same name. Emma Woodhouse, who is against marriage and belongs to a wealthy family in England, lives with her father in a village. After losing her mother at a young age, Emma is raised by a carer who treats her well. She realizes her love for Mr. Knightley while expressing at every opportunity that she will never marry.
Type : Romance, Drama
IMDb : 6.8 Rotten Tomatoes : 86% Google : 79%
22) Land and Freedom (1995) | IMDb: 7.6
The 1995 film is directed by Ken Loach and written by Jim Allen. It tells the life of a communist who goes from Liverpool to Spain to fight during the civil war in Spain. The war in Spain is not local but global. It won’t take long for the British communist to realize this. An old woman who is torn between her sides by ideological contradictions warns: “Kill the fascists instead of killing each other!” Some scenes are used by many political scientists in lectures because they describe the conflict between anarchism and communism very well.
Type : War Movie, Drama
IMDb : 7.6 Rotten Tomatoes : 77% Google : 86%
23) Stage Beauty (2004) | IMDb: 7.1
In 17th century England, women were forbidden to appear on the stage. Women’s roles are played by men disguised as women. However, many people find it boring to play the same games with the same characters. One of these people is King II. It’s Charles. Therefore, it removes the barrier for women to appear on the stage. Edward Ned, the most famous male actor disguised as a woman, is among those most disturbed by this situation. Maria, who plays minor roles while sewing costumes, takes advantage of this situation and takes the stage.
Type : Drama, Romance
IMDb : 7.1 Rotten Tomatoes : 64% Google : 83%
24) Belle (2013) | IMDb: 7.3
The screenplay is written by Misan Sagay, while Amma Asante sits in the director’s chair. Based on a true story, the protagonist of the movie is a hybrid woman named Dido. The story is from the 18th century. Although Dido’s aristocratic uncle and his wife raised her with privilege, Dido’s complexion poses problems in her social position. The gripping story of Dido, who falls in love with an idealistic lawyer, awaits you.
Type : Drama, Romance
IMDb : 7.3 Rotten Tomatoes : 84% Google : 90%
25) Motorcycle Diaries (2004) | IMDb: 7.8
Two young people, Ernesto and Alberto, set off from Buenos Aires on a motorcycle in early 1950. But their motorcycle lets them down. Two young people, who are forced to hitchhike on their way, encounter a face of Latin America they have never seen before. In the face of injustice and corruption they see, they turn into very different people from the young people they set out on. This motorcycle journey changes not only the lives of two young people, but the history of the whole of Latin America.
Type : Drama, Adventure
IMDb : 7.8 Rotten Tomatoes : 83% Google : 87%
26) The Kings Speech (2010) | IMDb: 8.0
Tom Hooper is the director of the movie, which was nominated in 12 categories at the Oscars and won four awards, especially the Best Film and Best Director awards. The successful film is about the British Royal family. VI. George is a stutterer and works hard to beat this stutterer. That’s why it’s so hard to reach the public. Australian therapist Lionel Logue comes to his aid.
Type : Drama, History
IMDb : 7.8 Rotten Tomatoes : 95% Google : 91%
27) The Last of the Mohicans (1992) | IMDb: 7.7
Based on the novel by James Fenimore Cooper, the film is directed by Michael Mann. It is one of the most influential films of his directing career. 18. In the 19th century, French and British soldiers fight for control of North America. Indians and settlers are caught in the middle of this war. Meanwhile, bad things befall the settlers Cora and her sister Alice. An Indian named Hawkeye saves them. This Indian, on the other hand, is originally a settler, and since his family died when he was very young, the last Mohicans took Hawkeye with them and raised him.
Type : War Movie, Adventure
IMDb : 7.7 Rotten Tomatoes : 95% Google : 90%
28) Amazing Grace (2006) | IMDb: 7.4
It is about the life of religious politician Christian William Wilberforce, whose biggest dream is to destroy the slave trade. While working to end the slave trade, which was the problem of the century, he received the most significant support from the poet John Newton. There are institutions that make big money from the slave trade, and they give William a hard time on the way. However, despite all these difficulties, William continues his struggle. The film is directed by Michael Apted and stars Loan Gruffudd and Albert Finney.
Type : Drama, History
IMDb : 7.4 Rotten Tomatoes : 68% Google : 88%
29) Jane Eyre (2011) | IMDb: 7.3
Jane Eyre is orphaned at the age of 10 and is sent to a strictly disciplined boarding school by her slave-treating aunt. After graduating from this boarding school, she stays at the same school and starts teaching. She later becomes a governess for her children at the estate of a man named Edward Rochester. Her friendship with Rochester turns into a love day by day. But Jane Eyre is not yet aware of Rochester’s terrible secret. Jane Eyre struggles to stand alone as a woman in a male-dominated society.
Type : Romance, Drama
IMDb : 7.3 Rotten Tomatoes : 84% Google : 91%
30) The Age of Innocence (1993) | IMDb: 7.2
We are in New York in the 19th century United States. The film is about the complicated love life of a lawyer from the city’s high society. A lawyer falls in love with a woman who has just separated from her husband. However, the woman he fell in love with is the cousin of the man’s fiancee. How will he get out of all this mess?
Type : Romance, Drama
IMDb : 7.2 Rotten Tomatoes : 83% Google : 84%
Apart from period films, you can also browse our lists of political films and war films.
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