Crave's Best Political Movies
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A nation divided. A war of ideals. It sounds a lot like reality and it sounds a lot like a movie. Indeed, the history of cinema is fertile with motion pictures with political storylines and lofty social ambitions. Ever since we discovered that the moving image has a distinct power over the masses, artists and governments have been using films to convey their message… for better and often for worse.
Compiling a list of the best political movies in history is a daunting task. We had to allow for films that espouse ideas and ideals that don’t necessarily match our own. We had to consider a film’s quality as a political document and/or statement as a separate entity from its overall quality (the so-called “best movie ever made” only ranks at #49 on this list for that very reason).
And we had to cast a wide net, so this Big List was voted upon and written by a half dozen film critics: Crave‘s William Bibbiani and Witney Seibold, The Wrap‘s Alonso Duralde, Linoleum Knife‘s Dave White, Blumhouse‘s Alyse Wax and Collider‘s Brian Formo. They each nominated 50 films, ranked from #1-50, and we tabulated those votes to come up with the following Top 50 Best Political Movies Ever. (Stick around at the end, when we’ll reveal our 50 runners-up as well.)
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1 new
Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop...
1964, in 37 top lists Check -
2 new
All the President's Men
1976, in 21 top lists Check -
3 new
The Manchurian Candidate
1962, in 15 top lists Check -
4 new
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington
1939, in 16 top lists Check -
5 new
The Candidate
1972, in 2 top lists Check -
6 new
In the Loop
2009, in 2 top lists Check -
7 new
Election
1999, in 7 top lists Check -
8 new
Lincoln
2012, in 5 top lists Check -
9 new
La battaglia di Algeri
1966 — a.k.a. The Battle of Algiers, in 29 top lists Check -
10 new
Wag the Dog
1997, in 2 top lists Check -
11 new
Dave
1993, in 1 top list Check -
12 new
They Live
1988, in 7 top lists Check -
13 new
W.
2008, in 0 top lists Check -
14 new
Malcolm X
1992, in 7 top lists Check -
15 new
Il conformista
1970 — a.k.a. The Conformist, in 20 top lists Check -
16 new
The Act of Killing
2012, in 9 top lists Check -
17 new
Advise & Consent
1962, in 3 top lists Check -
18 new
Zero Dark Thirty
2012, in 8 top lists Check -
19 new
Duck Soup
1933, in 24 top lists Check -
20 new
Milk
2008, in 3 top lists Check -
21 new
Land and Freedom
1995, in 6 top lists Check -
22 new
Primary Colors
1998, in 0 top lists Check -
23 new
Queimada
1969 — a.k.a. Burn!, in 2 top lists Check -
24 new
The Day the Earth Stood Still
1951, in 12 top lists Check -
25 new
The Great Dictator
1940, in 25 top lists Check -
26 new
Bob Roberts
1992, in 1 top list Check -
27 new
Selma
2014, in 7 top lists Check -
28 new
Good Night, and Good Luck.
2005, in 4 top lists Check -
29 new
Z
1969, in 17 top lists Check -
30 new
White House Down
2013, in 1 top list Check -
31 new
1776
1972, in 0 top lists Check -
32 new
Starship Troopers
1997, in 9 top lists Check -
33 new
JFK
1991, in 13 top lists Check -
34 new
Triumph des Willens
1935 — a.k.a. Triumph of the Will, in 16 top lists Check -
35 new
Team America: World Police
2004, in 5 top lists Check -
36 new
Soy Cuba
1964 — a.k.a. I Am Cuba, in 16 top lists Check -
37 new
Dick
1999, in 0 top lists Check -
38 new
The Great McGinty
1940, in 4 top lists Check -
39 new
The People vs. Larry Flynt
1996, in 2 top lists Check -
40 new
Star Trek VI: The Undiscovered Country
1991, in 2 top lists Check -
41 new
Crisis: Behind a Presidential Commitment
1963, in 5 top lists Check -
42 new
State Legislature
2007, in 0 top lists Check -
43 new
Fahrenheit 9/11
2004, in 9 top lists Check -
44 new
Argo
2012, in 8 top lists Check -
45 new
The Look of Silence
2014, in 4 top lists Check -
46 new
Game Change
2012, in 0 top lists Check -
47 new
The Ides of March
2011, in 0 top lists Check -
48 new
Casablanca
1942, in 39 top lists Check -
49 new
Citizen Kane
1941, in 39 top lists Check -
50 new
Frost/Nixon
2008, in 1 top list Check
Last updated on Jul 12, 2017; source