Among the products Netflix originals that I prefer to watch on the video on demand service there are definitely i historical films, films based or simply inspired on true stories, which often, for a reason still unknown to me, are also the better jobs of the Californian company.
Today I want to offer you a short list of what are in my opinion the best historical original films on Netflix, the ones that you really should not miss if, like me, you are passionate about the genre.
The top 5 of the best historical Netflix original movies
Outlaw King: The Outlaw King
The first title of this review is Outlaw King: The Outlaw King, a 2018 film directed by David Mackenzie starring a very good Chris Pine (Star Trek) as Robert the Bruce or, if you prefer, Robert I of Scotland.
We are in fact in medieval Scotland, that of the Scottish wars of independence, which (do not deny it) we all know thanks to the film by Braveheart – Fearless Heart. And the film begins right where Mel Gibson’s film ended, with Robert the Bruce who, after the death of Scottish hero William Wallace, rebels against the English crown and rekindles the flame of revolt.
In the cast also a very good and unrecognizable Aaron Taylor-Johnson (that’s right, Kick-Ass!) and Robert’s wife, played by Florence Pugh.
Captivating action-packed moments, costumes fit for a King and aexceptional opening scene in sequence shot, make Outlaw King: The Outlaw King a movie worthy of appearing in this top 5 of Netflix’s best original historical movies.
The king
Let’s stay at the times of the Middle Ages but let’s move a little further with the dates thanks to The king, the film that tells the rise to the throne of the young and rebellious prince Henry V of England.
In addition to the difficulties of suddenly finding himself on the throne of England, the story of The King also tells in detail the Battle of Azincourt where, on 25 October 1415, King Henry V, landed on the coasts of Normandy, in a clear minority won the famous battle against of the French army led by Louis, the Dauphin of France (in the film played by an outstanding Robert Pattinson).
Inspired byHenry V from William Shakespeare, the film made me fall in love with the acting skills of Timothée Chalamet well before his appearance in Dune, as Paul Atreides, despite the fact that in the film his is a character who lets emotions shine through exclusively through his gaze.
The Chicago Trial 7
A story perhaps little known in Italy that of The Chicago Trial 7. The film tells the story of the trial as well as the events that brought the 7 activists into the courtroom “Against the Vietnam War, accused of conspiring to cause the clash between protesters and the National Guard on August 28, 1968, in Chicago.”
The dense and stellar cast is made up of, among others Eddie Redmayne, Michael Keaton, Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II and, perhaps most surprising of all, Sacha Baron Cohen (Borat) already the protagonist of an excellent historical series on Netflix focused on the Israeli spy of the Mossad Eli Cohen.
If you like legal dramas and historical films, The Chicago 7 Trial is a must watch among Netflix’s best original historical films.
The Buried Ship
Let’s abandon the great historical events for a moment to tell, with The Buried Ship, a fact that actually happened to Sutton Hoo, in Suffolk, England.
Based on the novel The Dig by John Preston in 2007, the film tells the story of a widow who in 1939 hires a self-taught archaeologist to dig into her estate in search of an Anglo-Saxon ship and what will turn out to be a small treasure.
In the cast they are present Lily James And Ralph Fiennes that, thanks to their interpretations, and a veiled love story, will transport us into the atmosphere of the rainy English countryside like no other film has ever done (making us really want to “get our hands dirty”).
Highwayman – The Last Ambush
We conclude this review of the best historical original movies on Netflix with Highwayman – The Last Ambush, an action movie on the road with protagonists Woody Harrelson And Kevin Costner.
It is the true story of Frank Hamer And Maney Gault, two Texas Rangers who hunted down and killed the criminal duo known as Bonnie & Clyde. The film is a very thorough retelling of the story as a whole, although like many films based on real events, there are some liberties taken here and there.
What seems immediately clear is the strong alchemy between the two actors, who hold the entire film directed by John Lee Hancock. If you want to dive back into the American 1930s, this is certainly the best historical Netflix original film of the period now available on the platform.
What do you think? Did I miss any historical movies on Netflix that you think I should recover? Let me know via a comment below!
