Movies like The Civil War (1954)
The best movies like The Civil War (1954) are Lincoln (2012), The Red Badge of Courage (1951) and Antebellum (2020). If The Civil War hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
The Civil War
Quick picks
- Highest ratedGone with the Wind (1939)7.9/10 from 4,542 votes
- NewestThe Dead Don't Hurt (2024)Released 2024
Lincoln (2012)
The revealing story of the 16th US President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Red Badge of Courage (1951)
Henry Fleming is a young Union soldier in the American Civil War. During his unit's first engagement, Henry flees the battlefield in fear. When he learns that the Union actually won the battle, shame over his cowardice leads him to lie to his friend Tom and the other soldiers, saying that he had been injured in battle. However, when he learns that his unit will be leading a charge against the enemy, Henry takes the opportunity to face his fears and redeem himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAntebellum (2020)
Successful author Veronica finds herself trapped in a horrifying reality and must uncover the mind-bending mystery before it's too late.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGlory (1989)
Robert Gould Shaw leads the US Civil War's first all-black volunteer company, fighting prejudices of both his own Union army and the Confederates.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Dead Don't Hurt (2024)
In the 1860s, fiercely independent French-Canadian Vivienne Le Coudy embarks on a journey with Danish immigrant Holger Olsen, attempting to forge a life together in the dusty town of Elk Flats, Nevada. When Holger decides to go fight for the Union in the burgeoning Civil War, Vivienne must fend for herself, which isn't easy in a town controlled by a corrupt mayor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFree State of Jones (2016)
In 1863, Mississippi farmer Newt Knight serves as a medic for the Confederate Army. Opposed to slavery, Knight would rather help the wounded than fight the Union. After his nephew dies in battle, Newt returns home to Jones County to safeguard his family but is soon branded an outlaw deserter. Forced to flee, he finds refuge with a group of runaway slaves hiding out in the swamps. Forging an alliance with the slaves and other farmers, Knight leads a rebellion that would forever change history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmperor (2020)
An escaped slave travels north and has chance encounters with Frederick Douglass and John Brown. Based on the life story of Shields Green.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEscape from Fort Bravo (1953)
A Southern belle frees a Rebel officer and his men from a Union captain's Arizona fort.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlvarez Kelly (1966)
In 1864, during the American Civil War, Mexican cattleman Alvarez Kelly supplies the Union with cattle until unexpected circumstances force him to change his customers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGettysburg (1993)
In the summer of 1863, General Robert E. Lee leads the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia into Gettysburg, Pennsylvania with the goal of marching through to Washington, D.C. The Union Army of the Potomac, under the command of General George G. Meade, forms a defensive position to confront the rebel forces in what will prove to be the decisive battle of the American Civil War.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Horse Soldiers (1959)
A Union Cavalry outfit is sent behind confederate lines in strength to destroy a rail supply center. Along with them is sent a doctor who causes instant antipathy between him and the commander. The secret plan for the mission is overheard by a southern belle who must be taken along to assure her silence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRide with the Devil (1999)
Friends Jake and Jack Bull join up with Civil War guerrilla fighters, yet after the realities of war set in, they must decide what honor truly means.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCivil War (2024)
In the near future, a group of war journalists attempt to survive while reporting the truth as the United States stands on the brink of civil war.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Birth of a Nation (1915)
Two families, abolitionist Northerners the Stonemans and Southern landowners the Camerons, intertwine. When Confederate colonel Ben Cameron is captured in battle, nurse Elsie Stoneman petitions for his pardon. In Reconstruction-era South Carolina, Cameron founds the Ku Klux Klan, battling Elsie's congressman father and his African-American protégé, Silas Lynch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisSleeping Dogs (1978)
Recluse Smith is drawn into a revolutionary struggle between guerrillas and right-wingers in New Zealand. Implicated in a murder and framed as a revolutionary conspirator, Smith tries to maintain an attitude of non-violence while caught between warring factions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisEnough Said (2013)
Eva is a divorced soon-to-be empty-nester wondering about her next act. Then she meets Marianne, the embodiment of her perfect self. Armed with a restored outlook on being middle-aged and single, Eva decides to take a chance on her new love interest Albert — a sweet, funny and like-minded man. But things get complicated when Eva discovers that Albert is in fact the dreaded ex–husband of Marianne...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGone with the Wind (1939)
The spoiled daughter of a Georgia plantation owner conducts a tumultuous romance with a cynical profiteer during the American Civil War and Reconstruction Era.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Beach House (2018)
Cara Rudland thought she’d left her Southern roots and troubled family far behind, but returns to the scenic Lowcountry of her childhood summers after losing her job in Chicago. There, she reconnects with her mother Lovie, who has been caring for her young, pregnant friend Toy in her charming beach house.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStraw Dogs (2011)
A young couple moves to a quaint southern town. Soon their perfect getaway turns out to become a living hell when dark secrets and lethal passions spiral out of control.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Snowman (1982)
A young boy makes a snowman one Christmas Eve, which comes to life at midnight and takes him on a magical adventure to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this
Like The Civil War and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Civil War?
The closest matches to The Civil War are Lincoln (2012), The Red Badge of Courage (1951) and Antebellum (2020). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Civil War?
Start with Lincoln (2012), the closest match to The Civil War.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Civil War?
Gone with the Wind (1939), rated 7.9/10 by 4,542 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Civil War?
The Dead Don't Hurt (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Civil War?
Yes: Lincoln (2012), The Red Badge of Courage (1951) and Antebellum (2020).
How are movies similar to The Civil War chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Civil War, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.