Last updated: November 3, 2026
It’s Election Day, and whatever happens at the polls tonight, the movies have been here before. These are the best modern politically-adjacent, election-based, politician-oriented movies I’ve reviewed, from campaign rom-coms and a papal election to Washington scandals and pitch-black satire, plus where to stream every one right now. If you’re nervous about the election results, nothing takes your mind off the ongoing hellscape of American politics quite like watching one of these movies waiting to be nominated for your Election Day viewing.
LONG SHOT (2019)
For pure Election Day comfort viewing, start here. You won’t regret casting a ballot for this Seth Rogen-Charlize Theron political rom-com, whose odd-couple chemistry allows for a wholly ingratiating, if politically muddled, movie night.▶︎ Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
THE APPRENTICE (2024)
It’s a rise-to-power story that feels unavoidable this election season. This biopic of Donald Trump’s early years wisely focuses on his time as the eager protégé of the infamous Roy Cohn, though condensing such a sprawling story into two hours proves challenging. Still, Sebastian Stan and Jeremy Strong make for a compelling duo, capturing the early development of the ruthless instinct that would shape Trump into the man we know today.▶︎ Watch on Prime Video · Watch on The Roku Channel · Watch on Tubi · Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
CIVIL WAR (2024)
It imagines a divided America pushed to its breaking point. Alex Garland has promised an intentionally provocative film that lacks discernible conviction with Civil War. Though the writing isn’t as sharp as it could have been, the film is nonetheless a staggering and genuinely unsetting depiction of a country torn apart. The sound design and direction are the true stars, though Kirsten Dunst puts in some of the strongest work of her career.▶︎ Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
CONCLAVE (2024)
It’s literally an election (the papal kind), played as a thriller. Led by a masterful turn from the always-reliable Ralph Fiennes, Conclave is a crackling actors’ showcase forging standout production elements with a best-of-year script. There’s a cool irony to the fact that this – one of the most adult-oriented films of the year – is only rated PG. Truly heavenly stuff.▶︎ Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
THE HUNT (2020)
Political tribalism gets turned into a bloodbath. Once you scrape out all the politics, media chatter and controversy, The Hunt is ultimately a pretty satisfy Battle Royale-adjacent horror-thriller hybrid. The finished product is imperfect no doubt but still entertaining in broad strokes with enough unexpected kills and fun characters to power its runtime even if its political commentary is no more sophisticated than the dug-in mudslinging of a Facebook comments thread.▶︎ Watch on The Roku Channel · Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
THE FAVOURITE (2018)
Palace power games play out where influence is the only currency. Let them eat cake, The Favourite declares, offering a sickly sweet delight decorated with a quartet of brilliant performances (Stone, Weisz, Colman, Hoult) that teether this satirical slice of historical fiction to a sense of skewed, psychosexual royal quirk. A real wonder to look at, this deliriously spellbinding costume drama is one that only the perplexing Yorgos Lanthimos could construct. Stunning.▶︎ Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
THE POST (2017)
The Pentagon Papers pit the press against the White House. The Post tells a well-timed story about the importance of the free press, has a remarkably loaded cast led by Tom Hanks and Meryl Streep and is defined by sharp production elements from stem to stern. Still, it feels like a fairly rote procedural, one with few surprises up its sleeve, and one we’ve seen better versions of before.▶︎ Watch on HBO Max · Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
THE BIG SHORT (2015)
Washington and Wall Street collide, and everyone else pays for it. Adam McKay’s star-filled The Big Short tackles a huge subject, the 2008 financial meltdown, with surprising wit and clarity. That it ends up being both educational and entertaining is a great victory, making McKay’s first drama an American movie that all Americans should be required to see.▶︎ Watch on Kanopy · Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
DARKEST HOUR (2017)
Churchill’s first weeks as prime minister put the whole country on the line. Darkest Hour sees director Joe Wright back on top of his game directing Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill to one of his finest onscreen roles. More importantly, the film that houses that performance is not only a sumptuous feast for the eyes but proves surprisingly kinetic; full of life, energy and wit, working from an excellent and tightly-wound script and delivering the promise of an essential glimpse into the historical figure’s most perilous trials.▶︎ Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
DON’T LOOK UP (2021)
Political denial in the face of catastrophe gets played for laughs. Adam McKay’s Don’t Look Up boasts an outstanding ensemble cast with some of the biggest A-list stars on the planet to build a farcical “the sky is falling” dark comedy. The writer-director’s ambitions can exceed his grasp at times but this no-holds-barred satire still mostly collides as intended.▶︎ Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
JACKIE (2016)
The days after JFK’s assassination become a fight over his legacy. In addition to providing a platform for Natalie Portman to display her considerable talents, Jackie is a terrific and multifaceted portrait of a layered American icon. Gloomy, textured and terrifically made, Pablo Larraín’s film turns a grossly compelling nugget of history into an arresting and potent piece of humanist cinema.▶︎ Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
BORAT SUBSEQUENT MOVIEFILM (2020)
This election-year satire landed right before the 2020 vote. Sacha Baron Cohen brings Borat back from the grave to confront 2020 America in Borat Subsequent Moviefilm. The result is decidedly less iconic (and relies too heavily on scripted rather than unscripted material) but succeeds in delivering gut-busting laughs and Cohen’s brand of shock and awe comedy, while also moving the dial on what Cohen’s particular style of shockumentary is able to offer. Newcomer Maria Bakalova is a treasure.▶︎ Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
THE TRIAL OF THE CHICAGO 7 (2020)
The 1968 protests get put on trial. The Trial of the Chicago 7 showcases both Aaron Sorkin’s great skill and his great shortcomings. Telling the true story of a rambunctious American kangaroo court trial, Sorkin’s script is as precise and laser-honed as one would expect but his developing skill as a director still keeps audiences arm’s reach from the emotional core of the material.▶︎ Watch on Netflix · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
THE LOOK OF SILENCE (2014)
This documentary lives in the long shadow of political violence. No piece of fiction or nonfiction has better captured the ghastly phenomenon of diffusion of responsibility than Joshua Oppenheimer’s The Look of Silence. A companion piece to his Oscar-nominated The Act of Killing, it probes the aftermath of Indonesia’s 1960s killings from a new angle, following ophthalmologist Adi Rukun as he confronts the men behind them.▶︎ Watch on Kanopy · Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
ONE BATTLE AFTER ANOTHER (2025)
Former political radicals get dragged back into the fight decades later. One Battle After Another is another masterwork from American auteur Paul Thomas Anderson, who turns his incisive storytelling toward contemporary America and uses it as a battle-bound backdrop for a story about fighting for what matters. Every single thing works.▶︎ Watch on Prime Video · Rent or buy on Amazon · Buy on Blu-ray/4K · Read the full review
More to watch: Hidden gems → · Best on every service → · Thrillers →
FAQ
What is the best movie to watch on Election Day?
For something light, Long Shot is a genuinely funny campaign rom-com. For an actual election with real stakes, Conclave turns the selection of a new pope into a gripping thriller.
What are the best political movies of the last few years?
Conclave, One Battle After Another, and Civil War are three of the best recent political films, each tackling power and division from a very different angle.
Where can I stream these political movies?
Each film above has a live where-to-watch line showing exactly where it is streaming, renting, or playing right now.
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By: Matt Oakes
Started blogging about film in college when the university paper wouldn’t have him. Dislikes your consensus film Twitter favorites. Devotee of horror movies that make him die a little inside. Catches films at festivals when he can. Proud SFCS and OFCS member and Tomatometer-approved critic. Editor-in-chief of Silver Screen Riot.
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