History Movies for Homeschool: 40+ 20th Century Movies to Stream This Year

Historical fiction movies are a fun add-on to your teen’s history studies. Check out this list of 20th-century historical movies, broken down by category.

Our family loves movies. Loves ’em. And last year was a year of movies in our homeschool. Classic Movie Fridays, monthly space-themed movies for my 7th grader’s astronomy, and a variety of historical fiction movies.

As we watched movie after movie, I noticed the connections my kiddos began to make between what they saw & what they knew from history. Sometimes it introduced them to some unknown event.

When you can bring an event they are studying to life via a movie, it can help the connections. But sometimes I like to add movies that, while in the same time period, have no other connection. It widens their view, yes. But, sometimes, it can feel like a drag to have everything be an extension of school.

While most of these movies portray real events, I’ve included a few titles that don’t, such as Fiddler on the Roof. Why? They still give us a glimpse into the time period through food, language, family life, etc…

But first…

At the time of posting, all of these movies are available to stream. If you come across a movie that isn’t available any longer, I’d appreciate a comment below so I can update it.

I have limited the streaming services to Amazon Prime, Hulu, Netflix, Disney+, and YouTube. However, the YouTube links are not pirated movies! They are on YouTube Movies & TV channel.

What about the historical accuracy of the movies?

Good question! If we’re using movies as a supplement to history, we certainly don’t want to teach wrong information. I only show historical fiction movies after we’re finished with a unit. This allows us the opportunity to learn facts before we see the dramatized version of the events.

I also like to check websites like Hollywood vs. History for some fact-checking.

In the end, I also remind my kiddos that these are fictional movies. While they are based on actual historical events, the movies take liberties. I don’t use these movies to teach history; it’s a way to help them visualize history as well as just something fun.

Know What’s Coming!

This list is geared toward teens, particularly high-school-aged teens. Some movies are intense by the nature of the topic. Some include language and/or violence that could have been left out. We all have different standards & our kiddos have different levels of sensitivities. Be sure to preview a movie first if you have any concerns.

Historical Movies about 20th-Century Wars

World War I

1. All Quiet on the Western Front (2022 version on Netflix)
2. War Horse (Amazon)
3. Testament of Youth (Amazon)

World War II & The Holocaust

1. Bedknobs & Broomsticks (Disney+, 1940 England)
2. The Book Thief (Hulu)
3. A Call to Spy (Netflix)
4. Courageous Heart of Irena Sendler (Amazon)
5. Darkest Hour (Netflix, Winston Churchill)
6. Defiance (Hulu)
7. Devil’s Arithmetic (Amazon, The Holocaust)
8. Dunkirk (Hulu, The Battle of Dunkirk & the rescue)
9. Hacksaw Ridge (Hulu)
10. Miracle at Midnight (Disney+, Denmark & the Holocaust)
11. The Only Way (Amazon, The Holocaust)
12. The Pianist (Amazon)
13. The Tuskegee Airmen (Hulu)
14. Woman in Gold (Netflix, post-WWII)
15. Zookeeper’s Wife (Netflix)
16. Lilies of the Field (YouTube, post-WWII)

Other Wars

1. We Were Soldiers (YouTube, Vietnam War)
2. Black Hawk Down (Netflix)
3. Operation Dumbo Drop (Disney+, Vietnam War)

Interested in World War I & II? Check out the resources here and here.

Movies about Segregation & the Civil Rights Movement

1. 42 (YouTube, Hulu; Jackie Robinson)
2. The Best of Enemies (Netflix; North Carolina & the Ku Klux Klan)
3. Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (Amazon)
4. The Help (Amazon) (YouTube) 
5. Hidden Figures (Disney+; Space Race)
6. The Long Walk Home (Amazon; Montgomery Bus Boycott)
7. Loving (Netflix; interracial marriage)
8. Remember the Titans (Disney+)
9. Ruby Bridges (Disney+; school integration)
10. Selma (YouTube)
11. The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Netflix)
12. Mississippi Burning (Amazon)

Historical Movies about the Presidents

1. The Butler (Amazon)
2. The Post (Hulu)
3. All the President’s Men (Amazon)
4. LBJ (Amazon)
5. Nixon (Amazon, YouTube)

And a few more titles…

1. Hotel Rwanda (Amazon)
2. Apollo 13 (Amazon, Space Race)
3. Fiddler on the Roof (YouTube, early 1900s Russia)
4. Miracle (Disney+, 1980s Cold War)
5. Newsies (Disney+, early 1900s New York newsboys)
6. Of Mice and Men (Amazon, 1930s/Great Depression)
7. The Right Stuff (YouTube, Space Race)
8. Secretariat (Disney+, 1970s & horse racing)
9. The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Netflix)
10. The Greatest Game Ever Played (Disney+, golf & beginning of the century)

If You Can Find Them…

These titles are not currently available to stream from the four streaming services I included. I know some are available to rent from Amazon & others are included with services such as Paramount +, HBOMax, AppleTV, or PlutoTV. And don’t forget to check your library.

• Green Book (Civil Rights)
• A Night to Remember (Titanic)
• The Sound of Music (WWII)
• Midway (WWII Pacific Theater)
• October Sky (Space Race)
• Selma (Civil Rights)
• Unbroken (WWII, the Olympics)