Playing Politics: The Top 10 Political Leader Biopics Ever Made

The inauguration of the 47th President of the United States is coming this month, and still, political leader biopics are all the rage. In 1789, America held the first presidential election, and we have been enthralled with heads of state ever since. Since the dawn of time, people have done the same with anyone in power. From Ramses II to Roosevelt (both of them), Augustus to Obama, people love ogling at power.

That may be the reason why political leader biopics are so popular. It doesn't matter if they have been in the Oval Office, although that helps at the domestic box office. There's just something intriguing about what makes a leader like that do the things they do and say the things they say. And that could come full circle to number 47, but enough about that for now.

Can you imagine some of the best movies ever made about these unique individuals? We have. The Nerd Elect loves us some lists, so we talked about this. If you haven't, maybe you would like to do that after the list. Let us know.

Here are the Top 10 political leader biopics ever made. For now.

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10. JFK (1991)

Three hours of conspiracy intertwined with a vantage point from the man who took President John F. Kennedy’s assassination to court. Like Jim Garrison, Kevin Costner was compelling as the vantage point from which we saw Lee Harvey Oswald’s (Gary Oldman) treachery unfold. Costner also wasn't afraid to look into his own soul to best communicate the vexed man of faith, JFK.

The movie was stellar, and the cast was remarkably assembled — Costner, Oldman, Tommy Lee Jones, Jack Lemmon, Walter Matthau, Joe Pesci, Kevin Bacon, and Sissy Spacek. Regardless of what side of the conspiracy fence you stand, this was a fascinating story about one of the most mythical presidents this nation has ever had.  

9. Elizabeth (1998)

The marvelous Cate Blanchett portrays the life of the polarizing Queen Elizabeth I in marvelous fashion. She’s a teenager when her half-sister dies during the United Kingdom’s economic tumult and under the threat of a foreign invasion. Instead of getting married and settling into her terrifying new role as Monarch, she carelessly has an affair with her Master of the Horse and Privy Councillor, Sir Robert Dudley (Joseph Fiennes).

Then, reality sets in, and it is time to save the throne. She pushes away Dudley and declares herself “The Virgin Queen” — dedicated to never marrying a foreign prince and claiming a union with her country alone. Man, she was mesmerizing in this film. 

8. Frost/Nixon (2008)

This is not the first time or the favorite time Hollywood has placed Richard Nixon’s life on screen and under a microscope, but it’s certainly one of the best political leader biopics made because of its forum. British TV news legend David Frost (Michael Sheen) persuades disgraced president Richard Nixon (Frank Langella) to clear his name. Of course, Frost was angling this to build his career. The movie perfectly balances both stories as each lead brings the audience on a journey of optics and ethics in journalism and government.

7. The King's Speech (2010)

Considered by many to be an “artful film,” which is code for “boring” among casual cinephiles, this was the movie that made Colin Firth’s career. His approach to King George VI’s journey of overcoming a crippling stutter to his speech was monumentally inspirational. There’s no action, no conquest, no bombastic storyline. That should prove how moving this story is — one man who can’t speak publicly and who is also King of England. He can’t lead his people or earn their respect, or so he thought. A wonderful film with few equals that discusses the frailty of those who run the world.

6. Vice (2018)

Christian Bale played former “Dubya” Bush Vice President Dick Cheney (and gained 40 pounds to do it). And yet, only a few people believed it was him underneath the makeup and prosthetics because it was so convincing. More convincing still is Sam Rockwell's uncanny, faith-filled representation of the former president. Wow!

Cheney was loved and hated by Democrats and Republicans alike. Yet, it never prevented him from doing the job he believed he was called to perform. We see that passion and privilege through Adam McKay’s script, but this film was all Bale. And it’s hypnotizing to watch. Funny to fear, drama to dunderheaded moments–this is one of the political leader biopics that has it all. 

5. Darkest Hour (2017)

While geeks worldwide adore this man for playing in Christopher Nolan's Batman trilogy, and a few others love him for playing Dracula, this film is why Gary Oldman is esteemed in Hollywood. There is nothing he can’t accomplish, like winning Best Actor for portraying an ultra-complex world-changer like Sir Winston Churchill. It’s impossible not to comprehend how this frumpy and stubborn old man had an entire country in the palm of his hand as his fist helped punch Adolf Hitler directly in the mouth.

Can you imagine telling the King of England that afternoon meetings are out of the question because they conflict with your nap? Little things like that really happened, and Oldman captured those little nuances with force to illustrate how this film is one of the best political leader biopics ever made. 

4. Milk (1992)

Five words were all this inspirational tale needed to underscore its impact on the screen — Sean Penn and Gus Van Sant. That actor and director combination was magical as Penn became Harvey Milk, the slain San Francisco councilman (called “supervisor”), and America’s first openly gay politician at any level. Milk's life mattered, and those two ensured everyone knew it.

Milk moved from New York to San Francisco to follow a dream — to serve his community and sustain his identity. Triumphantly elected in January 1978, Milk only held his office for 10 months before he was gunned down by fellow city supervisor Dan White (Josh Brolin), but his life mattered, and Penn’s portrayal was given Best Actor. 

3. Lincoln (2012)

If you have never been a student of Daniel Day-Lewis, start here. That could be the end of this synopsis. The guy is blessed by God to do what he does. Yet, he's retired Barry Sanders' style and is regarded as one of Hollywood's elite.

Steven Spielberg directed him as the nation’s 16th President in Lincoln’s first days of his second term. The Civil War was raging, but not as loud as the Republic was about the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery. The turmoil Lincoln experienced was palpable through the screen. And for his transformation into becoming Lincoln, Day-Lewis won his record-setting third Oscar for Best Actor (following 1990’s My Left Foot and 2008’s There Will Be Blood). 

P.S. He has been nominated for three more Best Actor Oscars in Phantom Thread, In the Name of the Father, and as the incomparable "Bill the Butcher" in Gangs of New York.

2. The Last King of Scotland (2006)

Forest Whitaker destroyed his competition at the 2007 Academy Awards for his brilliant and riveting performance as Ugandan military leader and President Idi Amin. Although real-life events involving Amin inspired parts of this story, the movie is largely fictional for this penultimate among the best political leader biopics.

The relationship between Amin and his former missionary to Uganda and royal personal physician, Scottish doctor Nicholas Garrigan (James McAvoy), is a roller coaster of emotion. Honor becomes a curse. Pleasure becomes a pain. And prestige becomes a blood-soaked stain over an entire country. 

1. All The President's Men (1976)

The Watergate Scandal rocked this nation to its core. How could a president become so diabolical to use his office for personal gain and deceive the American people? This was the life of President Richard Nixon. (Wait. Who did you think we meant?) 

Anywho, Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford were captivating as The Washington Post sleuth watchdog reporters Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodard, respectively. There are better biopics–see numbers two and three on this list alone. However, if you need one of the political leader biopics out there to wash down the Inauguration, this historical ethics lesson on the need for truth in Washington D.C. is supreme. (And yes, that comment goes both ways to both parties.)