Best political movies

[samsnee]

What are the best movies that involve the world of politics? They can run gamut from thriller to comedy and everything in between.

My nominations:

All the Presidents Men
The American President
The Manchurian Candidate (original not remake)
Dave
Frost/Nixon

 

[childeroland]

Three Days of the Condor
All the President's Men
Z
Foreign Correspondent
The Lives of Others
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
The Spy Who Came In from the Cold
The Day of the Jackal
Bulworth
Reds
The Battle of Algiers (probably the best one)
The Kremlin Letter
North By Northwest
Army of Shadows

 

[David H.]

Blazing Saddles.

 

[Boom]

12 Angry Men
A Few Good Men
A Most Wanted Man
The Death of Stalin
Downfall
Dr. Strangelove
In the Loop
JFK
Lincoln
Milk
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold
Thank You for Smoking
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
V for Vendetta
Zero Dark Thirty

 

[Kahran Ramsus]

Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

Also, Lincoln. I love Lincoln.

 

[David H.]

Lincoln is so great! Yay! My favorite ensemble of the decade, rivaled only by Tinker Tailor.

The film just sings.

 

[Boom]

Tinker Tailor is a masterpiece, and every year they don't make Smiley's People I die a little inside. I don't know what the holdup is. Last spring, Oldman said they were shooting that year. Here we are nearly two years later and not a peep. Pisses me off.

As for A Most Wanted Man, it's not nearly on the same level, but it features Philip Seymour Hoffman's last performance and it's a knockout.

 

[CJ]

Bridge of Spies was pretty good.

 

[samsnee]

Lincoln was ok. Felt like it could have lost a half hour. DDL was obviously very good in it but the pacing could have been better.

I know Dr Strangelove is supposed to be a classic as well but I just didn’t think it was that funny.

 

[Manasrepublic]

State of Play and All the President’s Men were excellent political thrillers but they weren’t strictly political films. Still wanted to mention them. State of Play I think is a very underrated film

 

[David H.]

I know Dr Strangelove is supposed to be a classic as well but I just didn’t think it was that funny.

It’s a better horror movie than The Shining.

Hmm, does Strangelove count as a political movie? Through and through? It’s a part of the film, politics, but it’s not really centered around that. Not exactly. Same with Tinker Tailor, I think. I’m coming into this prompt thinking of more explicit examples like the lauded All the President’s Men or Lincoln.

Yeah, I mentioned Blazing Saddles but I was only (half) joking. I’m sure I can see the line of thinking there but for me those first two movie are tip-toeing the line.

 

[Mandon Knight]

V for Vendetta
Mr Smith Goes to Washington
Malcolm X
Thirteen Days
All the President's Men
Lincoln
Mississippi Burning

 

[marty mcfly]

I've always really enjoyed Ides of March with Clooney and Gosling. That one is more about internal politics rather than two opponents debating each other, but I dig it quite a bit.

 

[samsnee]

State of Play and All the President’s Men were excellent political thrillers but they weren’t strictly political films. Still wanted to mention them. State of Play I think is a very underrated film

State of Play the British one or the movie with Russell Crowe.

 

[jolldan]

 

[Schlosser85]

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

 

[Herofan]

Not a bunch of great ones but a few.

All the President's Men, Nixon, The Manchurian Candidate (2004), Syriana, W., The Best Man, Wag the Dog.

I thought V for Vendetta was interesting but pretty clumsy in both its themes and characters.

 

[samsnee]

Captain America: The Winter Soldier

Is this really a political movie? I get it borrows from Three Days of the Condor, and there are some conversations about spying on individuals, but it doesn't make me think of politics overtly.

 

[Schlosser85]

I was half-joking.

 

[THORin]

The Manchurian Candidate (original)
Lincoln

 

[KevTravels]

Thank You for Smoking

 

[Holiday]

I liked Primary Colors with John Travolta as the Bill Clinton inspired character. I watched W in the theater but barely remember it.

 

[MaceB]

Primary Colors
W.
American President
Lincoln
Game Change
Frost Nixon
Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

 

[HKpowerup]

What are the best movies that involve the world of politics? They can run gamut from thriller to comedy and everything in between.

My nominations:

All the Presidents Men
The American President
The Manchurian Candidate (original not remake)
Dave
Frost/Nixon

The American President and Frost/Nixon are really good indeed. It's about time I re-watch American President, it's been years!

 

[Batmannerism]

Has anyone mentioned Bob Roberts? A really blistering satire.

In some ways Starship Troopers is a political satire ( and highly underrated) - watching it right now, the classroom scene at the start is perfect.

Totally agree that the original Manchurian Candidate is much better than the remake.

Syriana, Charlie Wilson's War, Nixon, all good.

Would anyone think of Wall Street as a political film ? It was a savage critique of capitalist greed.