To help sharpen your political acumen (or provide some distraction from the next wave of political chaos) over the next month leading up to the election on November 5, we’ve assembled a list of films and TV shows on the subject.
Shirley (Netflix)
This 2024 biopic charts the political career of charismatic and spirited school teacher Shirley Chisolm, the first Black Congresswoman, and captures the excitement of her daring presidential nomination run in 1972. The film deftly highlights the importance and fragility of relationships in politics. It stars Regina King, Terence Howard, and Lance Reddick.
All The Way (Max)
Chronicles the trials, tribulations, tactics and temerity it took for 36th U.S. President Lyndon B. Johnson to pick up where slain President John F. Kennedy left off and get the Civil Rights Act passed over the protestations of dyed-in-the-wool racist senators and congressmen. “All The Way,” unlike other films chronicling LBJ’s presidency and legislative battles, highlights the pivotal role played by Black American civil rights activists such as Dr. Martin Luther King and Fannie Lou Hamer in strongly making the case for the passage of the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts.
It also clearly illustrates the evolution of Democratic Party membership after the enfranchisement of Black Americans. It features Anthony Mackie and Aisha Hinds.
Scandal (Tubi, Hulu)
One of the most popular nighttime dramas of the twenty-teens that continues to capture the public imagination. “Scandal” plumbs the depths of the relationships of Washington D.C. “fixer” Olivia Pope. Anchored around her illicit relationship with the president and typical morally questionable cases, the show, despite its melodrama and spectacle, unsparingly illustrates the messy, chaotic, Machiavellian nature of American politics under the buttoned-up facade. Features Kerry Washington, Joe Morton, Tony Goldwin.
Madam Secretary (Netflix)
Though cut from similar cloth as “Scandal,” Madam Secretary’s female protagonist is a traditionally heroic figure. A smart, sophisticated, principled and devoted Secretary of State, Elizabeth McCord is also an admirable mother, wife and friend. Many of the story arcs center around the gritty and challenging milieu of international politics. It features Patina Miller and Sandra Daley.
The Manchurian Candidate (Max)
The 2004 remake of the 1962 classic features former Sergeant Raymond Shaw of the First Gulf War, who parlays a tragic incident from the war into a bid for U.S. Vice President. The film highlights the uncomfortable reality of manipulating truth domestically and internationally for political ends. Features Denzel Washington, Kimberly Elise, Meryl Streep, and Liev Schrieber.
Emperor of Ocean Park (MGM+)
This 2024 series based on the 2002 legal thriller by Yale legal scholar Stephen L. Carter unravels the life of failed Supreme Court nominee Talcott Garland, a controversial, highly visible Black Republican in the vein of Clarence Thomas, who dies at the beginning of the story’s action. The show takes a rare look at the lives of the Conservative Black American political elite even as it engages the audience in a taut mystery. Co-ZExec produced by John Wells (The West Wing). Features Grantham Colemen, Forrest Whitaker, Henry Simmons, Tiffany Mack, and Paulina Lule.
Confirmation (HBO)
Dramatizes the testimony of legal Professor Anita Hill at the Senate hearings for then-SCOTUS nominee Clarence Thomas. Some say recent events have proven her to be correct in her negative assessment of the Supreme Court Justice. Features Kerry Washington and Wendell Pierce.
The West Wing (Max, Plex)
One of TV’s most iconic series centered on American politics, “The West Wing” uses sharp, skillful storytelling to chronicle the personal and professional lives of staffers in the West Wing of the White House and Washington D.C. power dynamics. It features Dule Hill and Martin Sheen.
Veep (Max)
This satire, airing on HBO for seven seasons, highlights the hilarity that often ensues when people in high places (such as the White House) take themselves a little too seriously. Seinfeld’s Julia Louis-Dreyfus plays Selina Meyer, who becomes VP after losing her nomination for president. The show follows her and her staff through the slings and arrows of America’s executive office. Features Sufi Bradshaw, Sam Richardson.
House of Cards (Netflix)
One of the earliest series that helped put Netflix’s streaming platform on the map, “House of Cards” is perhaps the darkest of political dramas. Ruthless intrigue interspersed with thrills and suspense marks the series, featuring Kevin Spacey as Machiavellian Congressman Frank Underwood who, with his equally treacherous wife, wreaks havoc on the D.C. politicos for their personal ends. It’s as coldblooded as “Scandal” with less melodrama. It also features Mahershala Ali, Curtiss Cook, and Reg E. Cathay.
All The President’s Men (Prime Video)
An American classic, “All The President’s Men” stars, is directed by, and was written by Oscar nominees and winners. It dramatizes the infamous Watergate Scandal from the point of view of the men who broke it—D.C. journalists Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward. It also features Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman.
Wag The Dog (Prime Video)
In this dark political satire, when caught in a salacious scandal only weeks before an election, the political nominee at the center of “Wag The Dog” does not conspire with his lawyer to pay off hush money to an adult film actress. Instead, he conspires with a Hollywood producer to fabricate an entire war he alone can fix. Features Dustin Hoffman and Robert DeNiro.