American films about the 20th century

List of the best American films about the 20th century according to the audience: Rebecca, The Music Never Stopped, An Inspector Calls, Greetings from Tim Buckley, For the Love of Money, Elvis & Nixon, The Whisperer in Darkness, Wish Man, Freaky Deaky, Killing Kennedy.

In the top there are new films of 2021, a plot description and trailers for films that have already been released.

Country
Markimdb: 6
Genrethriller, melodrama, drama, detective
CountryUnited Kingdom, USA

After a whirlwind romance with a wealthy widower, a naïve bride moves to his family estate but can't escape the haunting shadow of his late wife.

Markimdb: 7.5
Genredrama, music
CountryUSA
Duration01:45

Henry struggles to bond with his estranged son, Gabriel, who suffers from a brain tumor that prevents him from forming new memories. With Gabriel unable to shed the beliefs and interests that caused their physical and emotional distance, Henry must learn to embrace his son's choices and try to connect with him through music.

Markimdb: 5.6
Genreaction, thriller, drama
CountryUSA

An unexpected inspector drops by a lavish party of a notable family in order to investigate the suicide of a pregnant girl. This breaks the joy and peace of the party which is meant to celebrate a couple's engagement. Every one claims that he does not know the girl. However, the inspector does find something suspicious there with the help of a diary book and a photo. Astonishing truth is gradually revealed - six of the noble family members are closely related to the girl’s death.

Markimdb: 6.1
Genredrama
CountryUSA
Duration01:39

A chronicle of the days leading up to Jeff Buckley's performance at his father's tribute concert in 1991.

Markimdb: 4.4
Genreaction, thriller, drama, crime, biography
CountryUSA

Spanning over two decades, "For the Love of Money" follows the true account of an Israeli immigrant who searches for his piece of the American dream.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrecomedy, drama, history
CountryUSA
Duration01:47

In 1970, a few days before Christmas, Elvis Presley showed up on the White House lawn seeking to be deputized into the Bureau of Narcotics and Dangerous Drugs by the President himself.

Markimdb: 6.6
Genrefantastic, thriller, fantasy, detective
CountryUSA
Duration01:43

Written in 1931, H.P. Lovecraft's iconic genre-bending tale of suspense and alien terrors is brought to life in the style of the classic horror films of the 1930s like Frankenstein, Dracula and King Kong. Using its Mythoscope™ process — a mix of vintage and modern techniques — the H.P. Lovecraft Historical Society expands on Lovecraft's original tale while still bringing you unparalleled authenticity. Horror and science fiction collide in the adventure of Albert Wilmarth, a folklore professor at Miskatonic University, as he investigates legends of strange creatures rumored to dwell in the most remote mountains of Vermont. Wilmarth’s investigation leads him to a discovery of horrors quite beyond anything he ever imagined, and ends in a desperate attempt to escape the remote New England hills with his life and sanity intact.

Markimdb: 7
Genrebiography
CountryUSA

A motorcycle cop is still haunted by the traumatic separation from his father when he was a boy. After surviving a near-fatal accident and being framed for police brutality, his whole world falls apart. Unexpectedly, he finds hope in the shape of a terminally ill boy, who reunites him with his father after 28 years. To honor the boy, he creates the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Markimdb: 6.8
Genrethriller, comedy, crime
CountryUSA

Set in 1974, a pair of '60s radicals rely on their bomb-making skills on their way to becoming capitalists.

Markimdb: 6
Genredrama, biography, history
CountryUSA
Duration01:27

Drama documentary based on Bill O'Reilly's and Martin Dugard's 2012 non-fiction book "Killing Kennedy: The End of Camelot". It follows the parallel lives of John F. Kennedy and Lee Harvey Oswald from the winter 1959-1960 to those fatal days in Dallas in November 1963, when they both died within two days after each other and were buried on the same day - John F. Kennedy in a state funeral in Washington D.C., broadcast live both to Europe and the Pacific, while Oswald was buried in Forth Worth at a small funeral where the attending reporters were asked to act as pallbearers.

Markimdb: 5.9
Genrecomedy, drama, music
CountryUSA
Duration02:23

A sweeping multigenerational story set against the backdrop of the raw, roaring New York City of the late 1980s; adoption, teen pregnancy, drugs, hardcore punk rock, the unbridled optimism and reckless stupidity of the young—and old—are all major elements in this heart-aching tale of the son of diehard hippies and his strange odyssey through the extremes of late 20th century youth culture.

Markimdb: 7.9
Genrecomedy, documentary, short, music
CountryUSA
Duration00:30

Fight for Your Right Revisited stars Danny McBride, Seth Rogen, and Elijah Wood as the "young" Beastie Boys from the past and Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and Will Ferrell as the "old" Beastie Boys from the future. The story begins where the video for "Fight for Your Right (1987)" ended. It features music from the band's album Hot Sauce Committee Part Two.

Markimdb: 5.3
Genrecomedy, drama
CountryUSA

1987. Denver, Co. One crazy night in the life of four friends reeling from the sudden demise of iconic British band The Smiths, while the local airwaves are hijacked at gunpoint by an impassioned Smiths fan.

Markimdb: 6.1
Genredrama, biography
CountryUSA
Duration01:29

Story of Linda Lovelace, who is used and abused by the porn industry at the behest of her coercive husband, before taking control of her life.

Markimdb: 5.2
Genredrama, biography
CountryUSA
Duration01:25

Voluptuous beauty Anna Nicole Smith marries an elderly millionaire and poses for Playboy, but after her husband's death, her excessive drinking, pill-popping and weight fluctuations take their toll.

Markimdb: 4.1
Genrefantasy, comedy, adventure, family, cartoon
CountryUSA

Woody Woodpecker is back with his signature laugh, wacky antics and wisecracks in the first ever live-action/animated film. Woody must protect his forest home from Lance Walters (Timothy Omundson) who starts building his dream mansion in the forest with his son, Tommy and fiancee Vanessa (Thaila Ayala). To make matters worse, he must avoid the clutches of two grizzly poachers. With a series of crazy hijinks to sabotage their plans, Woody proves he'll stop at nothing to defend his turf. Get ready for big laughs in this hilarious comedy about everyone's favourite woodpecker!

Markimdb: 6.2
Genrethriller, drama, crime, biography
CountryUSA

When the aging Meyer Lansky is investigated one last time by the Feds who suspect he has stashed away millions of dollars over half a century, the retired gangster spins a dizzying tale, revealing the untold truth about his life as the notorious boss of Murder Inc. and the National Crime Syndicate.

Markimdb: 5.3
Genredrama
CountryUSA
Duration01:50

Based on the classic novel by William Faulkner, first published in 1930, "As I Lay Dying" is the story of the death of Addie Bundren and her family's quest to honor her last wish to be buried in the nearby town of Jefferson.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genredrama, crime, detective
CountryUSA

A group of criminals are brought together under mysterious circumstances and have to work together to uncover what's really going on when their simple job goes completely sideways.

Markimdb: 4.7
Genredrama, crime, biography
CountryUSA, Canada

The 47-year old Al Capone, after 10 years in prison, starts suffering from dementia and comes to be haunted by his violent past.

Markimdb: 5.9
Genredrama
CountryUSA
Duration01:35

On the eve of the Challenger explosion in 1986 one engineer goes to the extreme to stop the launch. This hot-headed engineer makes a desperate race against the clock to call off the billion dollar multi-delayed Challenger launch, convinced the O-ring seals will fail and kill everyone on board. The Company, Marshall Space Flight and NASA made a business decision. He made a human decision.

Markimdb: 4.2
Genremelodrama, drama, biography
CountryUSA

A poetic road trip through Pulitzer prize-winning CK Williams' life over the course of 40 years.

Markimdb: 6
Genredrama, music, biography
CountryUSA

The daughter of jazz pianist Joe Albany witnesses her beloved father's struggle -- and failure -- to kick his heroin habit.

Markimdb: 5.5
Genrethriller, melodrama, drama, crime, film noir
CountryUSA

Los Angeles, 1958: a detective holes up in a downtown hotel awaiting killers to come get him. During the course of one night he will meet various occupants of the hotel and the truth of how he came to be in his present situation will be revealed.

Markimdb: 6.7
Genredocumentary
CountryUSA
Duration02:00

An in-depth investigation into the private world of the American writer J. D. Salinger (1919-2010), who lived most of his life behind the impenetrable wall of a self-imposed seclusion: how his dramatic experiences during World War II influenced his life and work, his relationships with very young women, his obsessive writing methods, his many literary secrets.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genremelodrama, drama, history
CountryUSA
Duration01:30

San Francisco, 1985. Two opposites attract at a modern dance company. Together, their courage and resilience are tested as they navigate a world full of risks and promise, against the backdrop of a disease no one seems to know anything about.

Markimdb: 5.2
Genredrama
CountryUSA
Duration01:22

Four children in their attic hideaway make up a fantastic story, while downstairs their parents weave a drunken intrigue of their own.

Markimdb: 5.3
Genredrama, history
CountryUSA
Duration02:27

"Stonewall" is a drama about a young man in New York caught up during the 1969 Stonewall Riots, a pivotal event widely considered the starting point for the modern gay civil rights movement.

Markimdb: 6.6
Genrecomedy, short
CountryMacau, USA, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Australia
Duration01:00

Robert De Niro and Leonardo DiCaprio must compete for the lead role in Martin Scorsese's next film.

Markimdb: 6.3
Genredrama, biography
CountryUSA, Canada

In 1959, a young journalist ventures to Havana, Cuba to meet his idol, the legendary Ernest Hemingway who helped him find his literary voice, while the Cuban Revolution comes to a boil around them.

Markimdb: 7.1
Genremelodrama, drama, western
CountryUSA
Duration02:23

The lives of a young couple intertwine with a much older man as he reflects back on a lost love while he's trapped in an automobile crash.

Markimdb: 7
Genredrama, history, sport
CountryUSA
Duration02:09

The greatest Olympic Wrestling Champion brother team joins Team Foxcatcher led by multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul - a union that leads to unlikely circumstances.

Markimdb: 6.4
Genrecomedy, drama
CountryUSA
Duration02:32

A teenager living with her sister and parents in Manhattan during the 1990s discovers that her father is having an affair.

Markimdb: 6.9
Genredrama, crime, biography
CountryUSA, United Kingdom
Duration02:09

    The true story of Whitey Bulger, the brother of a state senator and the most infamous violent criminal in the history of South Boston, who became an FBI informant to take down a Mafia family invading his turf.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genrethriller, drama, crime, detective
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:21

    A darkly comic swamp noir story of two best friends set in the late 1980s. Based on the novels by Joe R. Lansdale, the series follows Hap Collins, an East Texas white boy with a weakness for Southern women, and Leonard Pine, a gay, black Vietnam vet with a hot temper.

    Markimdb: 7.4
    Genredrama, military, history
    CountryMexico, USA
    Duration02:16

    An eight-year-old boy is willing to do whatever it takes to end World War II so he can bring his father home. The story reveals the indescribable love a father has for his little boy and the love a son has for his father.

    Markimdb: 6.9
    Genrethriller, drama, biography, history
    CountryUSA
    Duration02:30

    This film is based on the actual events that took place in 1971 when Stanford professor Dr. Philip Zimbardo created what became one of the most shocking and famous social experiments of all time.

    Markimdb: 6.9
    Genrethriller
    CountryDenmark, USA

    A whistle blower attempts to reveal the secret behind a nuclear disaster that occurred during the height of the Cold War.

    Markimdb: 7.7
    Genremelodrama, drama
    CountryUSA

    A waitress from Chicago falls in love with a man from rural Minnesota and marries him, with the intent of living a better life - but life on the farm has its own challenges.

    Markimdb: 7.3
    Genrethriller, drama, crime
    CountryGermany, USA, Mexico
    Duration02:00

    A Texas cop (Kevin Kline), whose own daughter might have been forced into sexual slavery, joins forces with a Mexican youth (Cesar Ramos) to find the boy's sister, who was abducted and forced into prostitution. Meanwhile, a Ukrainian woman who was promised a better life in America also becomes a victim.

    Markimdb: 7.1
    Genredrama, biography, sport
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:45

    Inspired by the true story of Vince Papale, a man with nothing to lose who ignored the staggering odds and made his dream come true. When the coach of Papale's beloved hometown football team hosted an unprecedented open tryout, the public consensus was that it was a waste of time – no one good enough to play professional football was going to be found this way.

    Markimdb: 5.2
    Genrecomedy, biography
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:19

    A comedic look at the life of Steve Jobs.

    Markimdb: 7
    Genremelodrama, drama, musical, biography
    CountryUSA
    Duration02:15

    Fictionalized biography of George Gershwin and his fight to bring serious music to Broadway.

    Markimdb: 7.3
    Genremelodrama, drama, crime, film noir
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:33

    Mobster "Baby Face" Martin returns home to visit the New York neighborhood where he grew up, dropping in on his mother, who rejects him because of his gangster lifestyle, and his old girlfriend, Francey, now a syphilitic prostitute. Martin also crosses paths with Dave, a childhood friend struggling to make it as an architect, and the Dead End Kids, a gang of young boys roaming the streets of the city's East Side slums.

    Markimdb: 7.2
    Genrehorror, documentary
    CountryUSA
    Duration01:28

    This historical and critical look at slasher films, which includes dozens of clips, begins with Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Prom Night. The films' directors, writers, producers, and special effects creators comment on the films' making and success. During the Reagan years, the films get gorier, budgets get smaller, and their appeal wanes. Then, Nightmare on Elm Street revives the genre. Jump to the late 90s, when Scream brings humor and TV stars into the mix.

    Markimdb: 7.6
    Genrethriller, drama, history
    CountryUSA, Germany, India
    Duration02:39

      During the Cold War, the Soviet Union captures U.S. pilot Francis Gary Powers after shooting down his U-2 spy plane. Sentenced to 10 years in prison, Powers' only hope is New York lawyer James Donovan, recruited by a CIA operative to negotiate his release. Donovan boards a plane to Berlin, hoping to win the young man's freedom through a prisoner exchange. If all goes well, the Russians would get Rudolf Abel, the convicted spy who Donovan defended in court.

      Markimdb: 6.2
      Genredrama
      CountryUSA, Russia
      Duration02:01

      Alabama; 1969: The death of a clan's estranged wife and mother brings together two very different families. The scars of the past hide differences that will either tear them apart or expose truths that could lead to unexpected collisions.

      Markimdb: 5.5
      Genrecomedy, short
      CountryUSA

      A swindler scams a journalist to get some money and then applies for a job at his newspaper.

      Markimdb: 6.8
      Genremelodrama, drama, military, biography
      CountryUSA
      Duration01:47

      England, early 20th century. The future writer and philologist John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (1892-1973) and three of his schoolmates create a strong bond between them as they share the same passion for literature and art, a true fellowship that strengthens as they grow up, but the outbreak of World War I threatens to shatter it.

      Markimdb: 5.9
      Genrecomedy, drama, music, biography
      CountryUSA
      Duration02:22

      Local Pennsylvania polka legend Jan Lewan develops a plan to get rich that shocks his fans and lands him in jail.




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