Check Out These Great Historical Action Movies You Can Watch Right Now

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This guide will show you some of the best historical action movies and where they are streaming online right now.

They say that fact is stranger than fiction, and sometimes it’s way more interesting too. That’s why historical events make such great, compelling bases for movies. From World War II to dark points in American history, and even two incredibly notorious man-eating lions, these films show that history is full of stories worth telling. Check out our guide below to discover some of the best historical action movies that are streaming right now.

Harriet

Cynthia Erivo earned herself an Oscar nomination for portraying Harriet Tubman in the biopic Harriet. The film follows Tubman’s harrowing and adventurous life as she escapes to freedom in the North, fights for the Union army, and begins her work with John Brown to free slaves.

Dunkirk

Earning eight Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Director for Christopher Nolan, Dunkirk told the true story of the Dunkirk evacuation during World War II, when German forces surrounded French troops. The allied forces worked together to rescue the troops, ultimately saving over 300,000 people.

The Ghost and the Darkness

The Field Museum in Chicago has the taxidermied bodies of two infamous lions known as the Tsavo Man-Eaters. During the construction of the Kenya-Uganda Railroad, the two lions became maneaters. The lions began eating the construction workers and as the months went on, the lions got bolder and bolder, eventually attacking almost every single night. The Ghost and the Darkness tells the terrifying true story of surviving the lion attacks.

Everest

Everest chronicles the catastrophic events of the 1996 Mount Everest Disaster. A group of ill-prepared climbers were stranded during a blizzard, creating a tragic disaster that caused two hiking expeditions to fight for their lives, ultimately leaving eight people dead. The film had an all-star cast including Jake Gyllenhaal, Josh Brolin, Robin Wright, and Keira Knightley.

The Impossible 

The Impossible centers around the true story of Maria Belon and her family who were vacationing in Thailand during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The tsunami brought numerous waves crashing into their resort, separating Maria and her family. The Impossible tells the harrowing story of how Maria lived through one of the worst natural disasters in human history.

Zero Dark Thirty

Scoring five Oscar nominations, Zero Dark Thirty centers on the search for Osama bin Laden after the September 11th attacks, and his eventual death by SEAL Team Six. The movie offered closure for many Americans after the 9/11 attacks and depicts a crucial moment of Obama’s presidency.

Pompeii

In 79 CE, the Mount Vesuvius volcano in southern Italy erupted, covering the city of Pompeii in toxic gasses, extreme temperatures, and mounds of ash, killing thousands who seemingly had little time to escape or prepare. The movie shows the final days of ancient Pompeii before being completely destroyed.

Pearl Harbor

In 2001, Michael Bay created a big-budget epic film depicting the bombing of Pearl Harbor in Hawaii starring Ben Affleck, Josh Harnett, and Kate Beckinsale. It’s a bit of a Dawson’s Creek take on the infamous event, but that also helps make the movie more appealing to a wider audience who otherwise might not watch a historical war film.

Troy

Glossy, sexy, and hypersaturated, 2004’s Troy told the story of the legendary Trojan War. Many scholars debate whether the war actually happened or if it was just a collection of stories that Homer compiled together, but the fact is that its legacy has certainly become a real part of history.

Where Can I Watch More Historical Action Movies Online? 

Check out our guide below to find out where more great historical action movies are streaming online right now.

Netflix
Disney Plus
Amazon Prime Video
Apple TV Plus
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Hulu
Crunchyroll
fuboTV
Max
Max Amazon Channel
Epix Amazon Channel
Crunchyroll Amazon Channel
Peacock Premium
Kocowa
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ with Showtime
Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel
Starz Apple TV Channel
AMC Plus Apple TV Channel
Britbox Apple TV Channel
Paramount+ Amazon Channel
Discovery+ Amazon Channel
AMC+ Amazon Channel
The Roku Channel
Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
Starz Roku Premium Channel
AMC+ Roku Premium Channel
AMC+
MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel
YouTube Premium
YouTube Free
The CW
Hoopla
Fandango At Home
Starz
VUDU Free
Criterion Channel
PBS
FXNow
JustWatchTV
Tubi TV
Kanopy
FlixHouse
Microsoft Store
Sun Nxt
Crackle
AMC
AMC Theatres
Fandor
Curiosity Stream
NBC
MGM Plus
Freeform
History
A&E
Lifetime
Shudder
Acorn TV
Screambox
Sundance Now
GuideDoc
BritBox
MUBI
Netflix Kids
ALLBLK
History Vault
MyOutdoorTV
WWE Network
Pure Flix
PBS Kids Amazon Channel
Lifetime Movie Club
Cinemax Amazon Channel
Hallmark Movies Now Amazon Channel
PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel
MZ Choice Amazon Channel
Spamflix
Pluto TV
BYUtv
HiDive
VIX
Night Flight Plus
Retrocrush
Dekkoo
Shout! Factory TV
Chai Flicks
OVID
Mhz Choice
Vice TV
Shudder Amazon Channel
MUBI Amazon Channel
BritBox Amazon Channel
AcornTV Amazon Channel
Fandor Amazon Channel
Screambox Amazon Channel
Sundance Now Amazon Channel
Adult Swim
USA Network
Fox
FlixFling
Bet+ Amazon Channel
Rakuten Viki
TCM
Bravo TV
TNT
Food Network
BBC America
IndieFlix
TLC
AHCTV
DIY Network
HGTV
Investigation Discovery
Science Channel
Destination America
Discovery Life
Animal Planet
Discovery
Travel Channel
Cooking Channel
Here TV
VH1
DreamWorksTV Amazon Channel
Flix Premiere
TBS
AsianCrush
Revry
DOCSVILLE
Spectrum On Demand
OXYGEN
Hi-YAH
tru TV
DisneyNOW
WeTV
ARROW
Plex
Plex Live TV
Plex Player
WOW Presents Plus
Magellan TV
BroadwayHD
The Oprah Winfrey Network
Filmzie
MovieSaints
True Story
Martha Stewart TV
DocAlliance Films
OnDemandKorea
Hoichoi
iQIYI
Metrograph
Freevee
Public Domain Movies
Cultpix
Eventive
aha
FilmBox+
ShortsTV Amazon Channel
Bet+
Takflix
Klassiki
Starz Amazon Channel
Netflix basic with Ads
Cohen Media Amazon Channel
Popflick
ViX Premium Amazon Channel
Runtime
Fandango
Telemundo
Discovery +
Reveel
Ovation TV
Angel Studios
Cineverse
AD tv
Midnight Pulp
FYI Network
Xumo Play
National Geographic
Atom Tickets
Shahid VIP
DistroTV
myfilmfriend
Cinemark
Outside Watch
Cinepolis Cinemas
Full Moon Amazon Channel
Citytv
Univer Video
GlewedTV
Toon Goggles
A&E Crime Central Apple TV Channel
Acorn TV Apple TV
ALLBLK Apple TV channel
UP Faith & Family Apple TV Channel
Tastemade Apple TV Channel
Sundance Now Apple TV Channel
Shudder Apple TV Channel
ScreenPix Apple TV Channel
OUTtv Apple TV Channel
Lifetime Movie Club Apple TV Channel
Hallmark Movies Now Apple TV Channel
Eros Now Select Apple TV Channel
CuriosityStream Apple TV Channel
Cinemax Apple TV Channel
BBC Select Apple Tv channel
BET+  Apple TV channel
Carnegie Hall+ Apple TV Channel
IFC Films Unlimited Apple TV Channel
HISTORY Vault Apple TV Channel
HISTORY Vault Amazon Channel
Carnegie Hall+ Amazon Channel
Lifetime Movie Club Amazon Channel
Film Movement Plus
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Troma NOW
Regal Cinemas
Harkins Theatres
B&B Theatres
Marcus Theatres
Kino Film Collection
Tubi TV Live
Pluto TV Live
Cineverse LiveTV
Strand Releasing Amazon Channel
Peacock Premium Plus
ALLBLK Amazon channel
Apple TV Plus Amazon Channel
Motorvision TV Amazon Channel
Stingray Classica Amazon Channel
Stingray Djazz Amazon Channel
Stingray Karaoke Amazon Channel
TV1000 Russian Kino Amazon Channel
RetroCrush Amazon Channel
Filters
  1. Harriet

    Harriet

    2019

    #1

    The extraordinary tale of Harriet Tubman's escape from slavery and transformation into one of America's greatest heroes. Her courage, ingenuity and tenacity freed hundreds of slaves and changed the course of history.

  2. Dunkirk

    Dunkirk

    2017

    #2

    The story of the miraculous evacuation of Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain, Canada and France, who were cut off and surrounded by the German army from the beaches and harbour of Dunkirk between May 26th and June 4th 1940 during World War II.

  3. Black Hawk Down

    Black Hawk Down

    2001

    #3

    When U.S. Rangers and an elite Delta Force team attempt to kidnap two underlings of a Somali warlord, their Black Hawk helicopters are shot down, and the Americans suffer heavy casualties, facing intense fighting from the militia on the ground.

  4. Troy

    Troy

    2004

    #4

    In year 1250 B.C. during the late Bronze age, two emerging nations begin to clash. Paris, the Trojan prince, convinces Helen, Queen of Sparta, to leave her husband Menelaus, and sail with him back to Troy. After Menelaus finds out that his wife was taken by the Trojans, he asks his brother Agamemnon to help him get her back. Agamemnon sees this as an opportunity for power. They set off with 1,000 ships holding 50,000 Greeks to Troy.

  5. Pompeii

    Pompeii

    2014

    #5

    In 79 A.D., Milo, a slave turned gladiator, finds himself in a race against time to save his true love Cassia, the beautiful daughter of a wealthy merchant who has been unwillingly betrothed to a corrupt Roman Senator. As Mount Vesuvius erupts in a torrent of blazing lava, Milo must fight his way out of the arena in order to save his beloved as the once magnificent Pompeii crumbles around him.

  6. Pearl Harbor

    Pearl Harbor

    2001

    #6

    The lifelong friendship between Rafe McCawley and Danny Walker is put to the ultimate test when the two ace fighter pilots become entangled in a love triangle with beautiful Naval nurse Evelyn Johnson. But the rivalry between the friends-turned-foes is immediately put on hold when they find themselves at the center of Japan's devastating attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941.

  7. Titanic

    Titanic

    1997

    #7

    101-year-old Rose DeWitt Bukater tells the story of her life aboard the Titanic, 84 years later. A young Rose boards the ship with her mother and fiancé. Meanwhile, Jack Dawson and Fabrizio De Rossi win third-class tickets aboard the ship. Rose tells the whole story from Titanic's departure through to its death—on its first and last voyage—on April 15, 1912.

  8. Hotel Rwanda

    Hotel Rwanda

    2004

    #8

    Inspired by true events, this film takes place in Rwanda in the 1990s when more than a million Tutsis were killed in a genocide that went mostly unnoticed by the rest of the world. Hotel owner Paul Rusesabagina houses over a thousand refuges in his hotel in attempt to save their lives.

  9. Zero Dark Thirty

    Zero Dark Thirty

    2012

    #9

    A chronicle of the decade-long hunt for al-Qaeda terrorist leader Osama bin Laden after the September 2001 attacks, and his death at the hands of the Navy S.E.A.L. Team 6 in May, 2011.

  10. The Last Duel

    The Last Duel

    2021

    #10

    King Charles VI declares that Knight Jean de Carrouges settle his dispute with his squire, Jacques Le Gris, by challenging him to a duel.

  11. The Ghost and the Darkness

    #11

    Sir Robert Beaumont is behind schedule on a railroad in Africa. Enlisting noted engineer John Henry Patterson to right the ship, Beaumont expects results. Everything seems great until the crew discovers the mutilated corpse of the project's foreman, seemingly killed by a lion. After several more attacks, Patterson calls in famed hunter Charles Remington, who has finally met his match in the bloodthirsty lions.

  12. The Impossible

    The Impossible

    2012

    #12

    In December 2004, close-knit family Maria, Henry and their three sons begin their winter vacation in Thailand. But the day after Christmas, the idyllic holiday turns into an incomprehensible nightmare when a terrifying roar rises from the depths of the sea, followed by a wall of black water that devours everything in its path. Though Maria and her family face their darkest hour, unexpected displays of kindness and courage ameliorate their terror.

  13. Captain Phillips

    Captain Phillips

    2013

    #13

    The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.

  14. Free State of Jones

    #14

    FREE STATE OF JONES is an epic action-drama set during the Civil War, and tells the story of defiant Southern farmer, Newt Knight, and his extraordinary armed rebellion against the Confederacy. Banding together with other small farmers and local slaves, Knight launched an uprising that led Jones County, Mississippi to secede from the Confederacy, creating a Free State of Jones. Knight continued his struggle into Reconstruction, distinguishing him as a compelling, if controversial, figure of defiance long beyond the War.

  15. Argo

    Argo

    2012

    #15

    As the Iranian revolution reaches a boiling point, a CIA 'exfiltration' specialist concocts a risky plan to free six Americans who have found shelter at the home of the Canadian ambassador.

  16. The New World

    The New World

    2005

    #16

    A drama about explorer John Smith and the clash between Native Americans and English settlers in the 17th century.

  17. 1917

    1917

    2019

    #17

    At the height of the First World War, two young British soldiers must cross enemy territory and deliver a message that will stop a deadly attack on hundreds of soldiers.

  18. Midway

    Midway

    2019

    #18

    The story of the Battle of Midway, and the leaders and soldiers who used their instincts, fortitude and bravery to overcome massive odds.

  19. Stonewall

    Stonewall

    2015

    #19

    Kicked out by his parents, a gay teenager leaves small-town Indiana for New York's Greenwich Village, where growing discrimination against the gay community leads to riots on June 28, 1969.

  20. Everest

    Everest

    2015

    #20

    Inspired by the incredible events surrounding a treacherous attempt to reach the summit of the world's highest mountain, "Everest" documents the awe-inspiring journey of two different expeditions challenged beyond their limits by one of the fiercest snowstorms ever encountered by mankind. Their mettle tested by the harshest of elements found on the planet, the climbers will face nearly impossible obstacles as a lifelong obsession becomes a breathtaking struggle for survival.