10 Movies & Shows Like Free State of Jones

Description: A sweeping epic set during the Civil War and Reconstruction, depicting the struggles of Southern aristocracy and the changing social order.

Fact: The film held the record for highest-grossing film for over 25 years. It won eight Academy Awards, including Best Picture, a record at the time.

Description: A historical drama focusing on the Civil War era, highlighting themes of racial injustice, the fight for freedom, and the formation of one of the first African-American regiments in the Union Army.

Fact: The film won three Academy Awards, including Best Supporting Actor for Denzel Washington. It was based on the letters of Robert Gould Shaw, the regiment's white commander.

Description: A historical drama about the 1839 mutiny aboard the slave ship La Amistad, and the subsequent legal battle that questioned the morality of slavery.

Fact: The film's courtroom scenes were based on actual trial transcripts. It was the first major Hollywood film to depict the Middle Passage, the brutal transatlantic journey of enslaved Africans.

Description: A Civil War-era romance and survival story that explores the personal and societal upheavals caused by the war, with a strong focus on the Southern home front.

Fact: The film's soundtrack features traditional Appalachian music, performed by artists like Alison Krauss. It was based on the bestselling novel by Charles Frazier.

Description: A Revolutionary War drama that follows a farmer turned militia leader, highlighting themes of family, freedom, and resistance against oppression.

Fact: The film's battle scenes were inspired by actual historical events, including the guerrilla tactics of Francis Marion, the 'Swamp Fox.' It was partially shot on location in South Carolina.

Description: Centers on the political and moral struggles during the Civil War, particularly President Lincoln's efforts to pass the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery.

Fact: Daniel Day-Lewis spent a year preparing for his role as Lincoln, including learning to write with a quill pen. The film was shot in Virginia, which added to its historical authenticity.

Description: A revisionist Western that blends historical drama with Quentin Tarantino's signature style, focusing on a freed slave's quest to rescue his wife from a brutal plantation owner.

Fact: The film features anachronistic music, including a rap song, to underscore its themes. It won two Academy Awards, including Best Original Screenplay.

Description: A harrowing depiction of slavery in the antebellum South, based on the true story of Solomon Northup, a free Black man who was kidnapped and sold into slavery.

Fact: The film won the Academy Award for Best Picture. It was the first Best Picture winner directed by a Black filmmaker, Steve McQueen.

Description: A post-Civil War Western that delves into themes of racial tension, betrayal, and justice, set against a snowy backdrop that heightens the film's claustrophobic tension.

Fact: The film was shot in 70mm, a format rarely used in modern cinema, to emphasize its epic scale. It features a score by Ennio Morricone, his first Western score in 34 years.

Description: A historical drama about Nat Turner's 1831 slave rebellion, exploring themes of resistance, oppression, and the brutal realities of slavery.

Fact: The film was a passion project for Nate Parker, who wrote, directed, and starred in it. It premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award and Grand Jury Prize.