The 50 Best Historical Dramas: ‘Napoleon,’ ‘Spartacus’ & More About Way Back When
The B.C.’s are back.
Some of Hollywood’s most epic tales of love, loss, betrayal, and redemption are set thousands of years before our time, yet we can’t seem to get enough. From the time of the gladiators and the Vikings to kings and queens is an essence of heroism and strength that may seem foreign to today’s modern norms yet are still massively popular, as can been seen by HBO‘s eight-season run of Games of Thrones to the acclaimed 2024 FX series Shōgun. Bloody wars, political alliances, and epic fight sequences run amok in our top picks below. Who said history can’t be sexy?
Vikings (Peacock, Hulu)
The legendary Ragnar Lothbrok (Travis Fimmel) rises from humble farmer to fearsome Viking hero in this 2013–20 drama. In a brutal world of harrowing battles and bloody axes, failure means death—but Ragnar has no intention of being defeated as his determination and deep fascination with exploring new lands leads him to the throne. He and his loyal followers raid and attack their way through England and France; his wife Lagertha (Katheryn Winnick), a powerful shield maiden, fights fiercely alongside him.
Spartacus (Starz)
History was bloody and sexy in this action-packed 2010–13 tale of a 1st century B.C. gladiator who inspired a slave revolt. (How bloody? Often the entire screen was filled with red as limbs and heads aplenty were cut off…usually in slow motion.) The hit series ran for three seasons, plus a prequel, with Andy Whitfield first playing the unnamed Thracian soldier who becomes Spartacus after killing four men in the arena. Sadly, Whitfield died in 2011, and he was replaced in the role by Liam McIntyre. The story took bold liberties with the facts, but with its swift plot, scantily clad warriors and intensely graphic fights, not to mention passionate romances, viewers didn’t mind. A sequel series, Spartacus: House of Ashur, is now in the works at Starz. —John Hogan
Rome (Apple TV+, Hulu, Max)
Ciarán Hinds stars as Julius Caesar in an epic 2005–07 series that takes a thrilling plunge into ancient intrigue. Alliances shift, loyalties waver and betrayal lurks behind every basilica as the elite scheme for control and commoners navigate the tumult of Roman society. The late Ray Stevenson gives an unforgettable performance as soldier Titus Pullo, with Kevin McKidd equally compelling as his compatriot Lucius Vorenus.
Marco Polo (Netflix)
After being abandoned by his father, intrepid explorer Marco Polo (Lorenzo Richelmy) enters a world of greed and power. So begin his adventures through Kublai Khan’s (an excellent Benedict Wong) court in 13th century China. Front and center in this 2014–16 series: political intrigue, cultural conflicts and, for Kublai Khan, the heartache that comes with ruling over a country while dealing with a complex family. One of Netflix’s most ambitious shows, it also held the title for most expensive—the first 10-episode season cost $90 million. (That’s higher than early seasons of Game of Thrones!)
The Legend of El Cid (Prime Video)
From his humble beginnings as a squire to becoming a military legend and then a national icon of Spain, the medieval knight Rodrigo “Ruy” Díaz de Vivar (Jaime Lorente), known as “El Cid,” gets a hero’s treatment in this epic drama. Much of the show focuses on Ruy’s determination to rid himself of the Castilian monarchy and its scheming princes, Sancho (Francisco Ortiz), Alfonso (Jaime Olías) and García (Nicolás Illoro), while also giving us battle scenes to rival Game of Thrones in sheer blood and guts.
Napoleon (Apple TV+)
Napoleon Bonaparte may have been famously small, but this Oscar-nominated drama produced by Ridley Scott goes big with Joaquin Phoenix in the title role. Spectacular battle sequences and mayhem are at the forefront as the 2023 film tracks the emperor’s rise to power after the French Revolution as well as his fall from grace. Come for the focus on a famous figure’s volatile relationship with his wife (Vanessa Kirby plays Josephine), stay for a character study of the man whose military vision made him the memorable leader he eventually became.
Pompeii (Netflix)
Love and tragedy collide in this visually stunning 2014 film about one of history’s most famous natural disasters. Game of Thrones’ Kit Harington stars as Milo, a slave turned gladiator who falls in love with Cassia (Emily Browning, The Affair), the daughter of a wealthy merchant. She’s already been set up with a corrupt Roman senator (Kiefer Sutherland), but when Mount Vesuvius suddenly erupts, it’s Milo who puts his life on the line to save her.
Cleopatra (Purchase on Apple TV, Prime Video)
This Hollywood classic starring Elizabeth Taylor tells one of the greatest love stories of the past and of moviedom: The actress began a scandalous affair with Richard Burton during filming. The 1963 drama details the Egyptian queen’s life through devastating deaths, bureaucratic turmoil…and 65+ costume changes! Cleopatra struggles to maintain control of her empire, but after her beloved Julius Caesar (Rex Harrison) is assassinated, she allies with Roman leader Mark Antony (Burton)—setting the stage for her tragic downfall.
