Best History Movies on Rakuten TV in the UK

The top 50 of 78 history movies streaming on Rakuten TV in the UK, ranked by smart score, updated October 24, 2026.

1
Loving Vincent 2017
Directed by DK Welchman · Streaming on Rakuten TV
7.9
8.0 · 2.7K votes
2
JFK 1991
Directed by Oliver Stone · Streaming on Disney Plus, JustWatch TV Free, Rakuten TV
7.5
7.6 · 2.5K votes
3
Only the Brave 2017
Directed by Joseph Kosinski · Streaming on Rakuten TV
7.4
7.5 · 2K votes
4
The Flowers of War 2011
Directed by Zhang Yimou · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
7.3
7.4 · 939 votes
5
The Champion 2021
Directed by Maciej Barczewski · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
7.2
7.7 · 221 votes
6
The Swordsman 2020
Directed by Choi Jae-hoon · Streaming on Rakuten TV
7.2
7.5 · 303 votes
7
T-34 2018
Directed by Alexey Sidorov · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, YouTube Free
7.1
7.2 · 979 votes
8
We Were Soldiers 2002
Directed by Randall Wallace · Streaming on Rakuten TV, Plex, Pluto TV
7.1
7.1 · 2.4K votes
9
The Professor and the Madman 2019
Directed by Farhad Safinia · Streaming on Rakuten TV
7.1
7.1 · 1.3K votes
10
Assassination 2015
Directed by Choi Dong-hoon · Streaming on Rakuten TV
7.0
7.3 · 292 votes
11
The Way Back 2010
Directed by Peter Weir · Streaming on Rakuten TV, Plex, Lionsgate+
7.0
7.0 · 1.8K votes
12
The Burial 2023
Directed by Margaret Betts · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV
7.0
7.1 · 663 votes
13
At Eternity's Gate 2018
Directed by Julian Schnabel · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV
6.9
7.0 · 1.6K votes
14
The Rifleman 2019
Directed by Dzintars Dreibergs · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, JustWatch TV Free, JustWatch TV Plus
6.9
7.3 · 205 votes
15
Thirteen Days 2000
Directed by Roger Donaldson · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Tubi TV
6.9
7.0 · 875 votes
16
Emperor 2020
Directed by Mark Amin · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.9
7.6 · 101 votes
17
Hara-Kiri: Death of a Samurai 2011
Directed by Takashi Miike · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, MUBI
6.9
7.2 · 214 votes
18
The Mad Women's Ball 2021
Directed by Mélanie Laurent · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV
6.9
7.1 · 371 votes
19
Resistance 2020
Directed by Jonathan Jakubowicz · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, YouTube Free
6.9
7.0 · 486 votes
20
The Eight Hundred 2020
Directed by Guan Hu · Streaming on Rakuten TV
6.8
7.0 · 358 votes
21
Minamata 2020
Directed by Andrew Levitas · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, YouTube Free
6.7
6.9 · 346 votes
22
The Railway Man 2013
Directed by Jonathan Teplitzky · Streaming on Rakuten TV, Plex, YouTube Free
6.7
6.8 · 800 votes
23
The Promise 2016
Directed by Terry George · Streaming on Rakuten TV
6.7
6.8 · 520 votes
24
Outlaws - For Greater Glory 2012
Directed by Dean Wright · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.7
7.0 · 184 votes
25
Ip Man: The Awakening 2021
Directed by Zhang Zhulin · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.6
6.8 · 183 votes
26
Beneath Hill 60 2010
Directed by Jeremy Sims · Streaming on Rakuten TV, Plex
6.6
6.8 · 171 votes
27
Before Dawn 2024
Directed by Jordon Prince-Wright · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.5
6.9 · 107 votes
28
The Man with the Iron Heart 2017
Directed by Cédric Jimenez · Streaming on Rakuten TV
6.5
6.5 · 839 votes
29
Crock of Gold: A Few Rounds with Shane MacGowan 2020
Directed by Julien Temple · Streaming on Rakuten TV
6.5
8.0 · 24 votes
30
No Man of God 2021
Directed by Amber Sealey · Streaming on Rakuten TV, Plex, YouTube Free
6.5
6.6 · 352 votes
31
Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché 2018
Directed by Pamela B. Green · Streaming on Rakuten TV
6.4
7.2 · 42 votes
32
Genius 2016
Directed by Michael Grandage · Streaming on Rakuten TV
6.4
6.5 · 738 votes
33
The Bang Bang Club 2011
Directed by Steven Silver · Streaming on Rakuten TV
6.4
6.6 · 186 votes
34
The Grey Zone 2001
Directed by Tim Blake Nelson · Streaming on Rakuten TV, Tubi TV
6.4
6.6 · 185 votes
35
Being the Ricardos 2021
Directed by Aaron Sorkin · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV
6.4
6.5 · 728 votes
36
Redbad 2018
Directed by Roel Reiné · Streaming on Rakuten TV, Amazon Prime Video, Plex
6.4
6.5 · 250 votes
37
Bonhoeffer: Pastor. Spy. Assassin 2024
Directed by Todd Komarnicki · Streaming on Rakuten TV
6.4
6.7 · 88 votes
38
Queen of the Ring 2025
Directed by Ash Avildsen · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV
6.4
6.8 · 69 votes
39
Dovbush 2023
Directed by Oles Sanin · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV
6.4
7.0 · 44 votes
40
The Great Lillian Hall 2024
Directed by Michael Cristofer · Streaming on Rakuten TV
6.3
7.1 · 32 votes
41
Jack Strong 2014
Directed by Władysław Pasikowski · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.3
6.5 · 142 votes
42
Fukushima 50 2020
Directed by Setsuro Wakamatsu · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.3
6.4 · 197 votes
43
The War Below 2021
Directed by J.P. Watts · Streaming on Rakuten TV, YouTube Free
6.3
6.6 · 75 votes
44
Little Buddha 1993
Directed by Bernardo Bertolucci · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV
6.3
6.3 · 462 votes
45
True Story 2015
Directed by Rupert Goold · Streaming on Disney Plus, JustWatch TV Free, Rakuten TV
6.3
6.3 · 2.1K votes
46
Saints and Soldiers 2003
Directed by Ryan Little · Streaming on Rakuten TV, Filmzie, W4free
6.2
6.3 · 324 votes
47
Escape from Germany 2024
Directed by T.C. Christensen · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.2
6.7 · 39 votes
48
My Father's Secrets 2022
Directed by Véra Belmont · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV
6.2
6.8 · 22 votes
49
The Lost Bladesman 2011
Directed by Felix Chong Man-keung · Streaming on Rakuten TV, Plex, Icon Film
6.2
6.3 · 121 votes
50
Charlotte 2022
Directed by Tahir Rana · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.2
6.5 · 31 votes

Smart score = (votes × rating + 82 × 6.03) ÷ (votes + 82): the TMDB rating, pulled toward the catalog average as if every film had 82 extra average votes. Streaming data by JustWatch.

Hidden gems

Highly rated but with 184 votes or fewer (the median for this list), ranked with a lighter prior of 69 votes so smaller films can show.

1
Iceman 2017
Directed by Felix Randau · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, YouTube Free
6.1
6.2 · 136 votes
2
Shoshana 2024
Directed by Michael Winterbottom · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.1
6.2 · 69 votes
3
Hitler: The Last Ten Days 1973
Directed by Ennio De Concini · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.1
6.2 · 43 votes
4
Mapplethorpe 2019
Directed by Ondi Timoner · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.1
6.2 · 36 votes
5
The Warrior Queen of Jhansi 2019
Directed by Swati Bhise · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV
6.1
6.4 · 12 votes
6
Passchendaele 2008
Directed by Paul Gross · Streaming on Rakuten TV, Amazon Prime Video, Plex
6.1
6.1 · 126 votes
7
Zulu Dawn 1979
Directed by Douglas Hickox · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.1
6.1 · 124 votes
8
The Match 2021
Directed by Dominik Sedlar · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Pluto TV
6.1
6.1 · 58 votes
9
The Last Front 2024
Directed by Julien Hayet-Kerknawi · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, Rakuten TV, Plex
6.0
6.0 · 28 votes
10
The Book Of Vision 2021
Directed by Carlo Shalom Hintermann · Streaming on Amazon Prime Video, JustWatch TV Free, JustWatch TV Plus
6.0
6.0 · 33 votes