Shubhabrata Dutta
Movies and shows involving presidents are naturally high-stakes. Whether biographical or drama, they offer a deep dive into political situations of the highest order. From the objectives to the risks to the motives to the executions, each step has consequences that must be tackled. There are also documentaries that give us more information and insight on a particular president and his/her presidential activities and personal life. Such movies are for president fanatics what foodporn is for epicures. Keeping these in mind, here are the best movies and shows on US Presidents on Netflix.
9. White House Down (2013)
The political action thriller stars Channing Tatum and Jamie Foxx. Perhaps one of the most-watched action thrillers with a president at its center, ‘White House Down’ follows Capitol police officer John Cale (Tatum), who is denied a job at the Secret Service. However, his job to protect the President comes to him from a totally different direction: after the United States Capitol is attacked, he, who was at the White House to give his daughter (Joey King) a tour, has to protect not just his daughter but President James Sawyer (Foxx). While the action adds to the effectiveness of the film, it is Tatum and Foxx’s onscreen chemistry that gives ‘White House Down’ its charm. Joining Tatum, Foxx, and Joey are talented actors, including Maggie Gyllenhaal, Jason Clarke, and Richard Jenkins. You can watch the film here.
8. Trump: An American Dream (2017)
The four-part British television mini docu-series takes a deep dive into the life of a business mogul/former US president Donald Trump. We also get to see modern America through his lens and how he applied his set of rules and beliefs to be a symbol of numerous movements that make America what it is today, from capitalism to reality TV. Accompanied by Colin Tierney’s narration, we see Trump’s rise in stature from a businessman in the 1970s, the creation of the Trump Tower, the Trump Organization, the casinos in the 80s, the financial issues of the 90s, right to his entry into politics and presidential run in the 2010s. ‘Trump: An American Dream’ uses archive footage and interviews with Trump’s peers, officials, employees, and near and dear ones; we get an up-close-and-personal portrait of one of the world’s most controversial personalities. You can stream the series here.
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7. London Has Fallen (2016)
The second installment of the ‘Has Fallen’ action film franchise, ‘London Has Fallen’ is directed by Babak Najafi. After saving President Benjamin Asher (Aaron Eckhart) from a North Korean terrorist group in the first part (‘Olympus Has Fallen’), Mike Banning (Gerard Butler) was made the head of the presidential security detail. In this film, we see Banning keep Asher out of harm’s way after they are ambushed during the British Prime Minister’s funeral in London. A series of attacks took the lives of leaders across the world who had come to pay their respects to the dead leader. Amid thousands of casualties, Banning keeps Asher close as they look for a safe place for cover while the Capitol looks for potential suspects who could have pulled off such a big attack. An entertaining film, especially because of Gerard Butler, ‘London Has Fallen’ can be streamed here.
6. Long Shot (2019)
Directed by Jonathan Levine, ‘Long Shot’ is a comedy-drama that brilliantly merges a presidential angle with a love story. We have Charlize Theron and Seth Rogen as politician/U.S. Secretary of State Charlotte Field and journalist Fred Flarsky, respectively. Charlotte hires Fred as her speech writer for her presidential campaign after meeting at an event, but what she doesn’t know is that she was Fred’s babysitter, whom he had a crush on. Now, so many years later, Fred’s dream seems to be slowly coming true. However, Charlotte’s advisors are against her decision and believe it can affect her campaigning. What follows is a string of incidents that, though bringing Charlotte and Fred closer, do so at the expense of numerous crises that affect Charlotte’s reputation. Will the duo stick without compromising Charlotte’s presidential run? ‘Long Shot’ is certainly entertaining, thanks to Theron and Rogen’s chemistry. You can watch the film here.
5. The Comey Rule (2020)
Based on the book ‘A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership’ by former FBI director James Comey, ‘The Comey Rule’ is directed by Billy Ray. The political miniseries follows Comey’s service as the FBI director in the run-up to the 2016 U.S. presidential elections and in the first few months after Donald Trump became president. The series showcases many investigations: the Crossfire Hurricane, which looked into links between Trump’s campaign and Russians; the Midyear investigation against Hillary Clinton; the NATO collapse prospect warned about by the Intelligence Community to Barack Obama; and Russia’s pro-Trump propaganda. Comey takes the front wheel in all of these investigations as he transitions from the Obama presidency to the Trump presidency. Jeff Daniels plays James Comey, Brendan Gleeson plays Donald Trump, and Kingsley Ben-Adir plays Barack Obama. While the series received mixed reviews, the performances were highly appreciated. Altogether, ‘The Comey Rule’ is strictly for political show fanatics. It can be streamed here.
4. Bobby Kennedy for President (2018)
Directed by Dawn Porter, ‘Bobby Kennedy for President’ is a four-part mini docuseries that offers a meticulous, cohesive, and exhaustive look into the career and campaign of Bobby Kennedy, former U.S. senator/attorney general and brother of John F. Kennedy and Ted Kennedy. In mere four episodes, the series takes us through all the phases of Bobby Kennedy’s political life, including his campaign, his brother John’s assassination, civil rights involvement, his run for the presidency, his assassination, and his legacy. The series also shows the political climate of the 60s, including the Watergate scandal, Vietnam, Martin Luther King Jr., and more. All of this is sewn seamlessly via archival footage, news coverings, and interviews of individuals who knew him, including advisors and representatives. One of the best president shows on the platform, ‘Bobby Kennedy for President’ can be streamed here.
3. Shirley (2024)
The biographical drama is directed by John Ridley and follows the rise of Shirley Chisholm, the first-ever Black congresswoman, elected from Brooklyn in 1968, and her presidential run in 1972 against Richard Nixon. The film showcases her historic feats and trailblazing courage and attitude as she navigates her way through all the undermining, racism, and other obstacles while paving the way for others like her. Regina King nails her part as Shirley Chisholm with equally stellar performances by Lance Reddick, Terrence Howard, and Brian Stokes Mitchell. You can watch ‘Shirley’ here.
2. Designated Survivor (2016-2019)
The gripping award-winning political drama stars Kiefer Sutherland as Thomas Kirkman. Kirman, who has been serving as the U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, is made the president of the United States as the designated survivor after an explosion at the Capitol kills everyone before him in the presidential line of succession. With the reigns of the country in his country in a matter of minutes, Kirkman has to strategically lead his country out of this tragedy while looking into the cause of the attack. As we proceed through the episodes and the seasons, we see how Kirkman navigates his role as the president, mindfully making decisions, making friends and some enemies, and maintaining his family life.
The effectiveness of the series lies in providing and analyzing different political situations, events, and decisions from the POV of the president and his team of advisors, including Chief of Staff Aaron Shore, Special Advisor Emily Rhodes, White House Communications Director Seth Wright, and White House Political Director Lyor Boone. Winner of the 2016 Critics’ Choice Television Awards, ‘Designated Survivor’ is created by David Guggenheim. The cast also includes Natascha McElhone as Alexandra Jane “Alex” Kirkman, the First Lady of the United States; LaMonica Garrett as Secret Service agent Mike Ritter; and Maggie Q as CIA Case Officer Hannah Wells. You can stream the series here.
1. House of Cards (2013-2018)
Based on the 1989 eponymous novel by Michael Dobbs and its 1990 British series adaptation, ‘House of Cards’ has won 7 Primetime Emmys, 2 Golden Globes, and 2 Screen Actors Guild Awards, among other accolades. Considered one of the best political shows of all time, the series revolves around Frank Underwood (Kevin Spacey), a sly, ruthless, and ambitious Democrat, and his equally ambitious wife, Claire (Robin Wright), both of whom crave power. However, Frank is denied the position of Secretary of State by President Garrett Walker (Michel Gill) despite being promised so before the latter’s election. Thus, Frank decides to apply his pragmatism to make his way up the political chain, aided by Claire, who also starts spreading her influence non-governmentally. Politics, manipulation, and betrayal surface in numerous forms, all of which are targeted by Underwood towards bringing down Walker and claiming power for himself. Complex, gripping, and mind-bogglingly dark, ‘House of Cards’ is a worthy topper of our list. You can stream it here.
Read More: Best Movies About Politics on Netflix
