Movies Like Amistad (1997)

Amistad is a 1997 drama, history, mystery film from Steven Spielberg with a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with H.M.S. Defiant and Django Unchained.

Drama History Mystery

H.M.S. Defiant

1962

Defiant's crew is part of a fleet-wide movement to present a petition of grievances to the Admiralty. Violence must be no part of it. The continual sadism of Defiant's first officer makes this difficult, and when the captain is disabled, the chance for violence increases.

6.5

MagicScore

Django Unchained

2012

With the help of a German bounty hunter, a freed slave sets out to rescue his wife from a brutal Mississippi plantation owner.

8.2

MagicScore

Amazing Grace

2006

The true story of William Wilberforce and his courageous quest to end the British slave trade. Along the way, Wilberforce meets intense opposition, but his minister urges him to see the cause through.

6.9

MagicScore

The Last Supper

1976

A pious plantation owner attempts to teach Christianity to 12 of his slaves by inviting them to participate in a reenactment of the Last Supper.

7.8

MagicScore

Black Snake

1973

On a 19th century Caribbean island, slaves revolt against their beautiful and sadistic mistress.

5.3

MagicScore

The Apocalypse

2004

While Emperor Domitian persecutes the Christians, the aged apostle John has prophetic visions.

5.3

MagicScore

The Passion of Joan of Arc

1928

A classic of the silent age, this film tells the story of the doomed but ultimately canonized 15th-century teenage warrior. On trial for claiming she'd spoken to God, Jeanne d'Arc is subjected to inhumane treatment and scare tactics at the hands of church court officials. Initially bullied into changing her story, Jeanne eventually opts for what she sees as the truth. Her punishment, a famously brutal execution, earns her perpetual martyrdom.

8.0

MagicScore

Aguirre, the Wrath of God

1972

A few decades after the destruction of the Inca Empire, a Spanish expedition led by the infamous Aguirre leaves the mountains of Peru and goes down the Amazon River in search of the lost city of El Dorado. When great difficulties arise, Aguirre’s men start to wonder whether their quest will lead them to prosperity or certain death.

7.5

MagicScore

Music Box

1989

A lawyer defends her father accused of war crimes, but there is more to the case than she suspects.

7.1

MagicScore

#10

The Woman King

2022

The story of the Agojie, the all-female unit of warriors who protected the African Kingdom of Dahomey in the 1800s with skills and a fierceness unlike anything the world has ever seen, and General Nanisca as she trains the next generation of recruits and readies them for battle against an enemy determined to destroy their way of life.

7.6

MagicScore

#11

Band of Angels

1957

Living in Kentucky prior to the Civil War, Amantha Starr is a privileged young woman. Her widowed father, a wealthy plantation owner, dotes on her and sends her to the best schools. When he dies suddenly Amantha's world is turned upside down. She learns that her father had been living on borrowed money and that her mother was actually a slave and her father's mistress.

6.2

MagicScore

#12

Dead Man Walking

1995

A death row inmate turns for spiritual guidance to a local nun in the days leading up to his scheduled execution for the murders of a young couple.

7.3

MagicScore

#13

American Carnage

2022

After a governor issues an executive order to arrest the children of undocumented immigrants, the detained youth are offered an opportunity to have their charges dropped by volunteering to provide care to the elderly. Once inside the elder care facility, however, they discover more twisted secrets than they could have possibly imagined.

5.9

MagicScore

#14

Cobra Verde

1987

A fearsome 19th century bandit, Cobra Verde cuts a swath through Brazil until he arrives at the sugar plantation of Don Octávio Countinho. Not knowing that his new guest is the notorious bandit and impressed by his ruthless ways, Don Octávio hires Cobra Verde to oversee his slaves. But when Cobra Verde impregnates Don Octávio’s three daughters, the incensed plantation owner exiles the outlaw to Africa where he is expected to reopen the slave trade. Following his trans-Atlantic journey, Cobra Verde exploits tribal conflicts to commandeer an abandoned fortress and whips an army of naked warriors into a frenzied bloodlust as he vies for survival.

6.9

MagicScore

#15

Ceddo

1978

The Ceddo people try to preserve their traditional African culture against the onslaught of Islam, Christianity, and the slave trade. When King Demba War sides with the Muslims, the Ceddo kidnap his daughter, Princess Dior Yacine, to protest their forcible conversion to Islam.

6.7

MagicScore

#16

Ong Bak 2

2008

Tien, the son of Lord Sihadecho — a murdered nobleman — is taken under the wing of Chernang, a renowned warrior and leader of the Pha Beek Krut.

6.4

MagicScore

#17

Mutiny on the Bounty

1935

Fletcher Christian successfully leads a revolt against the ruthless Captain Bligh on the HMS Bounty. However, Bligh returns one year later, hell bent on revenge.

7.4

MagicScore

#18

Mutiny on the Bounty

1962

The Bounty leaves Portsmouth in 1787. Its destination: to sail to Tahiti and load bread-fruit. Captain Bligh will do anything to get there as fast as possible, using any means to keep up a strict discipline. When they arrive at Tahiti, it is like a paradise for the crew, something completely different than the living hell aboard the ship. On the way back to England, officer Fletcher Christian becomes the leader of a mutiny.

7.0

MagicScore

#19

Lincoln

2012

The revealing story of the 16th US President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

6.9

MagicScore

#20

The Bounty

1984

The familiar story of Lieutenant Bligh, whose cruelty leads to a mutiny on his ship. This version follows both the efforts of Fletcher Christian to get his men beyond the reach of British retribution, and the epic voyage of Lieutenant Bligh to get his loyalists safely to East Timor in a tiny lifeboat.

6.7

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Amistad?

The top films similar to Amistad by MovieMagicScore are H.M.S. Defiant (6.5), Django Unchained (8.2), Amazing Grace (6.9). Each shares drama/history/mystery themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Amistad worth watching?

Amistad holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10 from 1,361 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Amistad?

Amistad (1997) is a drama, history, mystery film directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Morgan Freeman, Nigel Hawthorne, Anthony Hopkins.

Where can I find more recommendations like Amistad?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more drama recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like H.M.S. Defiant Movies like Django Unchained Movies like Amazing Grace Movies like The Last Supper Movies like Black Snake Movies like The Apocalypse

About movies like Amistad

This ranked list pairs Amistad (1997), a drama and history and mystery film from Steven Spielberg, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Morgan Freeman take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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