The 22 best political movies ever, ranked

Jason GuerrasioJul 23, 2020, 00:39 IST

Kevin Costner in "JFK."Warner Bros.

The political movie genre has always there to celebrate, keep in check, and satire the system.
Here we highlight the 22 best political movies ever and rank them.
Find out where classics like "JFK," "All the President's Men," "Wag the Dog," and "Lincoln" end up on the list.

Movies focusing on politics take many forms. They can have a serious stance on a major issue or moment in history, they can also make fun of the whole system with a satirical tone. Regardless, the genre has over the decades produced some of the most gripping, entertaining movies ever told.

And now more than ever, we need these stories in our lives.

From "All the President's Men" to "JFK" to "Bulworth," here we rank the 22 greatest the genre has ever produced.

22. "The Distinguished Gentleman" (1992)

(L-R) Eddie Murphy and Lane Smith in "The Distinguished Gentleman." Buena Vista Pictures

21. "Nixon" (1995)

Anthony Hopkins in "Nixon." Buena Vista Pictures

20. "Milk" (2008)

Sean Penn in "Milk." Focus Features

19. "Election" (1999)

Reese Witherspoon in "Election." Paramount via YouTube

18. "Seven Days in May" (1964)

(L-R) Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas in "Seven Days in May." Paramount Pictures

17. "The American President" (1995)

Michael Douglas in "The American President." Universal Pictures

16. "The Contender" (2000)

Joan Allen in "The Contender." DreamWorks

15. "All the King's Men" (1949)

Broderick Crawford in "All the King's Men." Columbia Pictures

14. “Lincoln” (2012)

Daniel Day-Lewis in "Lincoln." Sony / Columbia Pictures screencap

13. "Frost/Nixon" (2008)

Frank Langella in "Frost/Nixon." Universal Pictures

12. "Primary Colors" (1998)

John Travolta in "Primary Colors." Universal Pictures

11. "Citizen Kane" (1941)

Orson Welles' "Citizen Kane." Warner Bros screengrab

10. "The Candidate" (1972)

Robert Redford in "The Candidate." Warner Bros.

9. "Bulworth" (1998)

Warren Beatty in "Bulworth." 20th Century Fox

8. "In the Loop" (2009)

(L-R) Peter Capaldi and James Gandolfini in "In the Loop." IFC Films

7. "Wag the Dog" (1997)

Robert De Niro and Dustin Hoffman in "Wag the Dog." New Line Cinema

6. "JFK" (1991)

Kevin Costner in "JFK." Warner Bros.

5. "A Face in the Crowd" (1957)

Andy Griffith in "A Face in the Crowd." Warner Bros.

4. "The Manchurian Candidate" (1962)

(L-R) Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey in "The Manchurian Candidate." United Artists

3. "All the President's Men" (1976)

(L-R) Dustin Hoffman and Robert Redford in "All the President's Men." Warner Bros.

2. "Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb" (1964)

Slim Pickens in "Dr. Strangelove." Columbia Pictures

1. "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939)

(L-R) Claude Rains and Jimmy Stewart in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington." Columbia Pictures

16 celebrities with tattoos dedicated to their pets

Cookies on the Business Insider India website