To understand the historical epic genre, one must first break it down. Obviously, the “historical” portion means the movie is about a series of true events that occurred in the past, though it is often heavily embellished for entertainment purposes. On the other hand, an epic film is any movie that bears an enormous scale, with loads of extras, a high budget, and intricate set designs, usually made with the intention of making massive amounts of money at the box office.
Historical epics are always popular, with one or two good ones coming out almost every single year. Most of these become multi-million dollar blockbusters, but a select few have sadly flown under the radar. These underrated historical epics have all the hallmarks of a really awesome movie, yet for various reasons, they never reached their full potential or became as popular as they should have been. These are the most underrated historical epics of all time, ranked based on their quality and level of underappreciation.
10
‘Apocalypto’ (2006)
Director Mel Gibson has made a lot of historical epics over the years, many of which have won Oscars or other major awards. The same can’t quite be said for his 2006 epic Apocalypto. This is actually one of the goriest movies ever made, which is likely why some people might have been turned off by it. The film has a pretty unique setting, centring on the Yucatán Peninsula during the decline of the Mayan Empire. The film is actually quite appreciative of the Mayan civilization, as all the actors in the film have Mayan ancestry, and they all speak Mayan in the movie.
Though Apocalypto did receive three Oscar nominations, it didn’t win a single one, which is strange considering the high amount of praise it got from other filmmakers. Quentin Tarantino said it was one of the best films of 2006, and Spike Lee even placed it on his list of the most essential films. With such high praise, it’s a wonder critical reviews of this movie weren’t better. They’re good, sure, but nothing fantastic. For those looking for a good historical epic, though, this is a film totally worth watching.
9
‘Kingdom of Heaven’ (2005)
Kingdom of Heaven is a Ridley Scott film that met with some pretty negative reception when it first came out. Both critics and audiences found it very dull and lacking in numerous aspects, but all of that changed when the director’s cut was released a few years later. The director’s cut adds so much more substance to the movie, even though it does make it substantially longer. Set during the Crusades, it largely focuses on the Siege of Jerusalem in the Middle Ages.
The director’s cut sadly became part of a tarnished legacy, as the original film left a resounding bad taste in the mouth of the public. This meant that not enough people were willing to really give the director’s cut the chance that it well and truly deserved. As a result, Kingdom of Heaven became one of Ridley Scott’s most underrated efforts and a forgotten triumph for the filmmaker’s already impressive repertoire.
8
‘Aguirre, The Wrath of God’ (1972)
Aguirre, The Wrath of God may have been popular when it came out in the ’70s, but it’s kind of passed into relative obscurity in the 21st Century. The film was produced as a joint production between Mexico, Peru, and West Germany, and is set in the mid-16th Century during Spanish colonialism in South America. The particular area of focus is the Inca Empire, with Spanish conquistadors arriving in the land in search of the fabled El Dorado.
Since it’s not a Hollywood film, it never found much success in America or in other English-speaking countries, but it has since become known as an underrated masterpiece. Reviews are almost perfect, and the film is experiencing a resurgence in popularity thanks to the internet. Still, Aguirre currently remains a highly underrated film that’s totally worthy of an Oscar or two, and is a shining example of the historical epic genre.
7
‘Red Cliff’ (2008)
Director John Woo is typically known for his ridiculous, over-the-top action movies, such as Face/Off, which makes Red Cliff quite a welcome change of pace. The original film was so long that it had to be released in two parts, with a combined runtime of nearly five hours. The story is set at the end of the Han Dynasty in the 3rd Century, which declined in a violent manner, culminating in the Battle of Red Cliff in the year 208. While the film takes quite a few artistic liberties, it’s still a really awesome watch.
Red Cliff was a smash hit at the Chinese box office, but never broke out into the Western mainstream. It was nominated for literally dozens of awards from various film organizations across East Asia, but never made it to the Oscars. Critical reviews have nothing but positive things to say about the movie, with audience reviews reflecting its inherent quality. Sure, Red Cliff might not be the most historically accurate movie ever made, but there’s no denying that it’s truly fantastic and really needs some more love.
6
‘All Quiet on the Western Front’ (1979)
All Quiet on the Western Front is a pretty popular title with the recent Netflix film that came out in 2022. Before that, there was a 1930 film that was also incredibly popular. Unfortunately, both of these films severely overshadowed the 1979 made-for-television film of the same title. All three are based on the novel of the same name by Erich Maria Remarque, who based the book on his experience serving in the First World War.
This British TV film makes a genuine attempt to be faithful to the original novel, and, like the other adaptations, follows German recruit Paul Bäumer (Richard Thomas), an adolescent who falls for propaganda and enlists in the war, having no idea what he is getting himself into. Since it’s a TV film, it’s not quite up to par in the special effects department, but for what it is, it’s pretty incredible. Unfortunately, its status as a TV film meant it never got to make the box office and never really became a popular hit, as amazing as it is.
5
‘The Admiral: Roaring Currents’ (2014)
The Admiral: Roaring Currents is a South Korean film set during the Imjin War, which occurred at the turn of the 17th Century between the Japanese Empire and the Kingdom of Joseon, a realm that once ruled over the Korean Peninsula. The focus is on the Battle of Myeongnyang, in which the Japanese navy confronted a small force of Joseon ships. The main character is Yi Sun-sin (Choi Minsik), a Joseon admiral who led a force of just 12 ships against well over 100 Japanese vessels.
It all culminates in one of the greatest naval battles ever committed to film, which showcases the heroism and valour of the Joseon fleet. Despite the seemingly insurmountable odds, the Joseon navy actually won this battle without losing a single ship. Blending ancient firearms, bows, and arrows in a true feast for the eyes, this Korean flick is a historical epic for the ages and must simply be seen by any fans of naval warfare. Sadly, it isn’t very well-known in the West, where the subtitle barrier still prevents many from enjoying international cinema.
4
‘Mongol’ (2007)
Mongol is a Mongolian-German-Kazakh-Japanese joint film that follows the life of one of history’s most feared figures. This figure has become a household name in the centuries since his violent conquests across Asia, which earned him a place as the first ruler of the Mongol Empire. That’s right, this film is about none other than Genghis Khan, played by Tadanobu Asano, who recently became popular for his performance in the Hulu and FX miniseries Shōgun.
This film details pretty much everything in Genghis Khan’s life, from his birth and troubled childhood to his time as a prisoner and as a military leader, before his eventual death in the 13th Century. This international production never really saw massive success beyond East and Central Asia, as the film was originally produced in Mongolian and Mandarin. However, it is definitely a movie that deserves more love for its scale, incredible action, and amazing portrayal of such a feared historical figure.
3
‘Sometimes in April’ (2005)
Sometimes in April is an HBO original film about the Rwandan Civil War and concurrent genocide. The main reason it never really got so popular is that on-demand viewing and original films made for streaming platforms weren’t as popular in the 2000s as they are now. Another film about the same conflict, Hotel Rwanda, came out the year prior and received numerous accolades, thus eclipsing this one. Sometimes in April is honestly better than Hotel Rwanda in many regards, though.
This epic drama does a lot of things that Hotel Rwanda was too afraid to do, and was much more open to depicting violence and atrocities than the Don Cheadle film. Of course, it can be pretty off-putting to many, which is perhaps another reason why the film failed to take off as much as it could’ve. That said, Sometimes in April is a truly remarkable movie, one that is as informative as it is mortifying. An epic drama at heart, it is a movie that must be seen by fans of the genre.
2
‘The Forgotten Battle’ (2020)
The Forgotten Battle is a Netflix original movie set during the Second World War. Specifically, it’s about the Battle of the Scheldt, a pivotal moment in the war that isn’t commonly talked about. In autumn 1944, an attacking force comprising mostly Canadian, American, and British troops made a desperate offensive against Nazi occupiers around the Scheldt river in the border region of Belgium and the Netherlands. The goal was to liberate the port of Antwerp to be used as a resupply point for the Allies.
This Netflix film shows the various perspectives of the battle, including that of the Belgian and Dutch civilians as the battle comes to a head. The movie also comes with a star-studded cast and some really incredible action sequences, which showcase the brutality and the scale of the engagement. Despite receiving near-perfect critical reviews and almost unanimous audience approval, The Forgotten Battle remains thoroughly underrated, certainly living up to its title.
1
‘The Battle of Algiers’ (1966)
The Battle of Algiers caused quite an uproar when it was first released. The movie is about the Algerian War for Independence, which had concluded just a few years prior, and was highly critical of French imperialism in the region. After all, it was this very same imperialism that caused the war in the first place. As a result, the French government wasn’t very happy about the movie’s release, which likely contributed to why it never really broke the box office in spite of its inherent quality.
Nowadays, though, it bears all the hallmarks of a film that was way ahead of its time. A joint project between France, Algeria, and Italy, The Battle of Algiers is an anti-war film through and through, and makes it pretty clear what kinds of atrocities took place during this forgotten conflict. For the fact that it’s a relatively obscure title about a conflict that isn’t well-known in the US, The Battle of Algiers is definitely the most underrated historical epic ever made.
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