The Best Election Themed Movies to Watch Instead of the Actual Election Results

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Next Tuesday is Election Day and, if things go as expected, the beginning of Election Month. There is harsh rhetoric on both sides of the political divide. anxiety is increasing. There are people of confusion reevaluating plans to stay connected as the results come (or don’t come). Some people choose to unplug from social media, go to bed early, or move towards the forest. Personally, I’ll spend the day at the park with my (unschooled) kids, then turn off all my notifications and watch movies until I pass out (yes, I’ve already voted).

I’m not sure what to watch; maybe Cozy goofy comedy from Hollywood’s golden ageor something else too long, will distract me for at least three hoursor maybe whatever’s playing on the screen Criterion Channel’s live broadcast 24/7— but if you really want to celebrate the occasion without paying attention, there are also plenty of election-themed movies to choose from. Experiencing almost any of them would be much more fun than the actual Election Day.

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Primary Colors (1998)

After the hell we’ve all endured since political discourse hit rock bottom in 2016, it’s comforting to cast our gaze back a few decades and think about how strange ’90s politics seems when we look back. This is a Mike Nichols movie, Adapted from the novel “anonymous”It puts a thin veil of fiction over the sex scandals that marred Bill Clinton’s first run for president. A stellar cast, led by John Travolta and the unforgettably impressive Kathy Bates as the political consultant who puts his trust in the wrong man, brings to life a story of political gamesmanship that would seem utterly cynical if things hadn’t gotten so bad afterward. much worse.

Where to stream: digital rental

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Manchurian Candidate (1962)

There are two adaptations of Richard Cordon’s 1959 political thriller to choose from: the 1962 version starring Angela Landsbury and Frank Sinatra, and the 2004 version starring Meryl Streep and Denzel Washington. Hardcore moviegoers will probably argue for the former, but the latter is also an extremely entertaining film. (Provided you find lurid tales of foreign and/or corporate interference in politics to the extremes of brainwashing and murder entertaining.) Either way, they both culminate in an Election Day riot, which honestly seems to be par for the course at this point . 2024.

Where to stream: Roku Channel, tubi, Pluto TV, digital rental

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Shampoo (1975)

I had no idea Shampoo It was a secret election movie until I sat down to watch it before the last presidential contest. On its face, it’s an unorthodoxly over-the-top episode, the story of Los Angeles hairstylist/lothario George (played by Warren Beatty) juggling the many women in his life with all the skill of a Jack Tripper. Triple Company It has little to do with politics. But the absurd comedy occurs against the background of the 1968 elections, as the newsworthy events of the day are glimpsed on television and in overheard conversations. Whether George realized it or not (he was too busy chasing or hiding from the likes of Goldie Hawn, Julie Christie, and Carrie Fisher to notice), Nixon’s eventual victory signaled a sea change in American culture and idealism and idealism. The death knell was sounded for The free love of the 1960s. It’s a pretty fun downer.

Where to stream: digital rental

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Vote (1999)

Alexander Payne’s adaptation of Tom Perrotta’s satirical novel about a hotly contested election for high school student council president succeeds because it tackles a relatively pointless topic — did the outcome of the student council election ever matter to a non-candidate? seriousness. Matthew Broderick plays a sad teacher whose genuine hatred for overly ambitious candidate Tracy Flick (Reese Witherspoon) is her undoing. In a way I can understand this; No one wants to see the wrong person win, but fixing an election is never the way to go.

Where to stream: Showtime via Paramount+, MGM+, digital rental

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Applicant (1972)

fletch And Bad News Bears director Michael Ritchie also directed the lesser-known film ApplicantA superb 70s political satire starring Robert Redford as Bill McKay, the son of California’s former Democratic governor, hand-picked by a political strategist to run a seemingly unwinnable race against an incumbent Republican senator. Since no one expected him to prevail, McKay was given the power to say whatever he wanted without taking into account the advice of political strategists. That’s proving to be…unpopular, and the Democrats don’t want to be that way. completely deleted, they eventually advise McKay to make his message more acceptable to the mainstream. Considering his resemblance to Robert Redford, it’s no surprise that McKay became more popular as his speeches became more moderate and centrist. I would draw a parallel with the year 2024, but I’m very depressed and I have more movies to write about.

Where to stream: digital rental

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President (2003)

Chris Rock wrote and directed this 2003 comedy; Here he played a “regular guy,” a low-level, failed politician chosen to run for president by a competing Democratic party in the hope that his “originality” would connect with voters. Initially inspired, Rock becomes even more skeptical when he learns the real reason the party took a chance on him – they were just hoping to pander to voters and build momentum for the next move – and decides to do something about it. The film then enters the realm of pure invention, but it’s nice to dream.

Where to stream: Showtime via Paramount+, digital rental

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Swing Vote (2008)

Swing VoteIt was published eight years after George W. Bush first captured the White House after winning (perhaps; see recount The swing state of Florida spins an absurd political tale from an even more incredible premise: Due to a malfunctioning voting machine, the entire presidential election comes down to a single vote in one state. However, the voter (played by Kevin Coster) is an uninformed idiot who only votes because his politically engaged teenage daughter forces him to deliver the film’s message (“America is great because our votes give us all a voice!”) is harder to swallow.

Where to stream: Prime Minister Video, Roku Channel, digital rental

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Nashville (1975)

Arguably the best film in the long filmography of the late Robert Altman. Nashville Foregrounded is an expansive look at the intersecting lives of numerous characters (there are 24 in the above trailer, a prayer of now-familiar names) in or around the country music scene. But it all takes place against the backdrop of a fictionalized 1976 presidential election that begins with the arrival of an independent candidate in town for a political rally/concert. We follow some two dozen characters as they progress towards this climactic event, and how it unfolds will remind you that politics was already pretty wild, tense and unpredictable fifty years ago.

Where to stream: digital purchase

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Tanner ’88 (1988)

Also directed and written by Robert Altman doonesbury creator Gary Trudeau, Tanner ’88 It’s actually a mini-series, but it ends pretty easily. Blending fact and fiction, the film blends the fabricated candidacy of Democratic presidential candidate Jack Tanner with the real circumstances of the 1988 primary race that resulted in Michael Dukakis appearing on a particularly ill-fated party ticket. Cameras examine the campaign from every angle, from on-the-ground personnel to media to voters, highlighting the routine absurdities of American politics from within and without. Cynthia Nixon makes an early appearance as Tanner’s idealistic teenage daughter; Tanner returns to the role decades later for the four-part sequel. Tanner vs. Tanner.

Where to stream: digital purchase

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recount (2008)

It was written by actor-turned-director Danny Strong (who has had recurring roles in films). Buffy the Vampire Slayer And Gilmore Girls), this 2008 HBO film brings an impressive cast of talent (notwithstanding Kevin Spacey) to recreate the confusion and uncertainty that erupted after it became clear that George W. Bush and Al Gore had failed to win the presidency outright in 2000. Day and…

You know what, never mind. Don’t watch this.

Where to stream: Maximum, digital rental

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Game Change (2012)

If you want to relive more recent election history, try Game Change (from the same writer/director team) recount) in its place. It reveals the drama behind Barack Obama’s run for the White House in 2008, but less on the charismatic senator from Illinois (who only appears in actual archival footage) and more on upstart Republican vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin (Julianne Moore). focuses. It’s funny to look back and think how wild and unprecedented this race seemed then, and how strange it looks to our tired eyes now.

Where to stream: Maximum, digital rental

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Man of the Year (2006)

In fact, this satirical box office disappointment at the end of the career of Robin Williams and director Barry Levinson isn’t as clever or funny as it seems (Levinson’s Shake the Dog It’s a much better movie, but it’s too brutal and cynical to watch during the 2024 elections). But the plot revolves around his transformation from over-the-top political commentator to viable candidate who walks away from winning the election after learning that he took advantage of a glitch in the voting machine, so by modern standards it’s basically a fairy tale.

Where to stream: peacock, Pluto TV, digital rental

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Front Runner (2018)

This little-seen 2018 political biopic from co-writer/director Jason Reitman (behind the scenes)Saturday Night Live comedy saturday night (in theaters now) looks at the abbreviated campaign of Democratic presidential candidate Gary Hart (Hugh Jackman) in 1988. Gary Hart’s (Hugh Jackman) White House dreams are dashed when rumors of his extramarital affair spread. Imagine living in a world where a sex scandal could end a politician’s career! Wait, Hart was a Democrat. Never mind, the story is being controlled.

Where to stream: starz, digital rental

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All the President’s Men (1976)

Last week, The Washington Post had trouble with a certain segment of its subscriber base. Ill-timed announcement that it will no longer support political candidates. Backlash against billionaire owner Jeff Bezos (who took responsibility for the decision but denied there was partisan intent behind it) Resulted in 250,000 people canceling their subscriptions. This is a far cry from the political scandal that consumed the paper nearly 50 years ago, when the Watergate investigation led by reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein (here played by Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman) toppled the presidency of Richard Nixon. Democracy dies in darkness and all that.

Where to stream: digital rental

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American President (1995)

And finally, speaking of fairy tales, Aaron Sorkin always hasWest Wing Political romantic comedy about the love affair between popular Democratic President Andrew Shepherd (Michael Douglas) and political idealist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), a lawyer working for a lobby group fighting to pass a bill to reduce CO2 emissions. Like Sorkin’s later TV series, the film purports to get into the nitty-gritty of how the government is run and laws are passed (it features plenty of goofy comedic dialogue). Even 30 years ago, his apparent belief that noble intentions, hard work and bipartisanship could change things in Washington seemed like naive optimism. Today it plays like a complete fantasy. Escape is what we’re all looking for right now, right?

Where to stream: digital rental