If you live in America, chances are you are being constantly bombarded by news, advertisements, arguments, and all sorts of ironic internet memes about the 2016 Presidential Election. And if you’re an American, your state is probably conducting its primary or caucus sometime between tomorrow and March 15th. So it’s not very surprising if you and everyone you know is caught up in election fever.
How do you cure election fever without going to Politico and arguing with people in the comment thread for several hours if you’re a movie fan? Watch some movies, of course! Here are six movies of varying genres to get you through the next few weeks of insane wall-to-wall election coverage everywhere you look:
The Ides of March (2011)
With all the success that Ben Affleck has had as a director, it’s easy to forget that George Clooney has also made some pretty great stuff, and The Ides of March is probably his best movie so far.
The Ides of March is about Ryan Gosling’s character, a staffer on the presidential campaign for George Clooney’s character, as he tries to support his candidate and ends up succumbing to the dirty and brutal politics surrounding the election. It’s certainly not the most idealistic movie, but it has fantastic performances by Gosling and Clooney, as well as Paul Giamatti and the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.
The Candidate (1972)
It has Robert Redford. It’s funny. It’s all you need in your life.
It’s sort of a comedic version of Ides of March; it’s about a newbie to politics, played by Redford, as he succumbs to the sad realities of a political campaign while running for the U.S. Senate. It’s some very good satire but it’s also pretty realistic, too.
All the President’s Men (1976)
More Robert Redford, but with the added power of Dustin Hoffman. Unlike The Candidate, though, this one is very serious and covers the true story of Richard Nixon’s Watergate scandal. If you’re into movies and into politics, this one is a must-watch. If you’re a movies fan but not a politics fan, this one is still a must-watch.
Mitt (2014)
For some documentary enthusiasts out there, here’s a whole movie about Mitt Romney, who was essentially a candidate for President continuously from 2007 to 2012. He was a very big staple in the American political scene during the 00s and his strange robot-like mannerisms and awkwardness are still remembered today, so this “behind-the-scenes” look at the Romney family’s life during the 2008 and 2012 elections is a very interesting watch.
It’s a Netflix exclusive, so if you have Netflix you can watch it now.
The Best Man (1964)
Another pretty old film, this time written by good old Gore Vidal.
This movie is about the Presidential nominating conventions, something that hasn’t been a big part of elections since the 70s when primaries became widely used, but it’s an interesting look into the politics of the past (and a potential view of the future if there is a “contested convention” in either primary contest this year). Several candidates are there to vie for the nomination from their party and, of course, chaos ensues. Check it out for some great Henry Fonda action (he’s in the movie).
Election (1999)
Not related to a PRESIDENTIAL election, but still a pretty great movie about, well, an election. It’s an ensemble piece about a bunch of characters all tied together by the local high school class president election. The main stars of the movie are Matthew Broderick and Reese Witherspoon, and they completely hit it out of the park as two of the most despicable protagonists in film.
If you liked American Beauty, this movie is eerily similar in style and themes, though just about as great.
Honorable Mention: House of Cards!
It’s not a movie but a TV series, so it doesn’t quite count for this list. But it’s some great stuff; you get to watch 39 episodes of Kevin Spacey playing a Bill Clinton/Gerald Ford fusion as he manipulates the government for power and revenge. If you’ve ever dreamed of Kevin Spacey delivering monologues to the 4th wall in a Lindsey Graham-esque South Carolinian accent, then this is the show for you.
(Also the fourth season comes out on March 3rd so you’d better hurry)
Are there any other political movies you’d recommend to watch during election season? If you’ve got them, then send them in the comments. They’re much appreciated.