In real life, America gets the opportunity to elect a president only every four years. But thanks to many movies and TV shows, there’s a steady stream of fresh commanders-in-chief, in power for just a few hours until the credits roll — and then it’s time to pick another person for the nation’s top job. On Netflix, you can choose from Idris Elba, Michael Shannon, Angela Bassett, Kiefer Sutherland, Allison Janney, and more.
All of these political films and series offer an intriguing peek into the White House and feature US presidents who are either based on historical figures or entirely fictional. Whether you’re celebrating Presidents’ Day with a movie marathon or taking a break with a comfort show, the only vote you need to cast is for which of these to watch first.
Rebecca Ferguson, Anthony Ramos, Greta Lee, Moses Ingram, Kaitlyn Dever, Jared Harris, and Tracy Letts play some of the many people on high alert in Washington when an unattributed missile is launched at the United States. Directed by Academy Award winner Kathryn Bigelow, the movie explores the 18 minutes between the weapon’s launch and its potential detonation, retelling the story from a variety of perspectives, including that of the country’s ultimate decision-maker — the president, played by Idris Elba.
Michael Douglas stars in this acclaimed romance as widowed president Andrew Shepherd, who’s up for reelection. When he falls for the charming lobbyist Sydney Ellen Wade (Annette Bening), his political opponents attack his values and his public support takes a nosedive, forcing him to choose between a second term and a second chance at love. Michael J. Fox, Martin Sheen, and Richard Dreyfuss also appear in this Rob Reiner film.
This limited series stars Michael Shannon as James Garfield, the underdog congressman who became the 20th US president in 1881. Based on Candice Millard’s 2011 nonfiction book Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President, the four episodes chronicle Garfield’s improbable rise and abrupt fall at the hands of Charles Guiteau (Matthew Macfadyen), Garfield’s fanatical admirer and eventual assassin. Betty Gilpin, Nick Offerman, Bradley Whitford, and Shea Whigham also portray real-life figures.
Tragedy strikes on the night of the State of the Union, when an explosion destroys the Capitol Building and kills not only the president but also most of those in the line of succession. The only survivor: Thomas Kirkman (Kiefer Sutherland), who ascends from the secretary of housing and urban development to the leader of the free world. In the three-season series, created by David Guggenheim (The Union), Thomas acclimates to his powerful position while figuring out who carried out the attack.
Keri Russell leads this political thriller as Kate Wyler, an American ambassador to the United Kingdom navigating her strained marriage to a political star (Rufus Sewell). The series kicks off with Michael McKean playing the president and continues with Allison Janney ascending from his vice president to the top job. David Gyasi, Ali Ahn, Rory Kinnear, and Ato Essandoh are also featured in the drama series, created by Debora Cahn.
Nothing unites people like a common enemy. In this case, it’s aliens, whose massive ships suddenly appear over Earth’s major cities. Come to watch Will Smith, Jeff Goldblum, Margaret Colin, and Randy Quaid work together to fight off the extraterrestrial threat; stay for Bill Pullman’s performance as President Thomas J. Whitmore and his standout speech just before the big battle: “We can’t be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests.”
This biopic stars Woody Harrelson as Lyndon B. Johnson, covering his rise from Senate majority leader and then vice president to the 37th president, following the assassination of John F. Kennedy (Jeffrey Donovan) in 1963. After taking the oath aboard Air Force One, he adjusts to his new role amid the nation’s grief and later signs into law the Civil Rights Act of 1964. Richard Jenkins, Bill Pullman, Jennifer Jason Leigh, and others portray additional historical figures.
Presidents come and go, but White House staffers are (almost) forever. This drama — loosely based on the life of Eugene Allen, who worked in the mansion for 34 years — stars Forest Whitaker as Cecil Gaines, who had a front-row seat to a slew of major events during his decades as head butler. The film features Robin Williams as Dwight D. Eisenhower, James Marsden as John F. Kennedy, Liev Schreiber as Lyndon B. Johnson, John Cusack as Richard Nixon, and Alan Rickman as Ronald Reagan.
Gabriel Basso stars as the titular FBI agent who, due to a misunderstanding during a terrorist attack, gets demoted to the Night Action desk, an emergency hotline for field agents. It’s a humdrum post — until, one night, the phone rings, and he teams up with a cybersecurity expert (Luciane Buchanan) to untangle an immense web of political conspiracies. The series begins with Kari Matchett playing President Michelle Travers and continues with Ward Horton as Richard Hagan leading the White House.
This screwball murder mystery takes place at the White House, the setting for the most disastrous (and deadly) state dinner in history. Uzo Aduba plays Cordelia Cupp, a wry investigator tasked with figuring out who killed White House Chief Usher A.B. Wynter (Giancarlo Esposito). Among the many potential murderers lurking around the mansion is President Perry Morgan, played by Paul Fitzgerald. Susan Kelechi Watson, Jason Lee, and Ken Marino play additional suspects.
Shonda Rhimes’s White House drama showcases Washington power players and the messes they leave in their wakes. At the center of the chaos is ruthless political fixer Olivia Pope (Kerry Washington) and her crisis management firm, who make problems disappear. The seven-season series begins with Fitzgerald Grant (Tony Goldwyn) as the commander-in-chief (he’s also in a complicated relationship with Olivia) and continues with Mellie Grant (Bellamy Young), the former first lady, who rises to become the country’s first woman president.
Winning 27 Emmy Awards over seven seasons, this political drama created by Aaron Sorkin (The Trial of the Chicago 7) depicts the high-stakes happenings at the White House. It follows the administration of President Josiah Bartlet (Martin Sheen) from his first year in office to the end of his second term. Rob Lowe, Dulé Hill, Allison Janney, Stockard Channing, and Bradley Whitford are also in the ensemble cast.
Robert De Niro stars in this limited series as a former US president who’s commissioned to identify the perpetrators of a monstrous cyberattack that killed thousands across the country. He’s appointed head of the Zero Day Commission by his successor, President Evelyn Mitchell, played by Angela Bassett. Lizzy Caplan, Jesse Plemons, Connie Britton, Dan Stevens, Matthew Modine, Clark Gregg, and Gaby Hoffmann round out the cast of this political thriller.
