We’re your Atlanta Civic Circle summer interns, back to share some politically-themed film recommendations ranging from dystopias to documentaries to comedy to give you some perspective on our own polarized political moment – and a bit of a break this summer. You can find some previous suggestions for reads and watches that reveal how U.S. democracy works here.
A lot of our coverage aims to educate readers and inspire civic engagement and political decision-making. As college-aged people, we’ve also been feeling disheartened about the upcoming election and some of the cynical sentiment circulating on social media. Many people our age have shared that they don’t even plan to vote.
We are here to encourage everyone to believe that your vote does matter. Here are 10 films that will speak to your disillusionment and, hopefully, inspire you to show out at the polls in November.
DOCUMENTARIES:
This Place Rules
Looking to make sense of the events that led up to the Jan. 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot? This Place Rules offers an unflinching look at the divided political climate that fueled the insurrection by supporters of former President Donald Trump as a joint session of Congress convened to count Electoral College votes. Nevertheless, Congress certified President Joe Biden’s narrow victory over Trump. Journalist Andrew Callaghan ventures on an RV journey through America to bring a new level of reporting that is firsthand and genuine. Watching this documentary made us acutely aware of the ongoing extreme polarization in the American political system and the importance of political engagement.
Where to watch: HBO Max
The Insurrectionist Next Door
This 2023 documentary takes a tragi-comic approach to the Jan. 6 insurrection through the eyes of former Democratic House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s daughter, Alexandra Pelosi, who also directed and produced. Alexandra Pelosi interviews several of the Trump supporters who stormed the U.S. Capitol that day. Pelosi, who’d watched the Capitol riots unfold from inside the building, playfully banters with them, asking what drew them to D.C. and gauging their continued support for Trump after they were charged with crimes. In our ongoing polarized political environment, this story shows that it’s still possible to have honest conversations with those whose political opinions may radically differ from our own.
Where to watch: HBO Max and Amazon Prime
Rising Against Asian Hate: One Day In March
On March 16, 2021, a 21-year old man went on a mass shooting spree and killed eight women — six of Asian descent — at three spas in Atlanta. This documentary honors their lives by speaking with the victims’ families and chronicles how the Asian American community came together to fight back against the rise of anti-Asian hate following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Where to watch: PBS
COMEDIES:
Swing Vote
We’ve all heard the phrase “every vote matters.” Swing Vote is a 2008 comedy centered around the story of Bud Johnson, a politically apathetic single father in New Mexico who through a series of misadventures becomes the deciding vote in a highly contested U.S. presidential election. This movie’s message is that one individual can indeed impact an entire nation – although it never reveals who he voted for.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
Bulworth
Released in 1988, Bulworth is a satirical dark comedy following a disillusioned California senator, Jay Billington Bulworth (Warren Beatty) during a re-election campaign that takes a strange twist. Bulworth decides to start speaking his mind honestly after hiring an assassin to kill him, so a $10 million life insurance policy he’s taken out will go to his daughter. His unfiltered remarks on politics and race shock his campaign team, but people begin to resonate with him. Using humor to critique the superficial nature of political discourse, Bulworth is sure to be relatable to voters today.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
FICTIONAL DYSTOPIAS:
Don’t Look Up
This satirical disaster film depicts two astronomers who discover a comet on a collision course with earth and travel to Washington, D.C. to raise the alarm – only to be faced with denial from the president (Meryl Streep) and the general public over its existence. Don’t Look Up uses dark humor to critique media influence and political inaction — specifically in response to contemporary issues like climate change. While hyperbolic, this movie is an urgent and topical reminder of the harms of complacency.
Where to watch: Netflix
The Handmaid’s Tale
This TV series from Hulu, which premiered in 2017, is adapted from a dystopian novel by Canadian author Margaret Atwood published in 1985. Set in a near-future society called Gilead, a totalitarian regime strips women of their rights and autonomy. This chilling portrayal of the steady erosion of women’s rights serves to show us the fragility of democracy and the importance of individual freedoms.
Where to watch: Hulu, Disney+ and Amazon Prime
The Hunger Games
This series of dystopian science fiction films are based on the wildly popular young adult novel published in 2008 by Suzanne Collins – and several sequences were filmed in Atlanta. They follow teenage protagonist Katniss Everdeen, who lives in Panem, a North American country made up of a wealthy Capitol and districts in varying states of poverty. Everdeen is one of the children selected by lottery from 12 districts each year to compete in a compulsory televised death match called The Hunger Games. As she fights for survival, she becomes a symbol of resistance against the oppressive Capitol.
The films resonate with current societal tensions around the power and limitations of individual action and local grassroots movements for challenging unjust and powerful systems. The political apathy in each district underscores how crucial active engagement is as our next national election approaches.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
HISTORICAL DRAMAS:
Iron Jawed Angels
This 2004 film about the American women’s suffrage movement is based on the lives of Alice Paul and Lucy Burns — two radical young women who tirelessly fought for the right to vote during the 1910s. This film portrays their intense struggle against both the government and society in securing the 19th Amendment, which Congress ratified on Aug. 18, 1920. Their story is a powerful reminder of the importance of exercising this hard-won right.
Where to watch: HBO Max and Hulu
Milk
Milk is a 2008 biographical drama about gay rights activist Harvey Milk, who in 1977 was elected to the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, becoming the first openly gay person to win public office in California. Milk and San Francisco Mayor George Moscone were assassinated on Nov. 27, 1978 by embittered former supervisor Dan White, who was angry that the mayor was about to appoint someone else to the post he’d resigned from 17 days earlier. This movie portrays Milk’s relentless fight for equal rights and political representation for the LGBTQ+ community.
Where to watch: Amazon Prime
