HBO Max features one of the finest selections of movies on streaming today, and their period drama collection is unmatched. Period dramas come in a lot of shapes and sizes, but they are most known for their sweeping emotion, historical context, and elaborate costuming. Whether realistic or not, they aim to take viewers back to another time and place.
Many period dramas are adapted from literature, especially the works of the masters of the 19th century writing scene. They often feature romance plots with a heavy emphasis on the chivalry and manners of their respective time periods. When done well, period dramas can be more tense and exciting than any blockbuster set in the modern day.
While there is certainly an emphasis on tradition, some filmmakers have used the period drama as a platform to make incisive commentary about the present. Anachronisms are a common trope, and some of the best period drama movies influenced popular shows like Bridgerton. HBO Max’s catalog features a little bit of everything, and these are the choicest picks.
10
Marie Antoinette (2006)
Sophia Coppola’s Marie Antoinette was the poster child for anachronistic historical dramas, though many critics didn’t get it. It chronicles the rise and eventual fall of the title character, but it plays fast and loose with nearly every historical detail. The film intentionally confronts its time period by juxtaposing it with modern details, all in service of the story’s themes.
The costumes and visuals are superb, and it has a surprising sense of humor. Marie Antoinette doesn’t outright demonize its main character, but instead uses her as an example of the myriad of expectations put on women. It’s become a cult classic since its debut, and is worth a watch for anyone tired of the same old thing.
9
A Room With A View (1985)
E.M. Forster’s novels are some of the finest from the era, and the adaptation of A Room with a View captures the author’s essence. A young English woman meets a rebellious young man while touring Italy, and must decide between a comfortable life or passionate love. Helena Bonham Carter and Maggie Smith help make it a bona fide period drama.
The costuming of A Room with a View emphasizes realism, and the film aims to accurately replicate the subtle romance of the novel. It’s not a sweeping bodice-ripper, but an intriguing tale of societal pressure and the flippant desires of the young heart. Like most great period dramas, A Room with a View poses challenging questions about life today.
8
Two English Girls (1971)
One of François Truffaut’s lesser-known films, Two English Girls is also an underrated period drama. The story concerns an artistic Frenchman who falls in love with a pair of English sisters, and has a series of affairs with both. Despite being less restrained than the typical English period drama, Two English Girls is no less idyllic.
The filmmaker pours his passions into the film, and it has a deeper message about living in the moment. Two English Girls has the innate sensuality found in most Truffaut films, but there’s a maturity befitting a story set in the early 20th century. It combines an art house sensibility with the raw emotion of a period romance.
7
Picnic At Hanging Rock (1975)
With touches of gothic horror added in, Picnic at Hanging Rock is one of the strangest period dramas ever made. In early 1900s Australia, students at an all-girls boarding school go missing after their strict headmistress allows them a day in the country. Through dreamlike visuals, the film weaves a narrative about colonialism and the repression of women.
Picnic at Hanging Rock is rife with symbolism, so the film is much less literal than many of its period drama contemporaries. It’s almost mesmerizing with its slow pace and flowing cinematography, and it creates a creepy atmosphere. It’s the perfect period flick for adventurous moviegoers who like to have their perceptions challenged.
6
Wuthering Heights (1939)
Emerald Fennell’s divisive adaptation is far from the first movie version of Wuthering Heights, and the 1939 take is a true classic. The 19th century English tale concerns Cathy, a woman who falls for Heathcliff, but is wooed away by Edgar. With Lawrence Olivier in the role of Heathcliff, the 1939 version is a masterclass in screen acting.
One thing the adaptation does well is capture the bleakness of its title location. Nevertheless, it still has the opulent look of Old Hollywood cinema. It snagged the Best Cinematography Oscar, and it’s perhaps the best-looking version of Wuthering Heights to date. It’s a strong introduction to the book, though it does make a few notable changes.
5
Great Expectations (1946)
Charles Dickens’ portraits of Victorian-era England are both bleak and whimsical, and Great Expectations is arguably his greatest work. David Lean’s 1946 adaptation boils down the story of an orphan named Pip, who becomes the benefactor of a huge fortune. Lean brilliantly picks out the story’s emotional heart, emphasizing the most important bits.
Great Expectations‘ visuals alternate between opulent and creepy, showcasing the same juxtapositions that Dickens drew in his books. It’s unique among excellent period dramas because it has the costumes and manners, but also a deeper message about persistence. All the characters are brutalized by the realities of their time period, so it isn’t a rosy look at the Victorian era.
4
The Earrings Of Madame De…(1953)
Hearkening back to the 19th century literature of authors like De Maupassant, The Earrings of Madame de… is an aristocratic scandal story. An unnamed wealthy woman must pawn her earrings, and the jewelry passes through the lives of several other people. The foibles of the upper classes are laid bare, which makes for juicy period drama.
Max Ophüls masterpiece is decidedly more cynical than most period dramas. It doesn’t glorify the past, and actually pokes holes in the perception of modesty in older eras. However, The Earrings of Madame de… is still a quintessential period drama thanks to its beautiful costumes and sets.
3
Cries And Whispers (1972)
It would be too simple to just describe Ingmar Bergman’s Cries and Whispers as a period drama. It concerns a trio of sisters who reunite as one of them slowly dies of cancer. The reunion forces them to reflect on the darkness of their individual pasts. Though it’s one of Ingmar Bergman’s best movies, it’s also his most bitter.
The fact that the story takes place in the 19th century is somewhat irrelevant to the plot, though it does allow for some exquisite production design choices. It’s slow-moving and tense, and wholly unflinching in its representation of grief and loss. Unlike the other great period dramas on HBO Max, there isn’t an ounce of romance in Cries and Whispers.
2
Gone With The Wind (1939)
Gone with the Wind is a problematic classic, but it’s still an important triumph in the history of cinema. During the American Civil War, a headstrong woman survives the trials and tribulations of the day. Noted for its grand scale and epic production, Gone with the Wind was one of the biggest movies of Hollywood’s Golden Age.
As a period drama, it has everything that audiences look for. It has a charming romance plot, beautiful costumes, and an idealized view of the past. Unfortunately, that’s where the film runs afoul of modern sensibilities because of its effusive praise for the Antebellum South. If one can look past its glaring flaws, Gone with the Wind has many merits.
1
Portrait Of A Lady On Fire (2019)
Period dramas have evolved, and Portrait of a Lady on Fire reflects those changes. In 18th century France, a painter named Marianne is hired to do a portrait of a reluctant young bride. The two eventually embark on a passionate secret affair. Shifting the gaze from the masculine to the feminine, the romance is tinged with bittersweet pain.
While checking the boxes of a conventional period drama, Portrait of a Lady on Fire delivers a unique perspective on romance. Underneath all the passion is a story about women yearning to be free, a familiar trope that is rarely so well executed. It’s the best period drama on HBO Max, and perhaps the best period drama in recent memory as well.