Movies Like Thirteen Days

If you liked Thirteen Days (2000), a history and thriller movie directed by Roger Donaldson, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Fail Safe (2000)
★ 6.9/10Also thriller
Cold War tensions climb to a fever pitch when a U.S. bomber is accidentally ordered to drop a nuclear warhead on Moscow.
2
The Sum of All Fears (2002)
★ 6.4/10Also thriller
When the president of Russia suddenly dies, a man whose politics are virtually unknown succeeds him. The change in political leaders sparks paranoia among American CIA officials, so CIA director Bill Cabot recruits a…
3
The Courier (2020)
★ 7/10Also thriller and history
Cold War spy Greville Wynne and his Russian source try to put an end to the Cuban Missile Crisis.
4
JFK (1991)
★ 7.6/10Also thriller and history
Follows the investigation into the assassination of President John F. Kennedy led by New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison.
5
Seven Days in May (1964)
★ 7.4/10Also thriller
A U.S. Marine Corps colonel alerts the president of a planned military coup against him.
6
Topaz (1969)
★ 6/10Also thriller
Copenhagen, Denmark, 1962. When a high-ranking Soviet official decides to change sides, a French intelligence agent is caught up in a cold, silent and bloody spy war in which his own family will play a decisive role.
7
Fat Man and Little Boy (1989)
★ 6.2/10Also history
Assigned to oversee the development of the atomic bomb, Gen. Leslie Groves is a stern military man determined to have the project go according to plan. He selects J. Robert Oppenheimer as the key scientist on the…
8
Crimson Tide (1995)
★ 7.2/10Also thriller
After the Cold War, a breakaway Russian republic with nuclear warheads becomes a possible worldwide threat. U.S. submarine Capt. Frank Ramsey signs on a relatively green but highly recommended Lt. Cmdr. Ron Hunter to…
9
Clear and Present Danger (1994)
★ 6.6/10Also thriller
Agent Jack Ryan becomes acting Deputy Director of Intelligence for the CIA when Admiral Greer is diagnosed with cancer. When an American businessman, and friend of the president, is murdered on his yacht, Ryan starts…
10
The Right Stuff (1983)
★ 7.4/10Also history
At the dawn of the Space Race, seven test pilots set out to become the first American astronauts to enter space. However, the road to making history brings momentous challenges.
11
Chappaquiddick (2018)
★ 6.1/10Also history and thriller
Ted Kennedy's life and political career become derailed in the aftermath of a fatal car accident in 1969 that claims the life of a young campaign strategist, Mary Jo Kopechne.
12
To End All War: Oppenheimer & the Atomic Bomb (2023)
★ 7.7/10Also history
Explore how one man's relentless drive and invention of the atomic bomb changed the nature of war forever, led to the deaths of hundreds of thousands of people and unleashed mass hysteria.
13
K-19: The Widowmaker (2002)
★ 6.6/10Also history and thriller
When Russia's first nuclear submarine malfunctions on its maiden voyage, the crew must race to save the ship and prevent a nuclear disaster.
14
Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
★ 6/10Also thriller
After meeting with newly elected U.S. President Thaddeus Ross, Sam finds himself in the middle of an international incident. He must discover the reason behind a nefarious global plot before the true mastermind has the…
15
All the President's Men (1976)
★ 7.7/10Also thriller
During the 1972 elections, two reporters' investigation sheds light on the controversial Watergate scandal that compels President Nixon to resign from his post.
16
By Dawn's Early Light (1990)
★ 6.5/10Also thriller
A nuclear warhead launched by Soviet insurgents protesting the waning Cold War destroys the Ukrainian city of Donetsk. The destruction sets off a race between American and Soviet politicians to prevent a nuclear…
17
The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)
★ 6.4/10Also thriller
The true story of a disillusioned military contractor employee and his drug pusher childhood friend who became walk-in spies for the Soviet Union.
18
Worth (2021)
★ 6.7/10Also history
Kenneth Feinberg, a powerful D.C. lawyer appointed Special Master of the 9/11 Fund, fights off the cynicism, bureaucracy, and politics associated with administering government funds and, in doing so, discovers what…
19
The Hunt for Red October (1990)
★ 7.4/10Also thriller
A new technologically-superior Soviet nuclear sub, the Red October, is heading for the U.S. coast under the command of Captain Marko Ramius. The American government thinks Ramius is planning to attack. Lone CIA analyst…
20
Jack Ryan: Shadow Recruit (2014)
★ 6.1/10Also thriller
Jack Ryan, as a young covert CIA analyst, uncovers a Russian plot to crash the U.S. economy with a terrorist attack.