Movies Like Hua Tuo and Cao Cao

If you liked Hua Tuo and Cao Cao (1983), a history movie directed by Huang Zumo, 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
Red Cliff II (2009)
★ 7.3/10Also history
The battle of Red Cliff continues and the alliance between Xu and East Wu is fracturing. With Cao Cao's massive forces on their doorstep, will the kingdoms of Xu and East Wu survive?
2
Mayerling (1968)
★ 6.2/10Also history
Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria clashes with his father, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, over implementing progressive policies for their country. Rudolf soon feels he is a man born at the wrong time in a country…
3
The Current War (2018)
★ 6.7/10Also history
Electricity titans Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse compete to create a sustainable system and market it to the American people.
4
Panther (1995)
★ 6.3/10Also history
In this sprawling, fictionalized history of the Black Panthers, 1960s Oakland becomes a war zone as the Panthers battle for the right to exist.
5
Mr. Turner (2014)
★ 6.6/10Also history
Eccentric British painter J.M.W. Turner lives his last 25 years with gusto and secretly becomes involved with a seaside landlady, while his faithful housekeeper bears an unrequited love for him.
6
Original Sin (2001)
★ 6.2/10Also history
A young man is plunged into a life of subterfuge, deceit and mistaken identity in pursuit of a femme fatale whose heart is never quite within his grasp.
7
Goltzius & the Pelican Company (2012)
★ 6.1/10Also history
Goltzius and the Pelican Company tells the story of Hendrik Goltzius, a late 16th century Dutch printer and engraver of erotic prints. A contemporary of Rembrandt and, indeed, more celebrated during his life, Goltzius…
8
The Lychee Road (2025)
★ 7.1/10Also history
A Tang Dynasty minor official risks everything to deliver lychees across China. Li Shande, middle-aged and struggling, sees this dangerous mission as his last chance for success.
9
The Lost Bladesman (2011)
★ 6.3/10Also history
During the warring period of the three kingdoms, ancient China is in turmoil. To unify the country, general Cao Cao, the real power behind the Emperor, enlists the aid of the greatest warrior in the land, Guan Yu…
10
Dalíland (2022)
★ 5.9/10Also history
In 1973, a young gallery assistant goes on a wild adventure behind the scenes as he helps aging genius Salvador Dali prepare for a big show in New York.
11
End of the Spear (2005)
★ 6.3/10Also history
"End of the Spear" is the story of Mincayani, a Waodani tribesman from the jungles of Ecuador. When five young missionaries, among them Jim Elliot and Nate Saint, are speared to death by the Waodani in 1956, a series…
12
Confucius (2010)
★ 6/10Also history
In 500 B.C., during Chinas famed 'Spring and Autumn Period', Kong Ze (Confucius), a commoner reverred for his outstanding wisdom, is made Minister of Law in the ancient Kingdom of Lu. Under his inspired leadership, Lu…
13
Outlaws - For Greater Glory (2012)
★ 7/10Also history
A chronicle of the Cristeros War (1926-1929), which was touched off by a rebellion against the Mexican government's attempt to secularize the country.
14
Dragon Blade (2015)
★ 6.4/10Also history
Huo An, the commander of the Protection Squad of the Western Regions, was framed by evil forces and becomes enslaved. On the other hand, a Roman general escapes to China after rescuing the Prince. The heroic duo meet…
15
Munich - The Edge of War (2021)
★ 6.9/10Also history
At the tense 1938 Munich Conference, former friends who now work for opposing governments become reluctant spies racing to expose a Nazi secret.
16
Legends of the Condor Heroes: The Gallants (2025)
★ 7.1/10Also history
Under Genghis Khan, the Mongolian army pushes west to destroy the Jin Dynasty, setting its sights on the Song Dynasty next. Amid internal conflicts among martial arts schools, Guo Jing unites the Central Plains'…
17
Red Sorghum (1988)
★ 7.4/10Also history
An old leper who owned a remote sorghum winery dies. Jiu'er, the wife bought by the leper, and her lover, identified only as "my Grandpa" by the narrator, take over the winery and set up an idealized quasi-matriarchal…
18
The Secrets We Keep (2020)
★ 6/10Also history
In post-World War II America, a woman, rebuilding her life in the suburbs with her husband, kidnaps her neighbor and seeks vengeance for the heinous war crimes she believes he committed against her.
19
The Invisible Woman (2013)
★ 5.9/10Also history
In 1857, at the height of his fame and fortune, novelist and social critic Charles Dickens meets and falls in love with teenage stage actress Nelly Ternan. As she becomes the focus of his heart and mind, as well as his…
20
Belfast (2021)
★ 7/10Also history
Buddy is a young boy on the cusp of adolescence, whose life is filled with familial love, childhood hijinks, and a blossoming romance. Yet, with his beloved hometown caught up in increasing turmoil, his family faces a…