9 must-watch films that show how elections really work behind the scenes
From classic political satires to modern-day documentaries these films expose the inner-workings of electoral campaigns. Each movie offers unique insights into democracyʼs machinery from different eras and places
With the US presidential election coming up next year its time to dive into some eye-opening political films. These movies dont just entertain - they show us how campaigns and voting really work
The journey starts in 1940 with “The Great McGinty“ where Preston Sturges shows us a corrupt politicians rise: from fake-vote master to governor (a story that feels way too real today). Moving to 1949‚ Broderick Crawford plays the power-hungry Willie Stark in “All the Kings Men“ - a film thats both warning and mirror of modern populism
The ground-breaking 1960 documentary “Primary“ follows John F Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey with new hand-held cameras; creating an honest-to-goodness look at campaign life. Later in 72‚ Robert Redford stars in “The Candidate“ - showing how a well-meaning politician can lose his way
- “Election“ (1999) with Reese Witherspoon
- “Secret Ballot“ (2001) exploring democracy in Iran
- “No“ (2012) about Chiles fight against dictatorship
- “Weiner“ (2016) following a political self-destruction
- “Bobi Wine: The Peoples President“ (2023)
The latest film shows Bobi Wineʼs fight in Uganda - where the same leader has ruled since the mid-80s. Each movie gives us different views of democracy: from small-town elections to national campaigns (and they might help us deal with todays political stress)
