In 2006, Mel Gibson directed another film about the Mayans that may have caused some controversy at the time. In Apocalypto, the Mayan kingdom faces its decline, and a young man is taken on a perilous journey to a world ruled by fear and oppression. Filmmaking aims to show audiences something different and authentically capture the period to immerse them in that world. Each of the movies below follows through and transports audiences to a different time entirely. If you like Apocalypto, then you’ll find use from my list.
10,000 BC (2008)
In all fairness, the late 2000s were filled with some random pre-historic films and disaster movies that went right into the lore of 2012. In the prehistoric past, D’Leh is a mammoth hunter who bonds with the beautiful Evolet. When warriors on horseback capture Evolet and the tribesmen, D’Leh must embark on an odyssey to save his true love.
The Revenant (2015)
This is the movie that got Leonardo DiCaprio his Oscar with Alejandro G. Iñárritu. A frontiersman on a fur trading expedition in the 1820s fights for survival after being mauled by a bear and left for dead by members of his own hunting team.
Gladiator (2000)
“Are you not entertained?” Russell Crowe gives an incredible performance in the Colosseum in this historical epic by Ridley Scott, Gladiator. In it, a former Roman General sets out to exact vengeance against the corrupt emperor who murdered his family and sent him into slavery.
The Book of Eli (2010)
In this post-apocalyptic tale, a lone man fights his way across America to protect a sacred book that holds the secrets to saving humankind. Denzel Washington, Mila Kunis and Gary Oldman round out the cast.
Braveheart (1995)
Mel Gibson double-dipped with this Scottish historical drama, which he directed and starred in as the lead character. Scottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward 1 of England. It still has one of the best pre-battle speeches in film history.
The New World (2005)
If you are a fan of Terrence Malick, you will appreciate his work in The New World with Colin Farrell, Q’orianka Kilcher, Christopher Plummer, and Christian Bale starring in the film. The story of Virginia’s English exploration and the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.
Ben-Hur (1959)
This is one of the most incredible historical adventure films with a thrilling chariot race, directed by William Wyler and starring Charlton Heston. After a Jewish prince is betrayed and sent into slavery by a Roman friend in 1st-century Jerusalem, he regains his freedom and returns for revenge.
Dances with Wolves (1990)
In this Western epic directed by Kevin Costner, Lieutenant John Dunbar (Costner), assigned to a remote western Civil War outpost, engages with a neighboring Sioux settlement, causing him to question his own purpose.
Kingdom of Heaven (2005)
Another action film by Ridley Scott features Orlando Bloom, Eva Green, and Liam Neeson in the Crusades of the 12th century. Balian of Ibelin travels to Jerusalem during this time and becomes the defender of the city and its people.
Troy (2004)
This film took the world by surprise because of the actors starring. Brad Pitt, Orlando Bloom, and Eric Bana play Achilles, Paris, and Hector in this sweeping epic. An adaptation of Homer’s great epic, the film follows the assault on Troy by the united Greek forces and chronicles the fates of the men involved.
That completes my list. If you have any other suggestions for movies like Apocalypto, comment below.
