We get it. You’ve been seeing a lot of political ads and reading a lot of posts about the election. It’s exhausting, but it doesn’t seem right to look away entirely — especially once you’ve done your civic duty and just have to wait for those results to roll in. Soon enough, you won’t have any poll data to refresh, so you can tune back into your cozy fall watchlist.
In honor of midterm season, we’ve rounded up 11 of our favorite movies about elections to keep you busy between news alerts. Whether you’re in the mood to see some fictional politicians duke it out, watch pop culture savants skewer the pageantry and absurdity of the campaign trail or just want to turn on a romantic comedy that happens to unfold between debate prep and victory speeches, there’s a little something for everyone.
Election (1999)
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Who’s in it: Reese Witherspoon, Matthew Broderick
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Why you should watch: A high school teacher (Broderick) who has beef with a high-achieving student (Witherspoon) encourages a rival candidate to sabotage her campaign. It’s all very silly, but a great distraction from all the high-stakes issues at play in our grown-up midterm elections.
The Ides of March (2011)
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Who’s in it:Ryan Gosling, George Clooney
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Why you should watch: If you think the real-life midterm elections actually need more drama, this film packed with backstabbing and ethical dilemmas might be your speed. It follows an idealistic campaign manager (Gosling) for a presidential candidate (Clooney) who meets with the opposing campaign’s team behind his boss’s back while also getting entangled with a young intern.
Napoleon Dynamite (2004)
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Who’s in it:Jon Heder, Jon Gries
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Why you should watch: Light on politics and heavy on absurdity, this cult classic centers on a socially awkward high schooler (Heder) who befriends an immigrant named Pedro (the namesake of the once-viral “Vote for Pedro” T-shirt, of course). Antics involving his love interest and many quirky family members ensue.
Long Shot (2019)
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Who’s in it:Charlize Theron, Seth Rogen
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Why you should watch: In one of the more electric and original romantic comedies of our modern era, Rogen plays a speechwriter hired by a politician who used to be his babysitter (Theron). She runs for president in the end, and no spoilers, but this is probably the best hope-filled distraction from actual politics that I have to offer.
The War Room(1993)
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Director:Chris Hegedus, D. A. Pennebaker
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Who’s in it:Bill Clinton, James Carville, George Stephanopoulos
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Why you should watch: This documentary follows strategist James Carville and communications director George Stephanopoulos as they work to get Bill Clinton elected president amid scandals on all sides. When I watched this in my Political Science 101 class in college, my entire perception about elections changed — all the drama, spin and chaos of the political sphere is enticing and harrowing.
The Candidate(1972)
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Who’s in it:Robert Redford, Peter Boyle
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Why you should watch: A campaign manager (Boyle) recruits a leftist lawyer (Redford) to run for office against a beloved Republican senator, watering down his platform while increasing his popularity. The political machine has certainly changed in the last 50 years — but how much?
The Campaign (2012)
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Who’s in it:Will Ferrell, Zach Galifianakis
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Why you should watch: A long-time North Carolina congressman (Ferrell) faces unexpected competition in his campaign after a major public gaffe when an offbeat tour guide (Galifianakis) decides to challenge him. Goofy Southern accents and very 2010s jokes abound.
Bob Roberts (1992)
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Who’s in it:Tim Robbins, Giancarlo Esposito
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Why you should watch: A millionaire conservative politician (Robbins) stirs up an enthusiastic fan base in a Senate race by singing ’60s-style folk songs while an investigative journalist (Esposito) tries to figure him out. No spoilers, but the YouTube comments on the trailer suggest it’s shockingly relevant in 2026.
Red, White & Royal Blue (2023)
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Who’s in it:Taylor Zakhar Perez, Nicholas Galitzine, Uma Thurman
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Why you should watch: If you’re hoping for a timely distraction, look no further than the love story between the first son (Perez) and a British prince (Galitzine) who accidentally create international tension and have to feign a friendship to protect a presidential campaign.
Wag the Dog(1997)
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Who’s in it:Dustin Hoffman, Robert De Niro
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Why you should watch: A spin doctor (De Niro) and a Hollywood producer (Hoffman) are hired to fabricate a war to distract voters from a presidential sex scandal. Note that it came out just one month before the Clinton-Lewinsky affair news broke.
Eddington (2025)
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Genre: Satirical neo-Western thriller
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Who’s in it:Joaquin Phoenix, Pedro Pascal, Emma Stone
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Why you should watch: The film, which satirizes the tense-but-wacky political upheaval of 2020, follows a New Mexico town in chaos as mask mandates and racial tension bring out the worst in people amid a mayoral election. A lot of people thought 2025 was perhaps a little too soon to be poking fun at the COVID lockdown era, and maybe they’re right, but with every passing year it feels more poignant.
