Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "historical-mystery"

1. The Name of the Rose (2019)

TV-MA | 60 min | Drama, History, Mystery

In 1327, an enlightened friar and his young apprentice investigate a series of mysterious deaths at an abbey risking the wrath of a powerful Inquisitor. Television adaptation of Umberto Eco's novel 'The Name of the Rose'.

Stars: John Turturro, Rupert Everett, Damian Hardung, Fabrizio Bentivoglio

Votes: 4,472

2. Drain the Oceans (2018– )

TV-PG | 47 min | Documentary, History, Mystery

By scanning the locations at the bottom of the ocean where sunken ships, treasures and even cities lie, the show tries to answer what they look like, how they got there and if they hide any secrets.

Stars: Craig Sechler, James Delgado, Russell Boulter, Eric Grove

Votes: 725

3. A Month in the Country (1987)

PG | 96 min | Drama

Two soldiers (Colin Firth, Kenneth Branagh) recover from World War I while spending a summer in a Yorkshire village.

Director: Pat O'Connor | Stars: Colin Firth, Kenneth Branagh, John Atkinson, Jim Carter

Votes: 1,964 | Gross: $0.44M

4. Unearthed (I) (2016– )

Documentary, History, Mystery

Exploration of great archaeological discoveries, fascinating ancient civilizations, forgotten architectural marvels and tantalizing historical mysteries.

Stars: Steven Kearney, Richard Cotton, Demetri Goritsas, Aidan Dodson

Votes: 324

5. JFK: What the Doctors Saw (2023)

92 min | Documentary, History

Startling medical observations about JFK's wounds when seven doctors who were in the Parkland Hospital ER reunite to discuss a day none of them can forget.

Director: Barbara Shearer | Stars: Ronald C. Jones, Lawrence E. Klein, Joe D. Goldstrich, Kenneth Salyer

Votes: 566

6. The Tesla Files (2018– )

Documentary, History, Mystery

Researcher Marc Seifer, astrophysicist Travis Taylor and investigative journalist Jason Stapleton investigate the mysteries surrounding the life and work of Nikola Tesla, one of the most important and eccentric scientists in history.

Stars: James Thornton, Travis Taylor, Jason Stapleton, Marc Seifer

Votes: 458

7. Atlantis Rising (2017 TV Movie)

93 min | Documentary, Adventure, Mystery

Hollywood legend James Cameron and filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici go on an adventure to find the lost city of Atlantis by using Greek philosopher Plato as a virtual treasure map.

Director: Simcha Jacobovici | Stars: James Cameron, Georgeos Díaz-Montexano, Peter Ellul Vincenti, Richard Freund

Votes: 728

8. Tongtian Di Renjie (2017)

30 min | Action, Adventure, History

This drama follows Empress Wu Zetian, Emperor Gaozong and Di Renjie on his various exploits covering cases from the Buddhist Monastery to the events leading to the deposing of Empress Wang to plots to usurp the throne.

Stars: Jialun Ren, Qingzi Kan

9. Digging for the Truth (2005– )

60 min | Documentary, History, Mystery

Digging for the Truth is a History Channel's television series hosted for the first three seasons by Josh Bernstein, who explores various historical mysteries.

Stars: Josh Bernstein, Hunter Ellis, Zahi Hawass, Zay Harding

Votes: 247

10. Shakespeare: The Truth Behind the Name (2021)

99 min | Documentary

Literary history's greatest mystery? Who created the greatest works of iambic thunder in the English language, and who lived the courtly life that is written about in the works of Shakespeare. An uneducated tradesman from Stratford?

Director: Robin K. Phillips | Star: Robin K. Phillips

Votes: 39

11. Nothing Is Truer Than Truth (2018)

75 min | Documentary, Biography, History

NOTHING IS TRUER THAN TRUTH is a feature length documentary about Edward de Vere, Seventeenth Earl of Oxford, A-list party boy on the continental circuit, who spent a year and a half in ... See full summary »

Director: Cheryl Eagan-Donovan | Stars: Charles Bird, Michael Cecil, Alberto Toso Fei, Derek Jacobi

Votes: 126

12. The Méliès Mystery (2021 TV Movie)

58 min | Documentary, Biography

In 1923, facing bankruptcy, film pioneer Georges Méliès burned all the original negatives of his early masterpieces. Almost a century later, dozens of his negatives were discovered in the Library of Congress. How did he do his final trick?

Director: Eric Lange | Stars: Serge Bromberg, Costa-Gavras, Béatrice de Pastre, Michel Gondry

Votes: 370

13. Mystery Files (2010– )

30 min | Documentary, History, Mystery

Could any of the Romanov family have survived or escaped their prison in remotest Russia in 1917? This programme explores the latest science and newly-discovered documents behind one of history's greatest mysteries.

Stars: Struan Rodger, Gemma Deerfield, Tobias Capwell, William Huw

Votes: 174

14. Rob Riggle Global Investigator (2019– )

42 min | Documentary, Adventure, Comedy

Comedian Rob Riggle explores historical mysteries in this documentary adventure show.

Stars: Rob Riggle, Tony McMahon, Craig Hensley, T.D. Barnes

Votes: 172

15. The Art Mysteries (2020– )

29 min | Documentary, Biography, History

Art sleuth Waldemar Januszczak uncovers the secret meanings hidden within some of the greatest paintings by Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne and Seurat .

Star: Waldemar Januszczak

Votes: 48

16. BATU: Historical Detective

90 min | Crime, History, Mystery | Post-production

Genghis Khan's favorite grandson, Batu investigates the mystery of his father's death. Uncovering a conspiracy in his own family, he creates a powerful empire to administer justice against the culprits.

Director: Rashid Nugmanov | Stars: Sergei Bodrov, Rashid Nugmanov, Christopher Atwood, Marat Sembin

17. Secrets of the Virgin Queen (2010 TV Movie)

44 min | Documentary, History, Mystery

They called her the Virgin Queen, England's first Queen Elizabeth, a revered ruler in her own lifetime. Yet behind her fame lie many dark secrets, and an unsolved mystery. Why didn't the ... See full summary »

Director: Dean Love | Stars: George Bernard, Nicole Blackman, Paul Doherty, Susan Doran

Votes: 35

18. Agarathi (2019/1) (2023)

16 min | Short, Adventure

Three archaeologists search for a lost priest in Kanyakumari, leading to Kumari Kandam. Their exploration unravels Tamil's secrets in this thrilling adventure. 6 Awards and 1 Appreciation.

Director: B Venkatraman | Stars: Vinoth Arivalagan, Essaki Kishore, Reshma Sivakumar, B Venkatraman

19. What Happened? (1992– )

30 min | Documentary, History, Mystery

This show investigated man-made and natural disasters to see what really happened. The producers used computer simulation and film analysis to theorize high-profile events, e.g., JFK's ... See full summary »

Stars: Ron Roggé, Bill Lykins, Mik Scriba, Nicolas Read

Votes: 14

20. Treasure! (1998– )

Documentary, History, Mystery

The search for various historical lost treasures.

Stars: Stuart Nelson, Eugene Lyon, R. Duncan Mathewson III, Mel Fisher

21. In Search of Eric Bloodaxe (1981 TV Movie)

45 min | Documentary, Biography

The lost history of Eric Bloodaxe, the last king of Northumbria, is traced through written fragments and other historical evidence.

Director: Michael Woods | Star: Michael Wood

Votes: 12

22. Waiting for Grandpa... (2021)

Short, Mystery

Add a Plot

Director: Rachel Doman | Stars: Madison Mae, Isa Wnek

23. Criminal Profiler (2021)

36 min | Crime, Mystery

When a cooked corpse turns up in a sleepy town on the border of the Tang empire, the local magistrate employ the help of art forger Cheng Ren to decode the only clue left at the crime scene - a hellish painting holding an enormous secret.

Stars: Fufu Yuan, Hefan Chang, Hou Yao Yang, Yuan Ning Sun

24. The Face Behind the Mask (1938)

11 min | Short, History, Mystery

Dramatized short film that investigates three possibilities for the identity of France's "man in the iron mask," who was imprisoned for life by King Louis XIV, forced to wear an iron mask, and was buried in the mask upon his death.

Director: Jacques Tourneur | Stars: John Nesbitt, Carlos De Valdez, Jack Deery, Ivo Henderson

Votes: 202

25. Shakespeare's Tomb (2016 TV Special)

55 min | Documentary, History

Will the first- ever scientific investigation discover why the only inscription on the tombstone of William Shakspeare is a curse against any man who 'moves my bones'?

Director: Sophie Elwin-Harris | Stars: Amanda Bevan, Helen Castor, Kevin Colls, Jennifer Crangle

Votes: 6

26. Renegade (1992–1997)
Episode: The Ballad of D.B. Cooper (1995)

TV-14 | 44 min | Action, Adventure, Crime

Bobby and Reno go in search of D.B. Cooper, while another bounty hunter follows their trail.

Director: Gary Winter | Stars: Lorenzo Lamas, Kathleen Kinmont, Branscombe Richmond, Max Gail

Votes: 74

27. In Search of... (2018– )
Episode: The Lost Colony of Roanoke (2019)

Documentary

In 1587 a small group of English settlers arrived in Roanoke, North Carolina, only to mysteriously disappear shortly thereafter. Historians are baffled, but many experts believe the colony was swallowed up by the ocean.

Stars: Connie Bormans, Scott Dawson, Roberta Estes, Andy Gabriel-Powell

Votes: 28

28. Secrets of the Dead (2000– )
Episode: King Arthur's Lost Kingdom (2019)

TV-PG | Documentary, History, War

Uncover new archaeological evidence rewriting our understanding of the Dark Ages in 5th- and 6th-century Britain that might also explain the legend of King Arthur.

Director: Kenny Scott | Stars: Max Adams, Peter Donnelly, Maria Duggan, James Gossip

Votes: 75

29. Secrets of the Dead (2000– )
Episode: Abandoning the Titanic (2020)

TV-PG | 50 min | Documentary, History, War

Investigators search for the identity of the captain of a "mystery ship" that turned away from Titanic the night it sank in 1912.

Director: Gregory Hall | Stars: Tim Plewman, Marc Isaacs, Stephen W. Hines, Jean Legg

Votes: 53

30. Antiques Roadshow Detectives (2015– )
Episode: Episode 4 (2015)

Documentary

Paul Atterbury investigates the mystery that surrounds a painting of Tina Strobos.

Stars: Paul Atterbury, Fiona Bruce

31. Antiques Roadshow Detectives (2015– )
Episode: Episode 5

Documentary

A daughter discovers the truth about her father's working life at a glass factory.

Star: Fiona Bruce

32. Antiques Roadshow Detectives (2015– )
Episode: Episode 3 (2015)

Documentary

The team investigates trophies that record great British athletic achievements.

Star: Fiona Bruce

33. The UnXplained (2019– )
Episode: The Search for the Ark of the Covenant (2021)

TV-PG | 42 min | Documentary

Throughout history many have sought the lost Ark of the Covenant. According to the Old Testament. God himself instructed Moses to build the Ark--and it is believed that it held the power of... See full summary »

Stars: William Shatner, Stephen Andrew Missick, Barry Leff, Robert Mullins

Votes: 68

34. Time Team (1994– )
Episode: 1066: The Lost Battlefield (2013)

Not Rated | Documentary, History

The site of the Battle of Hastings is reputed to at an abbey built to commemorate the battle, yet historical and archaeological evidence fails to support this site. Time Team examines three potential alternatives.

Stars: Glenn Foard, Phil Harding, Tony Robinson, Sam Wilson

35. Lucy Worsley Investigates (2022– )
Episode: The Witch Hunts (2022)

History

What started Britain's century of bloody witch hunts? Lucy Worsley uncovers the story of one supposed witch, whose case lit the fuse for the state-sanctioned killing of thousands.

Director: Georgina Leslie | Stars: Lucy Worsley, Wendy Seager, Ryan Pirie, David Montgomery

Votes: 68

36. Digging for Britain (2010– )
Episode: Age of Bronze and Iron (2011)

TV-14 | Documentary

A team of archaeologists investigate the mysterious Cladh Hallan site in the Outer Hebrides in Scotland and discover skeletons that challenge previous notions about Bronze Age Britain.

Director: Emma Parkins | Stars: Alice Roberts, Alex Baldwin, Henry Chapman, Amanda Clarke

Votes: 8

37. D.B. Cooper: Where Are You?! (2022)
Episode: Take the Money and Jump (2022)

TV-14 | Documentary, Crime, History

A criminal known only by the alias D.B. Cooper becomes a modern day folk legend. Countless suspects emerge but some stand out more than others.

Director: Marina Zenovich | Stars: Eric Ulis, Bryan Burrough, Milt Ahlerich, Ron Carlson

Votes: 239

38. Nova (1974– )
Episode: Nazca Desert Mystery (2022)

TV-PG | 51 min | Documentary

Discoveries of long-hidden lines and figures etched into the Peruvian desert offer new clues to the origins and purpose behind the Nazca Lines.

Director: Daniela Volker | Stars: Mercer Boffey, Johny Isla, Candy Hurtado, Masato Sakai

Votes: 71

39. Time Team (1994– )
Episode: Secrets of the Saxon Gold: A Time Team Special (2012)

Not Rated | 47 min | Documentary, History

The Staffordshire Hoard is the largest hoard of Saxon gold ever discovered. Its origins remain shrouded in mystery, as does how it was abandoned in a field along Watling Street in the late 7th Century. Time Team investigates.

Director: Mel Morpeth | Stars: Tony Robinson, Sam Newton, Terry Herbert, Fred Johnson

Votes: 13

40. Time Team (1994– )
Episode: Top 3 Ongoing Mysteries

Not Rated | Documentary, History

Time Team explores an island where-local legend says-Jesus lived as a child; In Oxfordshire, a Medieval hospital yields 1000-year-old Saxon relics; and a stone wall near Durham which has baffled archaeologists for hundreds of years.

Stars: Tony Robinson, Mick Aston, Phil Harding, Jackie McKinley

41. Tutankhamun: Allies & Enemies (2022– )
Episode: Episode #1.1 (2022)

53 min | Documentary

Explore the mysteries and unanswered questions about the boy king's life.

Director: Hossam Abdoul-Magd | Stars: Aidan Dodson, Yasmin El Shazly, Fayza Haikal, Zahi Hawass

Votes: 10

42. Secret Nazi Bases (2019– )
Episode: Last Stand (2023)

42 min | Documentary

Why did the Nazis fight tooth and nail to protect the city of Luban? Abandoned factories, hidden tunnels, and strange rumours provide clues to the mystery.

Director: Daniel Oron | Stars: Rob Bell, Rohit Dalvi, Barbara Dickson, Mazyar Fallah

43. The Wars of the Roses (2002– )
Episode: One Perfect Rose

Not Rated | Documentary, History, War

King Edward IV consolidates power. His sudden death seemingly put 13-year-old Edward V on the throne, but Richard III intervenes, claiming the throne. Meanwhile, Henry Tudor plans to seize control himself.

Stars: Ian Dawson, Rosemary Horrox, Wendy Moorhen, John Watts

44. Secrets of the Dead (2000– )
Episode: The Princes in the Tower (2023)

TV-PG | Documentary, History, War

Find out if one of history's greatest cold cases-the imprisonment of two princes in the Tower of London-can finally be solved. Their disappearance led to centuries of mystery and speculation.

Director: Janice Sutherland | Stars: Tracy Borman, Henrike Lahnemann, Philippa Langley, Matt Lewis

Votes: 28

45. Secrets of the Dead (2000– )
Episode: Carthage's Lost Warriors (2014)

Not Rated | 56 min | Documentary, History, War

Did Iberian Celts reach Brazil 1500 years before Columbus by joining the fleet of refugees from defeated Carthage in search of a new home like Peruvian Andes, where a strange tribe of "white Indians" known as the Chachapoya later lived?

Director: Michael Gregor | Stars: Jay O. Sanders, Hans Giffhorn, Janice Jakait, Marcos Albuquerque

Votes: 40

46. The Missing Evidence (2014)
Episode: Jack the Ripper (2014)

TV-14 | 45 min | Documentary

During a three-month period in 1888, a knife-wielding serial killer murdered six women on the streets of Whitechapel. Their throats were cut and their bodies horribly mutilated. He was ... See full summary »

Directors: Martin Pupp, Sam Taplin | Stars: Steven Mackintosh, Andy Griffiths, Christer Holmgren, Arthur Ingram

Votes: 61

47. Secrets of the Dead (2000– )
Episode: Van Gogh's Ear (2016)

TV-PG | Documentary, History, War

Scientists investigate what happened on the night of Dec. 23, 1888, when in Arles, France Vincent van Gogh cut his ear off.

Stars: Nienke Bakker, Marieke Jooren, David Kessler, Teio Meedendorp

Votes: 31

48. BuzzFeed Unsolved: True Crime (2016–2021)
Episode: The Mysterious Death of the Boy in the Box (2017)

TV-MA | 16 min | Documentary, Comedy, Crime

Who killed America's Unknown Child?

Director: Ryan Bergara | Stars: Ryan Bergara, Shane Madej

Votes: 88

49. Fact or Fiction (2001–2004)
Episode: Braveheart (2001)

Documentary

Tony Robinson explores the mysterious origins and story of William Wallace, whose historical legacy is memorialized in the Hollywood blockbuster Braveheart.

Stars: Craig Mair, Tony Robinson, David Ross, Fiona Watson

Votes: 10

50. Fact or Fiction (2001–2004)
Episode: Robin Hood (2003)

Documentary

Tony Robinson delves into historical records to determine if the Robin Hood of legend, literature and film was based upon a real outlaw in Merrye Olde England.

Director: David Willcock | Stars: Nadia Cocklin, Tim Dow, Richard Greene, Kevin Hicks

Votes: 17