Wolfgang Petersen’s epic war film, Troy, was widely praised for its depiction of the Trojan War and Greek mythology that captured our imaginations. So, if you enjoyed Troy and are looking for similar movies that resemble this 2004 Box Office hit, we’ve got you covered.
Troy is loosely based on Homer’s epic poem, Iliad, a fundamental literary work in the long tale of Ancient Greece. It stars Brad Pitt as Achilles, Eric Bana as Hector, Orlando Bloom as Paris, Diane Kruger as Helen, Brian Cox as Agamemnon, and Sean Bean as Odysseus.
The plot follows the great warrior, Achilles, who fights for King Agamemnon of Mycenae and has used his fabled invincibility to secure a loose alliance between all of Greek’s Kingdoms.
One of these Kingdoms, Troy, is negotiating a peace agreement, with princes Hector and Paris engaged in negotiations with Menelaus, King of Sparta. However, despite reaching an agreement to settle, it falls through after it’s discovered that Paris is having an affair with Menelaus’ wife, Helen, who has sailed back to Troy with Paris and Hector.
Menelaus’ outrage creates cause for war for his brother, Agamemnon, who has always wanted to seize power in Troy. Still, it could not mount a serious challenge to the city’s impenetrable defenses.
Achilles is torn between joining the forces and going to Troy or staying at home. He knows if he goes to Troy, he will die. But he will also write his name into history and win everlasting glory. His choice will create a ripple effect that would define the fate of both Troy and all of Greece for centuries to come…
While Troy got a mixed reception from critics, it was a hit at the Box Office, making $133.4 million in the US and Canada and $364 million in other territories, a worldwide total of $497.4 million. However, this was to be expected, considering Troy was one of the most expensive movies of all time, costing Warner Bros. $175 million to make. It received an Academy Award nomination for Best Achievement in Costume Design, and Brad Pitt won a Teen Choice Award For Best Actor in Drama/Action Adventure.
So if you enjoyed Troy, here are eight movies you can watch that are like Troy:
1. The Trojan Women
This 1971 drama has the same backstory as Troy, depicting the suffering of the Trojan Wars, specifically that of the women in its aftermath.
Based on Euripides’ original play, director Michael Cacoyannis tells us the story of Hecuba (played by Katharine Hepburn), Hector’s mother and the Queen of Troy, Hector’s wife, Andromache (Vanessa Redgrave), Hecuba’s daughter, Cassandra (Genevieve Bujold) and Helen of Troy (Irene Papas)
The Trojan Women and Troy don’t follow the same storyline, given that they were made 43 years apart from one another, are in the wrong order, and only loosely follow the storylines of the distinct works of Greek mythology they’re based on. Still, the story told from the women’s perspectives makes for an interesting watch, even though the 1971 classic’s production value pales in comparison to the big-budget “prequel”.
Katharine Hepburn and Irene Papas won the awards for Best Actress at the Kansas City Film Critics Circle Awards and the National Board of Review, respectively.
2. 300
If you loved all of the fantastic battles in Troy and the Ancient Greek setting, director Zack Snyder brought us the perfect movie to pair with it just two years later in 200, with the historical fantasy 300.
300 is based on Frank Miller’s 1998 comic book by the same name that retells a battle between 300 Spartan warriors, led by King Leonidas, and God-King Xerxes’ (Rodrigo Santoro) invading army of more than 300,000 Persian soldiers. It also follows Leonidas’ wife, Queen Gorgo (Lena Headey), on her quest to mobilize the rest of Sparta to follow her husband to war.
While 300 is a retelling of The Battle of Thermopylae and the true story of King Leonidas’ inspiring fight against an unstoppable foe, it certainly takes a lot of creative license by introducing several fantastical creatures. However, even if it may not be as realistic as Troy, it’s a similar tale about great warriors on the frontline of legendary wars within the Ancient Greek setting.
At the cost of between $60 and $65 million, 300 was a success at the Box Office, pulling in $456.1million ($70.9 million on its opening weekend – a record at the time). Snyder received the Award for Best Director, and 300 was also awarded Best Action/Adventure/Thriller at the 2008 Saturn Awards.
3. Alexander
Oliver Stone’s epic historical drama, Alexander, is the film adaptation of the book Alexander the Great by Robin Lane Fox and tells the story of Alexander the Great (Colin Farrell), King of Ancient Macedonia.
Also made in 2004, Alexander involves all of the same drama surrounding loyalty, legacy, politics, and, of course, war. Alexander, a young prince, rises to the throne after the assassination of his father, King Philip (Val Kilmer). He has to tolerate his manipulative mother, Queen Olympias (Angela Jolie), and her sinister plots to consolidate his power while playing politics and carrying out his quest to rule the entire known world.
With the help of his most loyal and trustworthy advisors, Hephastion (Jared Leto) and Cassander (Jonathan Rhys Meyers), Alexander’s eight-year campaign across Asia is brought to life in a production that did was not well received by critics and audiences alike.
It has been criticized for its historical inaccuracies and earned just $167.3 million at the Box Office on a budget of $155 million and was nominated for all of the wrong awards, including Worst Picture, Worst Actor (Colin Farrell), Worst Actress (Angelina Jolie) and Worst Director (Oliver Stone), Worst Supporting Actor (Val Kilmer) and Worst Screenplay at the Golden Raspberry Awards, the most nominations of any film in 2005.
However, the film has undergone multiple changes since, including a Director’s Cut released by Stone in 2005, where the film was shortened from 175 minutes long to 167 after Stone removed 17 minutes and added nine to the original movie. In 2007, The Final Unrated Cut was released, which has a runtime of 214 minutes.
The fourth cut with a runtime of 206 minutes was also released in 2014. The re-edited films were far better received and would probably make for far better viewing if you want to see something of quality comparable to Troy.
4. Gladiator
While Gladiator is not based in Ancient Greece, but rather in Ancient Rome, the themes and settings are very similar, and it’s just so good that it could not be left off of this list.
Ridley Scott’s 2000 historical drama, Gladiator, takes us back to the year 180, where Spanish Roman General, Maximus Decimus Meridius (Russell Crowe), is returning from a campaign against Germanic tribes. He intends to return to his family in Hispania after his years of service to the Roman Army.
However, Emperor Marcus Aurelius (Richard Harris) tells Maximus that he intends to name him as his successor instead of his son, Commodus (Joaquin Phoenix), who he believes is unfit to rule. Commodus doesn’t accept the decision, kills his father, and proclaims himself emperor. However, when Maximus refuses to swear loyalty to Commodus, he is sentenced to death.
Commodus also torments his sister, Lucilla (Connie Nielsen), who is also Maximus’ former lover, and he relies on her proclivity towards politics to maintain his power. With her help, he decides to reopen the Colosseum to please the people that have not accepted him as their new Emperor.
Maximus escapes his execution and is enslaved before being sold to Proximo (Oliver Reed), who forces him to fight in fighting arenas as a Gladiator, a role in which Maximus thrives. Along with his newfound friends, the Numidian, Juba (Djimon Hounsou), and the German, Hagen (Ralf Moeller), Maximus works his way up through the ranks to earn himself a place at the Colosseum where he would be able to fight in front of the new Emperor.
Gladiator was a remarkably successful film earning critical appraisals across the board. It made $460.5 million at the Box Office off of a budget of $103 million. It was nominated for 119 awards in 36 separate ceremonies, winning 48 of them, including, most notably Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Actor in a Leading Role (Russel Crowe), Best Costume Design, Best Sound, and Best Effects, Visual Effects.
Scott was also nominated for Best Director, Phoenix was nominated for Best Actor in a Supporting Role, and Gladiator also received nominations for Best Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Music, Original Score, and Best Art Direction-Set Decoration.
5. Ulysses
Like Troy, Ulysses is the retelling of one of Homer’s epic poems, in this case, Odyssey. Made in 1954, the movie is about Ulysses, King of Ithaca, and his journey home, returning from a decade of war.
Starring Silvana Mangano as Circe/Penelope, Kirk Douglas as Ulysses, and Anthony Quinn as Antinooos, Ulysses’ storyline follows the end of the Trojan Wars and could also be considered something like a “sequel” to Troy.
After Ulysses fails to return after the Trojan Wars, Penelope is subjected to advances from several suitors. She agrees under pressure to marry one of her suitors after completing her tapestry, which will depict Ulysses’ brave deeds. However, she clings to the belief that he husband will return.
Back in Troy, Ulysses and his warriors conquer the city through their use of the Trojan Horse. Still, when he destroys the Trojan temple to the god of the sea, Neptune, Ulysses is subjected to the wrath of Cassandra, a witch who curses him to suffer Neptune’s wrath. Ulysses’ return home is disrupted when his boat is shipwrecked on a Phaeacian island, and so the odyssey begins…
Ulysses cost approximately $800,000 to make but only made around $500,000 at the Box Office.
6. Braveheart
Mel Gibson’s 1995 retelling of the story of William Wallace in the First Scottish War of Independence against King Edward “Longshanks” I of England also falls into the epic historical fiction, touching on the same themes surrounding war, tyranny, and glory that we find in Troy.
Directed by and starring Mel Gibson as William Wallace, Braveheart depicts the life of William Wallace and his fight for freedom against the English, who invaded and conquered Scotland when King Alexander III dies and leaves the Scottish throne vacant. After marrying his wife, Murron MacClannough (Catherine McCormack) in secret, rather than share her with English Lords entitled by Longshanks (Patrick McGoohan) to bed newly married brides on their wedding nights.
Later, after Wallace saves his new wife from being sexually assaulted by English soldiers, Murron is publicly executed, invoking Wallace’s vengeance, which incites a rebellion among his brothers, Argyle (Brian Cox), Malcolm (Sean Lawlor), John (Sandy Nelson), his close friend, Hamish (Brendan Gleeson) and the Scottish nobility such as heir-apparent to the Scottish throne, Robert the Bruce (Angus Macfadyen). It also follows the story of Princess Isabella of France (Sophie Marceau), who has to navigate the challenges of marryingLongshanks’ son, Prince Edward.
Wallace’s rebellion gathers momentum, and he writes his name into history through some remarkable underdog victories in various battles that resemble the action that we enjoyed so much in Troy.
Braveheart cost between $65 and $70 million to make and brought in $213.2 million in the Box Office. It was also a hit among critics, winning five Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, Best Cinematography, Best Effects, Sound Effects Editing, and Best Make-up, along with five other nations at the prestigious awards ceremony in 1996.
7. The Last Samurai
Tom Cruise stars in this 2003 epic historical action drama, based in the Meiji Restoration in 19th Century Japan. With similar battle scenes to Troy (except with muskets), The Last Samurai gives us a Far-Eastern twist on the themes of honor, glory, war, and politics.
Set in 1876, retired Army Captain Nathan Algren, a veteran of the American Indian Wars, accepts an offer from Colonel Bagley (Tony Goldwyn) to train the Imperial Japanese Army in modern warfare. The army is being modernized to prevent a rebellion from samurai warriors who disagree with the new Emperor.
After being ambushed by samurai warriors, Algren is captured and imprisoned before striking up an unlikely friendship with Lord Moritsgu Katsumoto (Ken Watanabe), a former daimyo who was once Emperor Meiji’s most trusted teacher, who reveals exactly why he’s grown discontented with the Western reformation in Japan.
The Last Samurai made $456.8 million at the Box Office, a good return on a budget of $140 million. It was also nominated for four Academy Awards (Best Actor in a Supporting Role, Best Art Direction-Set Decoration, Best Costume Design, and Best Sound Mixing) and three Golden Globes ( Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture – Drama, Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture, and Best Original Score – Motion Picture).
8. Kingdom of Heaven
Orlando Bloom is the star of this epic historical action film, directed by Ridley Scott and released in 2005.
It tells the story of blacksmith Belian de Ibelin (Bloom) and his trip to Jerusalem during the Crusades in the 12th Century, where the Kingdom is mobilizing to defend itself against Saladin, the Ayyubid Muslim Sultan that aims to reclaim the city from its Christian occupiers.
Following a battle between Belian his father, Godfrey (Liam Neeson), and the Templar Knight, Guy de Lusignan (Marton Csokas) – a potential successor to Jerusalem’s throne – Godfrey, who is dying from an arrow wound, knights his son and charges him to serve the King of Jerusalem and protect the helpless. When Belian enters the political arena, he meets King Baldwin IV (Edward Norton), Tiberias (Jeremy Irons), and Princess Sibylla (Eva Green). As Guy attempts to break the truce between Muslims and Christians, Belian does everything in his power to avoid the inevitable war and suffering.
On a budget of $130 million, Kingdom of Heaven grossed an impressive $218.1 million at the Box Office and was nominated for 15 awards, winning five of them.
9. Lord of The Rings
Peter Jackson’s film adaptation of JRR Tolkien’s epic fantasy trilogy The Lord of the Rings, Fellowship of the Ring (2001), The Two Towers (2002), and The Return of the King(2003) may venture a bit further into the Fantasy genre than Troy. Still, the battle scenes, the tale of conquest, and the epic plotline closely resemble Troy.
And, as far as quality goes, 17 Academy Awards between the three films (four for The Fellowship of the Ring, two for The Two Towers, and 11 for The Return of the King) is testament to how well made the trilogy is, from the sets to the acting, to the screenplay, special effects, soundtracks and just about everything in between.
On a budget of $981 million for all three films (which were shot simultaneously), the Lord of the Rings trilogy earned more than $1.8 billion in the Box Offices in the United States and about $5.8 billion worldwide.
Starring Elijah Wood, Sam Astin, Ian McKellen, Viggo Mortensen, Orlando Bloom, and Sean Bean, Lord of the Rings follows several characters from a fantastical region known as Middle Earth. Following the destruction of the dark lord Sauron thousands of years ago, Frodo Baggins (Wood) and his gang of Hobbits set out on a path towards Mordor in their quest to destroy the one ring to rule them all and put an end to the shadow of darkness that is beginning to consume all of Middle Earth.
10. Spartacus
Directed by the legendary Stanley Kubrick, Spartacus (1960) is the story of a slave’s violent revolt against the Roman Republic. Starring Kirk Douglas as Spartacus, Laurence Olivier as Crassus, and Jean Simmons as Varinia, the movie is based on Howard Fast’s book by the same name.
The battle scenes, the drama, the references to Roman-Greco polytheistic culture and mythology resembles that which makes Troy feel like a truly authentic story and, despite far lower production value, in terms of special effects, for example, Spartacus transcends the limits of its time to produce an epic storyline that fans of Troy will revere.
On a budget of $12 million, Spartacus made $60 million at the Box Office and won four Academy Awards, also earning nominations for another two.
11. Clash of the Titans
Directed by Louis Leterrier, Clash of the Titans (2010) stars Sam Worthington, Liam Neeson, and Ralph Fiennes. It tells the story of Perseus (Worthington), a demigod and son of Zeus (Neeson), who sets out on a conquest to battle the creatures of the underworld, led by Hades (Fiennes), to stop them from ruling the heavens and earth above.
The movie won four major awards, being nominated for a total of 14 at various film festivals. On a budget of $125 million, it made $493.2 million at the Box Office.
12. Immortals
Tarsem Singh’s Immortals (2011) also dives into Greek Mythology in a critically acclaimed film starring Henry Cavill, Stephen Dorff, Luke Evans, John Hurt, Isabel Lucas, Kellan Lutz, Freida Pinto, Joseph Morgan, Daniel Sharman, and Mickey Rourke.
It tells the story of Theseus (Cavill), a mortal man chosen by Zeus (Evans) to take on King Hyperion (Rourke) and save Greece from his destructive rampage.
The movie did not win any major awards and received mixed reviews, making $226.9 million at the Box Office off of its $75 million budget.
13. The Last of the Mohicans
This 1992 classic, directed by Michael Mann, based on the novels by the same name, written by James Fenimore Cooper and Philip Dunne’s rendition, The Last of the Mohicansstars Daniel Day-Lewis as Hawkeye/Nathaniel Poe, the white adopted son of the Mohican, Chingachgook (Russell Means). The two, and Hawkeye’s adopted brother to Uncas (Eric Schweig), protect the daughters of a British Colonel amid the French and Indian War, Cora (Madeleine Stowe) and Alice (Johdi May) Munro.
The movie received largely positive reviews and won the Academy Award for Best Sound, making $143 million at the Box Office, off of its $40 million budget.
14. Lawrence of Arabia
David Lean’s 1962 masterpiece, Lawrence of Arabia, won no fewer than seven academy awards and set Box Offices alight, making $70 million from its $15 million budget. It is, like Troy, a historical drama/action film, which set the pace for other movies like Troy that have been aiming to replicate its tremendous success ever since.
The plot follows the story of TE Lawrence (Peter O’Toole, the English officer who was able to unite the diverse, warring tribes of Arabia against the Turks in World War I. The film also stars AlecGuiness, Anthony Quinn, and Jack Hawkins.
15. The Last King
![The Last King [English Subtitled]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51PBEl9uLVL._SL500_.jpg "The Last King [English Subtitled]")
Based in Norway in 1204, The Last King (2016) tells the true story of Birkebeiner loyalists to protect the heir to King Haakon Sverreson’s infant son, Haakon, after the Baglers take power in the Scandinavian country. It stars Jacob Oftebro, Krisofer Hivju, Torklet Dommersnes Soldal and Ane Ulimoen Øverli and was directed by Nils Gaup and won the 2017 awards for Best Music and Best Producction Design at the Kosmorama, Trondheim Internasjonale Filmfestival.
16. Thor
Although technically based on a comic book and falling within the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (2011) tells the story of an arrogant god Thor (Chris Hemsworth), who is cast out of Asgard by his father, Odin (Anthony Hopkins), to live among humans on Earth, where he will meet Jane Foster (Natalie Portman) and soon become a hero.
The $150 million budget afforded to the director, Kenneth Branagh, turned out to be worth every cent, making a return of $449.3 million at the Box Office, leading to a massive collection of Avengers films that would end up making billions.
17. Beowulf
Another film grounded in fantasy mythology is the 2007 3D-animated fantasy action movie, Beowulf, based on an Old English epic poem of the same name. Directed by Robert Zemeckis, the movie stars Ray Winstone, Anthony Hopkins, John Malkovich, Robin Wright, Brendan Gleeson, Crispin Glover, Alison Lohman, and Angelina Jolie.
It tells the story of a legendary fighter and warrior, Beowulf, on his travels to Denmark in the year 507, fighting countless battles, enduring curses, and resisting various temptations. It was a Box Office failure, earning just $196.4 million at the Box Office from its $150 million budget, receiving mixed reviews, and winning no significant awards.
However, the fight scenes, sets, and costumes resemble Troy’s, and the character Beowulf indeed resembles the character of Achilles. It’s interesting to see the overlapping themes of fantasy and mythology in both films.
18. Mr & Mrs. Smith
While Mr & Mrs. Smith (2005) does give you another look at Brad Pitt as John Smith, a spy who learns that his wife, Jane (Jolie), is also a spy hired by a competing agency to kill him.
The movie, directed by Doug Liman, shows a different, more humorous side of Pitt’s acting, but with a character-filled with all the hubris and fighting skills as Achilles in Troy.
Mr & Mrs. Smith would make $487.3 million at the Box Office off of a $110 million budget.
19. Wonder Woman
This 2017 blockbuster, Wonder Woman, directed by Patty Jenkins, tells the story of the DC Comics superhero Diana (Gal Gadot), an Amazonian warrior, crown princess of Themyscira, and the daughter of Queen Hippolyta and Zeus. She leaves her home to fulfill her destiny and to put a premature end to World War I.
The film was a hit at Box Offices, making $822.3 million on a budget of between $120 and $150 million. It was also well received by critics but did not win any notable awards.
20. Helen of Troy (Miniseries)
This 2003 miniseries, which was nominated for a Primetime Emmy, follows the story of the beautiful wife of Spartan King Menelaus and her abduction at the hands of Paris of Troy.
Starring Sienna Guillory, Matthew Marsden, John Rhys-Davies, Emilia Fox, Rufus Sewell, and Stellan Skarsgård, the two-part epic directed by John Kent Harrison is an excellent reprisal of the 1956 movie Helen of Troy but making for far better viewing due to its superior product quality.
21. Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters
Based on Rick Riordan’s novel of the same name, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013) tells the story of Percy Jackson (Logan Lerman), the demigod son of the Greek God Poseidon. He embarks on a trip with his friends to find the Golden Fleece and stop the evil ancient forces from rising.
The film also stars Brandon T. Jackson, Alexandra Daddario, Nathan Fillion, Anthony Head, and Jake Abel. On a production budget of $90 million, Percy Jackson: Sea of Monsters made over $200 million at the Box Office but did not win any major awards.
Like Troy, Sea of Monsters draws from Greek mythology to construct a perfect plot, interwoven with fantastical action scenes that keep you on the edge of your seat.
22. Munich
Another film starring Troy’s Eric Bana, Munich (2005), was directed by Steven Spielberg, telling the story of the Israeli government’sOperation Wrath of God, a secret retaliation to the Munich massacre carried out by the PLO at the 1972 Summer Olympics.
Starring Bana as Avner Kaufman (based on Yuval Aviv), Daniel Craig as Steve, a South African driver, Geoffrey Rush as Ephraim, and Yvan Attal as Tony, the movie went on to make $131 million at the Box Office off of a $70 million budget. It was well-received by critics, receiving five Academy Award nominations.
23. The Perfect Storm
The Perfect Storm (2000) makes our list as another film directed by Troy director Wolfgang Petersen. Starring George Clooney as Frank Tyne Jr., an angler who goes out to see for one last fishing trip after a bad season, The Perfect Storm is packed with action scenes and suspense-filled moments that reflect Petersen’s style in a different setting, but with similar aplomb. Mark Wahlberg, Diane Lane, and John C. Reilly are among the other stars of the film.
The film was a Box Office hit, raking in a cool $328.7 million on its $120 million budget, and was nominated for two Academy Awards.
24. O Brother, Where Art Thou?
On the surface, Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000) appears to be a typical comedy movie that would be completely unrelated to Troy. But the movie is based on Homer’s other epic poem, The Odyssey. The movie tells the story of convicts Ulysses Everett McGill (George Clooney), Pete Hogwallop (John Turturro), and Delmar O’Donnell (Tim Blake Nelson). They escape from a chain gang and retrieve a supposed treasure Everett buried before the area is flooded to make a lake.
It made $72 million at the Box Office, off of a budget of $26 million, and was nominated for two Academy Awards.
25. Poseidon
Another film directed by Wolfgang Petersen, Poseidon (2006), tells the story of an ocean liner that capsizes after being hit by a destructive wave and its survivors, based on the novel, The Poseidon Adventure, written by Paul Gallico. Starring Richard Dreyfuss, Kurt Russell, and Emmy Rossum, Poseidon was nominated for an Academy Award after grossing $181 million worldwide off of a budget of $160 million.,
Petersen’s innovative use of visual effects in Poseidon is reminiscent of the work he did in Troy, but critics did not receive it well in terms of the quality of its script.