The best historical films of 1981

5 historical films from 1981, ranked by a 0–100 score from IMDb ratings, critics, major awards and box office, compared with every film from the same year.

1. Reds Score 85.7 · IMDb 7.3 · Tomatometer 90% · Metascore 76 · Drama, History, Romance
2. Gallipoli Score 60.6 · IMDb 7.4 · Tomatometer 91% · Metascore 65
3. The Decline of Western Civilization Score 53.9 · IMDb 7.5 · Tomatometer 100% · Metascore 93 · Documentary, Music
4. History of the World: Part I Score 50.2 · IMDb 6.8 · Tomatometer 62% · Metascore 47
5. American Pop Score 41.7 · IMDb 7.2 · Tomatometer 68% · Metascore 57