Thirteen Days (2000) with Bruce Greenwood as JFK and Kevin Costner (with the world's dodgiest Boston Irish accent) as Kenny O'Donnell, is a dramatization of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Even though we know how events turned out, it's still gripping to see the high stakes political situation being played out on screen.

Hey Scott, thanks a lot of this series. This story type is very interesting, because it makes use of the Aristotelean unities (time, place, action). I would differentiate between stories that are based around the ticking clock (CRANK, LOLA RENNT) and stories in which the ticking clock arises later (BACK TO THE FUTURE, TITANIC). Most action and crime stories have some sort of ticking clock element, to raise the stakes and make action necessary.

And how could I forget: Apollo 13.