It’s reasonable to be doubtful about films that claim to be “based on real events.” Usually, that means the scriptwriter has taken a small element of truth and exaggerated it for the sake of creating a more exciting movie. On the other hand, sometimes the truth is so amazing that it doesn’t need much dressing up to make for an intriguing portrayal.
These movies provide a journalistic angle, focusing on reality instead of fiction. They range from true stories of events in history, to sordid details of crime, to stories of unique characters, to hazy explorations of altered perceptions. All of these films demonstrate that reality is often more surprising and interesting than fiction, making for amazing movies.
The best movies based on true stories
1. All the President’s Men (1976)
- Film
- Drama
We can’t believe it! Watergate really happened, and two reporters eventually took down a sitting US president in 1974? Alan Pakula’s journalism procedural is still captivating, and it might be even more relevant today, with certain world leaders trying to define the media as ‘the enemy of the people’. The film was shot and acted in typical ’70s style, and it doesn’t spend time exploring Woodward and Bernstein’s personal lives or imagining what was happening in the White House. Pakula and screenwriter William Goldman were sure that seeing professionals do their job with the biggest possible stakes would be exciting enough – and they were right.
2. In Cold Blood (1967)
In 1959, Truman Capote caused a stir with his report of a family massacre in rural Kansas, preceding today’s true crime podcasts and Dateline NBC marathons. Richard Brooks’s film adaptation of In Cold Blood is just as groundbreaking as the book, showing the murders and their aftermath with a realistic approach that was uncommon in Hollywood. Conrad Hall’s black-and-white cinematography eliminates any hint of cinematic artifice, while Robert Blake and Scott Wilson deliver intense, true-to-life performances.
3. Hustlers (2019)
- Film
- Drama
Hustlers is a unique film about the recession, portraying neither a sorrowful tale of farmers losing their homes nor a political piece about the wealthy. Rather, it is an energetic retelling of how some strippers in New York City coped with the financial crisis of 2008. Lorene Scafaria wrote the screenplay based on a magazine article about the dancers who resorted to drugging their newly frugal customers from Wall Street, and the movie has a visual style that draws from both Martin Scorsese and ’90s hip-hop music videos. The movie is particularly remembered for Jennifer Lopez’s captivating performance as the leader of the crew, who is equally mesmerizing when dancing and when having conversations.
4. Argo (2012)
- Film
- Drama
Ben Affleck had already showcased his directing ability with Gone Baby Gone and The Town, but Argo still managed to surprise many. The unbelievable story of a CIA agent using a fake sci-fi movie production to help smuggle six diplomats out of Iran during the 1979 Revolution is one that no one would believe if it wasn’t true. Affleck, who also stars, skillfully blends the intensity of the situation with the ridiculousness of the plot to create one of the most beloved thrillers of the decade. It won the Oscar for Best Picture, yet Affleck himself was not even nominated, a huge oversight.
5. The Social Network (2010)
- Film
- Drama
It’s almost nostalgic to reflect on a moment when the most contentious issue regarding Facebook was from where Mark Zuckerberg took his inspiration. Nevertheless, David Fincher’s glossy and darkly themed movie about tech tycoons is a must-see because of its threatening implications, which are further intensified by Trent Reznor’s Oscar-winning soundtrack. This all appears to anticipate the power of social media to shape world events in the years
6. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
- Film
- Thrillers
A movie depicting a gay man’s attempt to rob a bank in order to fund his partner’s gender reassignment surgery would likely not be allowed to be screened in a few states today; however, this incident actually happened in 1972. Director Sidney Lumet showcased this event as a countercultural tragicomedy with Al Pacino’s passionate performance at the forefront, making it a renowned picture of its time.
7. Dallas Buyers Club (2014)
- Film
- Drama
The height of the McConaissance was this biopic of Ron Woodruff, a homophobic redneck who found a way to help hundreds of AIDS patients by illegally selling unapproved HIV medications. Matthew McConaughey had to transform his body to play this role, which was pivotal to understanding the character’s strong narcissism. This performance earned him an Oscar and it was certainly well-deserved.
8. Can You Ever Forgive Me? (2018)
- Film
- Drama
Only Melissa McCarthy, an actor with a lot of loveable qualities, could make someone as disagreeable as Lee Israel likable. By the beginning of the 90s, the author had ruined enough relationships that it was hard for her to get published, leading her to commit literary forgery. Despite Israel’s sourness, McCarthy makes her sympathetic and almost loveable without softening her sharpness. The screenplay, written by Nicole Holofcener and Jeff Whitty, argues that Israel’s deceit was successful for a time because people recognise a good liar. This is proven by the fact that the movie is based on her book, which was her most successful work.
9. Into the Wild (2007)
- Film
- Action and adventure
In 1992, Christopher McCandless, a well-off college student from Virginia, gave up his wealthy life and future prospects to go on a journey into the Alaskan wilds in pursuit of spiritual enlightenment. He was later found dead in an abandoned bus. However, in his book Into the Wild, author Jon Krakauer did not interpret the story as a tragedy, and neither did Sean Penn in the film adaptation. Despite being slightly too positive of McCandless’ motives, this does not diminish the captivating quality of the movie, nor does it take away from Emile Hirsch’s compelling lead performance.
10. The Insider (1999)
- Film
- Drama
For a long period of time, movies about taking down Big Tobacco were quite popular. Michael Mann’s award-winning movie about the individual who exposed the truth about the hazardousness of cigarettes is the best of them. Featuring Al Pacino, Russell Crowe, and Christopher Plummer and a well-crafted screenplay adapted from Marie Brenner’s Vanity Fair article, ‘The Man Who Knew Too Much’, it is a genuine masterpiece.
11. Spotlight (2015)
- Film
- Drama
Despite its frequent depiction in film, movies often fail to capture the essence of journalism accurately, and if they do, it’s usually not a very entertaining viewing experience. The Oscar-winning movie Spotlight, directed by Tom McCarthy and starring Mark Ruffalo, is a notable exception and is arguably only second to All the President’s Men in its honest and intriguing depiction of investigative reporting. The story follows a team from the Boston Globe as they challenge the Catholic church, an entity more sinister than even Nixon’s White House.
12. Zola (2021)
- Film
- Drama
It was just a matter of time before a popular Twitter thread was adapted into a film. Anyone who read Aziah King’s 2015 tweet series about her unfortunate journey to Florida could have guessed it would become a movie. (Although the movie Zola is actually based on the Rolling Stone article that looked into her experience). After James Franco stepped away from the project, Janicza Bravo took over, and created a darkly comedic story about sex, drugs, pimps, and guns, which was similar to other movies about immoral young adults, like Spring Breakers and The Bling Ring.
13. Hunger (2008)
Steve McQueen’s directorial debut was an incredibly powerful and heartbreaking representation of Bobby Sands’ six-week hunger strike at Maze Prison in Northern Ireland. The director was personally affected by childhood memories of Sands’ story, and used a variety of literature to make the film as realistic as possible. Michael Fassbender’s portrayal of Sands was so realistic that he had to lose a great deal of weight to be able to accurately portray the character, making it a truly unforgettable performance.
14. Moneyball (2011)
- Film
- Comedy
In 2011, making a movie about baseball was already a challenge, especially if the focus was on the off-field mechanics of the sport rather than the players themselves. However, Moneyball manages to make an interesting point about the traditionalism that has caused America’s beloved pastime to become outdated. The movie, based on Michael Lewis’ book The Big Short, follows the Oakland A’s and their unconventional approach to the sport which ultimately leads to playoff contention. Moreover, viewers can enjoy the clever dialogue between Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, and Philip Seymour Hoffman.
15. Zodiac (2007)
- Film
- Drama
In a strange twist, the hunt for the Zodiac Killer has become a game for lovers of puzzles on the internet. However, the horror of David Fincher’s movie Zodiac is still as powerful as ever, with the scene of a couple being murdered in broad daylight being regarded as one of the most frightening movie moments in the past 20 years.
16. Zero Dark Thirty (2012)
- Film
- Thrillers
Kathryn Bigelow created this uncompromising version of the quest to take down Osama Bin Laden, using the skills she had gained from making The Hurt Locker to make a heart-pounding war thriller that is mostly based on the truth. However, it should be noted that Jessica Chastain’s character is a combination of multiple CIA agents who were part of the pursuit, and some reviewers argued that the movie supported the torture methods used by the military. Even so, it is an enthralling historical drama that does not become an overly patriotic spectacle.
17. Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998)
- Film
- Comedy
Many filmmakers had tried to adapt Hunter S Thompson’s novel for years before Terry Gilliam managed to get it onto the big screen, and the result explains why other directors such as Martin Scorsese and Oliver Stone eventually gave up on their projects – the story of a drug-fuelled reflection on the end of the ’60s works much better in writing than it does on film. Nevertheless, it is still a chaotic journey, with Thompson’s close friend, Johnny Depp, portraying the author or rather his slightly fictionalized version, Raoul Duke, as a mescaline-induced Wile E Coyote. It may be difficult to comprehend in a literal sense, but Gilliam’s surrealistic voyage still conveys Thompson’s main idea: that America is corrupt, sinful
18. The Bling Ring (2013)
- Film
- Drama
Think of the Plastics from Mean Girls as even more shallow and turning their materialism into thievery. That is what the real-life criminal group was like that inspired the crime satire written by Sofia Coppola. During the early 2010s, a group of teens in LA used social media to find the locations of celebrities like Audrina Patridge and Megan Fox, and then they would break into the celebrities’ mansions and steal. Coppola puts her own spin on this story to comment on wealth and status in the Digital Age, with Emma Watson taking the lead role in the movie, showing her talent and leaving Hermione Granger behind.
19. 10 Rillington Place (1971)
- Film
The gripping yet difficult to watch adaptation of journalist Ludovic Kennedy’s book about serial killer John Christie takes place against the backdrop of a despondent post-war London. It realistically portrays the worst of Christie’s decade-long killing spree in the west of London, including the wrongful execution of John Hurt. Richard Attenborough faced emotional turmoil for depicting this murderer on screen, which is understandable.
20. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
- Film
- Thrillers
In the title of this movie, Don Siegel’s hard-hitting thriller featuring Clint Eastwood, is almost all there. Even though The Birdman of Alcatraz, released in 1962, is more widely remembered, this Eastwood-Siegel collaboration is lean, mean, and of the same pulpy style as Dirty Harry. It is based on the story of San Francisco Chronicle journalist J. Campbell Bruce and stars Eastwood as Frank Miller, a prisoner who plans an escape from the Rock in the same year the Burt Lancaster film was released.
