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We've rounded up 65 of the best movies based on true stories and real-life events. This list of true-story movies includes Oscar-winning films and actors.
- Sarene Leeds
- Titanic. Released: 1997. Rated: PG-13. Memorable quote: “A woman’s heart is a deep ocean of secrets.” Twenty-five years after its release, our hearts still go on for James Cameron’s Academy Award–winning romantic drama.
- 12 Years a Slave. Released: 2013. Rated: R. Memorable quote: “I don’t want to survive. I want to live.” It is nearly impossible for a movie based on a true story to avoid taking any creative license, but 12 Years a Slave comes very close.
- Argo. Released: 2012. Rated: R. Memorable quote: “This is what I do. I get people out. And I’ve never left anyone behind.” Despite being a gripping spy thriller based on the very real extrication of six American diplomats from Iran in 1980 by CIA operative Tony Mendez (Ben Affleck, who also directed the movie), this film took a lot of creative license.
- Hidden Figures. Released: 2016. Rated: PG. Memorable quote: “On any given day, I analyze the velometer levels for air displacement, friction and velocity. And compute over 10,000 calculations by cosine, square root and lately analytic geometry by hand.”
Sep 27, 2022 · Whether you're looking for a biopic, a serial killer mystery, a feel good tale of finding oneself, or a classic underdog story, these films take all of the facts and spin them into a drama that...
- 3 min
- TIME Staff
- Dog Day Afternoon (1975) Al Pacino has played many criminal masterminds over the course of his career, but John Wojtowicz isn’t one of them. On a scorching 1972 summer day, the Vietnam War veteran made a clumsy attempt to rob a Brooklyn bank, only to be penned in with hostages for a 14-hour standoff.
- All the President’s Men (1976) A younger generation might know Bob Woodward for his exhaustive chronicles of the Trump Administration in his books Fear: Trump in the White House and Rage.
- Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969) Paul Newman and Robert Redford stole hearts and set a new standard for the buddy film when they portrayed notorious real-life outlaws Robert “Butch Cassidy” LeRoy Parker and Harry “The Sundance Kid” Longabaugh in 1969’s Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
- Spotlight (2015) Starring Mark Ruffalo, Rachel McAdams and Michael Keaton as members of a real team of investigative journalists at the Boston Globe,Spotlight shows the efforts of reporters to uncover the history of systematic sexual abuse within the Archdiocese of Boston.
- Spencer. Amid flying rumors surrounding a possible divorce between Princess Diana (Kristen Stuart) and Prince Charles (Jack Farthing), the royal family decides to spend the Christmas holiday at Queen Elizabeth’s (Stella Gonet) Sandringham Estate.
- Hustlers. Based on the salacious true story, Hustlers follows a group of women in New York City who develop the perfect con to steal money from high-powered businessmen.
- My Friend Dahmer. As a kid, it was clear that Jeffrey Dahmer was different from his peers. Instead of playing hide and seek or joining after-school clubs, Jeffrey preferred to spend his time examining and disintegrating dead animals until only their bones were left.
- Elvis. We know his name and we know his music, but there’s a darker story behind the flashy outfits and feel-good songs that many are unaware of. Told from the perspective of his manager, Tom Parker (played by Tom Hanks), Elvis takes a real-life look behind the curtain of the musical phenomenon’s personal life and professional legacy.
Jan 3, 2024 · True stories have served as fodder for media for decades across television, films, and even podcasts. Major moments in history have been translated to the silver screen, as well as heartwarming...
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Jun 14, 2024 · The best movies based on true stories bring us face to face with the events that shape our world, providing timeless lessons relevant to audiences today.