At the heart of any great film is a great story. Though plenty come from a spark of imagination, some of the most powerful ones also come from unbelievable true events. Time and again, real life can prove just as gripping, devastating, and inspiring as anything we could dream of in a writer’s room. These films remind us that history is cinematic in its own right, and when real life meets great filmmaking, the results can be unforgettable. Here are some of the best movies based on a true story.
What are the best movies based on a true story?
These are just a few of our favorite picks, spanning genres and tones. There are inspirational tales of perseverance (The Pursuit of Happyness, The Pianist, The King’s Speech, Lion, 127 Hours), classic sports epics (Rudy, Raging Bull), gripping crime stories (Zodiac, Monster), and portraits of brilliant minds (The Imitation Game, Hidden Figures, The Theory of Everything, The Right Stuff). We can’t forget the hard-hitting investigations (The Insider, Dark Waters, Killers of the Flower Moon), films set during times of war (Hacksaw Ridge, Saving Private Ryan, Glory), and movies rooted in pivotal moments in history (The Big Short, Dallas Buyers Club, Small Things Like These, Selma).
We could go on and on, but we decided to narrow these cinematic achievements to our favorite picks listed in chronological order.
Goodfellas (1990)
The second true crime story in Martin Scorsese’s long line of fact-based films — including Raging Bull, Casino, Kundun, The Aviator, The Irishman, Killers of the Flower Moon, and the aforementioned The Wolf of Wall Street — Goodfellas remains one of his best. Based on Nicholas Pileggi’s book Wiseguy, the mobster epic traces the rise and fall of Mafia associate Henry Hill (Ray Liotta) from 1955 through 1980, alongside volatile enforcer Tommy DeVito (Joe Pesci) and operator Jimmy Conway (Robert De Niro). As might be a motto in these particular scenarios, it’s worth remembering the higher you climb, the further you have to fall. Not to mention, cocaine is a heck of a drug and can give you a makeover you’ll regret later.
Schindler’s List (1993)
This epic historical film is one of the most recognized and respected movies in cinematic history. Released in 1993, Steven Spielberg’s Schindler’s List adapts the novel Schindler’s Ark, a historical fiction book based on the real story of Oskar Schindler. The film tells the story of Schindler (played by Liam Neeson), a German industrialist and member of the Nazi Party who becomes an unlikely hero after witnessing the horrific atrocities committed during the Holocaust.
Schindler maintains relationships with members of the Nazi elite, most notably Amon Göth (Ralph Fiennes), the ruthless officer overseeing the construction and operation of the Płaszów concentration camp. Using his money, factory, and influence, Schindler ultimately saves more than a thousand Polish-Jewish refugees during the darkest days of the Third Reich. Shot mostly in stark black-and-white, the film is brutal, heartbreaking, and unforgettable. It’s not an easy watch by any means, but it’s one of the most important films ever made and absolutely earns its place on any list of must-see true stories.
Hunger (2008)
Before he became known for operatic historical epics, Steve McQueen made his feature debut with Hunger, a film as unflinching as its subject matter. Centered on the 1981 Irish hunger strike at the Maze Prison, the film follows Irish republican prisoner Bobby Sands (Michael Fassbender in an astonishing performance) as he leads fellow inmates in a protest against the British government’s refusal to grant political status to IRA prisoners.
Though the film is certainly a biopic, it’s by no means conventional. McQueen certainly makes it clear that film is an image-based medium, and does so through long takes depicting the body’s physical deterioration. He also skillfully makes us aware of the claustrophobia of the prison and ritualistic brutality on both sides. Dialogue is sparse; McQueen goes for a show-don’t-tell kind of tactic here. Every element of this film is a masterclass in filmmaking.
Moneyball (2011)
On paper, a movie about baseball statistics shouldn’t be this good. But Moneyball turns front-office strategy into a sports film that works for lovers of the game as well as for regular moviegoers. Directed by Bennett Miller and based on Michael Lewis’s nonfiction book, the film follows Oakland A’s general manager Billy Beane (Brad Pitt) as he attempts to rebuild his cash-strapped team using data analysis instead of old-school methods. In partnering with Yale economics grad Peter Brand (Jonah Hill), Beane challenges a system that has long relied on gut feelings.
Though the stakes aren’t technically Scorsese-level life-or-death urgent, they might as well be, with the future of the sport and the careers of these guys hanging in the balance. Still, at the center of this feel-good movie is that satisfying underdog spirit. This film will have you rooting for this team the whole way through. Despite racking up 6 Academy Award nominations, the film didn’t take any home, which is still a slight we haven’t quite gotten over yet.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2014)
For a bit lighter fare (though that might not be exactly the right word), The Wolf of Wall Street tells the story of the rise of Jordan Belfort (Leonardo DiCaprio in what is arguably a performance that should have won him an Oscar long before The Revenant) in New York during the ’80s and ’90s. This rags-to-riches story isn’t exactly inspiring, since we also get a front-row seat to the inevitable downfall, but it’s one heck of a ride along the way. Directed by Martin Scorsese, the film also launched Margot Robbie into stardom with her Hollywood breakout performance as Belfort’s glamorous New Jersey wife. Jonah Hill also plays a fantastic supporting role. This film is as excessive as it is chaotic. It’s well worth a watch, even if you feel a little gross by the time it’s over.
Spotlight (2015)
This investigative journalism drama follows the Boston Globe’s Spotlight team as they uncover the massive child abuse scandal within the Catholic Church. Set in the early 2000s, the film focuses on a small group of reporters who methodically piece together years of buried evidence, institutional cover-ups, and legal maneuvering that allowed abuse to continue unchecked.
Unlike some flashier true-story adaptations, Spotlight is deliberately restrained. Real journalism is, after all, pretty unglamorous. This adaptation of a true story doesn’t fall into the trap of cinematic speeches or dramatic flair. It’s a crawl of a film, but completely devastating as the corrupted truth comes to light. Directed by Tom McCarthy, the film went on to win the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.
Hidden Figures (2016)
Though Hidden Figures is scripted to play out like an uplifting workplace drama, it’s really a long-overdue correction to the historical record of whose efforts helped put man on the moon. Directed by Theodore Melfi and based on the nonfiction book by Margot Lee Shetterly, the film tells the true story of three Black women mathematicians at NASA — Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer), and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) — whose calculations were instrumental in launching astronaut John Glenn into orbit.
Set against the backdrop of the Space Race and entrenched segregation, Hidden Figures is a story about brilliance overlooked, and about kicking down doors that should never have been closed in the first place. It’s an entertaining watch, to be sure — the writing, acting, and directing are all stellar. Still, at its core, the film is about reclaiming a narrative and restoring credit where it has long been denied.
BlacKkKlansman (2018)
This biographical crime comedy-drama follows Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), the first Black detective at the Colorado Springs Police Department. Determined to prove himself, Ron takes on an incredibly dangerous and almost unbelievable mission: infiltrating and exposing the Ku Klux Klan. He poses as a white supremacist over the phone. At the same time, his Jewish detective partner, Flip Zimmerman (Adam Driver), attends KKK meetings in person, allowing the two of them to pull off one of the strangest undercover operations in law enforcement history.
Directed by Spike Lee, BlacKkKlansman was nominated for six Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Director, and ultimately took home the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Oppenheimer (2024)
Directed by Christopher Nolan, Oppenheimer tells the story of the brilliant and deeply complicated physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer, played by Cillian Murphy in an outstanding performance that earned him an Oscar. Set mostly during World War II (the timelines jump a bit), the film follows the international race to build the atomic bomb and Oppenheimer’s role in leading the Manhattan Project.
From start to finish, the movie takes us through what it takes to make this bomb a reality. However, the film doesn’t showcase this as triumph, but lays out the consequences of this destroyer of worlds. As Oppenheimer grapples with the weight of what he’s helped create, the film also places this astonishing figure at the center of a political conflict, as his former affiliations and personal beliefs come back to haunt him in the years that follow. Though you might expect this epic to feel more like a marathon given its three-plus-hour runtime, the pacing feels more like a sprint. From start to finish, Oppenheimer never lets up.
I’m Still Here (2025)
No one expected this international indie to shine as brightly as it did when it landed nominations for Best Picture and Best International Feature at the 2025 Academy Awards, with Fernanda Torres also earning a nomination for Best Actress. The film ultimately took home Best International Feature — Brazil’s first win in the category.
The film is based on the memoir by playwright and journalist Marcelo Rubens Paiva, the son of Rubens Paiva, a civil engineer and politician who opposed Brazil’s military dictatorship and was later arrested, tortured, and killed for his outspokenness. Directed by Walter Salles, I’m Still Here is a political biographical drama that also tells the intimate story of a family struggling to survive during danger under Brazil’s military regime. At the center of the narrative is Eunice Paiva, who begins a relentless search for answers after her husband is taken from their home in Rio de Janeiro in 1971 and disappears without explanation.
How we picked the best movies based on a true story
We narrowed our choices down to the best movies across various genres. While we could easily swap out any of these films for others, these are among the most critically acclaimed or tell these stories in ways that are inspiring, challenging, unusual, and just great to watch.
