Best Movies Based on True Stories

Movies based on true stories that covers many topics such as sports rivalry, a serial killer who was never found, or a war movie. TechTrends decided to put together a list of the best movies based on true stories.

Since real life is far stranger than fiction, screenwriters take these chances to turn them into paper and then movies. These kinds of movies can be inspirational, heartfelt, dramatic, and unbelievable and the fact that they are labeled “based on a true story”, they appear more interesting to audiences. TechTrends narrowed down a list of the best must-watch movies based on true stories that you should not miss and ranked them based on their ratings on Rotten Tomatoes. Without further ado, let’s get to the list.

Best Movies Based on True Stories

Some of the greatest movies on Hollywood are based on true events and personal lives. Check this list of the best movies based on true stories that show real-life moments, memories and people.

14. The Blind Side 2009

Source: IMDb.com
  • Genre: Sport/Drama
  • Director: John Lee Hancock
  • Stars: Sandra Bullock, Quinton Aaron, Jae Head, Tim McGraw, Lily Collins
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 66%, IMDb 7.6

Sandra Bullock performed the role of Leigh Anne Tuohy, the real-life character, who was a Memphis socialite. She took in Michael (“Big Mike”) Oher (Quinton Aaron) as he was a homeless high-school football player. Her performance was magnificent in many levels and it was quite inspiring, so she very well deserved all the awards she won. The Blind Side is one of the best movies based on true stories that we strongly recommend.

13. Elvis 2022

  • Genre: Musical/Drama
  • Director: Baz Luhrmann
  • Stars: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Kodi Smit-McPhee, David Wenham, Richard Roxburgh, and Natasha Bassett
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 77%, IMDb 7.4

One of the best movies based on true stories that came out in 2022 is Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann. He tries to depict the rise of the rock and roll legend in the 1950s and how he became a star in the music industry. The movie also shows his relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Make sure to add it to your watch list.

12. The Wolf of Wall Street 2013

  • Genre: Drama/Comedy
  • Director: Martin Scorsese
  • Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Martin Scorsese, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughe
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 80%, IMDb 8.2

Once again Leonardo DiCaprio worked with Martin Scorsese in the movie the Wolf of Wall Street. Following his impressive performance as Jordan Belfort, the real-life stockbroker, he won his second Golden Globe Award. Belfort’s fraudulent practices helped him gain a fortune but he spent it on sex and drugs. Following a lot of movies in which DiCaprio had interior-based performances, watching him let loose was interesting. This is indeed one of the best movies based on true stories as he got his fourth and fifth Academy Award nomination for Best Actor and producing the Best Picture.

11. Into the Wild 2007

Source: IMDb.com
  • Genre: Drama/Adventure
  • Director: Sean Penn
  • Stars: Emile Hirsch, Kristen Stewart, Vince Vaughn, Brian Dierker
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 83%, IMDb 8.1

Into the World is an adaptation of Jon Krakauer’s novel, and the movie follows the tragic tale of Christopher McCandless. He decides to leave everything behind and strike out on his own. All his experiences are recounted in this movie, and he plays alongside Stewart’s Tracy, who is one of the key characters. She was one of the last people who saw him on his journey. The two have a lot in common as she is also having a hard time figuring out what she wants from the world. Despite not knowing much about him, Tracy is drawn to McCandless. This is another one of the best true story movies on our list.

Read more: Best Cameron Diaz Movies of All Time

10. Wild 2014

  • Genre: Drama/Adventure
  • Director: Jean-Marc Vallée
  • Stars: Reese Witherspoon, Cheryl Strayed, Laura Dern, Gaby Hoffmann
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 88%, IMDb 7.1

The tenth one on the list of the best movies based on true stories is Wild which revolves around Cheryl Strayed, played by Reese Witherspoon, who gets driven to the edge when she loses her mother and has to deal with self-destructive behavior along with her marriage falling apart. She decides to put her life back together and start backpacking despite having no experience being outdoors. She goes to hike the longest and toughest trails on the country, the Pacific Crest Trail.

9. Rush 2013

  • Genre: Action/Drama
  • Director: Ron Howard
  • Stars: Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Niki Lauda, James Hunt, Olivia Wilde, Natalie Dormer
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 89%, IMDb 8.1

Chris Hemsworth played the role of a famous sports car racer named James Hunt, celebrating Formula 1 racing in its golden time. The story follows James’ race with his major rival Niki Lauda, played by Daniel Bruhl, with them competing on and off the track. The two spiral around one another, and it is not despite their differences but because of them. James is quite passionate, while Niki shows the kind of methodical determination that harkens to machines and coldness. Rush is indeed one of the best must-watch movies based on true stories.

Read more: Best Chris Hemsworth Movies of All Time

8. The Big Short 2015

  • Genre: Drama/Comedy drama
  • Director: Adam McKay
  • Stars: Steve Carell, Christian Bale, Brad Pitt, Ryan Gosling, Margot Robbie
  • Rating: IMDb 7.8, Rotten Tomatoes 89%

The Big Short is a comedic examination of the housing bubble of the U.S. that resulted in the economic crash that occurred in 2008. Wall Street guru Michael Burry finds out that some of subprime home loans might get default. Betting again the housing market, Burry puts more than $1 billion of his investors’ money in that. Jared Vennet, played by Ryan Gosling, and Steve Carell’s Mark Baum, who is a hedge-fund specialist, pay attention to him for his actions. The trio make a lot of money in this situation. They all perform amazingly well, especially Carell, who made this one of the best true story films of all time.

Read more: Best Christian Bale Movies of All Time

7. I, Tonya 2017

Source: IMDb.com
  • Genre: Drama/Comedy
  • Directors: Craig Gillespie
  • Stars: Margot Robbie, Allison Janney, Sebastian Stan, Nancy Kerrigan, Mckenna Grace
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 90%, IMDb 7.5

The movie that helped Margot Robbie become an Oscar-nominated actress is I, Tonya, which is arguably the one of the best movies based on true stories. She portrays the role of one of the most famous and controversial American figure skaters named Tonya Harding. The movie tells the tale of her childhood and adult life, particularly the things that happened in 1994 surrounding Nancy Carrigan. The film indicates that the interviews real Tonya and her husband Jeff, played by Sebastian Stan, had done are unreliable and contradictory. Therefore, the audience is asked to decide what went on. Moreover, the critics praised the movie.

Read more: Best Margot Robbie Movies of All Time

6. Zodiac 2007

  • Genre: Mystery
  • Director: David Fincher
  • Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Jake Gyllenhaal, Mark Ruffalo, Chloë Sevigny, John Carroll Lynch, Brian Cox, Dermot Mulroney
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 90%, IMDb 7.7

One of the best movies based on true stories of all time is Zodiac, directed by David Fincher. The movie tells the story of fear pervading San Francisco in the 1960s and early 1970s when a serial killer named Zodiac was terrorizing the people in the city. Investigators and journalists became dedicated to find out who this murderer is and bring him to punishment. While they are doing that, Zodiac keeps taking victims, tormenting police with messages and clothes soaked with blood as well as newspaper ciphers.

Robert Downey Jr. plays the role of Paul Avery, who is a real-life journalist of the same name. When he gets a letter that threatens his life, he becomes paranoid and starts taking drugs and alcohol to an addiction level. Moreover, other MCU star actors like Mark Ruffalo, Hulk, and Jake Gyllenhaal, Mysterio, also feature in the movie. Therefore, it is a rare treat for the fans who really want to watch these actors together but not in an MCU movie.

Read more: Best Leonardo DiCaprio Movies of All Time

5. American Hustle 2013

  • Genre: Drama/Crime
  • Director: David O. Russell
  • Stars: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 92%, IMDb 7.2

American Hustle is also one of the best movies based on true stories, where Christian Bale plays the role of Irving Rosenfeld. Bradley Cooper features as an FBI agent undercover who was able to turn a pair of grifters, played by Bale and Amy Adams. Jennifer Lawrence also performed in the movie and brought a comedic sensibility to the genre of crime thriller. Bale can be very funny if he is given the chance, but since he is known for his ability to play dark characters, this became one of his most underrated aspects. In this crime history, however, Bale was handed a role as a con artist, who aids the FBI in a frantic fraud case with his partner Sydney Prosser.

Read more: Best Bradley Cooper Movies of All Time

4. 127 Hours 2010

Source: IMDb.com
  • Genre: Drama/Adventure
  • Director: Danny Boyle
  • Stars: James Franco, Kate Mara, Amber Tamblyn, Clémence Poésy, Treat Williams
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 93%, IMDb 7.6

James Franco got his first and ever Academy Award nomination for the role he played in the movie 127 Hours which is based on a real story. The film follows the real-life story of Aron Ralston, who is a mountain climber. He gets stuck and trapped under a boulder when he was in the canyon in Utah. His hand gets crushed by the boulder and he cannot move. Not having told anyone about his location, he has to fight for his life with limited resources of water and food. The film is an epic story of survival and determination. If you are a real fan of James Franco, you have to watch this film. His performance was quite moving and made this the fourth one on our list of the top movies based on true stories.

Read more: Best Horror Movies of All Time

3. Moneyball 2011

  • Genre: Sport/Drama
  • Director: Bennett Miller
  • Stars: Jonah Hill, Chris Pratt, Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 94%, IMDb 7.6

Jonah Hill got his first ever Oscar nomination of his acting career for his role in the movie Moneyball. Hill portrays Peter Brand’s character, who is an assistant of Beane. Brad Pitt plays the role of Billy Beane, who is the manager of the Oakland Athletics baseball team. He built a team that could compete with the richer MLB teams. Chris Pratt portrayed the role of a player who got a second chance with the new approach of Beane. Although match and baseball might not be interesting subjects to most audiences, the film is able to make them compelling. Pitt and Jonah Hill made the movie very funny and sharp. Moneyball is one of the best movies based on true stories.

Read more: Best Brad Pitt Movies of All Time

2. Argo 2012

  • Genre: Thriller/Drama
  • Director: Ben Affleck
  • Star: Ben Affleck, John Goodman, Alan Arkin, Kerry Bishé, Bryan Cranston, Clea DuVall
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 96%, IMDb 7.7

Argo is another one of the best movies based on true stories and it won the Oscar for Best Picture. The movie tells the story of Tony Mendez, a CIA agent who evacuated six US diplomats from Tehran in the hostage crisis. He disguised them, pretending to be the production team of a fake movie. Ben Affleck’s direction brings a lot of excitement to the story, keeping the audience at the edge of their seat throughout. The movie is entertaining and has lots of suspense, humor, and pathos.

Read more: Best Morgan Freeman Movies of All Time

1. Spotlight 2015

Source: IMDb.com
  • Genre: Drama/Indie Film
  • Director: Tom McCarthy
  • Stars: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber, Stanley Tucci
  • Rating: Rotten Tomatoes 97%, IMDb 8.1

The first one on our list of the best movies based on true stories is Spotlight, which won the Academy Award for Best Picture in 2016. The message of the film is quite interesting and it revolves around the Boston Globe’s investigation into the Catholic Church, which focused on some dangerous secrets that was about sexual misconduct. Mark Ruffalo was exceptional as always when bringing his character to life. He is able to get the audience to be on his side through this story.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *