31 Amazing Movies Based on True Stories and Where to Watch Them Right Now

Genre: Drama

Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Butler, Janelle Monáe 

Based on the 2016 non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly, Hidden Figures about three female African American mathematicians who worked at NASA during the Space Race. For those that don’t know, The Space Race was a 20th Century competition between the United States and the Soviet Union to achieve superior spaceflight capability. Trust us when we say this movie is a must-watch.

Genre: Drama

Stars: Michael B. Jordan, Jamie Foxx

Just Mercy explores the story of a young defense attorney named Brian Stevenson (Jordan) who represents poor people on death row in the South. Stevenson takes on a client named Walter McMillian, who has been wrongfully convicted of murdering a young woman. The Jersey is based on Bryan Stevenson’s eponymous memoir where he details the journey of his life work.

Genre: Biographical Drama

Stars: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams

Following The Boston Globe’s Spotlight team, who is the oldest continuously operating newspaper investigative journalist unit in the United States and its investigation into cases of widespread and systemic child sex abuse in the Boston area by numerous Roman Catholic priests. The film was originally shown at the 72nd Venice International Film Festival, Telluride Film Festival, and the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival, making its worldwide premiere on November 6, 2015. Spotlight received loads of critical praise, winning the Academy Award for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay.

Genre: Drama/Adventure

Stars: Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, William Hurt

Into The Wild hones in on the story of Christopher McCandless (Hirsch) who is the son of wealthy parents who graduates from Emory University as a top student and athlete. Many expect McCandless to go down the route of a prestigious career, but he instead chooses to give his savings to charity, rid himself of his possessions, and set out on a journey to the Alaskan wilderness.

Genre: Sports Drama

Stars: Will Smith

A biographical sports drama about Venus and Serena Williams, and their father Richard Williams (Smith) who is determined to do anything to make sure his girls become successful tennis players. Training on tennis courts in Compton, Calif., Richard shapes the girls' drive, work ethic, and talent, as the family bands together to defy the odds.

Genre: Comedy-Drama

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks

Yes Catch Me If You Can is actually based on a true story. The movie stars Frank Abagnale, Jr. (DiCaprio) a young 18-year-old who’s already worked as a doctor, a lawyer, and as a co-pilot for a major airline. Also a master of deception, Frank is a brilliant forger as well, which leads him to the most successful (and elusive) bank robber in the history of the United States.

Genre: Political-Drama

Stars: Naomi Watts, Sean Penn

Starring Naomi Watts and Sean Penn, Fair Game centers around wife and mother Valerie Plame (Watts) who’s living a double life as a CIA operative and hiding her job from her family and friends. However, when her husband Joseph Wilson (Penn) writes a controversial article in The New York Times refuting stories about the sale of enriched uranium to Iraq, Valerie’s cover is blown which in-turn endangers the lives of herself and those around her.

Genre: Biographical-Drama

Stars: Helen Mirren, Ryan Reynolds

Sixty years removed from fleeing Vienna, Maria Altmann, an elderly Jewish woman is on a mission to reclaim family possessions that were seized by the Nazis. One of those possessions is a famous portrait of Maria's aunt: Gustave Klimt's "Portrait of Adele Bloch-Bauer. Unfortunately Maria has to engage in a legal battle to get the portrait back since they are considered national treasures, and enlists the help of a young lawyer (Reynolds) to do so.

Genre: Comedy-Drama

Stars: Billy Crudup, Frances McDormand, Kate Hudson

Set in the year 1973, Almost Famous chronicles a 15-year-old named William who is a music fan inspired by the rock bands of yesteryear. His love of music winds up landing him an assignment from Rolling Stone magazine to interview the up-and-coming band Stillwater, which in turn leads him to embark on the band’s tour despite the concern from his overly protective mother.

Genre: Autobiography

Stars: Mathieu Amalric

When Jean-Dominique Bauby, (Almaric) editor-in-chief of French fashion bible Elle magazine, suffers a stroke at age 43, the damage to his brain stem results in locked-in syndrome leaving him paralyzed and only able to communicate by blinking an eye. Bauby then dictates his memoir via the only means of expression left to him.

Genre: Sports Drama

Stars: Nathalie Issa, Manal Issa, Ahmed Malek

The Swimmers is about two Syrian sisters fleeing from their home in Damascus, swimming for hours in the Mediterranean Sea in the Mediterranean Seas to reach Greece as asylum seekers before going on to compete at the Rio Olympic Games. The film premiered at the 2022 Toronto International Film Festival on September 8, 2022, and can be watched via Netflix.

Genre: War/ Drama

Stars: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Terry Benedict

Hacksaw Ridge tells the true story of Pfc. Desmond T. Doss, who won the Congressional Medal of Honor despite his refusal to bear arms during WWII on religious grounds. While initially mocked by fellow soldiers for his pacifist stance, Doss goes on to earn their respect for his bravery, selflessness and compassion after he risked his life without firing a shot to save 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa.

Genre: Drama

Stars: Anthony Mackie, Samuel L. JacksonSet in the 1960s, The Banker is about two entrepreneurs who develop a business plan to fight for housing integration and equal access to the American Dream. The film is available to watch on Apple TV.

Genre: Thriller

Stars: Jessica Chastain, Jason Clarke, Joel Edgerton

Focusing on the world post September 11th where Osama Bin Laden becomes one of the most-wanted men on the planet, a worldwide manhunt ensues for the terrorist leader occupying the resources and attention of two U.S. presidential administrations. It finally takes the work of a dedicated female operative to locate Bin Laden.

Genre: Neo-noir

Stars: Robert Blake

An adaptation of Truman Capote's seminal true-crime novel of the same name, two ex-convicts come up with a plan  to rob a wealthy Kansas family, the Clutters. When the men enter the Clutter home only to find no money, they kill the entire family in an act of rage forcing them to face not only the realities of their terrible crime but also their own earthly impermanence.

Genre: Thriller

Stars: Ben Affleck

Centered on the events of Nov. 4, 1979 where militants stormed the U.S. embassy in Tehran, Iran, taking 66 American hostages. In the midst of all that, six Americans manage to escape and find refuge with the Canadian ambassador. With only a limited amount of time before the refugees are found and likely executed, the U.S. government calls on extractor Tony Mendez (Affleck) to rescue them, who plans on posing as a Hollywood producer scouting locations in Iran and training the refugees to act as a part of his film crew.

Genre: Biographical Crime

Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci

Focused on the story of a young man growing up in the mob and working to rise through the ranks, the youngster finds that he enjoys the life of money and luxury, but is oblivious to the horror that he causes. Ultimately a drug addiction and a few mistakes unravel his rise to the top, and things kind of spiral from there. Goodfellas is based on the book Wiseguy by Nicholas Pileggi.

Genre: Crime/Drama

Stars: Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams

American Hustle stars Christian Bale and Amy Adams as two con artists forced by an FBI Agent (Cooper) to set up an elaborate sting operation on corrupt politicians, including the mayor of Camden, New Jersey. The film was released nationwide in the United States on December 13, 2013, earning loads of praise from critics and ten nominations at the Academy Awards.

Genre: Political Thriller

Stars: Meryl Streep, Tom Hanks

Starring Meryl Streep and Tom Hanks, The Post is about the first female publisher of The Washington Post, Katharine Graham who is racing to catch up with The New York Times to expose a massive cover-up of government secrets that spans three decades and four U.S. presidents. Graham decides to work with fellow editor Ben Bradlee (Hanks), setting aside their differences in order to bring the truth to light.

Genre: Adventure

Stars: Reese Witherspoon

In Wild, a woman struggling with the loss of her mother and the dissolution of her marriage is unfortunately the victim of self-destructive behavior. Knowing she’s heading down the wrong path, she makes the decision to start putting the pieces of her life together again, setting out to hike the Pacific Crest Trail -- one of the country's longest and toughest trails with no outdoor experience.

Genre: Biographical Crime Drama

Stars: Al Pacino, John Cazale, Chris Sarandon

Dog Day Afternoon is about three amateur bank robbers who have what they think is a very simple plan to rob a bank by simply walking in, taking the money, and running. However, things go awry when a hostage situation develops, the FBI arrives, and the media arrives outside. Guess it wasn’t so simple after all.

Genre: Adventure/Drama

Stars: Rachel Weisz, Max Minghella, Oscar IssacTaking place in 4th century A.D., astronomer and philosopher Hypatia (Weisz) teaches her scientific beliefs to a class of male students, all of whom are romantically attracted to her. While she dismisses all of their advances, there’s a bigger battle brewing between Christians and pagans on the streets of soon-to-be war-torn Alexandria.

Genre: Drama

Stars: Drew Barrymore, John Krasinski, Kristen Bell

John Krasinski stars as Adam Carlson is a small town reporter in northern Alaska that can't wait to land a job in a bigger market. Out of nowhere, the story of a lifetime practically lands in his lap when a family of gray whales is discovered near the Arctic Circle, trapped by rapidly forming ice. While reporting, Carlson encounters his ex-lover Rachel Kramer who is also an environmental activist. Together, they try to rally an international coalition to save the whales before it's too late.

Genre: Drama/Sport

Stars: Tonya Harding, Margot Robbie, Allison Janney

Talented figure skater Tonya Harding goes from becoming the first American woman to complete a triple axel during a competition in 1991, to having her world come crashing down three years later when her ex-husband conspires to injure Nancy Kerrigan, a fellow Olympic hopeful, in a poorly conceived attack that forces her to withdraw from the national championship. As a result, Harding’s reputation is tarnished as she's forever associated with one of the most infamous scandals in sports history.

Genre: Historical Drama

Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode

Based in 1939, The Imitation Game is about the newly created British intelligence agency MI6 in charge of recruiting Cambridge mathematics alumnus Alan Turing (Cumberbatch) to crack a Nazi code called Enigma previously thought to be unbreakable. Turing's team, including Joan Clarke (Knightley) have to analyze Enigma messages while he builds a machine to decipher them. Turing is finally able to succeed, but in 1952, he encounters disgrace when authorities reveal he is gay and send him to prison.

Genre: War/Drama

Stars: Bradley Cooper, Luke Grimes, Sienna Miller

Bradley Cooper stars as U.S. Navy SEAL Chris Kyle, who’s sole mission is to protect his comrades. His pinpoint accuracy not only saves countless lives but also makes him a prime target of insurgents. After serving four tours of duty in Iraq, Kyle finds that he can’t leave the war behind when he returns home. 

Genre: War/Action

Stars: Josh Hartnett, Eric Bana, Ewan McGregor

Taking place in 1993 when the U.S. sent special forces into Somalia to destabilize the government and bring food and humanitarian aid to the starving population, two Black Hawk helicopters are shot down, and from there the U.S. soldiers must struggle to regain their balance while enduring heavy gunfire.

Genre: Romantic Drama

Stars: Meryl Streep, Robert Redford

Aristocratic Karen Blixen (Streep) travels to Africa to join her husband Bror, who instead spends their money on a coffee plantation. When Karen discovers her husband is unfaithful, she then develops feelings for hunter Denys (Redford), falling for his simplistic lifestyle compared to her upper class background. Things are going well until Karen is forced to choose between her love and personal growth.

Genre: Comedy

Stars: Elliot Page, Michael Cera, Jennifer GarnerReleased in 2007, Juno is about a teenager (Page) becoming pregnant and choosing a failed rock star and his wife to adopt her unborn child. However, complications start to occur when Mark, the prospective father, begins viewing Juno as

Genre: Drama

Stars: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Topher Grace

A black comedy crime thriller film directed by Spike Lee, BlackKkKlansman is about Ron Stallworth (Washington), the first African-American detective to serve in the Colorado Springs Police Department determined to make a name for himself. Stallworth decides to make a name for himself by setting out on a mission to infiltrate and expose the Ku Klux Klan. Stallworth decides to recruit Flip Zimmerman (Driver), and together they team up to take down the hate group.

Genre: Drama

Stars: Matthew McConaughey, Jared Leto, Jennifer Garner

Matthew McConaughey stars as electrician Ron Woodroof, who learns that he has AIDS and just 30 days to live. Despite the terrible news, Woodroof refuses to give in to despair seeking alternative therapies and smuggling unapproved drugs into the U.S. from wherever he can find them. Woodroof then joins forces with a fellow AIDS patient (Leto), and together they begin selling the treatments to the growing number of people who can't wait for the medical establishment to save them.