Hollywood loves a good movie based on a true story. For years, filmmakers have been drawn to bringing real-life events and people to the big screen, and it’s proven a huge success. Over the past ten years, many Oscar nominees and winners have been based on true stories, and audiences can’t get enough of them.
What undoubtedly makes these films so consistently popular and interesting is the fact that what we’re watching has occurred in real life. However, there are a select number of films in this group with plots so unbelievable that viewers can’t believe they actually happened. These events have all the drama fit for a Hollywood screenplay yet played out in reality with no camera rolling or writer plotting out twists and turns. Their film adaptations will leave you wondering how they could be anything but fiction.
'BlacKkKlansman' (2018)
Available to stream on fuboTV.
This Spike Lee joint has to be one of the wildest true stories ever put to screen. BlacKkKlansman follows Black police officer Ron Stallworth (John David Washington), who infiltrates the Klu Klux Klan in 1970s Colorado Springs by posing as a White man.
Stallworth tricks the Klan through phone calls and makes his co-worker (Adam Driver) impersonate him at meetings, by which he receives valuable intelligence against them. It’s a story that could almost be seen as satire, but Stallworth really did pull off this remarkable and brave investigation.
'The Bling Ring' (2013)
Available to rent or buy.
The Bling Ring is based on a real-life group of Los Angeles teenagers who robbed the homes of celebrities like Paris Hilton, Lindsay Lohan, Megan Fox, and Orlando Bloom from 2008 to 2009. They stole over $3 million worth of items.
The group was obsessed with the fame, wealth, and celebrity lifestyle emulated by the likes of Hilton, targeting her home multiple times and partying in her nightclub room. They used the internet to check when celebrities weren't home and evaluate points of entry. Don’t leave your keys under the doormat next time, Paris!
'Catch Me If You Can' (2002)
Available to stream on Paramount+.
Steven Spielberg has directed many biopics and true stories throughout his career, but one of the most fascinating is certainly Catch Me If You Can. Leonardo DiCaprio plays con-artist Frank Abagnale, pursued by FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks).
Before his nineteenth birthday, Abagnale passed as a doctor, lawyer, and pilot, and duped millions of dollars in checks. He was undoubtedly clever and meticulous, and reveled in the chaos of his endeavors. Despite the fraud and crime committed, it’s admittedly impressive that Abagnale could pull it off.
'127 Hours' (2010)
Available to rent or buy.
127 Hours is the harrowing true story of mountain climber Aron Ralston (James Franco), who becomes trapped in a canyon on a hiking trip. With limited resources and hours to survive, he must take extreme measures.
Ralston’s arm is trapped under a boulder, and alone in southeastern Utah, he has no choice but to eventually amputate it. It’s a difficult-to-watch film that makes a bold attempt to capture the claustrophobia and isolation Ralston must have felt: it's a testament to his character and determination to survive.
'Lion' (2016)
Available to rent or buy.
Lion is a truly remarkable story in how inspiring and hopeful it is. Young Saroo (Sunny Pawar) is separated from his family in India and adopted by an Australian couple. As an adult (played by Dev Patel), he begins searching for his birth parents.
Saroo spends hours on Google Earth trying to track down his hometown and travels to India to be reunited. His story is a beautiful display of the human spirit, and it’s also incredible how Saroo was able to survive on the streets before being adopted, like many other displaced children in his situation.
'Hustlers' (2019)
Available to stream on Hulu.
Hustlers is a wild true story based on a group of real-life strippers who swindle money from their wealthy Wall Street clients, led by Jennifer Lopez’s veteran Ramona. She takes struggling mother Destiny (Constance Wu) under her wing, and the two begin to thrive from their grand scheme.
The women target shady CEO and business types, drugging them and charging thousands of dollars on their credit cards. Their hustle resulted from their lack of clientele after the 2007-2008 financial crisis, where they took matters into their own hands.
'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013)
Available to stream on fuboTV.
Leonardo DiCaprio has played his fair share of real-life figures throughout his career, but none more controversial than Jordan Belfort in The Wolf of Wall Street. The film chronicles Belfort’s rise and fall as a successful stockbroker, which leads to a life of corruption.
Belfort’s firm is filled with fraud, sex, drug use, ludicrous office parties, and dwarf-tossing — which is just another day at the office for him. One could be forgiven for thinking the film was largely embellished for shock value and entertainment, but Belfort’s memoir confirms most of it to be true.
'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' (2018)
Available to rent or buy.
Can You Ever Forgive Me? sees Melissa McCarthy transform into Lee Israel, a writer whose career is at a standstill by her own doing. She attempts to resuscitate it by forging letters and memorabilia from deceased celebrities and authors.
After initially selling a handwritten letter by Katharine Hepburn to compensate for financial troubles, Lee discovers there’s a large market for these collectibles and uses her writing talent to forge and sell many more documents. She uses vintage paper, old typewriters, and even traces over signatures to sell the lie.
'The Disaster Artist' (2017)
Available to stream on Netflix.
Films can become classics, but not always because they’re good. The Disaster Artist is the true story of the strange and mysterious Tommy Wiseau (James Franco), who collaborates with young aspiring actor Greg Sestero (Dave Franco) to unintentionally make the greatest bad film of all time, The Room.
Tommy is an enigma of sorts — no one knows his origins, and he seemingly has enough money to produce his own film. After constant rejection in Hollywood, Tommy’s film gained a cult following and is still screened all over the world today. It’s a weirdly heartwarming story of a true underdog.
'Sully' (2016)
Available to rent or buy.
Sully is the true story of pilot Chelsey ‘Sully’ Sullenberger (Tom Hanks), who miraculously made an emergency landing on the Hudson River after birds hit his plane. Everyone on board survived, and there were only minor injuries.
The film also details the aftermath of the incident, including an investigation on whether Sully could have avoided the ‘reckless’ landing on the river. There’s no denying Sully was a hero, as well as the crew and everyone involved in the incredible rescue that day.