Movies that are based on true stories hit differently. To witness sheer brilliance and heroism on screen and find out that this happened in real life, that such a person lived and breathed in this world is an amazing feeling. Realistic or dramatized portrayals of real-life stories are appreciated by audiences of all kinds and tastes. Let’s have a look at some of the best Hollywood movies based on true stories that you should watch right now.
1. Into The Wild
The movie is based on Christopher McCandless, the hitchhiker who traversed into the Alaskan wilderness and whose remains were found 5 months later in his ‘Magic Bus‘. This movie stands as a saga of hope for many adventurers, especially the last picture of Christopher with a smile on his face shows that he had found peace in the wilderness. As one watches the movie, one sees McCandless grow as a person and several lessons are to be learned.
2. 127 Hours
A hiking adventurer named Aron Ralston faces his worst nightmare when he gets trapped in a canyon and is rescued only after 127 hours. Since this movie is based on a true story, the measures that the man takes for survival become even more moving.
3. A Beautiful Mind
A Beautiful Mind is a poignant and hopeful story of the life of John Forbes Nash Jr., a Nobel Prize-winning mathematician and economist. This genius mind fought through schizophrenia and other mental illnesses on his way to building a bright and inspirational career.
4. Eat Pray Love
The Julia Roberts movie is basically the journey of a recently divorced woman around Italy, Indonesia, and India. If we look at the bigger picture, this is the journey of her self-awakening and self-discovery that is based on the real-life experiences of Elizabeth Gilbert, the author of the book of the same name.
5. Moneyball
This movie is based on the true story of Billy Bean, a sports manager, and Peter Brand, an economics graduate, who uses computer-based methods to help a considerably average baseball team achieve new heights in the sport.
6. Catch Me If You Can
An FBI consultant named Frank Abagnale had a history of check fraud and was known to the world as a con artist who duped millions from everyone who was anyone. A few years later, Spielberg decided to create a masterpiece based on this true story with Leonardo Di Caprio in the lead.
7. Schindler’s List
This masterpiece of a movie is based on the life of a German industrialist and member of the Nazi party, Oskar Schindler, who tries to save his Jewish employees from the horrors of the Holocaust.
8. The Theory of Everything
The movie is an insight into the life of the great astrophysicist Stephen Hawkings. It follows his life as a college student when he discovered that he is suffering from a rare motor neuron disease and may only live for two more years.
9. The Imitation Game
Benedict Cumberbatch portrays the role of British mathematician and cryptanalyst, Alan Turing, who deciphered the German enigma code. It is based on Turning’s biography that was published in 1983.
10. Midnight Express
It is based on the 1977 memoir of Billy Hayes, an American man detained in a Turkish prison, and his eventual and heroic escape. He decided to run away when his punishment was increased from four years to life imprisonment (30 years in the movie). The movie is a perfect thriller drama.
11. The Pianist
Based on the autobiography of the Polish pianist of Jewish descent, Władysław Szpilman, this heartwrenching story is based on how he survived the German occupation of Warsaw amidst the Holocaust.
12. Erin Brockovich
This Julia Roberts movie is based on the life of an American activist of the same name. The eponymous character discovers that a company is poisoning the town’s water supply and raises her voice against it.
13. The Pursuit of Happyness
This heart-breaking gem of a movie is based on the real-life experiences of Christopher Paul Gardner. Chris battled homelessness, singlehandedly raised his then-toddler son, and eventually became a well-known businessman and motivational speaker.
14. 12 Years A Slave
A free African-American, Solomon Northup, is tricked by the prospect of a job and sold into slavery. This intense and compelling story strikes the very core of the history of slavery in America.
15. Hachi: A Dog’s Tale (2009)
Tearjerker alert! Based on a true story, this movie celebrates the extremely special bond between a dog and its owner. This movie will break you and it will mend you. It is such a calming yet overwhelming experience. It is one of the most heartwarming Hollywood movies based on a true story.
These were some of the best Hollywood movies based on true stories. For more such lists check out our Hollywood section!