15 Best Historical Movies Based on True Stories

The Rider by Chloé Zhao is a strikingly cinematic examination of characters that Hollywood all too frequently ignores.

Zhao met Brady Jandreau, a talented horse trainer and rodeo star who had a near-fatal head accident that ended his competitive career, while filming her debut movie in South Dakota. The Rider is a memorable statement on dreams and reality, worth and purpose, that skillfully blends fiction and actuality. It’s an endless wellspring of emotional treasures that has the power to alter your perspective on reality. The Rider is timeless and global, with a deep and honorable foundation in modern Americana.

Director Mel Gibson stunned us all with Hacksaw Ridge, a stunning comeback to form that was hard to miss, after stepping away from the limelight for a few years. Hacksaw Ridge is one of those rare films that is both thrillingly new and comfortably familiar at the same time, masterfully fusing a leisurely pace and classical air reminiscent of old Hollywood with exhilarating fighting scenes.

You have a war film to be reckoned with when you combine that with an exuberant and elegant Oscar-nominated performance by Andrew Garfield as real-life veteran Desmond Doss. It packs an incredible emotional punch. The presentation of an intriguing and inspirational American hero in Hacksaw Ridge is innovative and strikingly cinematic in one of the best historical movies based on true stories.

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Titanic is one of the most remarkable and incredibly entertaining movies ever made; it is a bar-setting classic of the genre, pure and simple, strong and honest.

In a widely reported experience akin to the creation of “Disney’s Folly,” James Cameron staked everything on an incredibly elaborate epic dubbed “Romeo and Juliet on the Titanic.” The production was tumultuous and the budget was unprecedented. Cynically speaking, Titanic appeared to be a disaster film. Rather, it quickly became a classic.

Frankly, any retribution in the decades that have passed is unjustified. In its latter half especially, Titanic captures the imagination in a way that very few films have ever attempted. Is the simplicity of the love narrative really a flaw? Titanic broke box office records and is tied for the most Oscar wins (11 total) with Ben-Hur and Return of the King thanks to its accessibility, outstanding performances (Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio are as captivating as the film surrounding them), and innovative effects.

Queen of Katwe was a fantastic, moving sports biography from Disney that was mostly neglected when it first came out, possibly because of the exceptionally excellent and packed 2016 Oscar season (recall that Oscar tie?). In the biographical film Phiona Mutesi: A Ugandan girl from the slums who rose to become a chess champion and assist her family overcome poverty, David Oyelowo and Lupita Nyong’o play the lead roles.

Director Mira Nair (Monsoon Wedding, The Namesake), who shot Queen of Katwe entirely on location in Africa, skillfully examines a theme that few family films will even venture into, and she creates a vivid, evocative feeling of place. As always, Nyong’o and Oyelowo give their everything to their roles, making them two of the most giving actors of our time.

If you’re fascinated about Bollywood films and haven’t seen any yet, this family sports drama from Disney might be a good place to start. Dangal, which is based on the true story of an amateur wrestler who developed his daughters into the first female world champions in Indian history, appeals to American viewers since it has a lot of easily recognizable elements.

Dangal is a typical Bollywood film; it has an interval and lasts for about three hours, including a few musical numbers. Simultaneously, this is an uplifting sporting success reminiscent of Miracle and Rudy, which is relatable because to its well-rounded, likable characters and great acting in one of the best historical movies based on true stories. Dangal became the highest-grossing Indian picture after its Christmas 2016 release, and it also became the highest-earning sports movie globally in 2017.

Paul Greengrass directed this masterwork about hijacked United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed into a field close to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on September 11, 2001, in between making The Bourne Supremacy (2004) and The Bourne Ultimatum (2007). Many people argued in the months before the movie’s premiere that it was too soon to make a movie on this tragedy, with some even demanding that Universal Pictures remove the film’s trailer from theaters.

It may be argued that there is never a bad time to make a powerful and compassionate film, and Greengrass’s painstakingly detailed, hyperrealistic vision pays true tribute to the victims. One of the most intensely moving films you will ever see is United 93. In the end, it is worthwhile and satisfying despite the hardship you experience. Easily one of the most laudable movies of the century and one of the best historical movies based on true stories, Greengrass’s film pays scathing homage to American gallantry and earned him a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Director.

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Steven Spielberg shut down development on a long-stalled period piece and accelerated work on the dramatic thriller about Katharine Graham, Ben Bradlee, and the 1971 release of the Pentagon Papers because he felt it was so urgent and important (appropriate for a film about great journalism). This allowed The Post to meet its strict deadline by the end of 2017.

Time is of the essence, and The Post, a masterwork of condensed, efficient narrative, is currently a must-see film. The Post is a showcase for Meryl Streep’s strongest performance in a decade or more, possibly since Adaptation, and is so high-spirited that it’s easy to overlook its flaws (it’s not exactly subtle). Even when the writing errs on the side of being too broad, she is subtle and subdued, and Graham’s arc makes the film work as one of the most compelling historical movies based on true stories. Calm, thoughtful, and firm, her relationship with Tom Hanks’ rough Bradlee is laid-back, comfortable, and humorous when they yell at each other.

As excellent a picture about journalism as Spotlight, Network, or All the President’s Men, Cameron Crowe’s semi-autobiographical dramedy, featuring Patrick Fugit as an aspiring rock journalist, is heartwarming, funny, and more than it first appears. For her brilliant performance as “Band-Aid” Penny, Kate Hudson received a lot of attention, won a Golden Globe, and was nominated for an Oscar.

This film solidifies Crowe’s reputation as a superb screenwriter, joining the ranks of films like Say Anything… and Jerry Maguire as one of the best historical movies based on true stories. There are many unforgettable movie moments, and the movie’s climax ensemble set piece set in turbulence on an aircraft is one that will make you laugh a lot and maybe cry too. It comes from solid-gold character development, and it’s pure payoff. Almost Famous offers a universal perspective on life and the relationships we form.

Birth of a Nation, the 2016 Sundance success, was hinted to as a fierce 21st-century rebuttal to D.W. Griffith’s technically groundbreaking, culturally essential, but egregiously racist 1915 epic The Birth of a Nation. In the end, the movie failed to impress alongside other standout historical movies based on true stories. The magnificent BlacKkKlansman directed by Spike Lee seems like a film that might easily compete with Griffith. An adaption of Ron Stallworth’s biography Black Klansman, this biographical comedy-drama even incorporates scenes from the contentious landmark work. In the latter half of the 1970s, Stallworth—the first African-American police officer in the Colorado Springs Police Department—broke into the Klan.

BlacKkKlansman isn’t flawless; at points, the film jerks to a stop so that characters can give lengthy monologues explaining the plot. Still, what counts most is that Spike Lee is once again making important films.

Director Ron Howard’s best film to date, it is a suspenseful recreation of the abandoned 1970 lunar mission, and the makers went above and beyond to make it both entertaining and scientifically realistic. In order to be ready for their extremely technical roles, actors Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, Bill Paxton, Gary Sinise, and Ed Harris made a commitment to learning and experiencing as much as they could, even making an impression on NASA.

Apollo 13 is a painstakingly made, visceral, and emotionally charged drama about real-life survival against insurmountable circumstances. It received nine Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, for which it won Best Sound and Best Film Editing.

Howard remembers that on the first test showing, a viewer wrote, “total disdain” for the movie; another criticized the “typical Hollywood” finale.

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The Pursuit of Happyness, which is based on Chris Gardner’s autobiographical book of the same name about his nearly one-year battle with homelessness while raising his very small son, should have been a schmaltzy film, but it is kept in check by one of Will Smith’s greatest performances. Smith, who is starring opposite his son Jaden Smith, is at his most endearing and natural in this role in one of the most important historical movies based on true stories. Gabriele Mucino’s film is a hit in every manner, winning Smith a second Oscar nomination for Best Actor.

Gardner was corrected by his daughter Jacintha when he realized that the flamboyant action actor wasn’t the best fit for the role. She informed her father, “If Smith can play Muhammad Ali, he can play you!”

George C. Wolfe’s 1927 drama, set in Chicago, is the most thrilling and fully realized cinematic adaptation of an August Wilson play to date. It tells the story of the “Mother of Blues” and her band during a crucial recording session. The late Chadwick Boseman and Viola Davis had powerful performances that mostly mask the film’s transitory stagey shortcomings. The outstanding performers brilliantly convey Wilson’s timeless themes of exploitation, race, religion, and the American Dream. Boseman’s work here carries the weight of nothing less than immense sorrow as the aspirational, troubled trumpeter Levee.

It is appropriate to call Renée Zellweger’s note-perfect, very poignant portrayal of Judy Garland in her final years a masterclass. If anything, Rupert Goold’s biography is a little underappreciated, as it is based on Peter Quilter’s book End of the Rainbow. Judy is a taut, powerful melodrama that is both a cautionary story about show business and much more.

A subplot involving Garland and two of her most ardent lesbian fans helps Judy tremendously. It ought to sound forced and corny, but it doesn’t. It’s a heartfelt and perceptive look at why gay men love their divas. Beyond that, the storyline highlights both the positive and negative changes that the globe has undergone over the past 50 years in one of the standout historical movies based on true stories.

The British Royal Family’s reaction to the loss of Diana, Princess of Wales, is shown in Stephen Frears’ well acclaimed play, which paints a captivating picture of public figures’ personal troubles. Helen Mirren’s portrayal of Queen Elizabeth II brought her an Oscar. Frears used superior 35mm film for The Queen’s parts and 16mm film for most of Tony Blair’s (Michael Sheen) scenes to emphasize the contrast between their two worlds.

Screenwriter Peter Morgan retitled his stage adaptation of his script The Audience. In 2013, the play made its West End debut in London, with Mirren playing the same part. For the Broadway run in 2015, she was awarded a Tony.

In a deeply American story of contemporary poverty, Chloe Zhao and three-time Oscar winner Frances McDormand deliver on the promise of their earlier acclaimed hit, The Rider. Nomadland is the kind of film that has a spiritual impact on you, much like The Rider. The Chinese director, who also wrote, edited, and co-produced Nomadland, is a master of the Western and has redefined it. He directed the 2021 Marvel picture The Eternals.

The 2017 nonfiction book Nomadland: Surviving America in the Twenty-First Century by Jessica Bruder served as the inspiration for the film adaptation. This is the pinnacle of American cinema; a masterful fusion of fact and fantasy that both defines a moment and manages to seem ageless.