Top 10 True Story Movies That Actually Showed The Craziest Part
#10: “Dog Day Afternoon” (1975)
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One of Al Pacino's finest movies, "Dog Day Afternoon" tells the true story of friends Sal Naturile and John Wojtowicz, who was renamed Sonny Wortzik for the movie. These inexperienced crooks decide to rob a bank so that Sonny can pay for his partner's gender affirmation surgery. The story culminates with the crooks attempting an elaborate airplane getaway, but Sal is shot and killed and Sonny is arrested. It seems like a dramatized Hollywood ending, but no, it actually happened. While a jet was getting ready on the tarmac of JFK, Naturile was shot in the chest by the limo driver, who was actually an undercover FBI agent. Wojtowicz immediately surrendered and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, serving five.
#9: “The Wolf of Wall Street” (2013)
Top 20 True Story Movies That Actually Showed The Craziest Part
When it comes to "The Wolf of Wall Street," there is one image that everyone remembers - Jordan Belfort, high on quaaludes, attempting to enter his car. While Jordan thinks he made it home okay, he actually hit numerous objects on the way and totaled his beautiful Lamborghini. The only false thing about this story is the Lambo. In real life, it was a Mercedes. Otherwise, the scene is 100% accurate. Belfort repeatedly crashed his Mercedes but didn't remember doing so. In fact, the story is even worse in real life, as Belfort sent a woman to the hospital after colliding with her car. Belfort even taught Leonardo DiCaprio how to accurately writhe on the ground, having personally been in that situation before.
#8: “The Impossible” (2012)
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This disaster film stars Naomi Watts as Maria Bennett. She and her family are vacationing in Thailand when their resort is slammed by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Maria is seriously injured in the disaster and the family is separated. Following lots of tension and worry, Maria, her husband, and their three children are all reunited at a local hospital. It seems like a kitschy and unrealistic happy ending slapped onto a disaster film, but it actually happened to the Belón family. María Belón nearly died in the tsunami, but she survived and was miraculously reunited with her family in the hospital - a near-impossible feat that gave the movie its title. The hospital scenes were even filmed in the real hospital.
#7: “BlacKkKlansman” (2018)
Spike Lee's greatest film in years, "BlacKkKlansman" tells the true story of Ron Stallworth, a police officer who infiltrates the KKK. Much of the movie's story is fictional, including the bomb plot against the student union. But what is true is that Stallworth actually talked to, and eventually met, David Duke. Duke was once the Grand Wizard of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan, serving between 1974 and 1980. Stallworth's investigation took place between '78 and '79. Stallworth's conversations with Duke may seem fabricated for the movie, but he did indeed speak to the Grand Wizard about his membership, and at one point even took a photo with him.
#6: “The Imitation Game” (2014)
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One never knows how much historical accuracy they will receive in a biopic. While "The Imitation Game" certainly contains its fabrications, its ending is devastatingly real. Alan Turing was indeed convicted of gross indecency and underwent both chemical castration and hormone therapy. His body became physically weaker, he was rendered impotent, and he eventually developed breasts. His friends reported that the changes upset Turing, but he continued working in mathematical biology. Shortly after his castration, Turing was found dead. His death remains shrouded in mystery and ambiguity, but the leading theory is that Turing took his own life.
#5: “I, Tonya” (2017)
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The story of Tonya Harding is one of the most fascinating in all of sports. To help Harding's chances at the upcoming Winter Olympics, Harding’s ex-husband planned to sabotage the career of rival Nancy Kerrigan. He hired a man named Shane Stant to attack Kerrigan, and on January 6, 1994, Stant smacked Kerrigan's thigh with a baton. Luckily, Kerrigan was not seriously hurt, and she went on to compete at the Olympics. This fascinating incident is played out in "I, Tonya," even though it's told through a warped and seemingly misleading lens. The movie garnered some criticism for its sympathetic portrayal of Harding - a portrayal that various historians and biographers don't believe was warranted.
#4: “Snowden” (2016)
The climax of Oliver Stone's "Snowden" plays out much like an espionage thriller. Snowden is left intensely paranoid about his leaks and is smuggled out of Hong Kong with the help of journalists and a documentary filmmaker. The American government then revokes his passport, leaving Snowden stranded in Moscow. This excitement seems fabricated for a Hollywood ending, but it is 100% rooted in reality. Snowden's dramatic escape from Hong Kong can be watched in the documentary "Citizenfour," which was directed by Laura Poitras. Poitras is portrayed by Melissa Leo in the film. The real Snowden was stranded in Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport, and he was eventually granted permanent residence in Russia.
#3: “The Revenant” (2015)
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The story of Hugh Glass is a tricky one. Glass himself never corroborated his famous story, and it began as a piece in a literary magazine. If it is real, then it is likely exaggerated and blown into legend. Either way, it's fascinating. While fur trapping in South Dakota with General William Ashley, Glass was attacked by a grizzly bear. Like the movie, Glass was horrifically injured in the attack but somehow managed to survive. The grievously injured Glass was eventually abandoned by his fellow trappers and left for dead. He then traveled more than 200 miles while suffering from life-threatening injuries and successfully arrived at Fort Kiowa, having survived entirely on roots and wild berries.
#2: “127 Hours” (2010)
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Danny Boyle's "127 Hours" plays out like many fictional survival stories. A boastful man gets himself trapped, almost dies, and is forced to take some drastic measures in order to save himself. In this case, the extravagant story is completely real. Outdoorsman Aron Ralston got himself trapped in Utah's Bluejohn Canyon and spent five days starving, dehydrating, and slowly losing both his mind and body. He was eventually forced to extricate himself with a dull Swiss army knife, and this process is shown in excruciating detail in Boyle’s film. After painfully operating on his arm, Ralston rappelled down a 65-foot canyon wall and walked six miles before receiving help from a hiking family.
#1: “Alive” (1993)
If there's one movie that proves the tenacity of the human spirit, it's "Alive." Named after Piers Paul Read's nonfiction book of the same name, "Alive" details the tribulations of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571. The plane crashes into the Andes mountains, and the survivors spend the next 72 days stranded on the freezing mountainside. Realizing that they will perish on the barren mountain, the survivors decide to eat the frozen flesh of those who have already died. It’s a harrowing sequence in the film, and it’s made even more horrifying owing to the fact that it actually happened. In the end, 16 of the 45 people on board were rescued.
