Top 10 Action Movies Based on Real-Life Events

Based on Bryan Burrough’s non-fiction book of the same name, Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies” stars Johnny Depp as American gangster John Dillinger. This infamous gangster and his gang were notorious for their numerous bank robberies; they actually inspired J. Edgar Hoover’s evolution of the Bureau of Investigation into the modern-day FBI. The movie was filmed at various historic locations relating to Dillinger’s life, including Little Bohemia Lodge and the Biograph Theater. While the filming locations are true to life, the movie took a few creative liberties. These include Dillinger’s participation in the 1933 prison break and the conversation between Dillinger and Agent Purvis (played here by Christian Bale). Though the film isn’t for everyone, it’s an altogether solid depiction of organized crime in 1930s America.

Tom Cruise is one of the most charismatic leading men in Hollywood, and “American Made” is among his best films in recent years. Cruise plays Barry Seal, an American pilot who became embroiled with the deadly Medellín Cartel. He used his flying expertise to smuggle drugs across country borders and eventually became a mole within the Cartel for the DEA. As great as the movie is, it plays fast and loose with the real life story. For one thing, Barry Seal had a softer physique—not the fit, muscular frame of Tom Cruise. Even director Doug Liman told Vulture that the movie was more “inspired by the stories [they] learned about Barry” than the life of Seal himself. It’s hard to argue against the results!

Based on the non-fiction book “Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of SEAL Team 10,” this film retells the experiences of Petty Officer First Class Marcus Luttrell. Luttrell is the co-author of the book and the only survivor of Operation Red Wings, a disastrous military mission carried out during the War in Afghanistan. Four Navy SEALs were ambushed during the operation and three were killed. A rescue helicopter was subsequently shot down by an RPG, killing sixteen people. Luttrell was awarded both the Navy Cross and the Purple Heart. Though the film isn’t necessarily an easy watch given the loss of life, it’s an incredible story of perseverance and courage told to moving effect.

Based on the non-fiction book “Imperial Life in the Emerald City,” “Green Zone” concerns the titular zone in Iraq. This was an area in central Baghdad that served as the headquarters of the Coalition Provisional Authority—the transitional governmental body established after American occupation in 2003. In the film, Matt Damon plays Roy Miller, a character loosely based on Army Chief Warrant Officer Richard Gonzales, who worked on the film for two years as a military advisor to ensure accuracy. While the film generated some controversy, it also had its defenders, including Michael Moore. He stated on Twitter that, “It's been stupidly marketed as an action film. It is the most HONEST film about the Iraq War made by Hollywood.”

Directed by David Ayer, “Fury” is a war action film about an American tank crew in World War II. The movie isn’t based on one particular true story, but was inspired by numerous accounts and non-fiction books. Of particular importance was Belton Y. Cooper’s memoir “Death Traps,” which makes a case against the use of M4 Sherman tanks owing to their high casualty rates. Brad Pitt’s character, Wardaddy, is inspired by Staff Sergeant Lafayette G. "War Daddy" Pool, a tank commander who served in Northern France. The film also takes inspiration from a real-life Canadian Sherman tank named Bomb that fought straight from D-Day to the end of the war. Second only to “End of Watch,” this is among David Ayer’s best films.

A larger-than-life figure, Buford Pusser wrestled in Chicago under the stage name Buford the Bull before he returned to his home state of Tennessee in 1962. Here, he served as the sheriff of McNairy County, where he became a living legend for his battle against illicit activities in the area, including gambling and moonshine. He reportedly survived eight shootings and seven stabbings throughout his career. So yeah… his life naturally makes for a very entertaining movie! While “Walking Tall” is by no means high art, it’s a fun ride during which you’ll need to repeatedly remind yourself that this is actually inspired by true events. Not everything about the movie has aged well, but it remains the gold standard of southern vigilante flicks.

An action-comedy directed by Michael Bay and starring Mark Wahlberg, Dwayne Johnson, and Anthony Mackie, “Pain & Gain” is one of Bay’s more reserved and grounded efforts - however loosely based in reality it may be. The story is inspired by the Sun Gym gang, a group of Miami bodybuilders who kidnapped and extorted a man named Marc Schiller and murdered two people. The historical inaccuracies earned the film a fair amount of criticism—as did the sympathetic depiction of the real life criminals. That being said, the sheer absurdity of this story (paired with the strong performances of its cast) makes “Pain & Gain” a must-watch. Take it with a grain of salt and enjoy it with a big bowl of popcorn.

Serving as Tony Scott’s final film, aside from posthumous releases, “Unstoppable” tells the story of a runaway freight train that was let loose in Ohio in May of 2001. Known as the Crazy Eights Incident, this saw a CSX freight train traveling out of control at 51 miles per hour. Various preventive measures were attempted, like having the police shoot at the emergency fuel cutoff switch as the train passed by. The event finally ended when an engineer and a conductor - played by Denzel Washington and Chris Pine respectively in the film - caught and coupled the train to a second locomotive. It’s a thrilling story, and it was made into a thrilling film that earned the vocal adoration of both Quentin Tarantino and Christopher Nolan.

Another military action movie based on a non-fiction book, “Black Hawk Down” chronicles the horrifying Battle of Mogadishu, which took place over October 3rd and 4th of 1993. Serving as part of Operation Gothic Serpent in the Somali Civil War, the mission was to capture two lieutenants of Somali General Mohamed Farrah Aidid. During the mission, two Black Hawk helicopters were shot down by RPGs, resulting in an overnight standoff and rescue mission as the surviving soldiers defended themselves from surrounding Somali forces. Directed by Ridley Scott from a screenplay by Ken Nolan, it’s one of the most thrilling war films ever made. Rarely have viewers been taken into the thick of combat or given a more intimate perspective of soldiers taking fire.

Released in 2008 and starring martial artist and actor Donny Yen, this Hong Kong film details the life of Ip Man. Ip Man earned renown owing to his status as grandmaster of Wing Chun, and he later earned worldwide popularity when it was discovered that he personally taught film legend Bruce Lee. The movie details Ip Man’s experiences during the Second Sino-Japanese War, which spanned a period of eight years from 1937 to 1945. While the movie earned critical acclaim and numerous awards, it only holds a loose basis in reality, with many changes having been made to add more drama and excitement to the story. Honestly though, the sheer excellence of the resulting film arguably justifies the creative liberties.