Top 10 Historically Inaccurate Crime Movies

A late opus of Martin Scorsese, “The Irishman” tells the story of Jimmy Hoffa’s infamous disappearance. According to the movie, he was killed by a gangster named Frank Sheeran on the orders of crime boss Russell Bufalino. The problem here doesn’t stem from Scorsese, as he nicely adapts Charles Brandt’s 2004 book “I Heard You Paint Houses.” The problem stems from the book itself. Its entire conceit - that Sheeran killed Jimmy Hoffa - is unverifiable. Despite some good evidence that corroborates Sheeran’s story, his confession has been doubted by many experts, including Harvard Law School professor Jack Goldsmith. If Sheeran did indeed make the story up, or at least embellished most of the facts, then that would make “The Irishman” one giant lie.

Turning a real crime that killed two people into a comedy was probably not the best idea. Back in the 1990s, a group of Florida bodybuilders started the Sun Gym gang, named after the gym they all frequented in North Miami. Their crimes culminated in the kidnappings and murders of Frank Griga and Krisztina Furton. Michael Bay turned this tragic story into a dark comedy, and the tone discrepancy serves as one of the film’s biggest errors. But it’s also filled with historical inaccuracies, like adding made-up characters, shortening the much-larger-in-real-life gang, and changing some smaller facts, like how Paul Doyle met Frank Griga. The gist is certainly there, but you know what they say - the devil is in the details.

A classic of the mob genre, Brian De Palma’s “The Untouchables” was a huge success upon release. Grossing over $100 million and earning four Oscar nominations, it was a big hit with both critics and general audiences, despite its history being riddled with bullet holes. The movie tells the story of the titular Untouchables, who worked to bring down Al Capone in the early 1930s. But “story” is the important word here, as most of the film’s events are completely made up for dramatic purposes. Virtually every blockbuster action scene - including the thrilling border raid and the train station shootout - never actually happened. Furthermore, the film greatly glorifies the Untouchables’ role in bringing down Capone.

Shortly after leaving “The Office,” Steve Carell switched genres and became literally unrecognizable as murderer John du Pont. A philanthropist and wrestling enthusiast, du Pont ran Foxcatcher Farm and killed Olympic wrestler Dave Schultz in 1996. The film takes a few notable diversions from the real story, like changing how Schultz met du Pont and having him live in the farm’s guest house after moving to Pennsylvania. Furthermore, Dave and his brother Mark never actually lived together on Foxcatcher Farm. And speaking of Mark Schultz, he was none too pleased with how the film turned out, often posting unfavorable reactions online and criticizing the film’s depiction of him and his brother.

If there’s one thing this list will prove, it’s that you should never trust a Depression-era gangster flick. “The Untouchables” plays fast and loose with historical fact, as does Michael Mann’s “Public Enemies.” This film uses the story of John Dillinger and Melvin Purvis to tell a grander tale about Depression-era crime and the birth of the FBI. It’s a fascinating subject, yet the story is filled with historic nonsense. The deaths of many characters are altered for dramatic purposes, including those of Pretty Boy Floyd, Homer Van Meter, and Baby Face Nelson. As for Dillinger himself, the real man didn’t kill as many people as he does in the film, and he never actually spoke to Purvis.

Considered one of the greatest movies ever made, “Dog Day Afternoon” dramatizes the failed bank robbery conducted by John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile. Most of the names are changed for the film, which is fine enough considering its dramatic deviations from the real story. Wojtowicz was unhappy with how the film turned out, calling it 30% accurate and criticizing its fictional elements. For example, he never actually spoke with his mother during the robbery. Even more egregious was the film’s insinuation that he betrayed Naturile, a fact that Wojtowicz vehemently denied. His ex-wife Carmen Bifulco also took umbrage with her portrayal and sued Warner Bros. for invasion of privacy. The lawsuit failed, with the court ruling in favor of the movie studio.

Oliver Stone’s crime drama has been credited with popularizing the theory that John F. Kennedy was killed in a government conspiracy. The film takes a firm stance in that regard, and in that way, it becomes a three-hour piece of historical fiction. Its entire thesis is potentially made up, and even though the conspiracy theory is a wildly popular one, it’s still a conspiracy theory without a firm basis in fact. While Oliver Stone’s filmmaking was revered and praised, the movie’s story received harsh criticism in the press - particularly for its stance that JFK was assassinated by the American government. For many, this was a wildly untrue, and perhaps even dangerous, assertion to make.

Ben Affleck’s modern classic concerns the Iran hostage crisis and the resulting Canadian Caper that rescued six American diplomats. Take notice of that title - Canadian Caper. You wouldn’t know that watching “Argo,” which is vehemently pro-America. The film dramatically glorifies the role of the CIA while considerably downplaying the importance of the Canadian government. This criticism was directly made by many prominent individuals of the time. For example, Canadian Ambassador Ken Taylor called the CIA “a junior partner” in the operation, and former president Jimmy Carter admitted that “90%... of the plan was Canadian.” Even the postscript text needed to be altered in post, as it insinuated that Taylor did not deserve credit for the operation. This couldn’t be further from the truth.

Arguably the most important crime film ever made, “Bonnie and Clyde” received ten Oscar nominations and shocked audiences with its groundbreaking depictions of graphic violence. Come for its importance in cinema history, not for its realistic depiction of the titular duo. Like their famous car, the film is absolutely riddled with holes. These aren’t just minor details, but major deviations that significantly alter both story and character. Bonnie and Clyde never sent photos to the media, and Frank Hamer did not have a personal vendetta against the duo. He hadn’t even met them before the famous execution. Speaking of that, Clyde never realized that they had been trapped, as he was killed instantly with a shot to the head.

One of Spielberg’s more grounded films, “Catch Me If You Can” relays the literally unbelievable story of con man Frank Abagnale. The problem is that the story is based on Abagnale’s own self-written memoir, meaning we have to take his word as gospel. As it turns out, we were the victims of Abagnale’s greatest con. Doubts have been raised about the book’s veracity since 1978 when reporters debunked his claims of being a Louisiana prosecutor. But the biggest bombshell came in 2020 when journalist Alan Logan found evidence that contradicted most of Abagnale’s stories. His tall tales are either made up or wildly exaggerated, meaning the entire film is a work of pure fiction.