Movies based on true stories are known to embellish the facts. Some will heighten drama to build tension, as in the finale of Argo, or even invent characters who weren’t real, like Mark Wahlberg’s role in Patriots Day. The practice is so prevalent that many viewers tend to believe that any seemingly unrealistic story moment must be fictionalized. Some films will even counter this notion by downplaying just how impressive the subject’s feats are, as in Hacksaw Ridge, where thefilmmakers didn’t think audiences would believe the true statistics.
Just because some films based on true stories sound unbelievable doesn’t mean that they are. In fact, some of cinema’s best movies based on actual events are all the more interesting because their stories are bizarre. That’s not to say that the films on this list don’t bend the truth in places, but the real stories that inspired each one are known to be factual. Some are dramas, others are sci-fi, and there’s even horror on the list, with each movie being an interpretation of real-life happenings, no matter how crazy the story gets. These are some of the best examples in cinema history where the truth is far stranger than anything in fiction.
‘The Greatest Beer Run Ever’ (2022)
The Greatest Beer Run Ever lives up to its name, telling the story of John “Chickie” Donohue. Chickie was living in New York in 1967 while many of his neighborhood friends were overseas fighting in the Vietnam War. When a local bartender makes an off-the-cuff remark about wishing he could bring a beer to all the boys fighting the war, the comment sticks with Chickie, who sets about doing just that.
Chickie used his merchant marine credentials to make his way via ship to Vietnam. From there, he travels the country, even through active war zones, thanks to his appearance causing others to believe he is in the CIA. Chickie eventually makes it to his friends, delivering beer to each of them one by one, with his life in danger more than a few times. While the story seems unbelievable, some of its most outlandish moments are verified by photos.
‘Lion’ (2016)
Lion tells the story of Saroo Brierley, who was separated from his family in India at the age of five when he accidentally boarded the wrong train, taking him thousands of miles away. After surviving on the streets, he is adopted by an Australian family. While that is already a harrowing journey for the young boy, the craziest part of Saroo’s story takes place 25 years later when he finds his birth family.
Given his circumstances, Saroo didn’t have much to go on in his search, but he used what he had: a few scattered memories and Google Earth. Thanks to Google satellite images, Saroo was able to locate his former hometown using landmarks he recalled, eventually finding his way back to his family.
‘The Conjuring’ (2013)
The Conjuring is definitely one of the more embellished stories on the list. Still, that doesn’t change the fact that the paranormal investigation at the heart of the story really took place. In 1971, the Perron family was experiencing supernatural events that were terrorizing them day and night. Ed and Lorraine Warren, noted real-life paranormal investigators, were asked to come in and help the family.
While moments of levitating chairs and demonic forces lurking in wardrobes venture into cinematic territory, it presents an interpretation of the family’s true ordeal, and the investigative team’s evidence is still around to lend credence to the story. The Conjuring isn’t the only crazy true story involving the Warrens, as they also investigated The Amityville Horror.
‘Army of One’ (2016)
Nicolas Cage has starred in plenty of outlandish films, it just so happens that one of his most bizarre also happens to be true. Army of One tells the story of Gary Faulkner, an eccentric construction worker who believes he is given visions from God telling him to embark on a personal mission to capture Osama bin Laden, which is exactly what he sets about doing.
From 2003 to 2010, Faulkner traveled from the United States to Pakistan 11 times, where he frequently navigated the country’s remote mountains alone. He was arrested by Pakistani police in 2010, and was said to be carrying a sword he purchased from a home-shopping TV station, a bible, a handgun, and night-vision goggles. Faulkner was eventually returned to the U.S., but never did fulfill his mission from God.
‘Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose’ (2023)
Nandor Fodor and the Talking Mongoose is quite the title for a film that claims to be a true story, but it is very much based on real events. As unique as the name is, Dr. Nandor Fodor was an actual psychologist and paranormal investigator, and the talking mongoose was named Gef, pronounced Jeff.
In the Isle of Man in the 1930s, a man claimed that an intelligent talking mongoose was living in his farmhouse. The story caused quite a stir, and Nandor Fodor came to investigate in 1935. Fodor never saw or heard Gef himself, with the investigator ultimately believing there was deception at play from the family. Simon Pegg stars in the film, which takes a grounded approach to the bizarre story, delivering haunting moments and engaging questions.
‘Conviction’ (2010)
For a well-told true story starring Sam Rockwell and Hilary Swank, Conviction should be a more well known film. The movie tells the story of a man who is sentenced to life in prison for a murder he claims to be wrongfully convicted of, spurring his sister to action when his legal options run dry. Conviction sees her spending 18 years earning her GED, working, raising her family, and putting herself through law school, becoming a lawyer to help fight her brother’s case.
While her years of work to become a lawyer already highlight a compelling story, Conviction takes things a step further. With the help of the Innocence Project and her hard-earned law degree, her brother’s wrongful conviction was overturned thanks to DNA evidence. The story is an amazing tale of determination, showing that hard work pays off, and the justice system isn’t always right.
‘Fire in the Sky’ (1993)
In 1975, Travis Walton mysteriously disappeared for five days, with Fire in the Sky telling the story of that time. After a long day of log cutting, Travis and his coworkers are heading home when they see a bright red light in the sky. They stop to check it out, with Travis getting out of the truck to get a closer look. Travis quickly finds himself abducted by an alien ship while the others take off in terror.
The loggers come under suspicion of murder when Travis is reported missing, yet they each pass a lie detector test, showing each man believes the alien abduction story they give the police. After five days, Travis mysteriously returns, deeply traumatized by his disappearance. Audiences then see glimpses of Travis’ time aboard the alien ship, presenting a terrifying tale that is based on fact.
‘Woman of the Hour’ (2023)
Woman of the Hour is a harrowing true story that has TV footage to help back up just how absurd it is. Rodney Alcala was a serial killer who appeared on The Dating Game in 1978 while in the middle of his spree. Anna Kendrick plays Cheryl Bradshaw, the unfortunate contestant who won a date with Alcala on the episode.
Thankfully, Bradshaw got a bad vibe from Alcala and didn’t end up going on the date. At the time of his appearance on The Dating Game, he was already a registered sex offender and on the run for other crimes, making it even crazier that he was selected. Alcala was eventually convicted of seven murders, but investigators thought his actual victim count could have been as high as 130.
‘Last Breath’ (2025)
Last Breath is the type of true story that shouldn’t be possible, but a very select set of circumstances turned it into one of the most incredible survival stories of all time. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong for Chris Lemons, a Scottish saturation diver working in the North Sea. Saturation diving is a harrowing occupation that sees employees living in a confined space at extreme pressures and depths for days and weeks at a time.
On one terrible night in 2012, a storm knocked out every system and backup the surface vessel had. Dangling far below was Chris and his team of saturation divers, who were tossed about with the ship’s movements. Chris’ air hose is ripped loose, leaving him at the bottom of the cold, dark sea with only a few minutes of air and little chance of help. What follows is an unbelievable story that should have had a very different outcome.
‘Operation Mincemeat’ (2021)
Operation Mincemeat is the type of story that makes history simply because the plan worked. Admittedly, had their bold swing failed, it could have served as a brilliantly misguided attempt, but thanks to the operation’s success, it became a bizarre true story that seems made up. After all, it’s not every day that military intelligence uses a corpse to dupe the enemy.
In 1943, the British wanted to convince the Germans they intended to attack Greece instead of Sicily. To accomplish this, a submarine released a dead body in a Royal Marine uniform with a briefcase full of false information that they hoped would wash ashore in the right place. The plan shockingly worked, as the intel made it to the Nazi forces, causing them to move the troops that were hindering the British in Sicily.
Source link
Add Comment