What can make a feature film more exciting? Famous actors? Cool special effects? Or how about an unusual plot? As practice has shown, the most interesting stories are written by real-life events. Captivating films based on real events attract the audience’s attention more than any fiction.
Open up your notepads and start scribbling down these eight must-watch movies based on real events!
1. Bohemian Rhapsody, 2018
Bohemian Rhapsody is a biopic that tells the story of the legendary band “Queen” before their performance at the Live Aid charity concert in 1985. The movie focuses on Freddie Mercury, played by Rami Malek, his role in the success of “Queen,” and his personal life. Thanks to this biopic, the band’s popularity, and especially their song Bohemian Rhapsody, broke all music charts and became the most downloaded in rock music history.
2. The Danish Girl, 2015
This amazing movie’s events unfold in 1920s Denmark. Copenhagen-based artist Gerda Wegener is looking for a model for female portraits. An unexpected thought comes to her mind: what if she were to draw the subtle features of her husband, Einar? She asks him to pose for the painting with make-up and wearing women’s clothes. Einar willingly agrees and even enjoys it, uncovering something secret about his body and mind. Landscape painter Einar Wegener, who later became known as Lili Elbe, was the first person in history to undergo a sex change operation, and this is her story.
3. The King’s Speech, 2010
The events of the King’s Speech focus on King George VI and his struggles with a speech impediment. It all begins with the reign of his father, where we see George as an insecure stutterer who has doubts about whether he wants to rule the country or not. But fate gives him no other choice, so he and his wife turn to a speech therapist to learn how to speak like a real king.
4. Darkest Hour, 2017
The Darkest Hour shows the viewers the first few months of Winston Churchill’s reign as the Prime Minister of Great Britain. These were not the easiest of times, as World War II was about to begin. Most of the British politicians of that time campaigned for an agreement with Hitler’s Germany. But Churchill thought otherwise and established a new post of Minister of Defense, appointing himself and assuming responsibility for leading the army in such a turbulent time.
5. The Disaster Artist, 2017
Tommy Wiseau’s cult classic movie The Room is considered the golden standard of bad cinema. Plot holes, strange narrative style, bad acting — it’s all horrible, and yet the movie gained popularity. One of the actors, Greg Sestero, decided to write a memoir called The Disaster Artist, which then James Franco got his hands on. And so the world’s funniest biopic about how not to make a movie was born. The Disaster Artist even got an Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay.
6. Green Book, 2018
The year is 1962, and our two main characters live in different worlds. Tony is an ordinary Italian-American who works as a security guard and a driver to feed his family. Don Shirley is an African-American pianist on a tour who hires Tony as his driver and bodyguard. While on tour, they get the titular Green Book — a guide that indicates safe places for people of color. By the end of the trip, these two men from completely different worlds, with different characters and views on life, will become close friends.
7. Soul Surfer, 2011
We all know that health problems can greatly impact one’s life, but this wasn’t the case for Bethany Hamilton. Since childhood, the girl has been fond of surfing. At the age of 13, she was attacked by a shark in Hawaii, and the doctors had to amputate her left arm. But what’s a missing arm when you’re a surfing goddess? Bethany continued doing what she loved and even won prestigious championships. Interested? Check out Soul Surfer!
8. Yes Man, 2008
To round things up, let’s throw a comedy into the mix. Jim Carrey gave us many colorful characters over the years, one of which is a reclusive person named Carl who always says “no” to everyone. Carl’s life changes for the better when he starts saying “yes” more and more. The movie loosely follows the autobiography of journalist Danny Wallace, who agreed with everything he was asked for for a whole year. Yes Man is hilarious and makes you rethink your life choices, so you’ll definitely enjoy it!
