10 Most Historically Accurate Movies, According To Reddit

With recent period pieces such as The Northman, The Courier, and The Last Duel receiving praise for their historic accuracies, other worthy films deserve a look. Some of the greatest films have focused on covering historical events, or eras. While many era pieces take liberties with their "facts", there are plenty of filmmakers who wanted an authentic, accurate representation of the material that was covered.

War, political events, economic downfalls, and murders have all been covered with attention to historical accuracy, in fact, films like Zodiac, Apollo 13, and Saving Private Ryan have received critical acclaim for the research involved in production.

The Big Short (2015)

The Big Short starring Steve Carrell and Christian Bale

Depicting the economic recession between 2007-2009, The Big Short has multiple storylines about characters such as Christian Bale's hedge fund manager Michael Burry, executive Jared Vennett, and investors Charlie Geller and Jamie Shipley. The film follows them as they noticed the incoming collapse of the United States housing market.

As Reddit user GOATrieIrving notes, the characters "discovered" the bubble and predicted that it was about to burst" much like some did during the actual recession. During the years before the recession, it shows some of these characters "hedging" or betting, on the fall of the economy. While they are ignored at first, these men become extremely wealthy when it does happen. However, at a cost... the wealth brings a sense of guilt as so many families across the United States lost everything. While the film is praised, many financial experts see it as a warning, as this could happen again.

Zodiac (2007)

As Reddit user mattholomus notes, "Zodiac is quite careful about being historically accurate." In many thrillers and horrors that are based on actual events, directors take liberties with dramatization, however, Zodiac was different.

While details like the clues that led to speculation of the killer may have been slightly embellished, David Fincher, the director, made it a mission to make Zodiac as accurate as possible. The director spent months interviewing suspects' family members, witnesses, retired and current investigators, and even eyewitnesses. Fincher felt that making a film that convicted someone posthumously deserved the proper attention and respect to the victims and witnesses involved. However, to this day, the Zodiac killer remains at large.

Apollo 13 (1995)

Apollo 13, starring Tom Hanks is routinely lauded for its scientific accuracy. As Reddit user drzowie notes of the Apollo Lunar Module's wet and cold interior, "the walls and CM instrument panel would definitely be cold compared to the warm, moist air breathed by the astronauts".

The docudrama, which was nominated for nine Academy Awards, received extensive support from the crew onboard the actual Apollo 13 mission and resources from NASA to boost the film's authenticity. Director Ron Howard based the movie's events on Commander Jim Lovell's book, Lost Moon: The Perilous Voyage of Apollo 13. The storytelling was not the only accurate piece in the film, the set designs were modeled to replicate the inside, and the lead actors (Tom Hanks, Kevin Bacon, and Bill Paxton) filmed their scenes in zero-gravity when necessary.

United 93 (2006)

The film depicted the fateful flight that occurred on September 11th, 2001. As Reddit user mickeyflinn states, United 93 "did a great job of illustrating the events that happened on that day." to as accurate a degree as possible given the conditions.

While some liberties had to be taken for the film, it featured real, brutal, and heartbreaking moments. The film was historically accurate due to the flight logs, phone calls made by passengers, and ultimately, the flight recordings. These flight recordings confirmed that after the hijacking, the passengers decided to take matters into their own hands and fought the hijackers. This was the only plane that did not reach the hijackers' target, instead, crashing into a field in Pennsylvania. There were no survivors.

Black Hawk Down (2001)

The 2001 war film, Black Hawk Down, is a pretty excellent war movie. As this Reddit user states "Certainly the best modern war movie of all time in my opinion." While that may be a hot take, the film did its job in bringing the conflict to the big screen.

While the initial reporting via news articles paints a much more graphic scene than what is shown in Black Hawk Down, several areas of the film are considered extremely accurate. The life on a day-to-day basis of these operators is dirty, long, and raucous. Black Hawk Down shows the men's weaknesses and strengths and how it ultimately affects the mission. For instance, the team forgets to take NODs (night vision devices) at one point. Another accurate portrayal was the inexperience of some members, their youth and lack of combat experience made them a liability at some junctions. On the other hand, it shows how elite some of these combatants were, the hours of training, the sweat, and discipline all pay off as they perform their duties with excellence.

Master & Commander: The Far Side Of The World (2003)

The film stars Russell Crowe as Captain Jack Aubrey and follows the Captain during the Napoleonic Wars. While the novels the film was based on may be fictional, the referenced material such as ships, artifacts, and rigs was extremely accurate for the period. As Reddit user Dumannios_Raven notes, "This movie is unbelievably accurate from a material culture standpoint."

The research that went into this film is remarkable, several historians and archeologists were brought in to consult on the materials and practices for the film. Sleeping caps, watch caps, shoes, swords, and even ship furniture are all accurate to the period. In fact, even some medicinal practices and sailing techniques are done in respect to the period. Very few films pay the level of attention that Master & Commander did, and to success, as the film grossed over $211 million at the box office (for what is considered a "passion project").

Saving Private Ryan (1998)

Considered one of the greatest war films ever made, Saving Private Ryan was inspired by the events of the Normandy Landings. The film did follow real-life events, however, it added dramatized elements for the sake of the movie. While some military equipment and techniques were inaccurate, the theme hit close to home for many veterans on the shores. War depicts the brutality of death and Saving Private Ryan visualizes that meaning. As Reddit user, JJDOGG22 says, "Part of the theme of the movie is that the war was senseless."

The plot ultimately revolves around a group tasked with bringing a soldier home, however, it is the horrific journey to that point that makes Saving Private Ryan one of the most accurate films ever made. The point of view of each troop on the shore humanizes these men, as many war films had shown the viewpoint of generals moving their troops from a distance. The random violence, gore, and destruction of WWII had almost no effect on the troops as they were in shock. What is considered a gruesome atrocity was merely a side-note in the days of the Normandy Landings.

Alexander (2004)

While the film took some liberties in its timeline, it did feature some historic moments as they happened in reality. Alexander is one of Colin Farell's highest-grossing movies, and while the theatrical release received negative reviews, the director's cut fleshed the story out much better and is worth the watch. As Reddit user drogyn1701 notes, the film is "quite accurate to what we know." The film follows Alexander's complex personality as noted in historic writings and focused on his vision to unite the Eastern and Western worlds. The philosophy behind his motives was quite accurate, as Alexander was enamored with Greek culture, and his ambition to spread and conquest was displayed throughout the film.

There are criticisms of the film by some historians as some key battles and sieges were left out, however, small details were left in to fill in some dramatized parts. For instance, Ptolemy, one of Alexander's generals, was likely to have kept a diary that noted some of Alexander's lesser-known actions. This journal would have been kept at Alexandria, where the famous Great Library burned centuries later. Much more of Alexander's history was thus burned and never to be learned from.

The Courier (2020)

The Cold War-era film starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne was based Wynne who became an unlikely MI6 agent in the early 1960s. The film showcased many of the Cold War-era spy tactics used and even some torture tactics. In one scene, KGB agents are scene giving grotesquely looking food with frog eyeballs in it, and finally, giving the captured delicious looking food if they sign a document. What Reddit user grady999 says is basically an admission of guilt.

The film is a slow burn that has a satisfying payoff, audiences are shown the initial contact stages and how spies have to form relationships with their contacts. This is all happening while they routinely fear for their lives as Wynne was working behind enemy lines in a sense.

Das Boot (1981)

Das Boot is the greatest war film of all time, according to Reddit user freakalicious. While that is up for debate, it is routinely lauded as one of the great war movies of the last 50 years. Das Boot is one of the most realistic portrayals of life aboard a U-boat. The film follows a crew aboard a submarine during the Battle of the Atlantic, which claimed the lives of 3/4s of 40,000 German submariners.

While the action scenes are reminiscent of any war film, what makes Das Boot accurate is its portrayal of day-to-day life, 50 men are crammed into a narrow tube. The stale stagnant air seems almost tangible. Body odor and engine oil are the only scents the crew smells other than their chow time. Another accuracy was just how wet U-boats became in that era. Any time the sub ran on the surface in heavy seas, cold water would plunge through the main hatch, drenching everyone in the control room and leaving clothing wet for hours.

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