In a year full of biopics, Baz Luhrmann's Elvis took a liberal approach to history in order to capture the spirit of the king of rock and roll, and the upcoming movie Blonde about Marilyn Monroe does not even claim to be a biopic at all. It continues a recent trend of movies that are a lot less concerned with accuracy than they are with telling a good story.
It's debatable whether that's a good or bad thing, but it does post the interesting question of which biographical movie is the least accurate to real-life characters and events. Some, like Bohemian Rhapsody, drew criticism immediately after its release, but others seemed fairly true until the accounts they were based on were called into question - especially on Reddit.
Argo (2012)
Making an accurate movie about intelligence operations was always likely going to be a challenge. But Ben Affleck felt he was up to the task and managed to create a thrilling account of the rescue of six US diplomats from Tehran in the early-80s, using the guise of creating a science fiction movie. Unfortunately, it's also a movie that sparked official controversy for its inaccuracy, as reported in The Washington Post.
Redditor Karl0ssus noted the amount of backlash there was for Argo's inaccuracy, explaining that it's storytelling left a lot of people "somewhat unimpressed." Whilst the real-life mission involved a lot of different factors, Argo giving all the credit to its central character Mendez for a more movie-like conclusion rubbed some people the wrong way.
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
If any movie could be forgiven for editing out a lot of details in order to be more palatable to a mainstream audience, it would certainly be the critically acclaimed Straight Outta Compton. Redditor wyzapped wasn't alone in thinking the movie about the rise and fall of hip hop group N.W.A "cleaned up" the story a bit too much, however.
They felt that the way the movie portrayed the characters, particularly its contributors Dr. Dre and Ice Cube, made them seem so angelic that it "really contradicts their music." Straight Outta Compton gets some facts right, but it fictionalizes a lot, which didn't sit right with some critics.
Rudy (1993)
Whilst Lord of the Rings and Stranger Things dominate Sean Astin's career, the actor's die-hard fans know that one of his big breaks came in this biography of Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger. Rudy follows a footballer determined to play for the University of Notre Dame, despite needing to drastically improve his grades for any hope of doing so.
Whilst it's one of the best movies about not giving up around, one Redditor summed it up best by calling it a "good movie if you keep in mind it is fiction." Joe Montana, the Notre Dame quarterback at the time, has since brutally taken apart some inaccuracies on the Pardon My Take podcast.
The Imitation Game (2014)
Based on Alan Turing: The Enigma, a biography of the man who led the British efforts to crack the enigma code in World War 2, The Imitation Game drew praise for its casting as well as for bringing Turing's story to a wider audience. However, there was one aspect of its portrayal that Redditors weren't happy about.
User Lombard333 felt that the movie made him out to be misunderstood and socially inept to suit Cumberbatch's acting style when, in fact, "Turing was an affable, well-liked guy." Whether it was for Cumberbatch or simply because audiences have come to expect hyper-intelligent characters to be that way, it's not the only inaccuracy that drew criticism.
Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story (1993)
Whilst the title alone may be a giveaway that Dragon: The Bruce Lee Story wasn't going to be aiming for 100% historical accuracy, Redditors felt that didn't disqualify it from being considered one of the most inaccurate biopics of all time. Starring Jason Scott Lee as the iconic martial artist and actor, it's also a surprisingly ambitious re-telling.
Redditor DreamcastJunkie received no shortage of agreement for saying that, though they love the movie, it "doesn't even pretend that it's sticking to the facts." Whilst it certainly helps capture Bruce Lee's spirit, his battle with the demon that haunted his family in the movie is definitely just fiction.
Remember The Titans (2000)
The impact and legacy of iconic figures often end up being re-evaluated as time goes on, and unfortunately, it's meant that this biopic of coach Herman Boone, who coached the newly integrated team of three high schools to a legendary unbeaten run in 1971, isn't as easy to watch in hindsight.
Redditor Redlight0516 listed some reasons why, saying that "Herman Boone would eventually face multiple revolts over his abuse of players from both players and staff," something that was reported in The Washington Post at the time. Along with some other notable inventions, it's one that's better enjoyed as a good story than a true account of the man.
Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Rami Malek's portrayal of Freddie Mercury is considered one of the greatest performances in musical biopics, and he deservedly received the Academy Award for Best Actor for perfectly capturing the energy of the Queen frontman. But that doesn't mean Bohemian Rhapsody is an accurate movie.
Redditor BlancoDelRio went as far as to call it "offensively inaccurate in my opinion." Whilst many have discussed how the movie invented events and changed the timeline for convenience, it was its apparent moralizing about the singer's hedonistic lifestyle while the other band members are portrayed as squeaky clean that really bothered some fans.
American Sniper (2014)
An intense account of Chris Kyle's life, the deadliest sniper in US military history, American Sniper mixed war and personal drama in one of the most uniquely thrilling biographical movies around. Whilst it was a huge critical and commercial hit (via Box Office Mojo) and its basis in Kyle's memoir meant it had a good claim to accuracy, some Redditors had another problem with the movie.
User ActualJohnFKennedy says the issue arises from Kyle himself having exaggerated "nearly everything in that book." Publications like The Navy Times have discussed how real combat records contradict some of Kyle's claims, showing that sometimes even following a real-life account to the letter won't necessarily make for an accurate biopic.
Bloodsport (1988)
Thanks to many parties immediately coming forward to question the claims and fight record of Frank Dux, on whom the movie is based, Bloodsport is now considered a straightforward martial arts action film about a fictional underground fighting tournament more than a biopic. Taken as an attempt at an actual biography, the movie is without a doubt one of the most inaccurate ever.
One Redditor, user Threat-Level--12am, went as far as to do the maths on Dux's claim to have won 56 consecutive knockouts in a single tournament. They pointed out that the "actual number of competitors in that single-elimination fictional Kumite would have to be: 74,057,594,037,927,936," highlighting the absurdity of the "true story" on which Bloodsport is based.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Perhaps basing a movie on a man who claims to be a master of deception wasn't the best way to ensure an accurate biography, and that's exactly what Catch Me If You Can attempted to do. Directed by Steven Spielberg and starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Frank Abagnale, a conman and master of disguise attempting to evade the FBI in the film, Catch Me If You Can is perfect when enjoyed as a great smart comedy.
Countless experts have debunked Abagnale's memoir on which the movie is based, so it's definitely not a biography for those who like accuracy. Redditor attorneyatslaw describes the movie as "a story about a liar based on the liar's lies," and whilst there is a neat sense of circularity to that, it means no one can call it anything other than a completely inaccurate biopic.