Summary
- Best Netflix movies based on a true story capture extraordinary real-life events and important moments in history, transforming them into captivating and entertaining cinematic experiences.
- These films honor the truth while striking a balance between artistic storytelling and reality, offering viewers the chance to immerse themselves in incredible and sometimes unbelievable real events.
- The best Netflix movies based on a true story span a wide range of genres, from Christian dramas and war films to biographical dramas and crime thrillers, providing something for every viewer's preferences and interests.
The best Netflix movies based on a true story inspire, excite, and impact viewers like no other movie. The film industry loves true stories; for that reason, many of the productions are based on the lives of people who experienced extraordinary situations. Likewise, many of these films manage to capture moments in human history that are important to highlight. Cinema transforms those true stories into more artistic and entertaining elements, choosing the details to be told in order to captivate the audience.
Netflix is the home to some of the best documentaries anywhere, and while there are plenty of true stories to entertain subscribers, there are also many of based-on-true story movies with some of the top actors in the world sharing these stories. In many cases, real events exist that are so incredible they surpass any fictional story and seem almost too fantastical to be true. It's not easy to pull off, as in the best Netflix movies based on a true story, directors have a chance to honor the truth in a way that works in a regular movie without going over the line when it comes to reality.
Jesus Revolution (2023)
Released in 2023, Jesus Revolution is a Christian drama movie that arrived in theaters to a minor success, with a $53 million worldwide box office on only a $15 million budget (via Box Office Mojo). The movie stars a pastor (Kelsey Grammer) in 1968 who realizes his church is dying because he struggles to connect with the younger generation. When a young hippie preacher (Jonathan Roumie) shows up, he is able to revitalize the church with his message of love and acceptance. The movement earned the cover story of Time magazine in 1971. The movie received mixed reviews, with the positive reviews coming from fans of Christian films.
Rush (2013)
Ron Howard directed one of the best Netflix movies based on a true story with the inspirational sports film Rush. Chris Hemsworth (Thor) is James Hunt, a brash F1 racecar driver who races for McLaren while Daniel Brühl (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier) is Niki Lauda, an Austrian F1 driver who is his main rival while driving for Ferrari. This movie tells the story of their intense and personal rivalry in the 1976 season. The movie picked up great reviews when released in theaters and fans loved it as well, giving it an A- for its CinemaScore grade.
The Dirt (2019)
The Dirt arrived as a Netflix original in 2019, one of the most notable rock and roll versions of the best Netflix movies based on a true story. Based on the book of the same name, this movie tells the story of Motley Crue and focuses on some of their more lurid and debaucherous moments in their early career. The cast included some big names, including Pete Davidson as a record executive and Machine Gun Kelly as Crue drummer Tommy Lee. The movie picked up mixed reviews, but in this case, the film was a cult favorite for fans of the band and the 80s metal scene in general.
Unbroken (2014)
Unbroken is a war film released in 2014, one of the best Netflix movies based on a true story. Angelina Jolie directed the project, based on the book by Laura Hillenbrand. Jack O'Connell (Eden Lake) stars as a former American Olympian named Capt. Louis "Louie" Zamperini. He survived on a raft for 47 days after his bomber crashed into the ocean before the Japanese captured him and sent him to a POW camp until the end of the war. The movie was a box office success and picked up three Oscar nominations, all for technical achievements.
The Highwaymen (2019)
Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson took on the real-life roles of former Texas Ranger Frank Hamer and his former partner, Benjamin Maney Gault. This story saw Ma Ferguson (the first female governor of Texas) hire both men to track down the criminals, Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow, and kill the two thieves. Unlike other stories about Bonnie & Clyde, this one mostly ignored the infamous criminals and focused on the two lawmen as they followed the leads to find and take the two out. The Highway received mixed reviews but picked up a Satellite Award nomination for Best Miniseries in 2020.
The Photographer Of Mauthausen (2018)
A Spanish photographer imprisoned in the Mauthausen concentration camp managed to save numerous negatives of images that were used in the trials against the Nazis. The film chronicles the life of the prisoners and the work of Francisco Boix, a photographer in the camp laboratory. This access gave him the confidence to conceal the evidence. The photographs were quite conclusive. They showed the abuses and crimes committed for years by the Nazis and revealed the faces of the officers responsible for the camp, as well as others who visited the camp. On the day of the liberation, Boix took photographs, leaving a great memory of the events.
First They Killed My Father (2017)
Angelina Jolie is known for being a humanitarian as well as an actress. She combined both her passions to direct the film First They Killed My Father. The biographical historical thriller is based on the real-life events of Loung Ung's memoir. The film will haunt and shatter many viewers' hearts over the reality experienced by people in third-world countries. Ung (Sreymoch Sareum) is five-years-old in 1975. She is forced to be trained as a child soldier in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. Meanwhile, her siblings are sent away to a labor camp.
The King (2019)
The historical drama follows the life of King Henry V, using the works of William Shakespeare as a reference. Despite the desire for peace, the king must make demonstrations of force to defeat his enemies and unite the country. The film was one of the most ambitious releases of the Netflix platform in 2019 and stars Timothée Chalamet, Robert Pattinson, and Joel Edgerton. The life of the monarch is presented through moral reflection and intrigue in a game of war and power. The pace is slow with a seriousness that weighs up the decisions made, framed with impeccable cinematography with an aesthetic that captures viewers who are fans of epic films.
The Mule (2018)
Clint Eastwood directed one of the best Netflix movies based on a true story with his 2018 drama The Mule. Eastwood also starred in the movie as Korean War veteran Earl Stone (based on Leo Sharp) who makes a living in his late 80s as a drug mule for a drug cartel. The movie was based on a New York Times article about Sharp's arrest, conviction, and prison stay despite his advanced age. On top of Eastwood, Bradley Cooper starred as the DEA Agent working the case. The movie received mixed reviews, and unlike many of Eastwood's projects, missed out on most awards recognition.
Jarhead (2005)
Sam Mendes was on a roll in 2005. He won an Oscar for his debut movie American Beauty in 1999 and then directed the cult-favorite Road to Perdition in 2002. His third movie ended up as one of the best Netflix movies based on a true story with the war movie Jarhead. Jake Gyllenhaal plays Swoff Swofford, a Marine whose father served in Vietnam, and who himself ends up fighting in Operation Desert Shield. With an all-star cast including Jamie Foxx, Chris Cooper, John Krasinski, Dennis Haysbert, and Lucas Black, the movie picked up four Satellite Awards nominations, including one for Gyllenhaal.
Stronger (2017)
Jake Gyllenhaal has appeared in more than one of the best Netflix movies based on a true story, and this includes the 2017 drama Stronger. This movie is based on the memoir by John Pollono and told the story of how he lost his legs in the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing. The movie then shows John as he rehabilitates, fights against giving up, and then works hard to adjust to the new life. The movie was a box office failure, but it was a critical darling, sitting at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes. Gyllenhaal won the Hollywood Film Awards honor for Best Hollywood Actor and his performance is gripping.
Captain Phillips (2013)
Paul Greengrass really broke out as a director with his movies in the Bourne franchise, and then he achieved great success and acclaim with United 93, based on the terrorist attacks on 9/11. He returned with another movie based on a true story in 2013 with Captain Phillips. This was based on the Somali pirates who took an American merchant mariner hostage, and Tom Hanks played the mariner Richard Phillips. The movie was a box office success, made several critics' top 10 lists, has a 93% rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and earned six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
The Boy Who Harnessed The Wind (2019)
The biographical drama is an inspiring film about a child during a food crisis experienced by his neighbors and family in Malawi. After having to leave school due to a lack of resources, William Kamkwamba built a windmill, inspired by a science book he read in the library. Using recycled materials, he managed to make a turbine that pumps water from a local well. The boy saved his community from starvation, as they irrigated the crops on which they depended. The story serves as a critique of the corrupt government, which tried to hide the crisis. It is also an opportunity for inspiration, to those who need encouragement, to use their ingenuity for betterment.
Ray (2004)
Jamie Foxx really turned some heads when he left his comedy roots behind him and took on a role in the biographical musical drama, starring as the legendary musician Ray Charles. Ray is one of the best Netflix movies based on a true story, the movie starts off with Charles' tough beginnings, raised in poverty before starting out in country music despite losing his sight at the age of seven. The movie mostly follows his early career struggles with drug addiction and racial segregation in Georgia. The movie picked up six Oscar nominations, with Foxx winning for Best Actor. The movie also won a Grammy Award.
The Imitation Game (2014)
In 2014, Benedict Cumberbatch (Doctor Strange) starred in The Imitation Game as Alan Turing. One of the best Netflix movies based on a true story, this is based on the Turing biography called Alan Turing: The Enigma by Andrew Hodges. For those who don't know, Turing is the cryptanalyst whose 1950 paper helped the British government decrypt German intelligence messages during World War II. Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, and Mark Strong also starred in the movie. It picked up eight Oscar nominations but only won for Best Adapted Screenplay.
Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
When it comes to the best Netflix movies based on a true story, Charlie Wilson's War is a unique story. Unlike almost every other biographical movie, this one is less a drama and more of a comedy. Written by Aaron Sorkin, the movie stars Tom Hanks as Congressman Charlie Wilson in 1980, a politician more interested in partying than in legislating. The movie focuses on a federal investigation against him and his decision to help people in Soviet-occupied Afghanistan, as suggested by his love interest (Julia Roberts). Philip Seymour Hoffman picked up an Oscar nomination for Best Supporting Actor and the movie earned five Golden Globe nominations.
Darkest Hour (2017)
Joe Wright (Pride & Prejudice) turned his eye to biographical drams with the war film, Darkest Hour. The movie starred Gary Oldman as Winston Churchill and his early days as the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom during World War II. This depicted his refusal to seek peace with Nazi Germany as they advanced across Western Europe. The movie was a minor box office success but gained critical praise for the performance of Oldman. The movie picked up six Oscar nominations, including one for Best Picture, with Oldman winning for Best Actor.
Girl, Interrupted (1999)
The 1999 James Mangold movie Girl, Interrupted is one of the best Netflix movies based on a true story that doesn't seem in any way to be based on real-life events. Winona Ryder stars as an 18-year-old in 1967 who has a nervous breakdown and attempts suicide, only to end up checked into a local mental health facility. While there, she meets a group of other young women (Elisabeth Moss, Clea Duvall, Brittany Murphy, Angelina Jolie) while institutionalized for 18 months. The movie is based on the memoir by Susanna Kaysen (Ryder's character) and ultimately, Jolie won an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
American Hustle (2013)
When it comes to the best Netflix movies based on a true story, the one that is the least accurate is American Hustle. Directed by David O. Russell, this movie is based on the FBI Abscam operation of the late 1970s and early 1980s, but much of what happened is fictionalized into the format of a dark comedy of errors. The cast included Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, Amy Adams, Jeremy Renner, and Jennifer Lawrence. The movie was a huge success, picking up 10 Oscar nominations, although it didn't win any. That includes Best Picture, Best Director, and more.