A film based on a true story is interesting twice: first you follow the plot, and then you want to find out what really happened. We picked 15 films that are already out, from Chariots of Fire (1981) to The Smashing Machine (2025): dramas, biopics, sports stories and one disaster film. The list only includes films that Wikipedia explicitly describes as based on real events or on books and articles about them; we sum up the real case itself in one line, without details. There is no horror here: it has its own selection of horror movies based on true events. No spoilers: only the setup. The facts come from Wikipedia pages checked on October 21, 2026. We do not list age ratings: they differ between countries and services.
Chariots of Fire
Official trailer · “Chariots of Fire” (1981)Chariots of Fire is a British sports drama about two runners who competed for Britain at the 1924 Olympic Games. Scotsman Eric Liddell, a devout Christian, runs for the glory of God, while Englishman Harold Abrahams, who is Jewish, runs to overcome prejudice against him. The film won four Oscars, including Best Picture, and Vangelis won a statuette for its electronic musical theme. Why watch: a sports-film classic where character matters more than records.
A Beautiful Mind
Official trailer · “A Beautiful Mind” (2001)A Beautiful Mind is a biographical drama about mathematician John Nash, a Nobel laureate in economics. The screenplay is based on Sylvia Nasar’s 1998 biography, and Nash is played by Russell Crowe. The film won four Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Supporting Actress (Jennifer Connelly). Why watch: a story about a brilliant mind and the price that has to be paid for it.
Catch Me If You Can
Official trailer · “Catch Me If You Can” (2002)Catch Me If You Can is a Steven Spielberg crime comedy based on the semi-autobiographical book by Frank Abagnale. Abagnale claimed that before the age of 19 he had posed as a Pan Am pilot, a doctor and a prosecutor, but according to Wikipedia the truth of his story has since been seriously disputed. Frank is played by Leonardo DiCaprio, and the FBI agent on his trail by Tom Hanks. Why watch: a light, stylish story about a con artist.
The Pursuit of Happyness
The Pursuit of Happyness is a biographical drama about Chris Gardner, a San Francisco salesman who spent almost a year without a home of his own together with his young son. The film is based on Gardner’s memoir; Chris is played by Will Smith and his son by Jaden Smith, in his film debut. Will Smith received Oscar and Golden Globe nominations for the role. Why watch: a moving story about a father who does not give up.
The Social Network
Official trailer · “The Social Network” (2010)The Social Network is a David Fincher drama, written by Aaron Sorkin, about how Facebook was created at Harvard. It is based on the 2009 book The Accidental Billionaires, and Mark Zuckerberg is played by Jesse Eisenberg. The film won three Oscars (for Adapted Screenplay, Score and Editing), although, according to Wikipedia, many dispute the accuracy of the events it shows. On October 9, 2026, Sorkin released a new film, The Social Reckoning, about the 2021 Facebook document leak. Why watch: a tense story about friendship, ambition and the lawsuits around a startup.
The Intouchables
Official trailer · “The Intouchables” (2011)The Intouchables (original French title: Intouchables) is a French comedy-drama about a wealthy Parisian aristocrat confined to a wheelchair and a young man from the suburbs who came to a job interview as a carer only to get a signature he needed for his benefits. The plot is inspired by the real story of Philippe Pozzo di Borgo and his helper Abdel Sellou. Omar Sy won the César Award for Best Actor for the role, and until 2014 it was the most popular French film in the world by tickets sold. Why watch: a warm comedy about the friendship of two people who at first had nothing in common.
Moneyball
Official trailer · “Moneyball” (2011)Moneyball is a biographical sports drama based on Michael Lewis’s 2003 nonfiction book. Billy Beane (Brad Pitt), general manager of the Oakland Athletics baseball club, has to build a strong team for the 2002 season on a fraction of his rivals’ budget, and together with his assistant he bets on statistical analysis of players. The film received six Oscar nominations, including Best Picture. Why watch: a sports film where the main fight happens not on the field but in the front office.
Spotlight
Official trailer · “Spotlight” (2015)Spotlight is a newsroom drama: a team of investigative journalists at The Boston Globe called Spotlight uncovers how the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston hid crimes by priests against children for decades. The story draws on a series of articles that won the paper the 2003 Pulitzer Prize. The cast includes Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams; the film won Oscars for Best Picture and Best Original Screenplay. Why watch: a restrained film about how journalists gather evidence step by step.
Deepwater Horizon
Official trailer · “Deepwater Horizon” (2016)Deepwater Horizon is a disaster film about the explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig in the Gulf of Mexico on April 20, 2010, and the oil spill that followed. The screenplay is based on a New York Times article about the rig’s final hours, and the lead roles are played by Mark Wahlberg and Kurt Russell. The film was nominated for two Oscars: Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects. Why watch: a tense story about the people who were working on the rig that day.
Lion
Official trailer · “Lion” (2016)Lion is an Australian biographical drama based on Saroo Brierley’s book A Long Way Home. As a five-year-old, Saroo got lost in India: a train carried him to faraway Calcutta, and he was later adopted by a couple from Australia. Twenty-five years later, the adult Saroo (Dev Patel) sets out to find his birth family. It is Garth Davis’s feature debut; the film received six Oscar nominations, and Patel won a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor. Why watch: a poignant story about memory, home and searching for your roots.
Bohemian Rhapsody
Official trailer · “Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018)Bohemian Rhapsody is a musical biographical drama about Freddie Mercury and Queen, from the band’s founding in 1970 to its performance at the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium in 1985. Mercury is played by Rami Malek, and Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor served as consultants. The film won four Oscars, including Best Actor; at the same time, critics faulted it for taking liberties with the facts. Why watch: Queen’s well-known songs and the Live Aid concert recreated on screen.
Green Book
Official trailer · “Green Book” (2018)Green Book is a comedy-drama about a 1962 tour of the American South: African American pianist Don Shirley (Mahershala Ali) hires Italian American Tony “Lip” Vallelonga (Viggo Mortensen) as his driver and bodyguard. The film takes its title from a guidebook for African American travelers that was published from 1936 to 1966. It won three Oscars (Best Picture, Best Original Screenplay and Ali’s supporting role), but, according to Wikipedia, it was criticized for its depiction of Shirley and of race relations. Why watch: a road movie about the friendship of two very different men.
King Richard
Official trailer · “King Richard” (2021)King Richard is a biographical sports drama about Richard Williams, the father and coach of tennis players Venus and Serena Williams; the sisters themselves were executive producers of the film. Richard is played by Will Smith, and the role won him the Oscar for Best Actor; in total, the film received six nominations. Why watch: the story of a family preparing its daughters for professional sport long before their first wins.
Oppenheimer
Official trailer · “Oppenheimer” (2023)Oppenheimer is Christopher Nolan’s biographical thriller about physicist Robert Oppenheimer, who led the development of the first nuclear weapons during World War II. The film is based on the 2005 biography American Prometheus, and Oppenheimer is played by Cillian Murphy. It won seven Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor. Why watch: a large-scale film about science, responsibility and politics, but be ready for three hours of viewing.
The Smashing Machine
Official trailer · “The Smashing Machine” (2025)The Smashing Machine is a biographical sports drama by Benny Safdie about American mixed martial artist Mark Kerr, played by Dwayne Johnson. It is set in the late 1990s: fights, training and a difficult relationship with his girlfriend, played by Emily Blunt. The cast also includes Ukrainian boxer Oleksandr Usyk. At the 2025 Venice Film Festival, the film won the Silver Lion. Why watch: an unusual dramatic role for Dwayne Johnson in a film about the price of sporting fame.
How we chose
Ever finish a film and immediately want to find out how it really happened? For evenings like that, we’ve gathered dramas, biopics, sports stories and one disaster film, from Chariots of Fire and The Intouchables to The Social Network and Green Book. We relied on viewer reviews, critics’ scores and what we’ve watched ourselves. For a light evening, start with The Intouchables or Catch Me If You Can, and save the three-hour Oppenheimer for the weekend.
What to choose by mood
| What you want | What to pick |
|---|---|
| Sports | Chariots of Fire, Moneyball, King Richard, The Smashing Machine |
| Biography of a famous person | A Beautiful Mind, The Social Network, Bohemian Rhapsody, Oppenheimer |
| Con artists and investigations | Catch Me If You Can, Spotlight |
| Disaster | Deepwater Horizon |
| A warm story about people | The Pursuit of Happyness, The Intouchables, Lion, Green Book |
| Not in English | The Intouchables |
If you want true stories from earlier eras, see our selection of historical films, and real rescue stories are collected among the survival films.
Tip. For a light evening, start with The Intouchables or Catch Me If You Can. Oppenheimer runs three hours, so it is better saved for a day off.
Frequently asked questions
Is everything in these films true?
No. These are feature films: some scenes and dialogue are invented, and the timeline of events is compressed. Wikipedia mentions disputes over accuracy in its articles on Catch Me If You Can, The Social Network, Bohemian Rhapsody and Green Book, among others.
Which films in the selection are about sports?
Chariots of Fire (running, the 1924 Olympic Games), Moneyball (baseball), King Richard (tennis) and The Smashing Machine (mixed martial arts).
Are there any films not in English?
Yes, The Intouchables is in French. The rest of the films are in English.
Where can I watch these films?
Streaming catalogs change, so we do not list them. Check the page of the film you want on a service available to you.
Sources
- Chariots of Fire (Wikipedia)
- The Social Network (Wikipedia)
- Spotlight (film) (Wikipedia)
- Bohemian Rhapsody (film) (Wikipedia)
- Oppenheimer (film) (Wikipedia)
Data was checked against Wikipedia on October 21, 2026.
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