Based on a true story (kind of)
by Alberto-7 | created - 04 Jan 2013 | updated - 03 Nov 2021 | PublicSome films that I have seen that are (somewhat) based on true events. I have not included sports films.
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1. Victory at Entebbe (1976 TV Movie)
Unrated | 119 min | Action, Drama, History
In 1976, terrorists hijack an Air France airplane, and divert it to Uganda, where they demand to exchange their hostages for fellow terrorists held in Israeli jails.
Director: Marvin J. Chomsky | Stars: Helmut Berger, Linda Blair, Kirk Douglas, Richard Dreyfuss
Votes: 1,274
A little too schmaltzy and overlong. Not as interesting as Raid on Entebbe.
2. Raid on Entebbe (1976)
Not Rated | 145 min | Action, Drama, History
True story of a daring Israeli commando assault on the Entebbe Airport in Uganda to free hostages of a terrorist hijacking.
Director: Irvin Kershner | Stars: Peter Finch, Charles Bronson, Yaphet Kotto, Martin Balsam
Votes: 3,804
The best of the three films on the Entebbe rescue with an in-form Charles Bronson and a great performance from Peter Finch.
3. Operation Thunderbolt (1977)
PG | 124 min | Action, Drama, History
In July 1976, an Air France flight from Tel-Aviv to Paris via Athens was hijacked and forced to land in Entebbe, Uganda. The Jewish passengers were separated and held hostage in demand to ... See full summary »
Director: Menahem Golan | Stars: Yehoram Gaon, Gila Almagor, Assi Dayan, Klaus Kinski
Votes: 1,026
This has the Israeli government's seal of approval but it isn't as engrossing as Raid on Entebbe.
4. Sword of Gideon (1986 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 173 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
Chronicles a Mossad team hand picked to hunt down the terrorists involved in the 1972 Munich Olympic massacre of Israeli athletes.
Director: Michael Anderson | Stars: Steven Bauer, Michael York, Robert Joy, Laurent Malet
Votes: 1,340
Solid made for Cable film with a great cast and lots of location work. Although based on the same book, this is better than Munich.
5. Munich (2005)
R | 164 min | Action, Drama, History
After the Black September capture and massacre of Israeli athletes at the 1972 Olympics, five men are chosen to eliminate the people responsible for that fateful day.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Eric Bana, Daniel Craig, Marie-Josée Croze, Ciarán Hinds
Votes: 238,223 | Gross: $47.40M
This was good but not as well made as Sword of Gideon.
6. Escape from Iran: The Canadian Caper (1981 TV Movie)
97 min | Drama, History, Thriller
A dramatized account of how the staff of the Canadian Embassy helped a group of American diplomats escape from Iran during the Iranian Revolution.
Director: Lamont Johnson | Stars: Gordon Pinsent, Chris Wiggins, Diana Barrington, Robert Joy
Votes: 147
Tense, character driven drama based on the escape of 6 Americans from Iran. I prefer this to Argo.
7. Argo (2012)
R | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History
Acting under the cover of a Hollywood producer scouting a location for a science fiction film, a CIA agent launches a dangerous operation to rescue six Americans in Tehran during the U.S. hostage crisis in Iran in 1979.
Director: Ben Affleck | Stars: Ben Affleck, Bryan Cranston, John Goodman, Alan Arkin
Votes: 638,935 | Gross: $136.03M
Great start to the film but a ridiculously exaggerated, unreal ending spoiled it for me. I much prefer the more realistic Escape From Iran The Canadian Caper.
8. Operation Eichmann (1961)
Approved | 92 min | Crime, Drama, History
With the defeat of Germany that ends World War II in Europe, the Allies discover the true horror of more than six million Jews slaughtered by the Nazis - and the fact that one of the ... See full summary »
Director: R.G. Springsteen | Stars: Werner Klemperer, Ruta Lee, Donald Buka, Luis Van Rooten
Votes: 314
Really, really bad.
9. The House on Garibaldi Street (1979 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 101 min | Drama
A true-life political thriller that dramatizes the 1960 capture in Argentina of Nazi war criminal Adolf Eichmann, by the Israelis.
Director: Peter Collinson | Stars: Topol, Nick Mancuso, Janet Suzman, Martin Balsam
Votes: 353
Very tense and exciting with solid performances from Topol and Albert Burke. Great location filming in Spain doubling for Argentina.
10. The Man Who Captured Eichmann (1996 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, History, War
The story of the 1960 hostile extraction of the Nazi war criminal, Adolf Eichmann, by the Mossad to Israeli justice.
Director: William A. Graham | Stars: Robert Duvall, Arliss Howard, Jeffrey Tambor, Jack Laufer
Votes: 801
Ok film but much too slow and drawn out.
11. Passchendaele (2008)
R | 114 min | Drama, History, Romance
The lives of a troubled veteran, his nurse girlfriend and a naive boy intersect first in Alberta and then in Belgium during the bloody World War I battle of Passchendaele.
Director: Paul Gross | Stars: Paul Gross, Michael Greyeyes, James Kot, Jesse Frechette
Votes: 8,799
A little corny but still very good with spectacular war scenes. Paul Gross is a little old for the role but he still pulls it off.
12. Captain Phillips (2013)
PG-13 | 134 min | Action, Biography, Crime
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the U.S.-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years.
Director: Paul Greengrass | Stars: Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Barkhad Abdirahman, Catherine Keener
Votes: 492,427 | Gross: $107.10M
Absolutely riveting film with a tour-de-force performance by Tom Hanks. The last hour is so intense you will not be able to breathe.
13. Charlie Wilson's War (2007)
R | 102 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A drama based on a Texas congressman Charlie Wilson's covert dealings in Afghanistan, where his efforts to assist rebels in their war with the Soviets have some unforeseen and long-reaching effects.
Director: Mike Nichols | Stars: Tom Hanks, Julia Roberts, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Amy Adams
Votes: 124,858 | Gross: $66.66M
Not too bad story but what is Julia Roberts doing in this?
14. Nowhere in Africa (2001)
R | 141 min | Biography, Drama, History
Due to Hitler's threat, Walter Redlich, a Jewish lawyer, immigrates to Kenya with his wife Jettel and daughter Regina. Things take a turn when the family is ordered to move by the British officers.
Director: Caroline Link | Stars: Juliane Köhler, Merab Ninidze, Matthias Habich, Sidede Onyulo
Votes: 13,956 | Gross: $6.17M
Beautiful film with great performances.
15. Kandahar (2001)
Not Rated | 81 min | Drama
After an Afghanistan-born woman who lives in Canada receives a letter from her suicidal sister, she takes a perilous journey through Afghanistan to try to find her.
Director: Mohsen Makhmalbaf | Stars: Nelofer Pazira, Hassan Tantai, Ike Ogut, Sadou Teymouri
Votes: 7,064 | Gross: $0.02M
Sad, sad film about people caught up in war and oppression. Will leave an impression on you for a long time.
16. Escape from Alcatraz (1979)
PG | 112 min | Action, Biography, Crime
Alcatraz is the most secure prison of its time. It is believed that no one can ever escape from it, until three daring men make a possibly successful attempt at escaping from one of the most infamous prisons in the world.
Director: Don Siegel | Stars: Clint Eastwood, Patrick McGoohan, Roberts Blossom, Jack Thibeau
Votes: 147,384 | Gross: $43.00M
Clint Eastwood is too good to play the lead. Patrick McGoohan too over the top. This is what happens when Hollywood does what it likes. Still, there are some tense moments in the film.
17. Mountains of the Moon (1990)
R | 136 min | Adventure, Drama, History
The legendary true-story of Capt. Richard Francis Burton and Lt. John Hanning Speke's tumultuous expedition to find the source of the Nile river.
Director: Bob Rafelson | Stars: Patrick Bergin, Iain Glen, Richard E. Grant, Fiona Shaw
Votes: 4,254 | Gross: $4.01M
Solid period piece.
18. Bhopal Express (1999)
100 min | Drama
A newlywed couple's lives are changed during the lethal gas tragedy in Bhopal, India in 1984.
Director: Mahesh Mathai | Stars: Kay Kay Menon, Nethra Raghuraman, Zeenat Aman, Vijay Raaz
Votes: 399
Gut-wrenching film on the Bhopal disaster. The only negative: What in heck is a Bollywood musical number doing in this?
19. In the Line of Duty: The F.B.I. Murders (1988 TV Movie)
Not Rated | 92 min | Action, Crime, Drama
Florida 1985: A series of brutal robberies and murders keeps the F.B.I busy. Although all crimes seem to be comitted by the same group, they can't hunt them down. The experienced officer ... See full summary »
Director: Dick Lowry | Stars: Ronny Cox, Bruce Greenwood, Michael Gross, Doug Sheehan
Votes: 1,070
Intense to the extreme. The final shootout with the FBI is as gritty as you can get.
20. Von Richthofen and Brown (1971)
PG-13 | 97 min | Action, Biography, Drama
The story of Manfred von Richthofen, the German air ace during World War I and his struggle with the enemy aces and some jealous German officers.
Director: Roger Corman | Stars: John Phillip Law, Don Stroud, Barry Primus, Corin Redgrave
Votes: 1,385 | Gross: $0.17M
Aerial combats are great but the acting is weak. Too bad.
21. Not Without My Daughter (1991)
PG-13 | 116 min | Drama, Thriller
An American woman trapped in Islamic Iran by her brutal husband must find a way for her and her daughter to escape.
Director: Brian Gilbert | Stars: Sally Field, Alfred Molina, Sheila Rosenthal, Roshan Seth
Votes: 14,623 | Gross: $14.79M
Sally Field is great in this.
22. Whiskey Tango Foxtrot (2016)
R | 112 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A journalist recounts her wartime coverage in Afghanistan.
Directors: Glenn Ficarra, John Requa | Stars: Tina Fey, Margot Robbie, Martin Freeman, Alfred Molina
Votes: 56,580 | Gross: $23.05M
This film does not know if it wants to be a comedy or a drama. Consequently, it falls flat and never gets us involved. Disappointing. Tina Fey is ok but can't save the movie. Billy Bob Thornton is about the only actor who pulls his weight. Don't bother with this one.
23. Sully (2016)
PG-13 | 96 min | Biography, Drama
When pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger lands his damaged plane on the Hudson River in order to save the flight's passengers and crew, some consider him a hero while others think he was reckless.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Tom Hanks, Aaron Eckhart, Laura Linney, Valerie Mahaffey
Votes: 297,962 | Gross: $125.07M
Terrific recreation of the 2009 landing on the Hudson river. Hanks is amazing as always and he is backed by a great supporting cast including Aaron Eckhart as the first officer. The crash scenes are tense and the rescue well set up. Overall top marks to Clint Eastwood and company.
24. Alien Thunder (1974)
PG | 93 min | Western
Based on an actual event, this is the tragic story of Saskatchewan fugitive Almighty Voice, a Cree Indian who is arrested for stealing government livestock out of desperate hunger.
Director: Claude Fournier | Stars: Donald Sutherland, Gordon Tootoosis, Chief Dan George, Kevin McCarthy
Votes: 371
The true story this film tries to tell is very interesting and significant in the history of Canada. Unfortunately, the filmmakers decided to focus on the sensational and let their imaginations run wild which ruins the movie. Donald Sutherland does what he can with the poor script but he can't save this fiasco. The Saskatchewan landscapes are beautiful, thankfully.
25. Bethune: The Making of a Hero (1990)
115 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
Canadian surgeon Dr. Norman Bethune (Donald Sutherland) journeys 1,500 miles into China to reach Mao Zedong's eighth route Army in the Wu Tai mountains where he will build hospitals, ... See full summary »
Director: Phillip Borsos | Stars: Donald Sutherland, Helen Mirren, Helen Shaver, Colm Feore
Votes: 414
Terrific biopic with a spectacular performance by Donald Sutherland as Dr. Norman Bethune. The story is epic in nature and the location filming in China adds greatly to the overall experience. Not to be missed.
26. Chaplin (1992)
PG-13 | 143 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
An elderly Charlie Chaplin discusses his autobiography with his editor, recounting his amazing journey from his poverty-stricken childhood to world-wide success after the ingenious invention of the Little Tramp.
Director: Richard Attenborough | Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Geraldine Chaplin, Paul Rhys, John Thaw
Votes: 62,206 | Gross: $9.49M
Robert Downey Jr. is actually not bad as Chaplin but I got the feeling that they were more interested in showing all the sleazy parts of his life and focus less on his brilliant cinematic career. This could have been so much better had they dealt more with the film making process.
27. The Thin Red Line (1998)
R | 170 min | Drama, History, War
Adaptation of James Jones' autobiographical 1962 novel, focusing on the conflict at Guadalcanal during the second World War.
Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Jim Caviezel, Sean Penn, Nick Nolte, Kirk Acevedo
Votes: 199,546 | Gross: $36.40M
One of the greatest war films of all time. Terence Malick's direction is sublime. The acting is mostly top notch and the location filming epic. Not to be missed.
28. Grey Owl (1999)
PG-13 | 118 min | Biography, Drama, Western
The story of the life and work of the Canadian fur trapper-turned-conservationist who claimed to be an aboriginal North American.
Director: Richard Attenborough | Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Stewart Bick, Vlasta Vrana, Annie Galipeau
Votes: 4,037 | Gross: $0.63M
Overly schmaltzy biopic which only covers a small part of Grey Owl's life. A lot of this film feels forced. At least the landscapes(Chelsea Quebec doubling for Northern Saskatchewan) are beautiful. Your enjoyment depends a great deal how much you like Pierce Brosnan.
29. Louis Cyr (2013)
123 min | Biography, Drama, History
Biopic of Louis Cyr, strongest man in the world at the end of the 19th Century.
Director: Daniel Roby | Stars: Antoine Bertrand, Guillaume Cyr, Rose-Maïté Erkoreka, Gilbert Sicotte
Votes: 1,915
Very good effort. The historical reconstruction is well done. The story fairly interesting.
30. The Life and Death of Peter Sellers (2004)
TV-MA | 122 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
The feature adaptation of Roger Lewis' book about the actor best remembered as Inspector Clouseau in the Pink Panther movies.
Director: Stephen Hopkins | Stars: Geoffrey Rush, Charlize Theron, Emily Watson, John Lithgow
Votes: 15,286
Geoffrey Rush is simply amazing in this but like most biopics, they have tried to cram too much into this. The focus on Sellers' troubled romances is given too much screen time. The whole bit about what happened during the shooting of Casino Royale should have been a lot better. Instead it falls flat. I have mixed feelings about this one.
31. The General (1926)
Passed | 78 min | Action, Adventure, Comedy
After being rejected by the Confederate military, not realizing it was due to his crucial civilian role, an engineer must single-handedly recapture his beloved locomotive after it is seized by Union spies and return it through enemy lines.
Directors: Clyde Bruckman, Buster Keaton | Stars: Buster Keaton, Marion Mack, Glen Cavender, Jim Farley
Votes: 98,098 | Gross: $1.03M
Keaton has taken the best parts of the true story and molded it into his film which is a masterpiece. He has changed the focus to have the Confederacy as the heroes but this does not diminish the greatness of the film. Definitely not to be missed.
32. The Terminal (2004)
PG-13 | 128 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
An Eastern European tourist unexpectedly finds himself stranded in JFK airport, and must take up temporary residence there.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Hanks, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Chi McBride, Stanley Tucci
Votes: 495,076 | Gross: $77.87M
This film does not come close to telling the true story it was inspired by. Instead, it is a completely Hollywood re-imagining of the premise. As such it works extremely well . This is in no small part because of the winning performance by Tom Hanks.
33. Paris 1919: Un traité pour la paix (2009 TV Movie)
90 min | Documentary, Drama, History
A film about the Paris Peace Conference that negotiated the end of World War I with the Versailles Treaty.
Director: Paul Cowan | Stars: R.H. Thomson, David Lowe, Paul Bandey, Yan Brian
Votes: 176
Ok, this is mostly a documentary but there are enough historical recreations of the most important moments that justify me adding it to this list. A terrific docu-drama on an important moment in the history of the modern world.
34. Reilly: Ace of Spies (1983)
TV-MA | 720 min | Crime, Drama
A dramatization of the missions and adventures of the greatest spy in British history.
Stars: Sam Neill, Michael Bryant, Norman Rodway, Tom Bell
Votes: 1,687
Sam Neill is great in this. Some of his adventures strain credibility somewhat but overall this works.
35. Bridge of Spies (2015)
PG-13 | 142 min | Drama, History, Thriller
During the Cold War, an American lawyer is recruited to defend an arrested Soviet spy in court, and then help the CIA facilitate an exchange of the spy for the Soviet captured American U2 spy plane pilot, Francis Gary Powers.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Tom Hanks, Mark Rylance, Alan Alda, Amy Ryan
Votes: 327,638 | Gross: $72.31M
Brilliant recreation of the cold war era with a tense script and great performances all around. A must see if you are interested in the history of the cold war.
36. We Bought a Zoo (2011)
PG | 124 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
Set in Southern California, a father moves his young family to the countryside to renovate and re-open a struggling zoo.
Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Elle Fanning
Votes: 151,698 | Gross: $75.62M
This story gets the Disney treatment and is fine for what it is-a film for the entire family.
37. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
PG-13 | 135 min | Biography, Drama, Mystery
A mathematical genius, John Nash made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a harrowing journey of self-discovery.
Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer
Votes: 986,557 | Gross: $170.74M
I get the feeling that they changed this story a great deal. Did not really enjoy this one.
38. Amadeus (1984)
R | 160 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, as told by Antonio Salieri, the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.
Director: Milos Forman | Stars: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Roy Dotrice
Votes: 427,803 | Gross: $51.97M
Simply brilliant biopic.
39. Trumbo (2015)
R | 124 min | Biography, Drama
In 1947, Dalton Trumbo was Hollywood's top screenwriter, until he and other artists were jailed and blacklisted for their political beliefs.
Director: Jay Roach | Stars: Bryan Cranston, Diane Lane, Helen Mirren, Louis C.K.
Votes: 84,764 | Gross: $7.86M
This film gets the movie-of-the-week treatment. Bryan Cranston is great but the film feels rushed.
40. The King's Speech (2010)
R | 118 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of King George VI, his unexpected ascension to the throne of the British Empire in 1936, and the speech therapist who helped the unsure monarch overcome his stammer.
Director: Tom Hooper | Stars: Colin Firth, Geoffrey Rush, Helena Bonham Carter, Derek Jacobi
Votes: 707,775 | Gross: $138.80M
Terrific film with a tour-de-force performance by Helena Bonham Carter. Colin Firth is also great. A real feel for the era.
41. The Elephant Man (1980)
PG | 124 min | Biography, Drama
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of kindness, intelligence and sophistication.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, Anne Bancroft, John Gielgud
Votes: 258,343
Sensitive portrayal of the subject. A real underplayed film. John Hurt is simply sublime in the title role.
42. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
R | 111 min | Action, Biography, Crime
Bored waitress Bonnie Parker falls in love with an ex-con named Clyde Barrow and together they start a violent crime spree through the country, stealing cars and robbing banks.
Director: Arthur Penn | Stars: Warren Beatty, Faye Dunaway, Michael J. Pollard, Gene Hackman
Votes: 120,575
Warren Beatty really surprised me in this. He turned the character into a three dimensional person and not a caricature. Great cast and real feel for the 1930s.
43. Raging Bull (1980)
R | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The life of boxer Jake LaMotta, whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Cathy Moriarty, Joe Pesci, Frank Vincent
Votes: 380,051 | Gross: $23.38M
Intense to the extreme like a punch to the gut. Terrific cast.
44. Ed Wood (1994)
R | 127 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Ambitious but troubled movie director Edward D. Wood Jr. tries his best to fulfill his dreams despite his lack of talent.
Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette
Votes: 183,922 | Gross: $5.89M
Very, very funny biopic which never takes itself seriously. Martin Landau steals the show here.
45. Gandhi (1982)
PG | 191 min | Biography, Drama, History
The life of the lawyer who became the famed leader of the Indian revolts against the British rule through his philosophy of nonviolent protest.
Director: Richard Attenborough | Stars: Ben Kingsley, John Gielgud, Rohini Hattangadi, Roshan Seth
Votes: 240,165 | Gross: $52.77M
Sweeping epic film that is unforgettable.
46. La Bamba (1987)
PG-13 | 108 min | Biography, Drama, Music
Biographical story of the rise from nowhere of early rock and roll singer Ritchie Valens who died at age 17 in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper.
Director: Luis Valdez | Stars: Lou Diamond Phillips, Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto, Elizabeth Peña
Votes: 36,427 | Gross: $54.22M
Ok for what it is. A good film to see on a rainy day.
47. Midnight Express (1978)
R | 121 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Billy Hayes, an American college student, is caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey and thrown into prison.
Director: Alan Parker | Stars: Brad Davis, Irene Miracle, Bo Hopkins, Paolo Bonacelli
Votes: 88,205 | Gross: $35.00M
I read the book and the movie does not do it justice. Too many things have been changed. Nonetheless this is a very harrowing story.
48. Capote (2005)
R | 114 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
In 1959, Truman Capote learns of the murder of a Kansas family and decides to write a book about the case. While researching for his novel In Cold Blood, Capote forms a relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith, who is on death row.
Director: Bennett Miller | Stars: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Clifton Collins Jr., Catherine Keener, Allie Mickelson
Votes: 140,717 | Gross: $28.75M
Seymour Philip Hoffman is sublime as Truman Capote.
49. The Last King of Scotland (2006)
R | 123 min | Biography, Drama, History
Based on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime as seen by his personal physician during the 1970s.
Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: James McAvoy, Forest Whitaker, Gillian Anderson, Kerry Washington
Votes: 195,977 | Gross: $17.61M
Intense film with a great performance by Forest Whitaker. The film builds suspense slowly but ultimately delivers.
50. Good Morning, Vietnam (1987)
R | 121 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
In 1965, an unorthodox and irreverent DJ named Adrian Cronauer begins to shake up things when he is assigned to the U.S. Armed Services radio station in Vietnam.
Director: Barry Levinson | Stars: Robin Williams, Forest Whitaker, Tom T. Tran, Chintara Sukapatana
Votes: 153,715 | Gross: $123.92M
Robin Williams overacts to the maximum in this but it is funny.
51. Hitchcock (2012)
PG-13 | 98 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
The relationship between Alfred Hitchcock and his wife Alma Reville during the filming of Psycho (1960) in 1959 is explored.
Director: Sacha Gervasi | Stars: Anthony Hopkins, Helen Mirren, Scarlett Johansson, Danny Huston
Votes: 79,205 | Gross: $6.01M
Strictly by-the-numbers biopic that follows Hitchcock`s career. Not as strong as it could have been but helped greatly by Scarlet Johansson's performance as Janet Leigh.
52. Great Balls of Fire! (1989)
PG-13 | 108 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The life and career of wildly controversial rock 'n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis.
Director: Jim McBride | Stars: Dennis Quaid, Winona Ryder, John Doe, Stephen Tobolowsky
Votes: 18,881 | Gross: $13.74M
Not bad.
53. The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)
R | 126 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, popularly known as Che, along with his friend Alberto Granado, decides to take a road trip across South America. His experiences on the journey transform him.
Director: Walter Salles | Stars: Gael García Bernal, Rodrigo de la Serna, Mía Maestro, Mercedes Morán
Votes: 104,761 | Gross: $16.78M
Beautiful, sensitive, nuanced film. Not to me missed.
54. Good Night, and Good Luck. (2005)
PG | 93 min | Biography, Drama, History
Broadcast journalist Edward R. Murrow looks to bring down Senator Joseph McCarthy.
Director: George Clooney | Stars: David Strathairn, George Clooney, Patricia Clarkson, Jeff Daniels
Votes: 101,282 | Gross: $31.56M
Terrific feel for the 1950s. This and great performances makes this rise above most films that attempt to recreate the era.
55. The Straight Story (1999)
G | 112 min | Biography, Drama
An old man makes a long journey by lawnmower to mend his relationship with an ill brother.
Director: David Lynch | Stars: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Jane Galloway Heitz, Joseph A. Carpenter
Votes: 97,420 | Gross: $6.20M
This is all about Richard Farnsworth's performance. Beautiful, layered film that is understated throughout.
56. Hollywoodland (2006)
R | 126 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A detective examines the mysterious death of George Reeves, the star of the television series Adventures of Superman (1952).
Director: Allen Coulter | Stars: Adrien Brody, Ben Affleck, Diane Lane, Bob Hoskins
Votes: 35,949 | Gross: $14.42M
Odd film that contains some great moments and solid performances throughout.
57. My Dinner with Andre (1981)
PG | 110 min | Comedy, Drama
Two old friends meet for dinner; as one tells anecdotes detailing his experiences, the other notices their differing worldviews.
Director: Louis Malle | Stars: Andre Gregory, Wallace Shawn, Jean Lenauer, Roy Butler
Votes: 25,761 | Gross: $5.25M
The title tells it all. Many, many subtle moments throughout. A refreshing treat to watch.
58. Pat Garrett & Billy the Kid (1973)
R | 122 min | Biography, Drama, Western
Pat Garrett is hired as a lawman on behalf of a group of wealthy New Mexico cattle barons to bring down his old friend Billy the Kid.
Director: Sam Peckinpah | Stars: James Coburn, Kris Kristofferson, Richard Jaeckel, Katy Jurado
Votes: 21,083 | Gross: $0.95M
The famous story gets the Hollywood treatment and that is not a good thing. Why are Americans so interested in making criminals look good? I did not connect with this at all.
59. Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
PG-13 | 129 min | Biography, Drama
The story of Dian Fossey, a scientist who came to Africa to study the vanishing mountain gorillas, and later fought to protect them.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Sigourney Weaver, Bryan Brown, Julie Harris, John Omirah Miluwi
Votes: 29,181 | Gross: $24.72M
Did not care for this film. Dian Fossey is portrayed as some kind of neurotic woman who fawns over pictures of her gorillas. Seriously? They missed the boat on this one.
60. Mrs. Brown (1997)
PG | 101 min | Biography, Drama, History
When Queen Victoria's husband Prince Albert dies, she finds solace in her trusted servant, Mr. John Brown, but their relationship also brings scandal and turmoil.
Director: John Madden | Stars: Judi Dench, Billy Connolly, Geoffrey Palmer, Antony Sher
Votes: 15,579 | Gross: $9.22M
Judi Dench is terrific as always but the revelation here is Billy Connolly. Great film.
61. Witchfinder General (1968)
Unrated | 86 min | Drama, Horror
A young soldier seeks to put an end to the evils caused by a vicious witch-hunter when the latter terrorizes his fiancée and kills her uncle.
Director: Michael Reeves | Stars: Vincent Price, Ian Ogilvy, Rupert Davies, Patrick Wymark
Votes: 12,212
Tour de force performance by Vincent Price as the title character. Oppressive film about a very dark period in England`s history. The contrast between the idyllic countrysides and the brutality perpetrated by the witch finder is remarkable. Not for the weak of heart but a terrific piece of film making.
62. Star 80 (1983)
R | 103 min | Biography, Drama
A successful young model finds trouble when her obsessive manager-turned-husband becomes dangerously jealous.
Director: Bob Fosse | Stars: Mariel Hemingway, Eric Roberts, Cliff Robertson, Carroll Baker
Votes: 8,135 | Gross: $6.47M
Sad, sad film. Unfortunately you will feel like you need a shower after watching this.
63. The Spirit of St. Louis (1957)
Approved | 135 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
Charles 'Slim' Lindbergh struggles to finance and design an airplane that will make his New York to Paris flight the first solo transatlantic crossing.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: James Stewart, Murray Hamilton, Patricia Smith, Bartlett Robinson
Votes: 8,605
James Stewart is great in this. Well made.
64. Nostradamus (1994)
R | 119 min | Biography, Drama
Nostradamus (1503-66) was a French doctor, astrologer and seer during the Inquisition, successful in treating patients during an outbreak of plague.
Director: Roger Christian | Stars: Tchéky Karyo, F. Murray Abraham, Rutger Hauer, Amanda Plummer
Votes: 3,134 | Gross: $0.36M
I was expecting a very silly film and I got a silly film. Very poorly made.
65. The Grey Fox (1982)
PG | 92 min | Biography, Drama, History
When an aging, but gentlemanly stagecoach robber is released from prison, he decides to go to Canada to become a train robber.
Director: Phillip Borsos | Stars: Richard Farnsworth, Jackie Burroughs, Ken Pogue, Wayne Robson
Votes: 2,490
Once again Richard Farnsworth makes this good film that much better. Wayne Robson is also quite good in this. A nice feel for the period.
66. Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993)
Not Rated | 98 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A collection of vignettes highlighting different aspects of the life, work, and character of the acclaimed Canadian classical pianist.
Director: François Girard | Stars: Colm Feore, Derek Keurvorst, Katya Ladan, Devon Anderson
Votes: 3,916 | Gross: $1.57M
Innovative biopic with a fantastic performance by Colm Feore as Gould. Excellent all around.
67. Guyana: Cult of the Damned (1979)
R | 90 min | Adventure, Drama, Thriller
Reverend Jim Jones, the priest of an independent church in the South American country Guyana, orders his followers to commit suicide. But not all of them follow him blindly and begin to think on their own.
Director: René Cardona Jr. | Stars: Stuart Whitman, Gene Barry, John Ireland, Joseph Cotten
Votes: 585
Absolute garbage. How dare they make this travesty?
68. Cast a Giant Shadow (1966)
Approved | 146 min | Adventure, Drama, History
In 1947, following the U.N. decision to split British Palestine into separate Jewish and Arab states, a former U.S. Army officer is recruited by the Jews to reorganize the Haganah.
Director: Melville Shavelson | Stars: Kirk Douglas, John Wayne, Frank Sinatra, Senta Berger
Votes: 3,821
Schmaltzy to the extreme film on the creation of Israel. Too bad, the true story of Mickey Marcus is amazing. Instead we get something akin to a TV movie. Even John Wayne looks uncomfortable in this.
69. The Battle of Algiers (1966)
Not Rated | 121 min | Drama, War
In the 1950s, fear and violence escalate as the people of Algiers fight for independence from the French government.
Director: Gillo Pontecorvo | Stars: Brahim Hadjadj, Jean Martin, Yacef Saadi, Samia Kerbash
Votes: 65,627 | Gross: $0.06M
Amazing that there is no newsreel footage in this. The documentary style really sets this apart from other similar films. There are some moments of sheer agony in this film (the drunk man attacked by the young kids, the young boy attacked at the race track ,etc.). Your enjoyment of the film will be greatly affected by how much you believe in armed revolutions.
70. The Colditz Story (1955)
Not Rated | 94 min | Drama, History, War
Allied prisoners - British, Dutch, French and Polish - pool their resources to plan numerous escapes from the "escape-proof" German P.O.W. camp housed in a Medieval castle known as "Colditz".
Director: Guy Hamilton | Stars: John Mills, Eric Portman, Christopher Rhodes, Lionel Jeffries
Votes: 3,074
Gritty war drama with a terrific cast. A tense, well acted, well made film.
71. Dunkirk (2017)
PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Drama, History
Allied soldiers from Belgium, the British Commonwealth and Empire, and France are surrounded by the German Army and evacuated during a fierce battle in World War II.
Director: Christopher Nolan | Stars: Fionn Whitehead, Barry Keoghan, Mark Rylance, Tom Hardy
Votes: 739,667 | Gross: $188.37M
Epic in scope and presentation, this film does a great job in showing just how massive the evacuation of Dunkirk really was. Unfortunately, I never got attached to any of the characters(except maybe the Spitfire pilot) so I did not enjoy this as much as I should have. Still, it has some amazing moments.
72. Gallipoli (1981)
PG | 110 min | Adventure, Drama, History
Two Australian sprinters face the brutal realities of war when they are sent to fight in the Gallipoli campaign in Turkey during World War I.
Director: Peter Weir | Stars: Mel Gibson, Mark Lee, Bill Kerr, Harold Hopkins
Votes: 41,945 | Gross: $5.73M
Spectacular film on the Australians who fought at Gallipoli during World War One. The film builds up slowly, introducing us to the characters and their lives. The battle scenes only take place in the last 30 minutes of the film. Beautiful cinematography, a great script and genuine performances all contribute to making this one of the best war films ever. My only quibble: The electronic music we get on occasion, while beautiful, is out of place in this. Otherwise, an absolute must see.
73. Victoria & Abdul (2017)
PG-13 | 111 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim.
Director: Stephen Frears | Stars: Judi Dench, Ali Fazal, Tim Pigott-Smith, Eddie Izzard
Votes: 38,220 | Gross: $22.25M
Dame Judi Dench is simply amazing in this her second time as Queen Victoria. The art design and period reconstruction are very well done but...I get the feeling that we are watching a whitewashed version of history. The hypocrisy of the entire Royal entourage leads to quite a few funny moments in the film but it all feels like the screen writers are re-writing history. Worth seeing for Dame Judi's incredible performance and Eddie Izzard's turn as her son, the future King of England, but the entire film has to be taken with a grain of salt.
74. The Iron Curtain (1948)
Approved | 87 min | Biography, Crime, History
The story of Soviet cypher-clerk Igor Gouzenko who was posted to the Soviet Embassy in Ottawa,Canada in 1943 and defected in 1945 to reveal the extent of Soviet espionage activities directed against Canada.
Director: William A. Wellman | Stars: Dana Andrews, Gene Tierney, June Havoc, Berry Kroeger
Votes: 1,106
A fictionalized version of the Gouzenko Affair is very well made. Exteriors were shot in Ottawa, which lends an air of authenticity to the film. It is tense and the atmosphere is just right. They play a little fast and loose with the facts but that is to be expected. Acting is a little over the top in some cases. Well worth seeing.
75. Loving (2016)
PG-13 | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
The story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court's historic 1967 decision.
Director: Jeff Nichols | Stars: Ruth Negga, Joel Edgerton, Will Dalton, Dean Mumford
Votes: 36,367 | Gross: $7.70M
Beautifully made movie.
76. Auto Focus (2002)
R | 105 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The life of TV star Bob Crane and his strange friendship with electronics expert John Henry Carpenter.
Director: Paul Schrader | Stars: Greg Kinnear, Willem Dafoe, Maria Bello, Rita Wilson
Votes: 14,909 | Gross: $2.06M
This is a fascinating film but it focuses primarily on all the sleazy aspects of Bob Crane's life. You will feel you need a shower after watching this but it is very well done. Willem Dafoe is quite brilliant in this as a slimy creep who befriends Crane and introduces him to videotaped sexual escapades.
77. Love & Mercy (2014)
PG-13 | 121 min | Biography, Drama, Music
In the 60s, Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson struggles with emerging psychosis as he attempts to craft his avant-garde pop masterpiece. In the 80s, he's a broken, confused man under the 24-hour watch of shady therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy.
Director: Bill Pohlad | Stars: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti
Votes: 42,599 | Gross: $12.55M
Very harrowing biopic of the mental illness struggles suffered by Brian Wilson (of the Beach Boys). Very well made but tough to watch.
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