20 blockbuster films you may not know were inspired by real-life events

In retrospect, much of this movie’s legacy centers around Bradley Cooper and the horribly unrealistic baby used as a prop. But what isn’t talked about is that American Sniper is based on an autobiography of the same name. Let’s all try to forget about the baby. 

The Viola Davis film The Woman King is based on the lives of the Agojie, an all-female African army that existed from the 17th to the 19th century. The story is set in the 1820s, and it’s got just as much action as any fictional war story. 

You likely remember when the whole world was waiting to learn the fate of a team of young soccer players who were lost in a cave in Thailand in 2018, but you might not know that the story inspired a feature film. Relive all the panic and worry you felt in 2018 with 2022’s Thirteen Lives. 

Another film based on a book based on true events, The Irishman not only has a star-studded cast, it’s got an incredible plot. Any fan of crime family stories will find this movie wholly enthralling. And as expected from Joe Pesci, Robert DeNiro, and Al Pacino, the performances are amazing. 

There’s no saying what piece of information regarding a film the general public is going to latch onto, especially as time goes on, but it’s usually not what the filmmakers expected. Dallas Buyers Club is a true story, but the film is marked more by the Oscar-winning performance and Jared Leto’s significant weight loss for the film. 

Who would’ve thought Ben Affleck would have the C.I.A. to thank for one of his Oscars? Affleck won for the second time for 2012’s Argo, again based on a book that tells the story of the mission to save six Americans from Iran in the late ‘70s.  

The Big Short is the perfect movie for finance bros who love stellar casts. Starring Ryan Gosling, Christian Bale, Steve Carell, and Brad Pitt, this film is about the ‘07-'08 financial crisis in the United States. Even if you’re not a finance bro, you’ll probably still like it. 

If you haven’t seen the movie, perhaps you’ve read the book. Into the Wild was adapted by Sean Penn to screen from the book of the same name, and the story follows a man as he hikes into the Alaskan wilderness. It might not sound compelling, but we promise it is. 

It’s amazing how some stories that might not sound interesting at all can be told in such a beautiful way. Such is the case for Nomadland, one of the few films to have won a female director (Chloé Zhao) an Oscar for directing. This film stars Frances McDormand, and it absolutely shines. 

The Fabelmans was the story Steven Spielberg always wanted to tell. One of his most recent films, the movie is based on Spielberg’s upbringing and the beginning of his now-storied directing career. Fittingly, the film garnered him a couple more Oscar nominations. 

There’s really no reason to write an original war story when there are already so many unbelievable real-life war stories. Take Hacksaw Ridge, a film based on a documentary that tells the incredible story of Desmond Doss, a soldier who refused to use a weapon during World War II. 

Christopher Nolan knows how to direct a movie set in the mid-20th century. One of his most notable films to date, Dunkirk tells the amazing true story of the evacuation of the same name during World War II. The film was lauded for its mostly accurate portrayal of the events. 

Not every aspect of Rain Ma n is based on real events, but the main character, Raymond, played by Dustin Hoffman, is based on a real person, Kim Peek, who had savant syndrome. The film grossed hundreds of millions of dollars, and it’s still widely considered an essential film for cinephiles to watch. 

Hollywood, like many other industries, goes through trend phases, and in the early 2010s, producing films based on true stories was very popular. One such film was American Hustle, which depicts an FBI operation carried out during the late ‘70s and early ‘80s. Like many other films of its time, it’s got an incredible cast and earned multiple Oscar nominations.  

Perhaps not a blockbuster like other films on this list, but Disney Channel Original Movie fans are quite familiar with Gotta Kick It Up!, a movie inspired by a real middle school dance team. Stream it now if you haven’t seen it, and see if you can spot the reference to the film in 2023’s Barbie. 

Remember what we said about there being plenty of real war material for movies? The Pianist is about Władysław Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish pianist and composer who survived the Holocaust. The award-winning film was lauded for its masterful performances, particularly by Adrien Brody, who played Szpilman. 

Does Almost Famous automatically become cooler when you learn it was inspired by real life? The answer is yes. The film was written, directed, and produced by Cameron Crowe, who wrote for Rolling Stone as a teenager. Most of us probably wouldn’t have nearly as cool a story to tell from when we were 16. 

Yes, unfortunately, Lost Girls is based on real events. The film tells the story of the Long Island serial killer, who, terrifyingly, has never been officially identified. The Netflix original is a startling reminder that sometimes real life is scarier than stories. 

Though dramatized, A League of Their Own is inspired by the real-life All-American Girls Professional Baseball League. The film has been part of pop culture for so long that it’s just heralded as a great movie rather than remembered for what it’s based on. 

Goodfellas is similar to A League of Their Own in that it’s been around for so long that we think of it solely as an iconic movie and not a film based on real events. More than anything, it should prove that Al Pacino and Joe Pesci are at their best when telling stories about organized crimes.