10 Movies You Probably Didn’t Realize Were Inspired By True Stories

While it’s obvious that plenty of biopics, crime dramas, or historical period pieces were inspired by true stories, others feel like they’re fictional, only for audiences to be shocked to hear the truth behind the film. Movies that were inspired by true stories are notably different than those based on true stories, as they merely serve to kickstart a writer, director, or actor’s creativity, and they are not burdened by needing to pursue an exact retelling of the facts. All these movies have their basis in truth, yet much of the actual narrative, characters, or motivations were fictional.

True stories inspired some of the best movies of all time, as the truth is often much stranger than fiction in this world. Whether it be years-long instances of amnesia, a sting operation that saw over a hundred fugitives apprehended, or even a beach shark attack from 1916 that truly revolutionized modern Hollywood. These films all offer some insight into the strange inner workings of modern times, as the best cinema often reflects reality back at viewers.

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10

50 First Dates (2004)

Inspired by a real-life case of amnesia

Custom image by Debanjana Chowdhury.

The films of Adam Sandler aren’t exactly known for their realism, as audiences have enjoyed watching him lose his mind as a golf pro or skip through life with a time-altering remote control for decades. However, one Sandler classic audiences will be shocked to learn was inspired by a true story was the real life case of amnesia that laid the groundwork for 50 First Dates. While this rom-com starring Sandler and Drew Barrymore had plenty of fictional outlandish moments, the core idea about a young woman who was unable to form new memories was based on fact.

According to a piece in Cosmopolitan, 50 First Dates was inspired by Michelle Philpots from Spalding in Lincolnshire, whose memory was wiped every day for 23 years, just like Barrymore’s Lucy. Dr. Peter Nestor, a neuroscience specialist at Cambridge University, explained that this type of memory erasure is rare but still possible and it occurred after she was involved in two vehicle crashes. While Michelle woke up every day thinking it was 1994, she still managed to carve out a marriage with her husband, Ian.

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8/10

50 First Dates

pg-13
ComedyRomance

Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore star in the 2004 romantic comedy 50 First Dates, which revolves around a womanizer’s attempts at winning over an amnesiac woman’s heart over and over, every day of her life. Frequent Adam Sandler collaborators Rob Schneider and Kevin James are part of the cast alongside Sean Astin, Dan Aykroyd, and Maya Rudolph.

Release Date

February 13, 2004

Runtime

99minutes

Cast

Adam Sandler
, Drew Barrymore
, Rob Schneider
, Sean Astin
, Lusia Strus
, Dan Aykroyd

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Director

Peter Segal

Writers

Peter Segal

Budget

$75 million

Studio(s)

Sony

Distributor(s)

Columbia Pictures
, Sony

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9

Rear Window (1954)

Inspired by a genuine series of murders

Custom Image by Grant Hermanns

Alfred Hitchcock was never afraid to look to real-life instances to inspire his acclaimed movies, and most film lovers will be well aware that the novel that inspired Psycho was based on the notorious serial killer Ed Gein. Yet, the real-life inspirations behind Hitchcock’s classic Rear Window actually took some cues from the deaths of Cora Henrietta Turner and Emily Kaye, as well as Cornell Woolrich’s 1942 short story It Had to Be Murder.

Viewers will remember James Stewart’s iconic portrayal of the wheelchair-bound photojournalist L. B. “Jeff” Jefferies slowly starting to suspect he was witnessing a would-be killer murder his wife while looking out the window of his apartment complex. However, once Hitchcock had decided to adapt Woolrich’s story, he also looked to newspaper clippings for more inspiration. It was from these sources that Hitchcock and his associates, like screenwriter John Michael Hayes, fine-tuned the story and created the murder-mystery classic viewers know today.

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9/10

Rear Window

PG
MysteryThriller

Rear Window is a classic 1954 film from director Alfred Hitchcock. The movie centers on LB Jefferies (James Stewart), a photographer who claims he saw one of his neighbors commit murder after spying on them. The film was nominated for four Oscars and was also unsuccessfully remade as a TV movie in 1998 starring Christopher Reeves.

Release Date

September 1, 1954

Runtime

112 minutes

Main Genre

Thriller

Cast

Thelma Ritter
, James Stewart
, Wendell Corey
, Grace Kelly
, Raymond Burr

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Director

Alfred Hitchcock

Writers

John Michael Hayes
, Cornell Woolrich

Budget

$1 million

Studio(s)

Paramount Pictures

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures

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8

Trap (2024)

Inspired by the sting Operation Flagship

Image via Warner Bros.

As a filmmaker who often works in the realm of the supernatural, M. Night Shyamalan’s psychological thriller Trap brought things back to reality for a story about a serial killer trapped at a pop concert. With an excellent performance from Josh Hartnett as the Philadelphia killer known as the Butcher, the plot revolves around this killer trying to evade the police while not ruining his teenage daughter’s enjoyment of the concert performed by her favorite artist, Lady Raven (Saleka Shyamalan.) While this hilarious concept walked the fine line between humor and terror, it actually was inspired by a real sting operation.

When writing the script for Trap, Shyamalan took many cues from Operation Flagship, a sting jointly organized by the United States Marshals Service and the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C., in 1985 (via Variety.) This ingenious plan used a fictional television network invite to lure wanted fugitives to the Washington Convention Center in order to claim tickets to a Washington Redskins football game. Not only did this clever plan work, but it actually led to the arrests of 105 wanted fugitives.

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14

7.4/10

Trap

Not Yet Rated
ThrillerMystery

Trap is a film by writer-director M. Night Shyamalan under his Blinding Edge Pictures label. The film is part of a deal struck with Warner Bros for him to direct and produce several films under their banner. 

Release Date

August 2, 2024

Main Genre

Thriller

Cast

Josh Hartnett
, Hayley Mills
, Marnie McPhail
, Vanessa Smythe
, Saleka Shyamalan
, Malik Jubal
, Jonathan Langdon
, Peter D’Souza
, Ty Pravong
, Kaitlyn Dallan

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Director

M. Night Shyamalan

Writers

M. Night Shyamalan

Studio(s)

Blinding Edge Pictures
, New Line Cinema

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures
, New Line Cinema

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7

The Hills Have Eyes (1977)

Inspired by the legend of Sawney Bean

Wes Craven was truly one of the all-time great horror filmmakers whose debut movie, The Last House on the Left, right through to ongoing franchises like Scream left their mark on the genre. One of Craven’s most iconic releases was The Hills Have Eyes, a chilling exploration of a family targeted by cannibals while stranded in the Nevada desert. With grotesque imagery and truly chilling characterizations, nobody in their right mind would assume this movie was based on a true story.

However, Craven did not shy away from taking influences from all sorts of places for The Hills Have Eyes. While the initial concept featured elements of Hansel and Gretel as the Carter family got lost in the wilderness, what really sparked Craven’s creativity was the legend of Sawney Bean (via Slash Film.) This shocking tale told of the leader of a Scottish clan who was supposedly responsible for the murder and cannibalization of more than one thousand people. As Bean’s clan was later arrested, tortured, quartered, burned, and hanged, Craven used this story to explore the hideous nature of retribution.

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The Hills Have Eyes

R
HorrorThriller

The Hills Have Eyes is a 1977 horror film directed by Wes Craven. The plot centers on a suburban family whose car breaks down in a remote desert area, leaving them vulnerable to attacks by a brutal clan of cannibalistic mutants. The film is noted for its intense scenes of survival and confrontation as the family fights to stay alive against a relentless and savage enemy.

Release Date

July 22, 1977

Runtime

90 minutes

Cast

Dee Wallace
, Susan Lanier
, Virginia Vincent
, Russ Grieve
, Michael Berryman

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Director

Wes Craven

Writers

Wes Craven

Franchise

The Hills Have Eyes

Sequel

The Hills Have Eyes Part 2

Cinematographer

Eric Saarinen

Producer

Peter Locke

Production Company

Blood Relations Co., Vanguard

Sfx Supervisor

John Frazier, Greg Auer

Budget

$230 thousand

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6

Hard Candy (2005)

Inspired by real-life cases of teenagers assaulting and mugging their would-be abusers

Hard Candy was a truly shocking story about a 14-year-old vigilante’s trapping and torture of a man whom she suspects is a sexual predator. With Eliott Page as the young Hayley Stark and Patrick Wilson as the 32-year-old photographer Jeff Kohlver, Hard Candy took the concept behind To Catch a Predator to a whole new level as this despicable man was forced to confront the depraved realities of his unnatural impulses. While Hard Candy became so extreme, as Page tortured their victim with the threat of castration, this was actually based on a real news story about teenagers in Japan.

Hard Candy took its inspiration from a true story about a posse of Tokyo schoolgirls who lured businessmen to an apartment, promising them underage sex, and then proceeded to beat and rob them. This intense version of vigilante justice (via ABC) inspired Brian Nelson to write the script for Page’s breakthrough movie. Although Hard Candy was reimagined as a sole teenager taking on a predator alone, the core concept came from this news story.

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Hard Candy

R
DramaThriller

Hard Candy is a psychological thriller that follows the encounter between Hayley, a clever teenage girl, and Jeff, a fashion photographer. After meeting online and in a café, they return to Jeff’s house, where unexpected events unfold, challenging the notion of trust and intent in their interaction.

Release Date

April 14, 2006

Runtime

104 Minutes

Cast

Patrick Wilson
, Elliot Page
, Sandra Oh
, Odessa Rae
, G.J. Echternkamp

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Director

David Slade

Writers

Brian Nelson

Main Genre

Drama

Character(s)

Hayley Stark
, Jeff Kohlver
, Judy Tokuda
, Janelle Rogers
, Nighthawks Clerk
, Girl in Nighthawks (uncredited)

Producers

David Higgins
, Michael Caldwell
, Paul G. Allen
, Rosanne Korenberg
, Richard Hutton

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5

Cocaine Bear (2023)

Inspired by the true story of the Cocaine Bear

While the concept behind Elizabeth Banks’s comedy horror Cocaine Bear sounds like it came straight out of a strange fever dream, the truth is it was based on fact. This mind-bogglingly intense story was loosely inspired by an American black bear that ingested several kilograms of a bag containing about 75 lb (34 kg) of lost cocaine (via Backpacker.) The drugs appeared in Knoxville, Tennessee, after the paratrooper-turned-drug-smuggler Andrew Carter Thornton II lost the drugs that were strapped to his chest after his parachute failed as he jumped from a plane.

While the bear fatally overdosed on the drugs, the movie Cocaine Bear reimagined its final hours and filled in the gaps of how they spent the time after ingesting the drugs but before meeting an untimely end. As a truly chaotic film that saw the bear running wild and pursuing a group of humans, this wild story was an exciting return to form for Banks, whose previous directorial effort, Charlie’s Angels, flopped at the box office.

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6/10

Cocaine Bear

R
ComedyThriller

Based loosely on the true story, Cocaine Bear follows an oddball group of cops, criminals, tourists, and teens converging in a Georgia forest where a massive black bear stumbles upon and ingests a staggering amount of cocaine, setting the 500-pound bear on a coke-fueled rampage for more blow.. and blood.

Release Date

February 24, 2023

Runtime

95 Minutes

Cast

Ray Liotta
, Alden Ehrenreich
, Christian Convery
, Scott Seiss
, Margo Martindale
, Keri Russell
, Kahyun Kim
, O’Shea Jackson Jr.
, Brooklynn Prince

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Director

Elizabeth Banks

Writers

Jimmy Warden

Budget

$30–35 Million

Studio(s)

Lord Miller Productions
, Brownstone Productions
, Jurassic Party Productions

Distributor(s)

Universal Pictures

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4

Nacho Libre (2006)

Inspired by the life of Fray Tormenta

Although Jack Black often imbues a lot of his own characteristics into the parts he plays, such as the rock n’ roll-loving accidental substitute teacher he portrayed in School of Rock, many will be shocked to learn that Nacho Libre was actually based on the life of a real man. This hilarious story of a Catholic friar and secret luchador told the heartwarming tale of a kind but eccentric man doing everything in his power to save his orphanage. With plenty of infectious energy, Nacho Libre was truly one of Black’s most underrated movies.

The real man behind the story of Nacho Libre was Fray Tormenta, the wrestling priest who moonlit on the wrestling team to make some money for children in need (via My Modern Met.) Fray’s real name is Sergio Gutiérrez Benítez, and this kindhearted man of God found an unusual route to fund the orphanage that he founded. As a masked luchador who found an unusual way to contribute to his community, it’s heartwarming that Tormenta’s good deeds were immortalized in this cult favorite comedy.

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10/10

Nacho Libre

PG
ComedySports

Nacho Libre is a comedy film directed by Jared Hess that was released in 2006. Jack Black stars as Friar by day and Luuchador by night. Ignacio is a kind-hearted dreamer who wrestles at night to pay the bills at the orphanage he works at.

Release Date

June 16, 2006

Runtime

92 Minutes

Cast

Jack Black
, Peter Stormare
, Ana de la Reguera
, Hector Jimenez
, Silver King
, Carla Jimenez

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Director

Jared Hess

Writers

Jared Hess
, Jerusha Hess
, Mike White

Budget

$35 Million

Studio(s)

Paramount Pictures
, Nickelodeon Movies

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures

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3

The Straight Story (1999)

Inspired by the true story of Alvin Straight

The late filmmaker David Lynch was never a director that audiences associated with reality, as his surreal stories used dreamlike imagery to take audiences on a journey in the dark underbelly of American society. While Lynch did tackle a true story early in his career with his classic movie The Elephant Man, throughout the 1980s and 1990s, he carved out a legacy in dreamlike realms categorized by odd logic. However, this changed in 1999 with The Straight Story, a Walt Disney production from Lynch that told the true story of Alvin Straight.

While audiences at the time may have thought this story about a 73-year-old man in poor health and with terrible eyesight riding across America on a lawn mower was yet another fictional story from Lynch, Alvin genuinely made this grueling 240-mile journey in 1994. With as much ethereal beauty and strange idiosyncrasies as darker, fictional work, The Straight Story is an essential part of this filmmaker’s esteemed legacy.

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The Straight Story

G
DramaBiography

The Straight Story, directed by David Lynch, is a biographical film depicting Alvin Straight’s journey across the Midwest on a lawn mower to reconcile with his ailing brother. Richard Farnsworth stars as the elderly Alvin, joined by Sissy Spacek as his supportive daughter, Rose. Based on a true story, the film explores themes of family, perseverance, and redemption.

Release Date

November 3, 1999

Cast

Richard Farnsworth
, Sissy Spacek
, Jane Galloway Heitz
, Joseph A. Carpenter
, Donald Wiegert
, Tracey Maloney
, Dan Flannery
, Jennifer Edwards-Hughes

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Director

David Lynch

Writers

Joan Roach
, Mary Sweeney

Main Genre

Drama

2

The Exorcist (1973)

Inspired by a real-life exorcism case from 1949

The Exorcist was adapted from William Peter Blatty’s 1971 novel, although the author was heavily inspired by a real-life exorcism case from 1949. While the film and book told the story of 13-year-old Regan MacNeil, whose horrific demonic possession was so extreme it literally caused many viewers to faint while in the movie theater. As a true classic of horror and a movie that inspired countless other exorcism-based films, many will not know it was based on the Catholic Church’s several exorcism attempts on a young 14-year-old boy known under the pseudonym Roland Doe.

The case of Roland Doe began in the 1940s, and many experts asserted the boy’s real name was Ronald Hunkeler. As Ronald’s family truly believed he was afflicted with demonic possession, they sought the help of the Catholic Church for the rattlings on the walls, strange noises, and flying objects they reportedly encountered. While there’s still plenty of mystery surrounding what exactly happened to Ronald, the way The Exorcist took his story and created one of the most frightening pieces of media of all time was extraordinary.

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10/10

The Exorcist

R
HorrorSupernatural

The Exorcist is a supernatural horror film based on the novel released in 1971 and was directed by William Friedkin. When a young girl is passed by a powerful demon, two Catholic priests are brought to her home to attempt an exorcism to expunge the demon. 

Release Date

December 26, 1973

Runtime

122 minutes

Cast

Max Von Sydow
, Linda Blair
, Lee J. Cobb
, Ellen Burstyn
, Jason Miller
, Kitty Winn
, Jack MacGowran

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Director

William Friedkin

Writers

William Peter Blatty

Budget

$12 million

Main Genre

Horror

Franchise(s)

The Exorcist

Prequel(s)

Exorcist: The Beginning
, Dominion: Prequel to The Exorcist

Sequel(s)

The Exorcist: Believer
, Exorcist II: The Heretic
, The Exorcist III

Studio(s)

Hoya Productions

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

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1

Jaws (1975)

Inspired by the Jersey Shore shark attacks of 1916

Image created by Milica Djordjevic

Few Hollywood movies were more impactful than Steven Spielberg’s Jaws, a major hit that signaled not only the director’s breakthrough film but also a watershed moment in the development of the summer blockbuster. As the story of beachgoers being terrorized by a murderous and unstoppable great white shark, the slow-moving, unknowable, and eerie presence of this killer creature got to the very heart of human anxieties. This terrifying tale became all the more nail-bitingly frightening with the knowledge it was partly inspired by a series of shark attacks in 1916.

In the summer of 1916, panic struck the Jersey Shore as several people met their end at the other side of a shark’s bite (via Smithsonian Magazine.) With four fatalities and one person critically injured, this frightful occurrence likely served as an important influence on Jaws. As a true event that has had a major influence on society’s scared relationship with sharks, even though it happened more than 100 years ago, these attacks still send shivers down the spines of anyone who feels something strange moving around their feet while swimming in the ocean.

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27

9.3/10

Jaws

PG-13
AdventureHorrorThriller

Steven Spielberg’s legendary tale of one man’s desperate battle with a killer Great White shark on his small seaside community. Faced with a mounting list of victims and a local authority dead-set against causing panic or destroying the tourist economy, he assembles a team to tackle the shark head-on.

Release Date

June 18, 1975

Runtime

124 minutes

Cast

Roy Scheider
, Robert Shaw
, Richard Dreyfuss
, Lorraine Gary
, Murray Hamilton
, Carl Gottlieb

See more : Who are Cory Hardrict Parents? Meet Nick Hardrict And Paulette Crankare

Director

Steven Spielberg

Writers

Peter Benchley
, Carl Gottlieb
, John Milius
, Howard Sackler
, Robert Shaw

Franchise

Jaws

Sequel

Jaws: The Revenge, Jaws 3, Jaws 2

Cinematographer

Bill Butler

Producer

Richard D. Zanuck, David Brown

Production Company

Zanuck/Brown Productions

Budget

$7 million

Main Genre

Adventure

Website

https://www.uphe.com/movies/jaws

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Sources: Cosmopolitan, Variety, Slash Film, ABC, Backpacker, My Modern Met, Smithsonian Magazine

Source: https://dinhtienhoang.edu.vn
Category: Entertainment