10 intense thrillers based on a true story

Thrillers often take on a new level of meaning when they’re based on real life, and their stories can be even more gripping. While it’s not too uncommon to see horror or crime films based on real life, there are surprisingly few that can offer the kind of ecstatic entertainment of a true thriller. Any film based on a true story invariably needs to balance its dedication to the truth with its dedication to entertaining the audience. Few films succeed in both areas.

A good thriller needs to maintain emotion throughout and must always have an explosive ending. Real life rarely works out so well. The best thrillers based on true stories have taken stories from unusually intense settings, such as bank robberies, clandestine military operations, and serial homicide investigations. Real life can offer cinematic thrills if filmmakers know where to look.

10

Zodiac (2007)

Based on the Zodiac Killer

Zodiac is one of David Fincher’s best films and may represent the pinnacle of his artistic examination of criminal pathology. He creates a tense atmosphere in a beautifully constructed vision of 1960s and 1970s San Francisco, as a newspaper cartoonist becomes obsessed with the case of the Zodiac killer. Zodiac is different from most other crime films because the focus is not on the victims, the killer or even the police. It shows how mysteries can dominate the public’s imagination and how paranoia and fear are linked to morbid curiosity.

Zodiac Recreates some of the murders with great attention to detail, but most of the story follows Robert Graysmith’s prevailing theory that the killer was a man named Arthur Leigh Allen. Zodiac follows Graysmith over the years as he becomes more obsessed with the case and ultimately puts himself in physical danger just to get an answer. As is the case in real life, Zodiac does not provide definitive answersensuring the audience is equally frustrated and intrigued.

9

Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

Based on the Barrow gang

Bonnie and Clyde It represented a major shift in American cinema and has since been recognized as a catalyst for the New Hollywood era. Audiences were not accustomed to seeing such graphic depictions of sex and violence at the time. More than 50 years later, the death scene is still a shocking sight. Bonnie and Clyde It also stands out for the sympathetic and nuanced way in which it presents its criminal characters.

Bonnie and Clyde simplifies some details of the true story of the Barrow gangand its depiction of some key individuals responsible for law enforcement strays far from reality. The film uses the story of two famous gangsters from the 1930s to reimagine gangster films of the era. It’s a Hollywood invention, and a gloriously entertaining one, but the broad strokes of Bonnie and Clyde’s ill-fated crime spree are true.

8

Captain Phillips (2013)

Based on the 2009 Maersk Alabama hijacking

Tom Hanks is in top form Captain Phillips, a nautical thriller based on a hostage situation off the coast of Somalia in 2009. The other prominent actor is Barkhad Abdiwho received a slew of award nominations for his film debut as the leader of the Somali pirates. The shaky handheld camera movements and Paul Greengrass’s close-ups create an almost oppressively intense atmosphere as the cargo ship acts like a pressure cooker.

Captain Richard Phillips himself praised the film’s accuracy based on his own experiences, but some other crew members criticized his portrayal. There were some dissenting voices that suggested that Phillips, along with the shipping company, did not protect his crew to the best of their ability, knowing that pirates were active in the area. The film doesn’t explore this angle, as it is more concerned with the frantic tension of the hostage situation.

7

All the President’s Men (1976)

Based on the Watergate scandal

There are many fascinating stories that could be told about the Watergate scandal, and All the President’s Men focuses on the two Washington Post reporters who broke the news. Robert Redford and Dustin Hoffman make an attractive duo like Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, following the money to the White House. All the President’s Men is a classic political thriller worthy of its subject matter.

All the President’s Men has been cited as one of the most historically accurate films ever made. It helps that there were only four years separating the real scandal from the film, and that there are countless documents, photographs and audio recordings for the filmmakers to pore over. The attention to detail was so precise that the studio purchased exactly the same types of desks used in the Washington Post offices, and they were painted with the same brand of paint.

6

Zero Dark Thirty (2012)

Based on the hunt for Osama Bin Laden

Zero Dark Thirty mixes political drama with hair-raising actionas you follow the international manhunt for Osama bin Laden over the years. Jessica Chastain stars as a CIA analyst who leads the manhunt, putting herself in danger as she gets closer and closer to uncovering the truth. It’s a riveting thriller and a superb display of Kathryn Bigelow’s mastery of show-stopping action. Zero Dark Thirty it was popular with critics and audiences.

Zero Dark Thirty often plays fast and loose with the truth. Imagine certain details that remain highly confidential government secrets and invent or combine some key characters to expedite the narrative. Jessica Chastain’s analyst, for example, is a combination of many different people involved in the manhunt. Zero Dark Thirty it deals with some extremely sensitive political topics, such as the use of torture and US military activities abroad. It has been the subject of heated political debate since its release.

5

Memories of Murder (2003)

Based on the Hwaesong serial murders

Movies about serial killers often take inspiration from real-life killers, such as Psychopath and The Silence of the Lambs. However, they take on a different appearance when directly telling the story of notorious serial killers. Bong Joon-ho Memories of Murder details the investigation of South Korea’s first confirmed serial killer. The phenomenon of serial murder is much less common in South Korea than in America, so the case was especially impactful.

At the time Bong did Memories of Murderthe culprit of the Hwaesong serial murders remained unknown. Memories of Murder ends on the unsettling note that the detectives were never able to close the case. Lee Chun-jae was eventually identified as the killer in 2019, decades after his last murder. Memories of Murder recreates some of the most disturbing details of his crimes.

4

The Untouchables (1987)

Based on Eliot Ness’s efforts to enforce prohibition in Chicago

Brian De Palma’s dominance in the crime genre shines once again in The Untouchables, a riveting drama about Eliot Ness’s efforts to enforce prohibition laws and overthrow Al Capone. Kevin Costner stars as the conflicted Ness, and is supported by a great cast that includes Robert De Niro chewing the scenery as Capone and Sean Connery in an Oscar-winning performance as a humble cop who acts as a guardian angel.

The real story behind The Untouchables it’s so fascinatingand is detailed in Ness’ book of the same name. Ness enjoyed the spotlight, aiming to present himself as a hero cop cleaning the streets. Capone was also a prominent face in the media, so their battle was splashed all over the tabloids. David Mamet’s script adds some dramatic flourishes to the story, but the bloodshed and spectacle are lifted directly from the story.

3

The Fugitive (1993)

Based on the 1950s murder trial of Sam Sheppard

The Fugitive is one of Harrison Ford’s best films, as he stars in a cross-country cat-and-mouse game with Tommy Lee Jones. Ford plays a heart surgeon falsely convicted of his wife’s murder, while Jones is the no-nonsense U.S. Marshal who hunts him down after he escapes custody. It’s a non-stop thrill ride with shades of Alfred Hitchcock and an element of mystery that gives another dimension to the action.

The Fugitive is based on a 1960s TV show, but was initially inspired by the real-life case of Sam Sheppard, an osteopath accused of murdering his wife in the 1950s. The trial turned into a national media circus and Sheppard was convicted before being acquitted by the Supreme Court many years later. The Fugitive takes that starting point and tells an original story from there that imagines what might have happened if Sheppard had escaped. It’s a very loose connection, but a vital one nonetheless.

2

Argo (2012)

Based on the Canadian caper

The term “caper” is often used to describe some light-hearted on-screen scheme, but ArgoThe representation of the Canadian Caper is instead a nerve-wracking tension. Ben Affleck delivers his best work as a director and also stars as the CIA officer who puts his life on the line to rescue six American fugitives from Iran after the embassy is stormed. The airport sequence is terribly nervous and conveys the anxiety that builds in Argo.

The idea that Americans could be extracted from Iran by pretending to be filmmakers looking for locations for a Star WarsA science fiction film in style is almost ridiculous, but that’s exactly how the operation happened. Argo has been accused of some historical inaccuracies, such as downplaying the role of Canadian intelligence in favor of constructing the role of the CIA. Despite some factual flaws, Argo It’s still a masterful thriller.

1

Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

Based on John Wojtowicz and Salvatore Naturile’s 1972 bank robbery

Al Pacino was initially reluctant to star Dog Day Afternoon after filming The Godfather Part II. Instead of giving up, he channeled his exhaustion into one of his greatest performances. He plays Sonny, a man who plans a simple robbery at a New York City bank. Before long, the robbery attracts hundreds of police officers and a media circus. There aren’t many heist movies based on real life, but Dog Day Afternoon is an exception to this rule.

Although Sidney Lumet gradually increases the tension, Dog Day Afternoon starts as a comedy. In the first half, Pacino’s ball of nervous energy is hilarious to watch as he glides along the bank trying desperately to turn the tide of fate. Only when the laughter gradually fades is the real danger of Dog Day Afternoon This is when the film reminds the audience that the events depicted actually took place in Brooklyn in 1972, and real lives were under threat.