Shubhabrata Dutta
There’s something about movies based on true stories that makes them palpable and more attractive. References always work a great deal in transporting us into the world of the plot. If it is based on a true story, it provides a surreal feeling of getting to know real people from a specific period in history or experiencing a virtual first-hand experience of an actual event, whether a memorable one, a horrifying one, or a historical one. In this list, we bring you some great movies based on real stories available for streaming on HBO Max. Each of these showcases a unique event while throwing light on the sentiments and society of the time.
11. Something the Lord Made (2004)
‘Something the Lord Made,’ directed by Joseph Sargent, tells the tale of a miracle that would revolutionize saving lives forever. The movie explores the real-life relationship between Vivien Thomas and Alfred Blalock. Who are they? Blalock was a white cardiologist at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine who hired an African-American named Thomas as a lab assistant in 1930, only to realize the latter’s acumen and hands-on talents. In 1941, Blalock brought Thomas to John Hopkins Hospital, where they together carried out the first successful surgery of the heart by treating Blue Baby Syndrome, thereby becoming the pioneers of and ushering in the bypass surgery era in medical treatment.
Alan Rickman plays the role of Alfred Blalock, and Mos Def plays Vivien Thomas. The movie is based on a Washington Post article, “Like Something the Lord Made” by Katie McCabe, and explores the 34-year partnership between the two guys till Blalock’s death in 1964. This is why such movies are important. We get to know about events that have shaped society to the point where it is today. And it is surreal to wonder how different things would be today if Blalock hadn’t brought Thomas to John Hopkins and made sure that the latter was allowed to work during a time when racism was everywhere. You can watch the movie here.
10. The Tale (2018)
Jennifer Fox has written and directed ‘The Tale’ based on her own experiences of child sexual abuse at the hands of an Olympic gold medalist and how she came to terms with it. The film features Laura Dern as Fox, who recollects her childhood experience of being involved in a sexual relationship with a much older man. Upon further analysis and interrogation that resulted from a letter she wrote as a kid, she realizes how she was groomed and sexually exploited. Jumping to and fro between past and present, ‘The Tale’ is a sensitive drama that addresses the topic with grace and strength. It received a Primetime Emmy nomination for Outstanding Television Movie. You can watch it here.
9. The Alto Knights (2025)
Starring Robert De Niro in a double role, ‘The Alto Knights’ offers a dramatized retelling of the lives of New York City mob bosses Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, who were known during the 1950s. The film shows how two guys grow up together, almost like brothers, and slowly make it to the top of organized crime, before an assassination attempt on Frank pulls them apart. While he wants to retire and settle down, Vito has no intentions of doing that and thinks that Frank is planning something else. As the heat rises, ‘The Alto Knight’ becomes a captivating revelation of how, in the world of crime, trust is a complicated thing. You can watch the film here.
8. Reality (2023)
What makes ‘Reality’ so striking is that it is based on the transcript of an interrogation, and we have to hand it to director/co-writer Tina Satter and co-writer James Paul Dallas for pulling it off. The movie depicts the words exchanged between Reality Winner, an NSA translator, and FBI agents R. Wallace Taylor and Justin C. Garrick after the two arrested her on June 3, 2017. She was charged with leaking classified NSA (National Security Agency) intel to an online publication. The documents leaked had proof of Russian interference in the 2016 US elections and stated that it aimed to spark discord in the country by compromising Hillary Clinton’s campaign and, by extension, boosting Donald Trump’s chances of winning the presidential elections.
This supposedly led to U.S. President Trump firing FBI director James Comey on May 9, 2017, an event also shown in the film via news coverage. The movie delves deep into the conversation and tries to show as accurately as possible how the interrogation may have proceeded. Sydney Sweeney plays the role of Reality Winner in an authentic manner (like someone who has leaked secrets is expected to behave), with Josh Hamilton as Garrick and Marchánt Davis as Taylor. As for Reality Winner, she was sentenced to prison on August 23, 2018, was moved to a transitional facility in San Antonio, Texas, on June 2, 2021, on account of good behavior, and will be on probation until November 2024. You may watch ‘Reality’ here.
7. Sing Sing (2023)
Helmed by Greg Kwedar, ‘Sing Sing’ centers on a group of men at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York, who find rehabilitation in theater. They are a part of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, and Divine G, a star performer, begins looking for men who can perform in a comedy they are going to stage. While hoping that theater will help the guys connect better with their inner selves and other men, he trains them to express various emotions and turn thoughts into actions. However, he must also work toward his pardon, as he was wrongfully convicted. ‘Sing Sing’ is based on the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts program at Sing Sing Prison and shows how even those we consider criminals have a heart and the urge to grow and be better. Starring Colman Domingo as Divine G, along with Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, Paul Raci, and Johnny Simmons, ‘Sing Sing’ is a must-watch. It can be streamed here.
6. Bad Education (2019)
This Cory Finley directorial tells the story of the biggest public school embezzlement in American history, at the Roslyn Union Free School District, Long Island, which came to light in 2004. Based on the 2004 New York magazine article “The Bad Superintendent” by Robert Kolker, the narrative shows how student reporter Rachel Bhargava (fictional counterpart of Rebekah Rombom, the editor-in-chief of the Roslyn High School newspaper, who found the discrepancies) discovered the misappropriation of school funds while researching for an article.
The embezzlement is eventually revealed to be over $11 million, the biggest school theft in the nation’s history. It was carried out by school district superintendent Dr. Frank Tassone and assistant superintendent Pam Gluckin. Featuring stellar performances by Hugh Jackman as Frank Tassone and Allison Janney as Pam Gluckin, ‘Bad Education’ is a must-watch true-story drama. It co-stars Geraldine Viswanathan as Rachel Bhargava, along with Annaleigh Ashford and Ray Romano. You can watch it here.
5. Jackie (2016)
‘Jackie’ is the first film in Pablo Larraín’s trilogy of 20th-century iconic women. It was followed by ‘Spencer’ (focusing on Princess Diana) and ‘Maria’ (focusing on American-Greek opera singer Maria Callas). It centers on Jacqueline Kennedy, wife of former US President John F. Kennedy, focusing on the events in the wake of the latter’s assassination in 1963. The way in which the lady managed the grief of losing her husband, took care of her children, and maintained her demeanor in the days following the incident is compellingly shown in the film, with special thanks going to Natalie Portman’s performance as the titular personality. The film partly borrows from Theodore H. White’s Life magazine interview with Jackie Kennedy in November 1963. If the history of American politics interests you, this film will do you a good job. It can be streamed here.
4. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)
‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ is the seventh installment in The Conjuring Universe. It blends facts and fiction- borrowing from the 1981 murder trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who killed his landlord but pled not guilty by reason of demonic possession, the first of its kind in the country, and incorporating a witch and a satanic curse. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson return as paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren, respectively. The film shows how the couple was involved in the case before it even was one. Directed by Michael Chaves, ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ co-stars Ruairi O’Connor, Eugenie Bondurant, Sarah Catherine, and Julian Hilliard. You can watch it here.
3. Iron Jawed Angels (2004)
Katja von Garnier’s ‘Iron-Jawed Angels’ focuses on the American women’s suffrage movement during the 1910s, focusing on the actions of a group of women who stood up claiming their right to vote. The movie features Hilary Swank as suffragist leader Alice Paul, Julia Ormond as activist Inez Milholland, Frances O’Connor as activist Lucy Burns, and Anjelica Huston as women’s suffrage leader Carrie Chapman Catt. A must-watch movie about one of the most significant movements in US history, ‘Iron Jawed Angels’ can be streamed right here.
2. Warfare (2025)
The events that unfolded on November 19, 2006, for a Navy SEAL unit during the Battle of Ramadi (Iraq War) take center stage in ‘Warfare,’ which is directed by Alex Garland and former Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza, who was a part of the team as well. Gritty and authentic in its portrayal, the movie takes an up-close-and-personal look at the soldiers who take shelter in a small house in Ramadi in central Iraq and are targeted by militants from all sides. How they survive the onslaught is what we find out. The dust, the guns, the bullets, and the blood: ‘Warfare’ is one of the most realistic true-story-based war dramas out there. It stars Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Joseph Quinn, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Charles Melton, and Noah Centineo. You can watch it here.
1. The Conjuring (2013)
Based on the true story of the Perron family during the early 1970s, James Wan’s ‘The Conjuring’ centers on Carolyn Perron, wife of Roger Perron, and mother of five daughters, who reaches out to demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, stating how something inside their Rhode Island house wants to hurt her family. As the Lorraines begin their investigation, horrific facts dating back to the 19th century emerge, proving that indeed something awful happened at the location and a malevolent entity is still there, waiting to claim lives. Is there any way to get rid of it before it’s too late? ‘The Conjuring’ stars Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, and Ron Livingston and is considered one of the best true-story horror films ever made. You can watch it here.
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