There is something in the case of films from real-life experiences that gives them a sense of realness and appeal. References are always a great help in taking us to the scenario of the story. If it is true-story-based, it offers a dream-like sense of coming to know actual

persons from a particular moment in the past or having a virtual firsthand experience of a real event, either a nostalgic one, an appalling one, or a historical one. Here, we present to you some good movies based on true stories streaming on HBO Max. All of these present a special event while shedding light on the feelings and society during the time.

13. Something the Lord Made (2004)

‘Something the Lord Made,’ directed by Joseph Sargent, is the story of a miracle that would change saving lives forever. The film delves into the true life story of Vivien Thomas and Alfred Blalock. Who are they? Blalock was a white physician of cardiology at Vanderbilt

University School of Medicine who employed an African-American by the name of Thomas as a laboratory assistant in 1930 and later discovered the latter’s intellectual and practical abilities. In 1941, Blalock took Thomas to John Hopkins Hospital, where they both performed the first successful heart surgery by curing Blue Baby Syndrome, thus becoming the pioneers and opening the bypass surgery era in medical treatment. The character of Alfred Blalock is played by Alan Rickman, while Vivien Thomas is played by Mos Def. The film is inspired by a Washington Post article, “Like Something the Lord Made” by Katie McCabe, and details the 34-year relationship of the two men until Blalock’s death in 1964. That is why these films matter. We learn about things that have influenced society to the level that it is currently. And it is unbelievable to think how things would have been different today if Blalock hadn’t taken Thomas to John Hopkins and ensured that the latter was permitted to work during an era of rampant racism. Watch the movie here.

12. The Tale (2018)

Jennifer Fox has directed and written ‘The Tale’ inspired by her own childhood experiences of sexual abuse at the hands of an Olympic gold medalist and how she dealt with it. The film stars Laura Dern playing the role of Fox, who narrates her childhood experience of being in a sexual relationship with an older man. As further examination and questioning that came about from a letter she wrote as a child, she comes to realize how she was trained and sexually manipulated. Back and forth in the past and the present, ‘The Tale’ is a delicate drama that approaches the subject with poise and courage. It was nominated for a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Television Movie. You can stream it here.

11. The Alto Knights (2025)

Starring Robert De Niro in a dual role, ‘The Alto Knights’ presents a dramatized version of the lives of New York City crime lords Vito Genovese and Frank Costello, both known in the 1950s. The film depicts how two men grow up as brothers and gradually reach the pinnacle of organized crime, before Frank is shot at and they are driven apart. Though he wishes to retire and settle, Vito has no such intention and believes that Frank has something else in his mind. With increasing heat, ‘The Alto Knight’ is a compelling revelation of the manner in which in the criminal world, trust is a complicated issue. You can see the movie here.

10. Reality (2023)

What is so remarkable about ‘Reality’ is that it is taken from the transcript of an interrogation, and we have to credit director/co-writer Tina Satter and co-writer James Paul Dallas for making it work. The film shows the dialogue between Reality Winner, an NSA translator, and FBI agents R. Wallace Taylor and Justin C.

Garrick following the two apprehended her on June 3, 2017. She faced charges of leaking classified NSA (National Security Agency) information to an online news outlet. The leaked documents contained evidence of Russian interference in US elections in 2016 and reported that it sought to create divisions in the nation by sabotaging Hillary Clinton’s campaign and, in effect, increasing Donald Trump’s prospects of winning the presidential elections. This was alleged to have prompted U.S. President Trump to fire FBI director James Comey on May 9, 2017, a scene also depicted in the movie through news reports. The film goes back and forth in its dialogue and attempts to present as realistically as possible how the interrogation could have gone. Sydney Sweeney also stars as Reality Winner in a realistic sense (as someone who leaks secrets is supposed to conduct themselves), along with Josh Hamilton as Garrick and Marchánt Davis as Taylor. As for Reality Winner, she was imprisoned on August 23, 2018, was transferred to a transition center in San Antonio, Texas, on June 2, 2021, due to good behavior, and will remain on probation until November 2024. You can stream ‘Reality’ here.

9. Sing Sing (2023)

Directed by Greg Kwedar, ‘Sing Sing’ focuses on a cluster of men at the Sing Sing Correctional Facility in New York, who discover rehabilitation through theater. They are part of the Rehabilitation Through the Arts program, and Divine G, a celebrity performer, starts searching for men who can act in a comedy they are going to perform. As he wishes that theater would enable the guys to relate more to their inner selves and other men, he conditions them to be able to express different emotions and translate thought into deed. Yet at the same time, he has to work towards his pardon because he was unjustly convicted. ‘Sing Sing’ is inspired by the actual Rehabilitation Through the Arts initiative at Sing Sing Prison and how even people whom we view as criminals possess a heart and a desire to learn and improve. Directed by Jamie Casetta, starring Colman Domingo as Divine G, and also with Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin, Paul Raci, and Johnny Simmons, ‘Sing Sing’ is something one must watch. It may be streamed here.

8. Bad Education (2019)

This Cory Finley-directed film is the real-life story of the largest public school embezzlement in American history, at the Roslyn Union Free School District, Long Island, that was uncovered in 2004. Adapted from the 2004

New York magazine article “The Bad Superintendent” by Robert Kolker, the film describes how student journalist Rachel Bhargava (fictional equivalent of Rebekah Rombom, editor-in-chief of the Roslyn High School newspaper, who uncovered the irregularities) uncovered the school money misappropriation while working on an article. The embezzlement is finally uncovered to be more than $11 million, the largest school swindle in the country’s history. It was orchestrated by school district superintendent Dr. Frank Tassone and assistant superintendent Pam Gluckin. With breathtaking performances by Hugh Jackman as Frank Tassone and Allison Janney as Pam Gluckin, ‘Bad Education’ is a must-see true-story drama. It stars Geraldine Viswanathan as Rachel Bhargava, and Annaleigh Ashford and Ray Romano. You can view it here.

7. We Bought a Zoo (2011)

Adapted from Benjamin Mee’s autobiography, ‘We Bought a Zoo’ illustrates a widowed father’s endeavors to salvage the zoo that accompanies the new house he has purchased with his children. Benjamin chooses to reopen it to the public, a gargantuan endeavor, in which he is aided by Kelly Foster, the zoo staff head. The physical and emotional transformations that Benjamin experiences throughout the undertaking make ‘We Bought a Zoo’ a touching family drama about how there’s no specific timing to begin anew in life. The autobiography covers Benjamin’s life after he acquired the Dartmoor Wildlife Park in Devon, England, in 2006. The film features Matt Damon, Scarlett Johansson, Thomas Haden Church, Maggie Elizabeth Jones, Colin Ford, and Elle Fanning. You may view it here.

6. Jackie (2016)

‘Jackie’ is the first installment of Pablo Larraín’s trilogy of 20th-century women icons. They were followed by ‘Spencer’ (centering on Princess Diana) and ‘Maria’ (centering on American-Greek opera singer Maria Callas). It is all about Jacqueline Kennedy, the wife of late US President John F. Kennedy, and the developments that followed when the latter was assassinated in 1963. How the lady coped with the loss of her husband, cared for her children, and kept her composure in the first few days after the tragedy is all brought out vividly in the film, thanks especially to Natalie Portman’s acting as the subject of interest. The movie draws partially from Theodore H. White’s November 1963 Life magazine interview with Jackie Kennedy. If American politics history fascinates you, this movie will serve you well. Here is where you can stream it.

5. The Iron Claw (2023)

This gripping biographical sports drama is directed by Sean Durkin. It narrates the life of the Von Erich family, a Texas-based wrestling family, and the Von Erich curse that claimed the lives of five of Fritz Von Erich’s six sons. The five were between 6 and 33 years old, and three of them took their own lives. All of the five passed away between 1959 and 1993. The film depicts Fritz Von Erich’s years as wrestling company owner, his sons’ years as wrestlers, their success, and their deaths in a moving and effective way. The title is adopted from the finishing move employed by the Von Erichs within the ring. The cast of the film features Zac Efron, Jeremy Allen White, Harris Dickinson, and Stanley Simons, all of whom are the Von Erich brothers, Holt McCallany as Fritz Von Erich, and Maura Tierney as Fritz’s wife, Doris Von Erich. You can stream ‘The Iron Claw’ here.

4. The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (2021)

‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ is the seventh entry in The Conjuring Universe. It crosses fact and fiction- taking from the 1981 murder trial of Arne Cheyenne Johnson, who murdered his landlord but pleaded not guilty by reason of demonic possession, the first of its kind in the nation, and adding in a witch and a satanic curse. Vera Farmiga and Patrick Wilson reprise their roles as paranormal investigators Lorraine and Ed Warren, respectively. The movie depicts how the couple was engaged in the case even before it became one. Michael Chaves-directed ‘The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It’ also features Ruairi O’Connor, Eugenie Bondurant, Sarah Catherine, and Julian Hilliard. You can see it here.

3. Warfare (2025)

The activities that transpired on November 19, 2006, for a unit of Navy SEALs during the Battle of Ramadi (Iraq War) are the central theme in ‘Warfare,’ directed by Alex Garland and ex-Navy SEAL Ray Mendoza, who was a member of the crew as well. Gritty and real in its presentation, the film gets an up-close-and-personal view of the soldiers who seek refuge in a tiny house in Ramadi in central Iraq and are ambushed by militants from all directions. How they get through it is something we discover. The dust, guns, bullets, and blood: ‘Warfare’ ranks as one of the most realistic war dramas based on true stories out there. It features Will Poulter, Cosmo Jarvis, Kit Connor, Joseph Quinn, D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai, Charles Melton, and Noah Centineo. Watch it here.

2. Sully (2016)

Clint Eastwood’s ‘Sully’ narrates the real story of how Captain Chesley “Sully” Sullenberger and First Officer Jeff Skiles successfully saved all 155 lives onboard the US Airways Flight 1549 by tactfully landing it on the Hudson River following a bird hit on January 15, 2009. Yet, their judgment was brought under excessive scrutiny by many officials who thought that the pilots had enough time to land at an airport close by. The movie also depicts the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) hearing that challenged the pilots’ behavior and how the men justified themselves. Starring Aaron Eckhart and Tom Hanks, ‘Sully’ is a gripping movie that has mastered balancing the drama and the aviation details. The movie is from Chesley Sullenberger and Jeffrey Zaslow’s autobiographical novel ‘Highest Duty.’ Watch it here.

1. The Conjuring (2013)

Founded on the real-life experience of the Perron family in the early 1970s, James Wan’s ‘The Conjuring’ is focused on Carolyn Perron, Roger Perron’s wife, and mother of five daughters, who contacts demonologists Ed and Lorraine Warren, explaining how something within their Rhode Island home wishes to harm her family. As the Lorraines embark on their investigation, ghastly facts that occurred as far back as the 19th century surface, establishing the fact that something heinous indeed occurred at the site and an evil presence is still waiting to take lives. Can anything be done to eliminate it before it’s too late? ‘The Conjuring’ features Vera Farmiga, Patrick Wilson, Lili Taylor, and Ron Livingston and is regarded as one of the scariest true-story horror movies ever produced. You can view it here. Read More: Best Trippy Movies on Netflix