The Two Popes (Directed by: Fernando Meirelles, 2019)
The film tells the story of two great thinkers, two powerful religious leaders: Pope Benedict XVI, who is about to resign, and Jorge Mario Bergoglio, known as Pope Francis. Of course, this is only if we look at the film from a distance. Closer up, it is about much more: faith, human faults, sins, God, and the bridge that faith creates. Anthony Hopkins (Benedict) and Jonathan Pryce (Francis) deliver wonderful performances, as we have come to expect from both of them.
The Founder (Directed by: John Lee Hancock, 2016)
The great heist. That's the only way to describe the story of Ray Kroc and the McDonald brothers. In the 1950s, Kroc, working as a traveling salesman, could have lived a peaceful life, but he wasn't satisfied with what he had achieved so far. He notices a small restaurant that unusually purchases a large number of milkshake machines.
Kroc visits the small burger joint, and from that moment on, he can't think of anything else but turning the restaurant into a franchise. Thus, McDonald's, the billion-dollar empire, is born. Kroc referred to himself as the sole founder, while the McDonald brothers were ruined. Michael Keaton is brilliant as Ray Kroc.
Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile (Directed by: Joe Berlinger, 2019)
Ted Bundy is one of the most notorious serial killers in United States history. Extremely Wicked, Shockingly Evil and Vile tells the story of a true narcissistic psychopath. He was so charming and good-looking that even after his capture, many doubted his guilt, although he brutally murdered more than 30 young women.
The film focuses less on the murders and more on Ted Bundy himself, portrayed by Zac Efron – stepping out of his teen heartthrob image. Bundy's trial was the first in the US to be broadcast live, and the courtroom scenes are prominently featured in the film. John Malkovich is fantastic as Judge Edward D. Cowart.
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind (Directed by: Chiwetel Ejiofor, 2018)
A heartwarming story about how human talent and genius always find a way, no matter the circumstances. William Kamkwamba lives in a small village in Malawi. They are so poor that he cannot attend school. But the boy wants to know! Everything and about everything.
He especially wants to find a solution to the problems of his own village. At just 14 years old, he sees a picture of a wind turbine and decides to build one so they can always irrigate the crops and have food to eat. His plan succeeds, and he creates a wind turbine. From scrap.
Big Eyes (Directed by: Tim Burton, 2014)
Walter Keane captivates people with his distinctive style of paintings. However, no one suspects that the masterpieces depicting big-eyed figures are actually painted by his wife, Margaret. Margaret arrives in San Francisco with her child and raises her daughter alone after her divorce. She gets a job in a furniture factory and supplements her income by drawing portraits.
Walter Keane falls in love with Margaret and her paintings. They marry, and he convinces her to use the Keane name on the paintings. From there, it is only a small step to a huge fraud. Christoph Waltz and Amy Adams’ performances make it definitely worth watching.
Curtiz (Directed by: Tamás Yvan Topolánszky, 2018)
Curtiz was the winner of the 2018 Montreal Film Festival. The film depicts a part of the life of Mihály Kertész, known as Michael Curtiz. The famous director is filming Casablanca in 1942, in the middle of World War II. The director, who already has a difficult personality, gives a hard time to the crew working with him, and the circumstances pose a great challenge for him. A film noir about human struggle through the lens of a world-famous cinematic masterpiece.
Temple Grandin (Directed by: Mick Jackson, 2010)
A true story about a young autistic woman who lived in a time when autism was almost unknown. The film follows Temple from childhood, supported by her mother, aunt, and science teacher. It tells the story of a woman who used her extraordinary sensitivity to revolutionize industrial animal husbandry and became an expert in animal behavior. Claire Danes delivers her most captivating performance to date.
I, Tonya (Directed by: Craig Gillespie, 2017)
The rivalry between figure skaters Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan is remembered by those who followed the news in the 1990s. The events between the two women caused a huge stir. In 1994, Tonya’s husband attacked Nancy. Despite Tonya denying any involvement, she was convicted and banned from skating, which ended her career. Margot Robbie is brilliant in this role (and others).
Monster (Directed by: Patty Jenkins, 2003)
If Ted Bundy is America’s most notorious male serial killer, then Aileen Wuornos is the most infamous female one. She was also the first in this category. A cruel childhood led Wuornos to become a prostitute by the age of thirteen. She seeks her livelihood along highways, mostly serving truck drivers.
She falls in love with Selby, a young woman she meets in a bar. Aileen cannot find a proper job, so she continues what she has been doing, but one encounter with a client ends in tragedy. From then on, Wuornos does not stop. She killed seven people in two years, admitting to six of them. She was sentenced to death.
The Act Season 1 (Series, Directed by: Laure de Clermont-Tonnerre and Steven Piet, 2019)
Perhaps the most shocking of all movies based on true stories. The story of a mother and her daughter. The case of Gypsy Rose Blanchard is a heartbreaking struggle for freedom in a situation where the mother is overly protective and fearful of her daughter. Dee Dee, the mother, convinced everyone from the girl's childhood that her child was mentally disabled and suffered from various illnesses.
She forced the girl into a wheelchair and played the caring mother to the outside world. However, many years later, as an adult still in the wheelchair, Gypsy Rose realizes the shocking truth: she is not ill at all; her mother made her and everyone else believe it.
It is a very special feeling to watch a film based on a true story. The above list is our top ten, but there are countless other works to choose from. Do you have a favorite?
