Top 30 Historically Accurate Movies

our mission was called a Successful Failure and that we returned safely but never made it to the moon welcome to watch Mojo and today we're counting down our pics for the best movies that were reasonably faithful to reality I could have got husar there are 1100 people who are alive Because of You number 30 The Big Short and then that happens what is that that's America's housing market if you want a truthful glimpse into how the 2007 into 2008 Global financial crisis unfurled you don't need to watch a documentary just spend 2 hours with the

big short director Adam McKay does a terrific job conveying complex Financial ideas and making them fiercely entertaining the movie is based on Michael Lewis's book of the same name and adapts much of its information giving a realistic rundown of the United States housing crisis and how it ruined the global economy Financial experts have praised the film for its accuracy and biographical information is relatively accurate bar the changing of names we don't want the movie to be true but it is just kidding Banks took the money the American people gave them and they used it to

pay themselves huge bonuses and Lobby the Congress to kill big reform and then they blamed immigrants and poor people number 29 Master and Commander the far side of the world I could walk briskly pausing only to take the most important measurement certainly making valuable discoveries that could help Advance our knowledge of Natural History while the story is entirely fictional Master and Commander is probably the closest you'll ever get to living during the Napoleonic Wars a tremendous amount of research went into making this movie and a tremendous amount of talent was required to bring it to

the screen virtually everything you see and hear in the film is realistic the Primitive medical practices the costumes the sailing techniques the oscar-winning sounds of battle all brilliantly captured and ripped straight from the history books they even filmed aboard the HMS surprise which is a fullscale replica of the HMS Rose from the 18th century No detail was spared and the results are magnificent England is under threat of invasion and though we be on the far side of the world this ship is our home number 28 Bridge of spies instead you treat us as stes for

the Union of Soviet Socialist republics can we just call them the Russians it'll save time one of Spielberg's best films of the 21st century Bridge of spies relays the exchange of American pilot Francis Gary Powers and Soviet spy Rudolph Abel during the Cold War this exchange occurred on Germany's Glen bridge and Spielberg used the real bridge in the climactic scene of the film accurately relaying the visual language of the historic trade of course that's not the only thing that the movie got right it also directly relate a number of story beats like Donovan urging the

judge not to order Abel's death and going through the Berlin Wall by himself Cold War historian James hburg would later review the film positively giving its climactic Bridge sequence an eight out of 10 on the realistic scale I'm sorry I didn't think to get you a [Music] gift this is your gift number 27 Stalingrad like Master and Commander Stalingrad gets major points for its atmosphere and what a bleak film it is directed by ysep vme it follows a number of German soldiers in the Fateful Battle of Stalingrad the most decisive Skirmish in World War II

and perhaps the bloodiest battle in human history the Germans lost and Stalingrad is a terrific depiction of what a typical unit might have encountered in the city this includes the nightmarishly Dow ending which sees everyone dying often with great Agony and with a good eye for historic weapons costumes and props Stalingrad proves an uncomfortable authentic glimpse into one of history's most important battles number 26 Zero Dark 30 but Bin Laden is there and you're going to kill him for me while it sparked some controversy for its violent depiction of CIA activities among other things Zero

Dark 30 earned widespread a claim as a piece of film making and went on to receive five Oscar nominations despite the controversies director Katherine Bigalow claims that everything that happens on screen is representative of firsthand accounts but what really sticks in the mind is the climactic assault on Osama Bin Laden's compound the scene was meticulously researched and filmed with the utmost accuracy Faithfully recreating the tense attack and the killing of the infamous terrorist this was accomplished with the help of Defense secretary Lyon Panetta who gave the filmmakers an exclusive look at classified information regarding the

raid what number 25 All the President's Men I never asked about Watergate I simply asked what were Hunt's duties at the White House they volunteered he was innocent when nobody asked if he was guilty Allan J pula's film is a tense and terrific Espionage Thriller and the best part about it is that it's real All the President's Men is based on the book of the same name by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward two journalists at the Washington Post who uncover the Watergate scandal their work has been called me be the single greatest reporting effort of

all time and it's all relayed in fascinating detail throughout this film it's accurate in both the details and the general atmosphere of the time faithful to the historic characters and the Integrity of professional journalism even the physical details of the office were correct thanks to having the executive editor of the Washington Post as a consultant I can't do the reporting for my reporters which means I have to trust them and I hate trusting anybody number 24 Hotel Rwanda they said there wasn't any room there always Hotel Rwanda earned critical Acclaim in three Oscar nominations it

depicts the terrifying events that occurred in Rwanda throughout the spring and summer of 1994 in which the tootsie group were systematically killed by Hutu militias it's estimated that up to 800,000 people died in the attacks Hotel Rwanda is an unfortunately faithful Recreation not just of the general events but the specific story of Paul rousa beina who housed refugees in his hotel this part of the movie is certainly looser than the general atmosphere of the killings which are depicted with startling accuracy and prove a good history lesson for those interested in the tragic event I am

glad that you have shot this footage and that the world will see it it is the only way we have a chance that people might intervene number 23 Malcolm X but I believe the true practice of Islam can remove the cancer of racism from the hearts and The Souls of all Americans considered one of Le's best films Malcolm X is an epic concerning the life of the titular activist the details were taken straight from the autobiography of Malcolm X which was published back in 1965 and written by both Malcolm X himself and journalist Alex Haley

the film remains mostly accurate adapting much of the book and correctly depicting many events it was also praised for its complex depiction of the titular hero with Spike Lee saying that it examines all the different malcolms as making up one Malcolm the director also conducted independent research like interviewing Malcolm X's relatives in order to get the most realistic account of the man possible the results are staggering beware of them cameras oh that camer bad as any number 22 zodiac Travis and I work here side by side for 10 years his foot gets crushed in an

accident and the killings begin coincidence I don't know you're cop man do the math like All the President's Men zodiac focuses on the art of investigative journalism it's all about the hunt for the Zodiac Killer which is largely done by cartoonist and amateur sleuth Robert graysmith director David Fincher did a ton of research to make the movie as accurate as possible spending 18 months interviewing Witnesses and reading thousands of official documents he also accurately depicts the information found in Gray Smith's books even though this information has come under scrutiny in recent years maybe the end

result doesn't quite land Arthur Lee Allen was likely not the killer but much of the details along the way are brilliantly evoked just cuz you can't prove it doesn't mean it's not true easy dirty hairy finish the book number 21 Good Fellas as far back as I can remember I always wanted to be a gangster Martin square cessi has made some fine flicks but arguably none are better than Good Fellas a masterpiece of the gangster genre it recounts the true story of Henry Hill an ex mobster who worked under the lucazi crime family he was

the subject of Nicholas pel's wise guy which in turn was adapted into Good Fellas all the broad Strokes are here depicting the real story of Henry Hill with a fair degree of reality but once again most of the realism comes through in the details and in this way good Fellas remains one of the most accurate glimpses into the mafia in fact a former mob boss named Michael franzis once did a Reddit AMA and claimed that Goodfellas was the most authentic mob movie ever made and not just you know how you tell the story what number

20 Lawrence of Arabia one of David lean's many masterpieces Lawrence of Arabia details the experiences of TE Lawrence in the first world war he was the most extraordinary man I ever knew did you know him well I knew him the movie is based on Lawrence's own book Seven Pillars of wisdom which was published in 1926 the film has its flaws in regards to history using dramatic license to depict an epic cinematic Adventure most of the criticism is aimed at the portrayal of Lawrence himself but many biographers have argued against this criticism The Defenders claim that

while imperfect the movie contains a reasonably accurate depiction of the historic figure and his actions biographer Steven E tabachnik even praises the film as a whole calling it appropriate and true to the text of Seven Pillars of wisdom could you give me a two words about Colonel Lawrence what more words the Revolt in the desert played a decisive part in the Middle Eastern campaign number 19 milk on January 8th 1978 the openly gay Harvey Milk made California history when he was inducted as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors he pretty cute but

I don't dat guys ever 40 well then this is my lucky night why is that I'm still 79 his film is quite accurate with its story tracing back to the 1982 biography the mayor of Castro Street which was written by San Francisco Chronicle reporter Randy schilz this book inspired the oscar-winning documentary the times of Harvey Milk these sources provide a great framework for the film which accurately captured the life of milk and the politics of the day even the chilling words of milk predicting his own assassination were lifted directly from the documentary Friday November 18th

this is only to be played in the event of my death by assassination the guardian called milk the crem deaem of faithful biopics and it's not hard to see why number 18 Spotlight winning best picture at the 88th Academy Awards Spotlight follows a small news team as they reveal uncomfortable truths within the Catholic Church keep our eye on the herald they run this and they get it wrong the church will bury it we we got to do this now the film is an accurate retelling of the real Spotlight team and its efforts in winning this

2003 Pulitzer Prize for public service included are the award-winning reporters and the Boston Globes editor at large Walter V Robinson some events were made up or exaggerated for dramatic purposes but the film remains a fairly realistic portrayal of History even the Catholic Church praised the film's authenticity the Catholic news service called it generally accurate and Vatican radio referred to it as honest sometimes truth is more disturbing Than Fiction it's a big school Robbie you know that and and we're talking about seven alleged victims over what 8 years number 17 galipoli starring Mel Gibson is Frank

Dunn galipoli is another film centered around the Ottoman Empire in the first world war no thanks if you BLS all want to go and get yourselves shot go ahead well I'm not scared to die for my country Frank well good for you snow you go and sign yourself on per its name this film primarily covers The galipoli Campaign which occurred in modern day turkey and resulted in ottoman Victory when it comes to war galipoli is none too accurate especially in its shoddy depiction of the climatic IC Battle of the neck most of the film's accuracy

lies in its representation of Lifestyles for example galipoli accurately conveys the horrific conditions that soldiers faced throughout the galipoli campaign furthermore it serves as a fantastic period piece about Australian life in the early 20th century when it comes to visuals and atmosphere galipoli is a Triumph of accuracy be ashamed of myself if I didn't find well that only proves one thing that you and I are different let's drop it eh number 16 the imitation game a highly SU uccessful movie The imitation game Chronicles the life of Alan Turing and his time decoding secret German messages

in World War II you have an opportunity here to make some actual use of your life and end up like you no thanks this fascinating story is based on the biography Allan Turing the Enigma written by esteemed mathematician Andrew Hodes unfortunately the real story is so complex that a movie adaptation would never do it justice but the imitation game does a solid job of conveying the basics some of the more dramatic and unsettling aspects of the story are lifted straight from history these include Turing being put on trial for gross indecency and his subsequent chemical

castration the film even earned praise from turing's descendants many of whom complemented the performance of Benedict Cumberbatch well the judge gave me um a choice either two years in prison or hormonal therapy oh my God number 15 First Man Neil Armstrong is one of the most important figures in human history having been the first person to step foot on the moon that's one small step for man one giant be for mankind a biography titled first man the life of Neil a Armstrong was published in 2005 and it's from this book that Damen chazelle sourc the

story first man isn't so much about the Apollo Mission but the life of Armstrong himself a few factual Liberties were made like Armstrong bringing his deceased daughter's bracelet to the moon but first man is nonetheless very accurate Faithfully depicting Armstrong's reserved personality and journey to the Moon cazelle even included the orchestral lunar Rap City in the dance scene as this was the actual piece of music that Armstrong and his wife danced to do you remember this yeah I'm surprised that you remember it number 14 Gettysburg there's a lot of material to mine from the Battle

of Gettysburg which occurred from July 1st to 3rd in 1863 but Ronald F Maxwell's epic got the job done we hold this raid for a couple hours we can keep them away we block that roll to the main body get here we can deprive the enemy of The High Ground the length certainly helps Gettysburg was actually shot as a miniseries which explains the imposing four plus hours running time many historians have praised the movie's faithful and respectful approach to the battle all the major players are present and the film was meticulous in nailing down historical

aspects like battle strategies costumes props and character motivations the National Park Service even provided the filmmakers with the rare opportunity to film on the real Gettysburg Battlefield which lent a great deal of authenticity to to the setting Reynolds my old friend yissa Sam Grant there was some good men in that army yes sir there were indeed some of those men are waiting for us now up ahead on those ridges number 13 the longest day military historian Cornelius Ryan wrote The Longest Day a very popular book about the D-Day invasion in 1944 there it is man

Omaha Beach Dead Ahead it was published in 1959 and turned into a movie Just 3 years later nearly 3 hours in length the film serves as an epic examination of the Normandy Landings many cast members actually served in World War II and their military experience is Central in the film's accuracy Richard Todd who plays Major John Howard actually took part in D-Day and even helped to recreate his own personal experience for the movie the film was also shot at many real locations including Pont to hook and D-Day veterans worked as historical Consultants it all ensured

a War epic that brims with genuine and frightening history oh the evil of it all tring to down a man before he's even got a chance to fight ah come on number 12 city of God Brazil I author Pao leans was raised in the Rio suburb of De or city of God known as a violent and impoverished vlla city of God became the subject of lans's semi-autobiographical novel of the same name with the story spanning multiple decades city of God offers unknowing viewers a horrific and tragic glimpse into the Fella's geography economy and culture of

organized crime the film is even composed of amateur actors many of whom came from the real city of God they underwent an acting Workshop that taught them how to simulate the Aras crime the movie was shot in a real flla with producers coming into conflict with local slum Lords the resulting atmosphere is authentically gritty and [Music] uncomfortable number 11 A Bridge Too Far Cornelius Ryan strikes again based son is 1974 book of the same name a bridge too far recounts the story of operation Market Garden that gentleman is the prize the bridge of a line

the last bridge between US and Germany this was one of the largest Airborne operations of World War II its aim was to secure various bridges in the Netherlands thereby granting Allied access into Germany the period was Faithfully recreated by using real military hardware in authentic Dutch locations the complex battle Logistics were also fairly accur accurate this is because Roy kit and Brian horx respectively played by Shan connory and Edward Fox in the film served as military advisers with a solid foundation in Ryan's book and firsthand accounts of the operation a bridge too far is a

great exercise in historical authenticity oh are you I'm not sure that I'll know for a while but I'm sorry about the way it worked out number 10 come and see a subversive response to a long history of Soviet War propaganda films come and see was written by director Elm Koff with the help of an ex partisan who fought against the Nazis along with numerous eyewitness accounts the production of this objective and the realistic portrayal of the German occupation of bell Russia was almost as brutal as the subject matter Alexi kkin playing the lead role was

a nonprofessional actor who endured fatigue and hunger during filming all the while dodging live ammunition used instead of blanks for the filming meanwhile wartime documentary style footage made the film a stunning Testament to the suffering endured by ordinary people fighting for their lives on the Russian front number nine Flags of Our Fathers and if we wish to truly honor these men we should remember them the way they really were the way my dad remembered them in 1945 Joe rosenthal's iconic photograph of US Marines raising the stars and stripes on the captured island of iima brought

Fame to its subjects Clint Eastwood's Epic War film was based on a best-selling book written by the son of one of the men in the photo James Bradley who also provided narration and interviews with Veterans for the movie I'm sorry sorry you were the best father a man could have Flags of Our Father's depiction of the horrors of warfare and the tragedy of what comes after was praised by the US Marine Corps Chief historian for its attention to detail and historicals similitude particularly to depiction of the harsh terrain where the Marines fought sh number eight

lincol historians and critics gave a warm reception to this painstaking Recreation of President Lincoln's fight to have the 13th Amendment passed in the closing months of the American Civil War it's not Wilmington Port it's not a military campaign it's the amendment to abolish slavery why else would you force me to invite demanded radicals into my home the film was shot in Richmond Fredericksburg and Petersburg in Virginia where historical architecture from the period remains today Daniel D Lewis received widespread accolades for his masterful performance as President Lincoln paying attention to key character details like the president's

unexpectedly high voice and propensity as a master Storyteller they said she murdered her husband he was 83 he was choking her and uh she grabbed a hold of a stick of firewood and fractured his skull and he died Tommy Lee Jones was also praised for his performance as thus Stevens a 19th century master of insults and sarcastic wit slavery is the only insult to natural law you fatuous n poop number seven dasb this claustrophobic depiction of wartime life abort a German uboat submarine was based on a novel by loar gunar buim who served as a

naval war correspondent on the u96 during World War III's Battle of the Atlantic with the command commer of the u96 as technical adviser an obsessively accurate replica of the vessel interior was built which could be hydraulically rocked shaken and tilted up to [Music] 45° realism was also enhanced by location shooting at the wartime boat pan at La Rell do boat is a stunning depiction of the confinement tedium and Terror of ordinary men caught in the war beneath the waves number six Torah Torah Torah this documentary like account of the attack on Pearl Harbor showed both

sides of the battle emphasizing the historical context and detailed planning of the attack I'd make a bet they're going to attack us Japan is going to attack us the 29th is only 4 days off producers and directors from Japan and the United States films their perspective sep separately which were then combined into a single film technical advisers from both sides were spared no expense to make the sets and scenes as true to life as possible fullscale replicas of Naval vessels were built and American training planes were made to resemble wartime Japanese planes which added to

the realism of what was being shown on screen one wheel stuck sir we'll JT it Loose we're going in number five 12 Years a Slave based on the 1853 biography of freed ex-slave Solomon Northup this film was praised by his historians and critics alike for its brutal depiction of the reality of slavery in Louisiana 500b of cotton day in day out Steve McQueen's distinct directorial style and the unforgettable performances of chel edoor and others helped to bring the cruelty and barbarity of Slavery to horrific life 12 Years a Slave vividly portrays the social and historical

realities of a past where men and women were used and abused as chatt while emphasizing Solomon northup's astonishing achievement I will not fall into despair I will offer up my talents to master fort I will keep myself Hardy till freedom is opportune Number Four The Pianist this film was closely based on an autobiographical book by The Pianist and Holocaust Survivor Vish lash Spielman by order of the governor of the Warsaw District Dr Fisher concerning the establishment of the Jewish District in Warsaw there will be created a Jewish District in which all Jews living in Warsaw

or moving to Warsaw will have to reside however Direct Roman palansky had additional motivation to respect the history on which The Pianist draws as he himself survived the Holocaust in krackow this story of one talented man's struggle to survive in the Warsaw Ghetto is heartbreaking and poyant and a testament to the effort to recreate the setting in every detail from the oppression of the ghetto streets to specific songs Spielman played The Pianist is a haunting vision of suffering made more disturbing by the beauty of the music number three Schindler's List Steven Spielberg's award-winning movie is

considered by many to be the greatest film about horrors of the Holocaust ever made tomorrow you'll begin the process of looking for survivors of your families in most cases you won't find them this tale of German industrialist Oscar Schindler's strategy to save Jewish people from mechan ized extermination is a Showcase of the highs and lows of The Human Condition Holocaust Survivor Leopold PC Ferber spent years working to have his story of one man struggled to save those caught in the maw of a destructive hate machine made and Spielberg's grim and realistic portrayal helps ensure it

will never be forgotten the list is an absolute good the list is life all around its margins the go number two downfall the paranoia and surreal Madness of Adolf Hitler's last 10 days Hol Up in his bunker were masterfully recreated in downfall a war flick known in Germany as Dar un the creek is for based on extensive historical research the film features fearsomely factual depictions of some of modern history's most vile figures in fact many of Hitler's lines were derived from actual quotations taken from his writing Bruno Gans gave a terrifying performance as Hitler both

at his most monstrous and his most human this film shows how at the end of the day even the most despicable man in history is still just a man before we continue be sure to subscribe to our Channel and ring the bell to get notifi ified about our latest videos you have the option to be notified for occasional videos or all of them if you're on your phone make sure you go into your settings and switch on notifications number one Apollo 13 this tale of a brush with fatal disaster in orbit was based on a

book written by science writer Jeffrey kuger and Apollo 13 mission Commander Jim Lovel as well as firsthand testimony of other astronauts gentlemen it's been a privilege fine with you made with the technical support of NASA the historical docu drama was praised for its exact reproduction of Apollo 13 modules and control rooms zero gravity scenes were even filmed in the same KC 135 plane also called the vomit Comet used to simulate weightlessness during Astronaut training the tense tale of survival in space against the odds gained Universal praise from real astronauts and earned the filmmakers two Oscar

wins out of nine nominations this could be the worst disaster Nas has ever experienced with all due respect sir I believe this is going to be our finest Hour what are some other historically accurate films we missed let us know in the comments below and with all was said and done only one single Banker went to jail did you enjoy this video check out these other clips from watch Mojo and be sure to subscribe and ring the bell to be notified about our latest videos