Five movies on Netflix based on true stories
The cinematic world is anchored by various means of inspiration; the most important being reality. So, on today’s episode of what to watch on Netflix, we have five movies based on true stories.
While we understand that for some of you, entertainment is equivalent to an escape from reality, it’s undoubtedly one of the most reliable sources directors and writers often fall back upon, enriching viewers’ awareness all the same.
In all honesty, the ‘based-on-true-story’ catalogue on Netflix is massive, spanning diverse genres. This means, even though we’re going to spoil viewers with choices, expect a variety.
From revisiting unforgettable events to the portraits of forever icons, here’s a Netflix watchlist shaped by the very world we inhabit.
Five movies on Netflix based on true stories
The Good Nurse (Tobias Lindholm, 2022)
Based on Charles Graeber’s 2013 true crime book, The Good Nurse is a crime thriller movie on Netflix, telling the story of real-life serial killer Charles Cullen and the fellow nurse, whose eyes of suspicion he couldn’t escape, despite going undetected for years. The Netflix movie follows Amy Loughren, a single mother and ICU nurse, struggling with a heart condition, who finds a friend in new nurse Charlie.
But when mysterious patient deaths pile up, and the hospital fails to report them to avoid liability, the police suspect Charlie. The Good Nurse follows Amy as she secretly works with authorities to lure out a confession from Charlie, resulting in his subsequent arrest while moving to a new job, after having killed numerous patients over a period of 16 years.
Lion (Garth Davis, 2016)
Directed by Garth Davis in his feature directorial debut, Lion is an Australian biographical drama film based on Saroo Brierley’s non-fiction book, A Long Way Home. Dev Patel stars in the movie as adult Saroo Brierly while Sunny Pawar portrays the businessman-turned-author in his youth. The adaptation tells the true story of how Brierley headed out to find his family in India after 25 years of separation.
Lion opens with the story of Brierley, who was only five years old when he stole coal with his brother for food in Madhya Pradesh, India. Tired, Saroo, however, fell asleep at a train station, only to wake up and find himself alone. He eventually boarded a train to Calcutta and fended off the streets until being placed in an orphanage, and eventually adopted by Sue and John Brierley in Tasmania. After turning adult and still struggling with the fragmented memories of his lost childhood, Brierly sets off on a mission to retrace his family in India.
Lost Girls (Liz Garbus, 2020)
The next on the watchlist is Lost Girls, inspired by Robert Kolker’s non-fiction book Lost Girls: An Unsolved American Mystery. The mystery thriller, which clocks in at 95 minutes, centres on the killings of young female sex workers, whose bodies are discovered on the South Shore barrier islands of Long Island. The movie tells the true story of Mari Gilbert and her unrelenting search for her daughter, Shannan.
Lost Girls begins with the sudden disappearance of 24-year-old Shannan in 2010 near a gated community in Oak Beach, Long Island. After the local police fail to treat the case as a priority, Mari takes charge of her own investigation, not only bringing media attention to the alarming incident in the area but also leading the discovery of several other bodies, highlighting the prospect of a serial killer on the loose.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (Aaron Sorkin, 2020)
Based on the infamous 1969 trial of seven anti-Vietnam War protestors, The Trial of the Chicago 7 is a historical legal drama which follows activists including Abbie Hoffman, Jerry Rubin, Tom Hayden, Rennie Davis, David Dellinger, John Froines, Lee Weiner, and Bobby Seale. The protest took place in Chicago, which led to violent confrontations.
The Trial of the Chicago 7 revolves around the aftermath of the protests when these protestors were arrested by the new Nixon administration and charged with conspiracy for inciting riots. The movie captures the tension that followed over the demands for peaceful institutional change and counterculture, opening the path of disruptive resistance and unity against biased prosecution.
Rustin (George C Wolfe, 2023)
We end the marathon with yet another biographical drama based on the life of civil rights activist Bayard Rustin, Rustin, directed by George C Wolfe. The Oscar-nominated movie stars Colman Domingo as the architect of 1963’s momentous March on Washington, Rustin, who was unapologetically himself, never scared to challenge authority.
Despite his legacy, Rustin is someone who has often been forgotten from the pages of history. The movie shines a light on his extraordinary life, outlook, and career, who, alongside names like Dr Martin Luther King Jr, Adam Clayton Powell Jr, and Ella Baker, reimagined a world and advocated for change, freedom, and resilience.