415 Best True-story-based Movies to Watch (Page 28)

The beginning text is enough to make you wonder what kind of demonic BS you’re about to get yourself into. Thank God for the juicy family drama then for grounding the story well, and distracting our emotions in between the paranormal craziness. At the same time that we’re connecting with the family on a real life level, the film does a good job making the house feel alive and malicious, like an animal slowly losing its patience before it all escalates into an agonizing epidemic. Still, one could come out of this horror movie and feel that some loose religious aspects, as well as its climax-resolution altogether, really drag down the initial mystique it did so well creating. Either way, it's not the worst thing in the world.

Genre: Horror, Thriller

Actor: Andra Day, Anthony B. Jenkins, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, Caleb McLaughlin, Colleen Camp, Cynthia Dallas, Demi Singleton, Glenn Close, Jeff Hochendoner, Juanita Jennings, Kimberly Russell, Malieek Straughter, Miss Lawrence, Mo'Nique, Omar Epps, Tasha Smith, Todd Anthony

Director: Lee Daniels

Rating: R

Sweet Dreams is supposedly a film about Patsy Cline, one of the most influential country and pop vocalists of the 1960s. To the film’s credit, Jessica Lange does a great job emulating the singer, though the vocal performances come straight from the source recordings, and Ed Harris, portraying the husband Charlie Dick, shares a believable chemistry with Lange. But sadly, Sweet Dreams is much more interested in her marriage than in her artistry, more interested in the accidents she’s gone through than in the way she recovered after the crash. Rather than focus on an inspiring life story that practically writes itself– a young woman who, despite what life has given, managed to teach herself music and become one of the greatest singers of all time– Sweet Dreams is not so sweet at all.

Genre: Drama, Music, Romance

Actor: Ann Wedgeworth, Bruce Kirby, Carlton Cuse, David Clennon, Ed Harris, Gary Basaraba, James Staley, Jessica Lange, John Goodman, John Walter Davis, Kenneth White, P.J. Soles, Robert Rothwell, Tony Frank

Director: Karel Reisz

Rating: PG-13

Based on the autobiography of real-life evangelical pastor Greg Laurie, Jesus Revolution recounts how a Christian movement in the '60s turned lost hippies into dedicated Christians. It was an interesting moment in time, but instead of delving into the movement's peculiarities and intricacies, Jesus Revolution offers a myopic tale that paints Laurie as a hero and the movement as inspirational when, really, they are anything but. Laurie's story never feels significant enough to justify a feature film and the movement never seems as radical as the film thinks it to be. And even though it’s autobiographical, it never really digs into Laurie's spirituality and interiority deep enough to reveal complex truths. In fact, everyone’s a caricature in this simplistic film that feels more like propaganda as it paints religion as perfect and all-saving while glossing over its many imperfections and questionable rhetoric. It could have worked as commentary, satire, or maybe even a sincere memoir, but as it is, it just feels like a short-sighted attempt at telling history.

Genre: Drama, History

Actor: Alexia Ioannides, Anna Grace Barlow, Billy Graham, Charlie Morgan Patton, DeVon Franklin, Jackson Robert Scott, Joel Courtney, Jolie Jenkins, Jonathan Roumie, Julia Campbell, Kelsey Grammer, Kevin Downes, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Matthew Montemaro, Mina Sundwall, Nic Bishop, Nicholas Cirillo, Paras Patel, Randall Newsome, Shaun Weiss, Steve Hanks

Director: Brent McCorkle, Jon Erwin

Rating: PG-13

Girl in the Closet is a low-budget TV movie that gives us a peek into the lives of trafficked children, but nothing more beyond that. There is no compelling story or drama; no suspense as to how the children might possibly escape, or rousing speeches about how the system failed these kids. Instead of a real plot, the movie strings together one shocking abuse after the other and constantly jumps forward in time (one year later, five years later, nine months after) in an attempt to rush towards its predictable ending. It would’ve been thoroughly unwatchable if it weren’t for some dedicated performances, namely by Peters and Roman, who give much more than what the flimsy script and loose editing deserve. 

Genre: Drama, TV Movie

Actor: Daijah Peters, Danielle LaRoach, Remy Ma, Stevie Baggs Jr., Tami Roman, Teisha Speight, Willie Raysor

Director: Jaira Thomas

From the Ashes is based on the real life fire tragedy, but upon searching, Netflix hasn’t mentioned which exact fire it was talking about. It’s possibly inspired by the 2002 Mecca girls' school fire, with the strict all-girl’s school, the closed gates and unattended cigarette, but the film starts off with a disclaimer saying that the characters and certain aspects of the story are fictional. One would think, with the freedom the film granted itself through fiction, the film would dare to critique certain controversial aspects of the tragedy that needs to be talked about – like the implications of emergency services being hindered due to modesty, or whether the media speculation was fair, or even the lack of safety regulations that the school administration failed to implement. Instead, most of the film plays out like an investigation, seemingly placing blame on fictional students, you know, the victims, for being the reason one fictional student wasn’t able to escape. Sure, it’s all fiction, but this is just not right.

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Actor: Adwaa Fahad, Aisha Al Rifaie, Alshaima'a Tayeb, Darin Al Bayed, Khairia Abu Laban

Director: Khalid Fahad