True Stories
True Stories are those based (sometimes loosely!) on fact. They cover topics as diverse as drug addiction, poverty, political unrest, the corruption of power, alcoholism, class divisions, sexual inequality, mental illness and other human struggles. Meet some of history's most intriguing characters, find out what it's really like to climb a mountain or paint a masterpiece. Truly, the True Story is one of cinema's most engaging and enthralling genres.
Bio-pics feature in this section and are also gathered together separately under the 'Biography' sublink left.
Pictured: Inside the Las Vegas mob, Scorsese's unromantic 'Goodfellas'
The Sicilian Girl (2009)
7/10
Director: Marco Amenta
Starring: Veronica D'Agostino, Gerard Jugnot, Mario Pupella, Carmelo Galati
A gripping based-on-fact drama about 17-year-old Rita Atria, who back in 1991 came forward to denounce the mafia violence that had claimed the lives o... Read more
The Sinking of the Laconia (2010)
7/10
Director: Uwe Janson
Starring: Brian Cox, Franka Potente, Ken Duken, Lindsay Duncan, Andrew Buchan
On the 12th of September 1942, the Laconia - a cruise ship turned troop ship - was torpedoed and sunk by German submarine U-156 commanded by Werner Ha... Read more
The Sissi Collection (1990)
Director: Ernst Marischka
Starring: Romy Schneider
The beautiful Romy Schneider stars in three captivating films (plus a prequel) based on the tumultuous life of the beloved Austrian Empress, Sissi. Th... Read more
The Six Wives of Henry VIII (1970)
8.5/10
Director: John Glenister, Naomi Capon
Starring: Keith Michell, Annette Crosbie, Dorothy Tutin, Anne Stallybrass, Elvi Hale, Ange...
This award winning six-part BBC presentation, starring the critically acclaimed Keith Michell, follows the life and loves of this English monarch. Eac... Read more
The Social Network (Blu-ray) (2010)
7.7/10
Director: David Fincher
Starring: Joseph Mazzello, Jesse Eisenberg, Max Minghella, Justin Timberlake, Andrew Garfi...
In 2003, Harvard undergrad and computer genius Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) begins work on a new concept that eventually turns into the global so... Read more
The Soloist (2009)
6.7/10
Director: Joe Wright
Starring: Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr, Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander, LisaGay Hamilton
Jamie Foxx and Robert Downey Jr star in this biography of Nathaniel Ayers (played by Foxx). Ayers was a musical prodigy who played the cello, but afte... Read more
The Special Relationship (2010)
6.8/10
Director: Richard Loncraine
Starring: Dennis Quaid, Hope Davis, Helen McCrory, Michael Sheen
In 1993, Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) was a rising young star in British politics. Three years later he ran for Prime Minister and began a special rela... Read more
The Stanford Prison Experiment (2015)
6.9/10
Director: Kyle Partrick-Alvarez
Starring: Billy Crudup, Michael Angarano, Olivia Thirlby, Ezra Miller, Nelsan Ellis, Tye S...
What happens when a college psych study goes shockingly wrong? In this tense, psychological thriller based on the notorious true story, Billy Crudup s... Read more
The Stoning of Soraya M. (2009)
8/10
Director: Cyrus Nowrasteh
Starring: Jim Caviezel, Shohreh Aghdashloo, Mozhan Marno
In a world of secrecy, corruption and injustice, a single courageous voice can tell a true story that changes everything. This is what lies at the hea... Read more
The Straight Story (1999)
8/10
Director: David Lynch
Starring: Richard Farnsworth, Sissy Spacek, Everett McGill, Harry Dean Stanton
In a gentle, G-rated change of pace that still features his trademark fascination with rural American quirkiness, director David Lynch recounts the tr... Read more