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'
David Williamson Collection: Don's Party (1975) / The Removalists (1975) / Travelling North (1987) / The Four Minute Mile (1988) (1975)
8.5/10
Director: Bruce Beresford, Carl Schultz, Jim Goddard, Tom Jeffrey
Starring: Graham Kennedy, John Hargreaves, Ray Barrett, Peter Cummins, Leo McKern, Julia B...
David Williamson is considered one of Australia's greatest living playwrights. Writing contemporary stories about sex, sports and social politics. Mo... Read more
Dawn Anna (2005)
7/10
Director: Arliss Howard
Starring: Debra Winger, Krista Rae
Telling the true story of single mother Dawn Anna (Debra Winger) who raised four children alone on a teacher's salary and still finds time to coach vo... Read more
Dead Man Walking (1995)
7.5/10
Director: Tim Robbins
Starring: Sean Penn, Susan Sarandon, Robert Prosky
Sister Helen Prejean's 1993 bestseller is the basis for this harrowing account of her life's work'; a spiritual advisor for condemned killers awaiting... Read more
Dead Ringers (1988)
7.3/10
Director: David Cronenberg
Starring: Jeremy Irons, Genevieve Bujold, Heidi Von Palleske
David Cronenberg does it again in this psychological horror film starring Jeremy Irons as a pair of disturbed, identical twin gynaecologists. A techni... Read more
Dear Mr Gacy (2010)
6.4/10
Director: Svetozar Ristovski
Starring: William Forsythe, Jesse Moss
In 1980, John Wayne Gacy was convicted of the rape and murder of 33 young men and sentenced to death row. Years later, ambitious criminology student J... Read more
Death Defying Acts (2007)
5.8/10
Director: Gillian Armstrong
Starring: Guy Pearce, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Timothy Spall, Saoirse Ronan
In 1926, Harry Houdini lost his beloved mother and became obsessed with contacting her from beyond the grave. Wary of charlatans, he offered a reward... Read more
Death Hunt (1981)
7/10
Director: Peter R Hunt
Starring: Lee Marvin, Charles Bronson, Andrew Stevens, Carl Weathers, Ed Lauter, Angie Dic...
Unflinching Mountie Lee Marvin withstands the rugged Canadian wilderness to bring in maverick fur trapper Charles Bronson, who's determined not to be... Read more
Debajo Del Mundo ( Underground ) (1987)
8.1/10
Director: Beda Docampo Feijoo, Juan Bautista Stagnaro
Starring: Sergio Renan, Barbara Mugica, Victor Laplace
Aka 'Underground', 'Under the World'. The true story of a Polish Jewish family whose members had to literally bury themselves alive underground in ord... Read more
Decoding Annie Parker (2013)
6.3/10
Director: Steven Bernstein
Starring: Chris Mulkey, Helen Hunt, Marley Shelton, Samantha Morton, Richard Schiff, Maggi...
Based on true events, "Decoding Annie Parker" is the hopeful and touching story of two remarkable women and their 15-year battle against a cruel and i... Read more
Defiance (2008)
7.2/10
Director: Edward Zwick
Starring: Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber, Jamie Bell, Alexa Davalos, George MacKay, Allan Co...
Inspired by true events, this epic WWII drama tells the story of three Jewish brothers (Daniel Craig, Liev Schreiber and Jamie Bell) who vow to avenge... Read more