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 Doors (1991)
7.2/10
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Kevin Dillon, Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Frank Whaley, Kyle MacLachlan, Billy Idol, M...
A vivid impression of Jim Morrison and his group's rise to fame and eventual undoing, and recreating the sights and sounds of the rock and drug era of... Read more
The Doors ( Blu-ray ) (1991)
7.2/10
Director: Oliver Stone
Starring: Frank Whaley, Kathleen Quinlan, Kevin Dillon, Kyle MacLachlan, Meg Ryan, Michael...
A vivid impression of Jim Morrison and his group's rise to fame and eventual undoing, and recreating the sights and sounds of the rock and drug era of... Read more
The Elephant Man (1980)
8.2/10
Director: David Lynch
Starring: Anne Bancroft, Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Freddie J...
From the director of 'Eraserhead' and 'Dune', based on the true story of John Merrick, who suffered from a rare, physically distorting disease and was... Read more
The Elephant Man (Blu-ray) (1980)
8.2/10
Director: David Lynch
Starring: Anne Bancroft, Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, John Gielgud, Wendy Hiller, Freddie J...
From the director of 'Eraserhead' and 'Dune', based on the true story of John Merrick, who suffered from a rare, physically distorting disease and was... Read more
The Emerald Forest (1985)
6.9/10
Director: John Boorman
Starring: Powers Boothe, Meg Foster, Charley Boorman
The Emerald Forest is based on a true story, as related by Los Angeles Times correspondent Leonard Greenwood. Powers Boothe stars as Bill Markham, a U... Read more
The Entity (1982)
6.6/10
Director: Sidney J Furie
Starring: Barbara Hershey, Alex Rocco, Ron Silver, George Coe, Maggie Blye
This story by Frank De Felitta is supposedly based on a genuine case story about a woman who becomes the victim of brutal sexual attacks from a ghostl... Read more
The Exonerated (2005)
6.7/10
Director: Bob Balaban
Starring: Susan Sarandon, Danny Glover, Brian Dennehy, Delroy Lindo, Aidan Quinn
Adapted from the highly acclaimed off-Broadway play, this film tells six true stories of death row inmates proven innocent and released after serving... Read more
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005)
6.7/10
Director: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Campbell Scott, Jennifer Carpenter, Colm Feore
Inspired by real events, this is as much courtroom drama as supernatural chiller. It tells in flashback the tragic story of 'Emily Rose' (Jennifer Ca... Read more
The Exorcism of Emily Rose (Blu-ray) (2005)
6.7/10
Director: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Laura Linney, Tom Wilkinson, Campbell Scott, Jennifer Carpenter, Colm Feore
Inspired by real events, this is as much courtroom drama as supernatural chiller. It tells in flashback the tragic story of 'Emily Rose' (Jennifer Ca... Read more
The Falcon and the Snowman (1985)
6.8/10
Director: John Schlesinger
Starring: Sean Penn, Timothy Hutton, Lori Singer, David Suchet
A based-on-fact dramatic thriller starring Timothy Hutton as a defense plant employee who uncovers proof that the CIA is secretly influencing the acti... Read more