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 Iron Lady (2011)
6.4/10
Director: Phyllida Lloyd
Starring: Iain Glen, Jim Broadbent, Meryl Streep, Richard E Grant, Anthony Head, Nicholas...
Starring the Oscar-winning Meryl Streep in an amazing central performance, "The Iron Lady" tells the story of ex-British Prime Minister Margaret Thatc... Read more
The Joe Louis Story (1953)
6.1/10
Director: Robert Gordon
Starring: Paul Stewart, James Edwards, Coley Wallace, Hilda Simms
Boxer Coley Wallace stars in the true-story of boxing legend 'the Brown Bomber', who became heavyweight champ in the '30s despite overwhelming poverty... Read more
The Killing Fields (1984)
7.9/10
Director: Roland Joffe
Starring: Sam Waterston, Haing S Ngor, Craig T Nelson, John Malkovich, Athol Fugard
Nominated for seven Academy Awards, "he Killing Fields" is a compassionate, intelligent and brutal exploration of loyalty and friendship set during th... Read more
The Killing Machine (1975)
5.2/10
Director: Norifumi Suzuki
Starring: Sonny Chiba, Yutaka Nakajima, Kei Sato, Etsuko Shihomi
Following the end of World War II, former Japanese soldier and Shaolin martial arts master Doshin (Sonny Chiba) returns to Osaka after working as a sp... Read more
The Killing of John Lennon (2006)
6.3/10
Director: Andrew Piddington
Starring: Jonas Ball, Mie Omori, Robert C Kirk
Using the killer's own words as the basis for its re-enactments, this docudrama shadows the disturbed and obsessive Mark David Chapman (Jonas Ball) in... Read more
The King's Choice (Kongens nei) (2016)
7.2/10
Director: Erik Poppe
Starring: Tuva Novotny, Jesper Christensen, Karl Markovics, Anders Baasmo Christiansen, Ka...
On the 9th of April 1940, the German war machine arrives in the city of Oslo. The Norwegian King faces a choice that will change his country forever. Read more
The Krays (1990)
6.7/10
Director: Peter Medak
Starring: Billie Whitelaw, Gary Kemp, Martin Kemp, Tom Bell
A film based on the true story of the Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie, who terrorised and dominated the crime scene in London's East End during the 60s.... Read more
The Lady (2011)
7.1/10
Director: Luc Besson
Starring: David Thewlis, Michelle Yeoh
A biopic about Burmese pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, played in the film by Michelle Yeoh. Suu Kyi spent almost 15 years under house arrest... Read more
The Lady ( Blu-ray ) (2011)
7.1/10
Director: Luc Besson
Starring: David Thewlis, Michelle Yeoh
A biopic about Burmese pro-democracy activist Aung San Suu Kyi, played in the film by Michelle Yeoh. Suu Kyi spent almost 15 years under house arrest... Read more
The Lady in the Van (2015)
6.7/10
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Starring: Jim Broadbent, Maggie Smith, Deborah Findlay, Alex Jennings, Frances de la Tour,...
Maggie Smith lets her hair down in the role of a real-life bumptious bag lady who lived in a van and found a permanent parking spot outside the Camden... Read more