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 Lady in the Van ( Blu-ray ) (2015)
6.7/10
Director: Nicholas Hytner
Starring: Helen Mirren, Jim Broadbent, Deborah Findlay, Alex Jennings, Jamie Parker, Roger...
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
The Last Days of Frank & Jesse James (1986)
Director: William A Graham
Starring: Johnny Cash, Kris Kristofferson, Willie Nelson, June Carter Cash, Marcia Cross
From 1866 to 1882, Missouri's Frank and Jesse James led a gang that robbed banks, held up trains and became the most famous outlaws in American histor... Read more
The Last Emperor (1987)
7.8/10
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Starring: John Lone, Joan Chen, Peter O'Toole, Victor Wong
A stunning milestone in the history of cinema; John Lone stars as Pu Yi, emperor of China, who comes from a long history of a tradition that is irreve... Read more
The Last Emperor ( Blu-ray ) (1987)
7.8/10
Director: Bernardo Bertolucci
Starring: Joan Chen, John Lone, Peter O'Toole, Victor Wong
A stunning milestone in the history of cinema; John Lone stars as Pu Yi, emperor of China, who comes from a long history of a tradition that is irreve... Read more
The Last Man Hanged (1992)
6.5/10
Director: Lewis Fitz-Gerald
Starring: Colin Friels, Lewis Fitz-Gerald, Angie Milliken
This dramatized documentary features Colin Friels as Ronald Ryan, the last man to be hanged in Australia, in 1967. A gambler who turned to crime to s... Read more
The Last Shot (2004)
5.7/10
Director: Jeff Nathanson
Starring: Matthew Broderick, Alec Baldwin, Toni Collette, Calista Flockhart, Ray Liotta, T...
After years of being on the A-List of complete failures, Hollywood screenwriter Steven Schats (Matthew Broderick) meets Joe Devine (Alec Baldwin), a p... Read more
The Left-Handed Gun (1958)
6.5/10
Director: Arthur Penn
Starring: Paul Newman, Lita Milan, John Dehner, Hurd Hatfield
Director Arthur Penn's first feature is a compelling and unflinching look at the life of Billy the Kid. Paul Newman portrays the notorious outlaw as a... Read more
The Legend of Ben Hall (2016)
5.8/10
Director: Matthew Holmes
Starring: Adam Wilson, William Lee, Erica Field, Jack Martin, Joanne Dobbin, Jamie Coffy
After two years running from the law, bushranger Ben Hall has gone into hiding, He is soon drawn back into bushranging by the reappearance of his old... Read more
The Legend of Lucy Keyes (2005)
4.8/10
Director: John Stimpson
Starring: Brooke Adams, Mark Boone Junior, Julie Delpy, Justin Theroux, Cassidy Hinkle
A supernatural thriller based on the true story of the disapperance of Lucy Keyes in 1700s Massachussetts that has taken on legend status. Julie Delpy... Read more
The Legend of Suriyothai (2002)
6.6/10
Director: Chatri Chalerm Yukol
Starring: M.L. Piyapas Bhirombhhakdi, Sarunyoo Wongkrachang, Chatchai Plengpanich, Suphaki...
A fabled moment in the history of Thailand sets the stage for this lavishly mounted historical epic. In 1528, Thailand's leadership is in chaos, as th... Read more