12 of the Best TV Shows and Movies Based on True Stories
Based on true events and almost too wild to believe – these are the best real-life stories brought to screen.
Every now and then, there’s a story so far-fetched and filled with cinematic twists, it would feel too on the nose if it weren’t actually true. Stories based on true events offer a uniquely thrilling viewing experience: a rollercoaster ride that keeps prompting you to say, “There’s no way that really happened!”
Here, we've rounded up 15 of the most shocking, inspirational, and dramatic true stories that live up to the old adage – life is stranger than fiction.
TV Shows
1. The Dropout
Where Can I Watch It? Disney+
If you’re not familiar with the Theranos scandal, you can probably still conjure the image of Elizabeth Holmes – black turtleneck, slicked-back hair, and intense eye contact as she confidently defends her blood-testing startup on CNBC’s Mad Money. This now-infamous appearance is emblematic of her public persona, which was perfectly captured by Amanda Seyfried in the 2022 miniseries that chronicles the fascinating rise-and-fall of Holmes’ carefully manufactured myth.
2. Love & Death
Where Can I Watch It? HBO Max
True crime fans will enjoy this chilling but stylish limited series based on the true story of Candy Montgomery – a Texan housewife turned murderer. Elizabeth Olsen plays the seemingly ordinary woman: churchgoing, married, and a mother of two. But beneath the wholesome surface, there was repression and betrayal, which culminated in a deadly confrontation in a suburban home that shocked small-town Texas in 1980. By pure coincidence, another TV show was made starring Jessica Biel in 2022 based on the same story. This mini-series – Candy – is available to stream on Disney+ and is also worth the watch if you can handle watching the story twice.
3. Feud: Bette and Joan
Where Can I Watch It? Disney+
Before Sarah Jessica Parker and Kim Cattrall, or Drake and Kendrick Lamar – the biggest A-list feud in tinsel town was between iconic actresses Bette Davis and Joan Crawford. In this anthology series, another pair of Hollywood legends Susan Sarandon and Jessica Lange take on the titular roles for a reimagining of the toxic rivalry. As can be expected from a Ryan Murphy-directed project, it’s high camp and over-the-top, set during the filming of the 1962 thriller What Ever Happened To Baby Jane?
4. Inventing Anna
Where Can I Watch It? Netflix
Some think she’s a Robin Hood-esque hero who girlbossed too close to the sun. Others think she’s a self-obsessed grifter with a taste for champagne. Either way, fake heiress Anna Delvey swindled New York’s elite out of hundreds of thousands. Based on the viral New York Magazine article, this drama dives deep into the blurred lines between deception and identity. It’s messy and addictive with plenty of statement outfits and courtroom drama to keep you hooked.
5. The Act
Where Can I Watch It? 7plus or buy on Apple TV+
Before Gypsy-Rose Blanchard was released from prison and made headlines for her viral TikToks and whirlwind marriage, she was serving time for orchestrating the murder of her mother, Dee Dee. Patricia Arquette and Joey King star in this twisted mother-daughter true crime story rooted in Munchausen by proxy and decades of medical abuse. The series unpacks how Gypsy had been manipulated and infantilised her entire life, ending in tragedy. This one is compelling – but it’s also on the darker side, so brace yourself.
6. The Six Triple Eight
Where Can I Watch It? Netflix
This TV show flew under the radar when it came out at the end of last year. Directed by Tyler Perry, it stars Kerry Washington as Major Charity Adams, who leads the 6888th all-Black female battalion in WWII – tasked with sorting through a staggering backlog of over 17 million pieces of mail for American soldiers. A powerful tale of sisterhood, perseverance, and unsung heroes, this new series is highly emotional and beautifully acted.
Movies
7. Wicked Little Letters
Where Can I Watch It? Amazon Prime
Based on an absurd scandal that rocked a quiet English seaside town in the 1920s, Wicked Little Letters stars Olivia Colman and Jessie Buckley as neighbours caught up in a mystery involving crude anonymous letters and a deeply divided community. What begins as a quirky whodunnit unravels into a sharp critique of gossip, small-town politics, and the policing of "difficult" women. It’s funny, fast-paced, and surprisingly biting.
8. The Post
Where Can I Watch It? ABC iView and Netflix
Set against the backdrop of the Vietnam War and a male-dominated media landscape, The Post follows the true story of Katharine Graham, the trailblazing publisher of The Washington Post, as she faces the decision of a lifetime: whether to defy the government and publish the Pentagon Papers. Meryl Streep is magnetic (duh) as Graham, and with Tom Hanks as editor Ben Bradlee and Steven Spielberg directing, it’s prestige cinema with an A-list cast.
9. Frida
Where Can I Watch It? Stan
Salma Hayek plays iconic Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in this cult-favourite biopic that’s as bold and emotionally raw as its subject. Chronicling her tumultuous marriage to Diego Rivera, her fierce politics, her physical pain, and her uncompromising creativity, Frida is a vision of a woman who refused to live by conventional standards. The film combines magical realism with stunning set design and features a stellar soundtrack, making it a feast for the senses, just like Kahlo’s vivid art.
10. Eat Pray Love
Where Can I Watch It? Stan, Amazon Prime Video, Netflix
Based on Elizabeth Gilbert’s best-selling memoir, this one’s admittedly divisive – some find it self-indulgent, others see it as empowering – but there’s no denying its impact. Julia Roberts stars as a woman who leaves behind her marriage and comfort zone to travel through Italy, India, and Bali in search of pleasure, purpose, and inner peace. For anyone who’s ever felt stuck or longed to start over, Eat Pray Love offers a glossy but emotionally sincere take on self-reinvention.
11. Becoming Jane
Where Can I Watch It? SBS On Demand, Amazon Prime Video
A romantic period drama that imagines the untold love story behind one of literature’s most iconic voices, Becoming Jane stars Anne Hathaway as a young Jane Austen navigating societal expectations and creative ambition. Set in 18th-century England and inspired by the real-life relationship that may have shaped Pride and Prejudice, it’s stylish and gently subversive. This is a must-watch for anyone who loves a good slow-burn romance with a sharp mind at its centre.
12. Hidden Figures
Where Can I Watch It? Disney+
A heartwarming and revolutionary film, Hidden Figures tells the true story of three brilliant Black women – Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson – who worked at NASA during the height of the space race. Overlooked by history but essential to it, their mathematical genius and determination helped launch astronaut John Glenn into orbit.
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