True stories provide as the basis for some of Hollywood’s greatest films. Films such as “Raging Bull,” “All the President’s Men,” and “Dunkirk,” show that audiences often desire little more than to see the real world portrayed on the silver screen.
Not all real life stories translate to cinema as well as the inspiration behind these films did, however. To find the worst movies that are based on true events, 24/7 examined audience and critic ratings from Rotten Tomatoes and Internet Movie Database.
Click here to see the worst movies based on true events.
Click here to see the best movies based on true events.
Click here to see our detailed findings and methodology.
Source: Courtesy of StudioCanal
50. The Weight of Water (2000)
> Favorable reviews: 38% of audiences
> Director: Kathryn Bigelow
> Starring: Catherine McCormack, Sean Penn, Sarah Polley
> Domestic box office: $0.10 million
> Based on: The 1873 Smuttynose Island (New Hampshire) murders
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Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
49. Boxcar Bertha (1972)
> Favorable reviews: 33% of audiences
> Director: Martin Scorsese
> Starring: Barbara Hershey, David Carradine, Barry Primus
> Domestic box office: N/A
> Based on: Amalgam of lives of three women
Source: Courtesy of IFC Midnight
48. The Silent House (2010)
> Favorable reviews: 37% of audiences
> Director: Gustavo Hernández
> Starring: Florencia Colucci, Abel Tripaldi, Gustavo Alonso
> Domestic box office: N/A
> Based on: Crimes that allegedly took place in 1940s Uruguay
Source: Courtesy of United Artists
47. Wild Bill (1995)
> Favorable reviews: 27% of audiences
> Director: Walter Hill
> Starring: Jeff Bridges, Ellen Barkin, John Hurt
> Domestic box office: $2.17 million
> Based on: Final days of folk hero Wild Bill Hickok
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
46. Two for the Money (2005)
> Favorable reviews: 47% of audiences
> Director: D.J. Caruso
> Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Al Pacino, Rene Russo
> Domestic box office: $22.86 million
> Based on: Life of athlete-turned-gambler Brandon Lang
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
45. Walking Tall (2004)
> Favorable reviews: 59% of audiences
> Director: Kevin Bray
> Starring: Dwayne Johnson, Ashley Scott, Johnny Knoxville
> Domestic box office: $45.86 million
> Based on: Life of corruption-busting Sheriff Buford Pusser
Source: Courtesy of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
44. At First Sight (1999)
> Favorable reviews: 46% of audiences
> Director: Irwin Winkler
> Starring: Val Kilmer, Mira Sorvino, Kelly McGillis
> Domestic box office: $22.37 million
> Based on: Life of Shirl Jennings, who gained sight after lifelong blindness
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Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
43. Billy Bathgate (1991)
> Favorable reviews: 29% of audiences
> Director: Robert Benton
> Starring: Dustin Hoffman, Nicole Kidman, Loren Dean
> Domestic box office: $15.97 million
> Based on: Life of mobster Dutch Schultz
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
42. American Pastoral (2016)
> Favorable reviews: 29% of audiences
> Director: Ewan McGregor
> Starring: Ewan McGregor, Jennifer Connelly, Dakota Fanning
> Domestic box office: $0.54 million
> Based on: Life of Seymour Masin, a great athlete from Newark, New Jersey
Source: Courtesy of First Look International
41. Ted Bundy (2002)
> Favorable reviews: 45% of audiences
> Director: Matthew Bright
> Starring: Michael Reilly Burke, Boti Bliss, Julianna McCarthy
> Domestic box office: $0.01 million
> Based on: Life of serial killer Ted Bundy
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
40. Patch Adams (1998)
> Favorable reviews: 73% of audiences
> Director: Tom Shadyac
> Starring: Robin Williams, Daniel London, Monica Potter
> Domestic box office: $135.03 million
> Based on: Life of physician and social activist Patch Adams
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Source: Courtesy of IFC Films
39. Burke and Hare (2010)
> Favorable reviews: 35% of audiences
> Director: John Landis
> Starring: Bill Bailey, Tom Wilkinson, Michael Smiley
> Domestic box office: $0.00 million
> Based on: Burke and Hare murders in 19th-century Scotland
Source: Courtesy of Alchemy
38. Kidnapping Mr. Heineken (2015)
> Favorable reviews: 23% of audiences
> Director: Daniel Alfredson
> Starring: Jim Sturgess, Sam Worthington, Ryan Kwanten
> Domestic box office: N/A
> Based on: 1983 kidnapping of beer baron Freddy Heineken
Source: Courtesy of Open Road Films
37. Jobs (2013)
> Favorable reviews: 40% of audiences
> Director: Joshua Michael Stern
> Starring: Ashton Kutcher, Dermot Mulroney, Josh Gad
> Domestic box office: $16.12 million
> Based on: Life of Steve Jobs
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
36. The Babe (1992)
> Favorable reviews: 37% of audiences
> Director: Arthur Hiller
> Starring: John Goodman, Kelly McGillis, Trini Alvarado
> Domestic box office: $17.53 million
> Based on: Life of Babe Ruth
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
35. 47 Ronin (2013)
> Favorable reviews: 48% of audiences
> Director: Carl Rinsch
> Starring: Keanu Reeves, Hiroyuki Sanada, Ko Shibasaki
> Domestic box office: $38.36 million
> Based on: Revenge of the samurai of their lord in 18th century Japan
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate Premiere
34. Aftermath (2017)
> Favorable reviews: 17% of audiences
> Director: Elliott Lester
> Starring: Arnold Schwarzenegger, Scoot McNairy, Maggie Grace
> Domestic box office: N/A
> Based on: The 2002 mid-air collision of a passenger jet and cargo jet
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Source: Courtesy of Image Entertainment
33. Devil’s Knot (2013)
> Favorable reviews: 39% of audiences
> Director: Atom Egoyan
> Starring: Colin Firth, Reese Witherspoon, Alessandro Nivola
> Domestic box office: N/A
> Based on: Murders committed by the so-called West Memphis Three in Arkansas
Source: Courtesy of IFC Films
32. Savage Grace (2007)
> Favorable reviews: 38% of audiences
> Director: Tom Kalin
> Starring: Julianne Moore, Eddie Redmayne, Stephen Dillane
> Domestic box office: $0.43 million
> Based on: The murder case of socialite Barbara Daly Baekeland
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
31. 1492: Conquest of Paradise (1992)
> Favorable reviews: 50% of audiences
> Director: Ridley Scott
> Starring: Gérard Depardieu, Armand Assante, Sigourney Weaver
> Domestic box office: $7.19 million
> Based on: The travels of Christopher Columbus
Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
30. The Haunting in Connecticut (2009)
> Favorable reviews: 45% of audiences
> Director: Peter Cornwell
> Starring: Virginia Madsen, Martin Donovan, Elias Koteas
> Domestic box office: $55.39 million
> Based on: The Snedeker family’s alleged experience living in an old Connecticut home
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Source: Courtesy of Anchor Bay Films
29. Texas Killing Fields (2011)
> Favorable reviews: 27% of audiences
> Director: Ami Canaan Mann
> Starring: Sam Worthington, Jeffrey Dean Morgan, Chloë Grace Moretz
> Domestic box office: $0.05 million
> Based on: Murders along the Texas I-45 corridor
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
28. Get Rich or Die Tryin’ (2005)
> Favorable reviews: 70% of audiences
> Director: Jim Sheridan
> Starring: 50 Cent, Joy Bryant, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje
> Domestic box office: $30.98 million
> Based on: The life of rapper 50 Cent
Source: Courtesy of Codeblack Films
27. All Eyez on Me (2017)
> Favorable reviews: 53% of audiences
> Director: Benny Boom
> Starring: Demetrius Shipp Jr., Danai Gurira, Kat Graham
> Domestic box office: $44.92 million
> Based on: The life of Tupac Shakur
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of RCR Distribution
26. Phantom (2013)
> Favorable reviews: 34% of audiences
> Director: Todd Robinson
> Starring: Ed Harris, Julian Adams, David Duchovny
> Domestic box office: $0.49 million
> Based on: Sinking of a Soviet submarine during the Cold War
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
25. Andre (1994)
> Favorable reviews: 53% of audiences
> Director: George Miller
> Starring: Tina Majorino, Keith Carradine, Chelsea Field
> Domestic box office: $16.82 million
> Based on: The unlikely friendship between a child and a seal
Source: Courtesy of THINKFilm
24. 10th & Wolf (2006)
> Favorable reviews: 52% of audiences
> Director: Bobby Moresco
> Starring: James Marsden, Giovanni Ribisi, Brad Renfro
> Domestic box office: $0.05 million
> Based on: A mob war in Philadelphia
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Source: Courtesy of Relativity Media
23. Masterminds (2016)
> Favorable reviews: 35% of audiences
> Director: Jared Hess
> Starring: Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Owen Wilson
> Domestic box office: $17.36 million
> Based on: The Loomis Fargo Bank robbery in North Carolina
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
22. Sanctum (2011)
> Favorable reviews: 37% of audiences
> Director: Alister Grierson
> Starring: Rhys Wakefield, Allison Cratchley, Christopher James Baker
> Domestic box office: $23.07 million
> Based on: Near death experience while cave diving in South Pacific
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
21. Gods and Generals (2003)
> Favorable reviews: 64% of audiences
> Director: Ron Maxwell
> Starring: Stephen Lang, Robert Duvall, Jeff Daniels
> Domestic box office: $12.87 million
> Based on: The American Civil War
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
20. Mobsters (1991)
> Favorable reviews: 57% of audiences
> Director: Michael Karbelnikoff
> Starring: Christian Slater, Patrick Dempsey, Rodney Eastman
> Domestic box office: $20.25 million
> Based on: Early 20th century organized crime in New York City
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Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
19. Wild America (1997)
> Favorable reviews: 59% of audiences
> Director: William Dear
> Starring: Jonathan Taylor Thomas, Devon Sawa, Scott Bairstow
> Domestic box office: $7.32 million
> Based on: The Stouffer brothers’ documentary on endangered species
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
18. Domino (2005)
> Favorable reviews: 56% of audiences
> Director: Tony Scott
> Starring: Keira Knightley, Mickey Rourke, Edgar RamÖrez
> Domestic box office: $10.17 million
> Based on: The life of bounty hunter Domino Harvey, daughter of actor Laurence Harvey
Source: Courtesy of New Line Cinema
17. In Love and War (1996)
> Favorable reviews: 50% of audiences
> Director: Richard Attenborough
> Starring: Sandra Bullock, Chris O’Donnell, Mackenzie Astin
> Domestic box office: $14.48 million
> Based on: Ernest Hemingway’s experience in World War I
24/7 Wall St.
Source: Courtesy of THINKFilm
16. The Zodiac (2005)
> Favorable reviews: 38% of audiences
> Director: Alexander Bulkley
> Starring: Justin Chambers, Robin Tunney, Rory Culkin
> Domestic box office: $0.04 million
> Based on: The crimes committed by the Zodiac serial killer
Source: Courtesy of Universal Pictures
15. The Black Dahlia (2006)
> Favorable reviews: 27% of audiences
> Director: Brian De Palma
> Starring: Josh Hartnett, Aaron Eckhart, Scarlett Johansson
> Domestic box office: $22.52 million
> Based on: The unsolved murder of Elizabeth Short in Los Angeles
Source: Courtesy of Fox Searchlight Pictures
14. Amelia (2009)
> Favorable reviews: 31% of audiences
> Director: Mira Nair
> Starring: Hilary Swank, Richard Gere, Ewan McGregor
> Domestic box office: $14.24 million
> Based on: The life of Amelia Earhart
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Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
13. Annabelle (2014)
> Favorable reviews: 36% of audiences
> Director: John R. Leonetti
> Starring: Ward Horton, Annabelle Wallis, Alfre Woodard
> Domestic box office: $84.27 million
> Based on: An allegedly haunted doll
Source: Courtesy of Peace Arch Entertainment
12. Chapter 27 (2007)
> Favorable reviews: 37% of audiences
> Director: J.P. Schaefer
> Starring: Chuck Cooper, Victor Verhaeghe, Robert Gerard Larkin
> Domestic box office: $0.06 million
> Based on: John Lennon’s murder
Source: Courtesy of RADiUS-TWC
11. Regression (2015)
> Favorable reviews: 21% of audiences
> Director: Alejandro Amenábar
> Starring: Ethan Hawke, David Thewlis, Emma Watson
> Domestic box office: $0.05 million
> Based on: Satanic cults in the U.S. in the late 20th century
Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
10. Against the Ropes (2004)
> Favorable reviews: 28% of audiences
> Director: Charles S. Dutton
> Starring: Meg Ryan, Omar Epps, Charles S. Dutton
> Domestic box office: $5.88 million
> Based on: The story of the first successful female boxing manager
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Source: Courtesy of Lionsgate
9. The Haunting in Connecticut 2: Ghosts of Georgia (2013)
> Favorable reviews: 44% of audiences
> Director: Tom Elkins
> Starring: Abigail Spencer, Chad Michael Murray, Katee Sackhoff
> Domestic box office: N/A
> Based on: Events that allegedly took place at the Wyrick house
Source: Courtesy of Universum Film A.G.
8. Open Water 2: Adrift (2006)
> Favorable reviews: 23% of audiences
> Director: Hans Horn
> Starring: Susan May Pratt, Richard Speight Jr., Niklaus Lange
> Domestic box office: N/A
> Based on: Actual events of group of friends stranded at sea
Source: Courtesy of Warner Bros.
7. Alexander (2004)
> Favorable reviews: 34% of audiences
> Director: Oliver Stone
> Starring: Colin Farrell, Anthony Hopkins, Rosario Dawson
> Domestic box office: $34.30 million
> Based on: The life of Alexander the Great
Source: Courtesy of Freestyle Releasing
6. An American Haunting (2005)
> Favorable reviews: 35% of audiences
> Director: Courtney Solomon
> Starring: Donald Sutherland, Sissy Spacek, Rachel Hurd-Wood
> Domestic box office: $16.30 million
> Based on: The alleged Bell Witch Haunting in Tennessee
Source: Courtesy of The Weinstein Company
5. Grace of Monaco (2014)
> Favorable reviews: 24% of audiences
> Director: Olivier Dahan
> Starring: Nicole Kidman, Tim Roth, André Penvern
> Domestic box office: N/A
> Based on: The life of Grace Kelly
Source: Courtesy of Phase 4 Films
4. Hick (2011)
> Favorable reviews: 36% of audiences
> Director: Derick Martini
> Starring: Chloë Grace Moretz, Blake Lively, Rory Culkin
> Domestic box office: N/A
> Based on: A young girl running away from home to pursue a new life in Las Vegas
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Source: Courtesy of Paramount Pictures
3. Lucky Numbers (2000)
> Favorable reviews: 18% of audiences
> Director: Nora Ephron
> Starring: John Travolta, Lisa Kudrow, Tim Roth
> Domestic box office: $10.01 million
> Based on: The 1980 Pennsylvania Lottery scandal
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
2. Primeval (2007)
> Favorable reviews: 31% of audiences
> Director: Michael Katleman
> Starring: Dominic Purcell, Orlando Jones, Brooke Langton
> Domestic box office: $10.60 million
> Based on: A massive man-eating crocodile in Burundi
Source: Courtesy of Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures
1. Operation Dumbo Drop (1995)
> Favorable reviews: 28% of audiences
> Director: Simon Wincer
> Starring: Danny Glover, Ray Liotta, Denis Leary
> Domestic box office: $24.70 million
> Based on:Transportation of an elephant through the jungle during the Vietnam War
Many of the films on the list for worst movies based on true events explore the dark side of the human experience. And based on ratings from critics and movie-goers, they don’t do so very well.
Some of the topics include multiple murders in Texas (“Texas Killing Fields”); serial killers such as “Ted Bundy”; gruesome homicide yarns like “The Black Dahlia”; haunting tales based on alleged incidents (“The Haunting in Connecticut”); satanic cults (“Regression”); and even demonic dolls (“Annabelle”).
Mob-themed films such as “Billy Bathgate” and “Mobsters” are on the 24/7 Wall St. list, though they won’t make most film fans forget highly regarded crime-themed motion pictures such as “Chinatown” or “L.A. Confidential.”
Some movies based on famous people also failed to hit the mark, such as “Grace of Monaco” and “Amelia,” despite Oscar-winning actresses Nicole Kidman and Hilary Swank in the title roles of those respective movies. Other biopics such as Oliver Stone’s “Alexander” that faltered became enmeshed in controversy over historical inaccuracies.
To determine the worst movies based on true stories, 24/7 Wall St. ranked movies within the biography genre and those tagged on IMDb as being “based on a true story.” For each movie, we considered the Rotten Tomatoes average critic rating, Rotten Tomatoes’ average audience rating, and IMDb average user rating. To be considered, each film had to have at least 10,000 user ratings between IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes and 10 approved Tomatometer critic reviews.
We averaged the user ratings from Rotten Tomatoes and IMDb and weighted by the number of votes for each. The combined user rating was then averaged with the Rotten Tomatoes critic rating. Box office data comes from IMDb and is not adjusted for inflation.
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