Top 10 Historically Accurate Movies about America

"The Big Short" is a stylish, meticulous retelling of the events leading up to the 2008 financial crisis. Based on true events and real-life figures, the movie is a deep dive into the complex financial instruments, regulatory failures, and rampant greed that caused the housing market to implode. The movie frequently breaks the fourth wall, employing several high-profile figures and dramatic reenactments to explain exactly how the economy collapsed. Sure, it blends some details and individuals for the sake of storytelling but otherwise, the film stays largely accurate. By sticking to the facts in such a fun and interesting way, “The Big Short” provides a compelling and educational insight into one of America's most significant economic disasters.

The brutal lynching of Emmett Till stands as one of the darkest chapters in American history. His murder and the ridiculous trial that followed galvanized Civil Rights activists around the country. This film stays true to the real-life events, shining a harsh light on the systemic racism and injustice prevalent in 1950s America. It dramatically reconstructs the key moments surrounding his killing and the societal uproar that ensued. At its heart, the movie chronicles the relentless quest of his mother, Mamie Till, to seek justice for Emmett, a crusade that ultimately echoed across the entire nation. This fight wasn’t hers alone; it became America’s fight.

In a world where the mainstream media is widely despised, it’s easy to forget that there was a time when Americans viewed the press as a vital part of democracy. Films like “The Post” and “All the President's Men” remind us of journalism’s glory days, when it took on corrupt politicians head-on. The Washington Post led this charge in the 1970s, famously exposing the excesses of Richard Nixon. While 2017’s “The Post” shows the immense pressure put on the paper’s owner by the D.C. establishment, “All the President’s Men” tells how reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein broke the Watergate Scandal. Filmmakers took accuracy as their watchword, even faithfully recreating the Washington Post newsroom, down to using the paper’s actual garbage.

“Bridge of Spies” is Steven Spielberg’s faithful representation of intense negotiations between the United States and the Soviet Union. It centers on the true story of lawyer James B. Donovan, who orchestrated the exchange of American pilot Francis Gary Powers for Soviet spy Rudolf Abel. The film covers the nitty gritty of the events and the tense political climate at the time. Powers, for example, was a pariah in the American public, despised for being captured alive. “Bridge of Spies” masterfully portrays the delicate intricacies of espionage, as well as the legal and diplomatic hoops Donovan had to jump through. The film's attention to detail and commitment to factual events earned rave reviews from Cold War historians.

“Tora! Tora! Tora!” stands out as one of the most historically accurate war films ever produced by an industry that too often veers towards jingoism. It was a joint U.S. and Japanese production that employed the skills of technical consultants - many of whom either fought at Pearl Harbor or participated in planning the attack. The film shows both sides of the battle, diving deep into each military’s strategies, decisions, and miscalculations. It incorporates detailed research, historical documents, and firsthand accounts to ensure authenticity. From costumes to equipment to locations, the film’s commitment to detail shines through, delivering one of the most authentic depictions of Pearl Harbor ever brought to the big screen.

In the 1960s and ‘70s, the Bay Area was terrorized by a self-aggrandizing serial killer known simply as the Zodiac. This individual delighted in sending cryptic letters to several newspapers, including the San Francisco Chronicle, daring reporters to find him. David Fincher’s 2007 film “Zodiac” dramatizes the relentless pursuit of this elusive killer. The script was extensively researched for 18 months, taking details and real-life accounts from police reports, case files, and the book by Robert Graysmith. With this treasure trove, the filmmakers managed to create historically accurate timelines, guided by personal stories from the real-life investigators and journalists. This painstaking attention to detail makes "Zodiac" not only gripping, but a faithful portrayal of this infamous case.

Over the years, film sets have been rife with horror stories about method actors. But hanging out with Abraham Lincoln between takes probably wasn’t a bad deal for the cast and crew of “Lincoln.” The Steven Spielberg epic focuses on January 1854, when President Lincoln worked behind the scenes with Congress to pass the 13th Amendment and abolish slavery. Critics have consistently hailed the 2012 movie as one of the most honest depictions of the 16th president. Since there are no records of any of the backroom deals to get the Amendment passed, the details are largely fictional. Still, historians agree that the film’s take is likely close to actual events.

The American Civil War was one of the bloodiest chapters in American history, leaving behind racial and economic scars still felt today. As such, it has been examined by Hollywood time and again, with multiple aspects and battles drawing focus. The 1989 film “Glory,” for example, focused on the 54th Massachusetts, one of the Union’s first Black infantry regiments (xref). Yet, few films can boast the historical fidelity of “Gettysburg,” which was called “the most accurate Civil War film ever made” by historical consultant Brian Pohanka. The filmmakers went all out, hiring passionate re-enactors to recreate the wardrobe, actions, and look of the actual regiments. The result is a near-perfect, step-by-step depiction of perhaps the war’s most important battle.

Solomon Northup’s autobiography told the harrowing tale of a Black man who was born free in the North, but was then kidnapped and sold into slavery. The book was a bestseller at the time, but it was mostly lost to history until Steve McQueen’s Oscar-winning 2013 adaptation. Hollywood has a long history of tackling slavery with kid gloves. The same cannot be said of “12 Years a Slave.” McQueen chose not to shy away from the brutality of the subject, diving deep into the slave markets and plantations of the South. While some details were changed for expediency, the film remains a historically and emotionally accurate portrayal of the abject cruelty and barbarism of chattel slavery.

Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions.

“Spotlight” (2015)
A Team of Reporters Uncover a Harrowing Scandal & Cover-up in the Catholic Church

“On the Basis of Sex” (2018)
This Biopic Tells the Story of How RBG Transformed into a “Notorious” Legal Icon

“Flags of our Fathers” (2006) & “Letters from Iwo Jima” (2006)
Clint Eastwood Directed a Pair of Films Showing Both Sides of the Battle of Iwo Jima

“The Longest Day” (1962)
This Massive Ensemble Film Portrays Multiple Real Stories from The D-Day Invasion

“October Sky” (1999)
A Group of Teens in Coal Country Follow Their Passion for Rocketry in 1950s West Virginia

When President Kennedy delivered his famous moonshot speech in 1962, he ignited the American imagination. NASA’s success in the 1960s and ‘70s kept that spark alive, and Hollywood hasn’t stopped chasing it since. “First Man,” for example, details Neil Armstrong’s grueling journey to become the first human to walk on the moon (xref). But Ron Howard’s “Apollo 13” captures the tension and horror of one of NASA’s most harrowing missions. An explosion on their spacecraft derailed the plans of Apollo 13 astronauts to land on the moon. The film provided ‘90s audiences a window into the real tension and fear experienced by the astronauts, their families, NASA, and the public as they tried to find a way home.

How accurate is our list? If you have a film about American history that feels real, let us know in the comments below!