Top 10 True Story Movies That Get a Major Fact WRONG

“The Untouchables” (1987)

Based on the memoir co-authored by Eliot Ness, this crime classic chronicles the former Prohibition agent’s pursuit of the seemingly untouchable Al Capone. Ness did investigate Capone as his agents raided his bootlegging operations, but the film exaggerates their rivalry. At one point, Ness confronts Capone in a hotel lobby, punching one of his men and egging on the big boss. That never happened, nor did their courtroom exchange where Ness rubs justice in a guilty Capone’s face. Despite Ness’ efforts to bring down Capone, the closest the two came to meeting was in 1932. Ness and some other agents escorted Capone from the Cook County Jail to Dearborn Station. It’s uncertain if Ness and Capone even spoke to each other.

“Bohemian Rhapsody” (2018)

Let’s separate the real life from the fantasy. Queen put on a historic performance at Live Aid. Frontman Freddie Mercury was diagnosed with AIDS, ultimately leading to his premature death. It’s the timing where “Bohemian Rhapsody” indulges in fantasy. The film sees Freddie break the news about his diagnosis to his bandmates shortly before Live Aid. He swears them to secrecy, wanting to focus on the music. This couldn’t have happened, as Mercury wasn’t diagnosed until 1987, two years after the concert. It’s hard to pinpoint when exactly Mercury became HIV positive, as he showed symptoms as far back as the early 80s. Even if Mercury suspected he was sick, the rest of Queen wasn’t made aware of his illness until the decade’s end.

“The Iron Claw” (2023)

This wrestling biopic follows the Von Erich brothers. Four of the brothers meet premature ends, leaving only Kevin Von Erich to carry on his family’s something triumphant and oftentimes tragic legacy. While mostly faithful to the five brothers’ lives, a sixth Von Erich son is nowhere to be found. Chris Von Erich was the family’s youngest. Although not as heavily involved in the family business due to medical issues, Chris pursued a wrestling career. On the heels of professional setbacks, substance use, and deep depression, Chris ended his life just as his brother Kerry would two years later. When asked about Chris’ absence, director Sean Durkin said, “There was a repetition to it, and it was one more tragedy that the film couldn’t really withstand.”

“The Blind Side” (2009)

In this feel-good Oscar winner, the Tuohy family takes Michael Oher under their wing, putting him on a path to the NFL. Since the film’s release, the real Oher had made it no secret some significant liberties were taken. Perhaps the most notable example is a scene where the Tuohys ask Michael to legally become part of the family. According to Oher, the Tuohys didn’t officially adopt him. Instead, he entered a conservatorship, allowing the Tuohys to make business decisions on his behalf. Oher claims the movie deal made the family even richer while none of the money went to him. In 2023, Oher took out a lawsuit, prompting the judge to end the conservatorship that same year. A turn of events that blindsided many.

“Schindler’s List” (1993)

Steven Spielberg’s Best Picture winner is a passionate tribute to Oskar Schindler and every Jewish person who endured the horrors of the holocaust. While Spielberg strove for authenticity, the film’s most glaring error is its title. Throughout the film, Schindler and Itzhak Stern work on a list of Jewish workers to be employed at his factories rather than be sent to concentration camps. Although Schindler’s involvement would save over 1,000 lives, there was actually more than one list. Historian David M. Crowe believes there could have been as many as nine. Crowe also claims that a Jewish man named Marcel Goldberg was responsible for four of these lists. It’s unclear who made the other five, but Schindler apparently only suggested a handful of names.

“Gladiator” (2000)

Maximus Decimus Meridius might not have been a real gladiator, but Commodus was most certainly the emperor of Rome. That doesn’t mean anything about the film’s depiction of him is accurate. Commodus didn’t murder his father Marcus Aurelius to claim the throne. In fact, the father and son were co-emperors until Marcus Aurelius fell victim to the plague. Commodus’ reign as emperor did end with bloodshed, but not in the Colosseum facing off against his long-time rival. After surviving an attempt to poison his food, Commodus was strangled to death while taking a bath. His assailant was his wrestling partner Narcissus, who was part of a conspiracy to kill the emperor. The film’s version is admittedly more entertaining, however.

“JFK” (1991)

Many of the figures portrayed are real, but much of Oliver Stone’s “JFK” blends the facts with historical fiction. In the film, the investigation of President Kennedy’s assassination reaches a turning point when New Orleans district attorney Jim Garrison confronts pilot David Ferrie in a hotel room. A hysterical Ferrie confesses that he was involved in a conspiracy along with Lee Harvey Oswald, Clay Shaw, the CIA, and others. In reality, Ferrie claimed he never met Oswald, despite Garrison’s suspicions and photographic evidence that the two were in the same Civil Air Patrol group. Ferrie also denied knowing about a conspiracy before he died in 1967. JFK’s assassination remains a mystery wrapped in a riddle inside an enigma… or maybe it was just Oswald.

“The Revenant” (2015)


After being attacked by a grizzly bear and abandoned by his party, frontiersman Hugh Glass miraculously survived the harsh wilderness. The film’s version of Glass is hellbent on killing John S. Fitzgerald for murdering his son and trying to do the same to him. Although there’s no record of Glass having a part-Indigenous child, he did pursue Fitzgerald after being left for dead. In the film’s final act, Glass leaves revenge in the Creator’s hands with Fitzgerald nonetheless meeting a violent end. The real Glass also resisted getting his own hands dirty, although this was supposedly because Fitzgerald had become a U.S. Army soldier. While it’s uncertain what became of the real Fitzgerald, his karmic fate in “The Revenant” is a pure revenge fantasy.

“Braveheart” (1995)

We could make a list of crucial facts that this quote-unquote “historical” epic got wrong, but let’s hone in on the most iconic element: William Wallace and his fellow Scots wearing blue face paint at the Battle of Stirling Bridge. Whenever another movie or show replicates this image, you know that they’re parodying “Braveheart.” They’re by no means mimicking history, though, as Wallace and his troops didn’t adorn their faces in blue on the battlefield. The filmmakers possibly lifted the idea from the Picts, another Scottish group that supposedly covered their bodies in blue dye called woad. Even then, it’s debatable whether the Picts painted themselves for battle. It made for a cool image, but this detail surely leaves historians blue in the face.

“The Sound of Music” (1965)

This classic musical gets its inspiration - but not much else - from the true story of the von Trapp family. When the new nanny Maria arrives, Captain von Trapp firmly establishes that he runs a tight ship with zero tolerance for silly things like music. Once Maria brings music back to their household, the stern Captain’s heart is reawakened. Maria von Trapp’s memoir paints a far more affectionate portrait of Georg von Trapp. Not only was the Captain always kind to his children and a constant presence in their lives, but he never banished music. Before Maria even arrived, the Captain and his first wife had already educated their children about music. His fondness for music never wavered, but the film’s depiction sings a different tune.


Can you think of any other historical inaccuracies? Let us know in the comments.