Occasionally, a film is released that depicts real-life crimes committed by individuals with no regard for how the world views them or their actions. Some of these crimes involve blood and horror, while others revolve around financial deceit, revenge, and other routes toward crime. Among the numerous real crime movies based on true stories, only a select few stand out for various reasons. These films not only tell fascinating true stories but also showcase exceptional directing and outstanding acting. The following list is in no particular order, but each film manages to spin the true-crime genre on its head.
I, Tonya
First up on the list is I, Tonya, about the life of Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding. The film stars Margot Robbie as the titular Tonya Harding, and depicts her life from the moment she took up ice skating to her downfall in January 1994 when she took part in a scheme that injured fellow US ice skater Nancy Kerrigan in an attempt to disqualify her from competition. While this particular crime movie is based on a true story, there are various comedic points that help outline the ridiculousness of the entire situation.
However, the reality of how Tonya’s life played out is also at the forefront of the film. The supporting actors help provide a bit of a comedic aspect to Harding’s tragic life, with Allison Janney playing Tonya’s mother and Sebastian Stan playing her ex-husband, providing a window of empathy into why things unfolded the way they did. Personally, I thought it was of the best crime movies to come out of 2017, despite it’s launch at the tail end of the year and is among Janney’s greatest performances.
Catch Me if You Can
Starring a young Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, and Christopher, Walken, Catch Me if You Can is a dramatic retelling of the life of Frank Abagnale Jr, who led various scams that honestly, are too elaborate to believe. He alleges that before he was even 19 years old, he had performed and successfully committed cons that earned him millions of dollars. Honestly, the 60s and 70s were a pretty lawless time. Or rather, it was much easier to get away with committing crime than today…
The film goes through these various scams, including impersonating a pilot, impersonating a hospital physician, and more to earn a quick buck, eventually earning the attention of the FBI who use him to solve similar crimes, which is where Hanks and Walken come in. It’s an incredible display of early 2000s DiCaprio’s talents that have led him to become the Oscar-winning actor he is.
Summer of Sam
I wanted to add Summer of Sam to this list because it isn’t just about real crimes that happened in 1977, but rather how it affected a group of people in the area of where the crimes occurred. Directed by Spike Lee and starring Adrien Brody and John Leguizamo, the film revolves around the Son of Sam serial killings in New York City. Instead of the focus of the film being around the true crimes committed, they’re instead about how they robbed a group of New York City residents of a peaceful life.
While this crime movie didn’t do all too well at the box office, I personally feel that it’s background history and how it came to be helps make it interesting and gripping. Summer of Sam is an important reminder that there are more victims to crimes that those directly affected by them. It’s also incredibly interesting to see Brody before his role in The Artist and Leguizamo before being known for playing Sid the Sloth in every installment of Ice Age.
Zodiac
Based on the infamous Zodiac Killer murders in the 1960’s, Zodiac takes an in-depth look at what detectives and journalists were doing behind-the-scenes while the crimes took place in San Francisco. Beginning with the cryptic message the killer sent to the San Francisco Chronicle that allegedly contained his identity, the film goes on to explore the case that still continues to haunt the country to this day.
Something else I find to be incredibly interesting about this crime movie in particular is that it also discusses the aftermath of the crimes, long after they stopped just before the turn of the decade. Starring Mark Ruffalo, Robert Downy Jr., and Jake Gylenhall, the film has gathered a massive cult following, and is considered by many others to be the best film David Fincher has ever directed.
Monster
I think Monster is among the greatest films that help show off Charlize Theron’s talents. Portraying Aileen Carol Wuornos, Theron undergoes a physical transformation that ultimately turns her into the real-life monster that Wuornos became throughout her history of killing men she engaged in sexual relations with. It’s an interesting take on the murders as there is more of a focus on Wuornos’ relationship with another woman, played by Christina Ricci.
Overall, I enjoyed that this crime movie goes over the entirety of the murders from beginning to end, even detailing Wuornos’ demise by lethal injection in 2002. More specifically, I felt that the film provided a humanizing narrative, and helped make audiences almost forget that the person they are watching on-screen is the monster the title calls out.
Can You Ever Forgive Me
I have quite the affinity for films starring actors that don’t typically act in those roles. Can You Ever Forgive Me stars Melissa McCarthy as Lee Israel, a disgraced former author known for committing literary forgery in the 1990s. While most of the films on this list focus on murders or inoccent people being injured, Can You Ever Forgive Me weaves an intricate tale of celebrity history buffs and the meaning behind historical preservation.
Israel was accused of creating over 400 forged letters by deceased celebrities that included intimite details of their lives in order to sell them for a fortune and make a living after failing to continue supporting herself as a writer. It wasn’t until the careful study of a specific letter’s contents that she was discovered, lAs this is based on real crimes it’s interesting to think of how many forged items are sitting in museums to this day.
So there you have it: our definitive list of the best crime movies based on true stories that you should 100% have on your radar if you haven’t seen them already.
