List of 2017 films based on actual events
This is a list of films and miniseries released in that are based on actual events. All films on this list are from American production unless indicated otherwise.
2017
6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain – survival drama film based on the true story of former professional hockey player Eric LeMarque, who finds himself stranded in the High Sierra during a fierce snowstorm and must use his wit and willpower to survive6 Days – British-New Zealand action thriller film based on the 1980 Iranian Embassy siege in LondonThe 8-Year Engagement – Japanese romantic drama film based on an autobiographical book by Hisashi Nishozawa and Mai Nakahara 9/11 – action drama film depicting five elevator passengers trapped during the September 11 attacksThe 12th Man - Norwegian historical drama film about Jan Baalsrud, who escapes from occupying Nazi Germans on the island of Rebbenesøya, via the Lyngen Fjord and Manndalen, to neutral Sweden in the spring of 194355 Steps – German-Belgian drama film based on the true story of Eleanor Riese1987: When the Day Comes – South Korean political thriller film focusing on the events that led up to the June Democratic Uprising in KoreaA Bag of Marbles - French biographical drama film about two young Jewish brothers who were sent by their parents to the Zone libre from occupied France during World War IIA Prayer Before Dawn - British-American-French biographical prison drama film depicting the true story of English boxer, Billy Moore who was incarcerated in one of Thailand's most notorious prisons as he fights in Muay Thai tournaments to earn his freedomA Taxi Driver – South Korean drama film centring on a taxi driver from Seoul who unintentionally becomes involved in the events of the Gwangju Uprising in 1980, based on German journalist Jürgen Hinzpeter's interactions with driver Kim Sa-bok Above the Law – French-Belgian crime thriller film based on the true story of a career criminal, who commits a bank heist with his crew, and is set up by corrupt police, for the murder of a judge investigating the 30 year old unsolved case of the mass murders of Brabant who had been duped into being at the getaway scene, and for killing bystanders who witness the murderAdiwiraku – Malaysian drama film chronicling the experiences of Cheryl Ann Fermando, a rural schoolteacherAftermath – thriller film based on events and people surrounding the 2002 Überlingen mid-air collision of a passenger airline with a cargo jetThe Age of Pioneers – Russian historical drama film about cosmonaut Alexei Leonov, the first human to perform a spacewalkAlias Grace – Canadian drama miniseries based on the life and trials of Irish-Canadian maid Grace MarksAll Eyez on Me – biographical drama film based on the life and death of the American rapper Tupac ShakurAll Saints – religious drama film about a small-town Tennessee preacher, Michael Spurlock, who attempts to save his struggling church as well as a group of refugees from Karen State, Myanmar, in Southeast AsiaAll the Money in the World – American-British crime thriller film depicting the events surrounding the actual 1973 kidnapping of John Paul Getty III in Italy and the refusal of his grandfather, The multi-billionaire oil tycoon, J Paul Getty, to cooperate the extortion demands of the Italian organized crime group known as ‘NdranghetaAmerican Made – biographical crime comedy film about Barry Seal, a former TWA pilot who became a drug smuggler for the Medellín Cartel in the 1980s and then, in order to avoid jail time, became an informant for the DEAAmerican Playboy: The Hugh Hefner Story – biographical drama miniseries covering the launch of the magazine as well as the next six decades of Hugh Hefner's personal life and careerAnarchist from Colony – South Korean biographical period drama film about the life of independence activist Park YeolAnother Mother's Son – British war drama film based on a true story from the German occupation of the Channel Islands, about a Jersey woman named Louisa Gould, who takes in an escaped young Russian war prisonerBabs – British biographical drama television film about the life of British actress Dame Barbara WindsorBad Genius – Thai heist thriller film inspired by real-life news reports of a major SAT cheating scandalBattle of the Sexes – British-American biographical sports drama film about the 1973 exhibition tennis match between Billie Jean King and Bobby RiggsThe Battleship Island – South Korean epic historical action film about an attempted prison break from a forced labor camp on Hashima Island during [Korea under Cinema of Japan|Japanese rule|Imperial Japan's occupation of Korea]Beauty and the Dogs – Tunisian drama film about a college student seeks help after a brutal assault but faces a bureaucratic nightmare when she reveals that her perpetrators are police officers, based on a true storyBeauty Mark – drama film following a poverty-stricken young mother who has to get money from a man from her abusive past in order to save her family, based on true eventsBecoming Bond – biographical drama film exploring the early life and casting of Australian actor George Lazenby as James Bond in the film On Her Majesty's Secret Service, his eventual decision to leave the role and the effect it all had on his career and the rest of his lifeThe Big Sick – romantic comedy film loosely based on the real-life romance between Emily V. Gordon and Kumail NanjianiBingo: The King of the Mornings – Brazilian biographical drama film inspired in the life of Arlindo Barreto, one of many actors who played Bozo the Clown in BrazilBitter Harvest – Canadian-British historical romantic drama film depicting the Famine in Ukraine in the 1930sThe Black Prince – Indian-British historical drama film depicting the story of Duleep Singh, the last Maharajah of the Sikh Empire and the Punjab area, and his relationship with Queen VictoriaBobbi Kristina – biographical drama television film based on the life of Bobbi Kristina BrownBohéma – Czech historical drama miniseries about film stars of the First Republic during and after the Second World War, more precisely in a period 1938–1953Bomb City – crime film based on the death of Brian Deneke, the homicide that revealed the cultural clash between the local jocks and the punk community in Amarillo, Texas, and the result from the subsequent court case sparked debate over injustice in the American judicial systemBorg vs McEnroe – Swedish sports drama film focusing on the famous professional rivalry between tennis players, Björn Borg and John McEnroe at the 1980 Wimbledon Championships, culminating in their encounter in the men's singles final, one of the most dramatic tennis matches of all timeThe Boy with the Topknot – British romantic drama television film about a Sikh man who brings his English girlfriend home, based on the critically acclaimed memoirs of British journalist Sathnam SangheraBram Fischer – South African-Dutch biographical film about South African lawyer Bram Fischer who defended Nelson Mandela and his co-defendants at the Rivonia Trial of 1963–1964Breaking the Limits – Polish biographical drama film about the life of Jerzy GórskiBreathe – British-American biographical drama film that tells the story about Robin Cavendish, who became paralysed from the neck down by polio at age 28Britney Ever After – biographical drama television film based on the life of Britney SpearsThe Captain – German historical drama film telling the story of German war criminal Willi Herold, who assumed a stolen identity as a German officer and orchestrated the killing of deserters and other prisoners at one of the Emslandlager campsThe Case for Christ – religious drama film based on the true story of atheist journalist Lee Strobel who looks to disprove his wife's Christian faithChappaquiddick – political drama film detailing the 1969 Chappaquiddick incident in which Ted Kennedy drove his car into the Poucha Pond, killing Mary Jo Kopechne, as well as the Kennedy family's responseChasing the Dragon – Chinese-Hong Kong action crime film about an illegal immigrant from China who sneaks into British-colonized Hong Kong in 1963 and transforms himself into a ruthless and emerging drug lord, based on real life gangster Ng Sik-hoChurchill – British historical war drama film about Winston Churchill in June 1944 – especially in the hours leading up to D-DayThe Climb - French adventure comedy film telling the real-life story of Nadir DendouneClint – Indian Malayalam-language biographical film about Edmund Thomas Clint, a child prodigy known for having drawn over 25,000 paintings during his short life of seven yearsCocaine Godmother – biographical crime drama television film based on the life of Griselda BlancoCrowhurst – British biographical drama film based on the true story of sailor Donald CrowhurstCrown Heights – biographical crime drama film depicting the true story of Colin Warner who was wrongfully convicted of murder, and how his best friend Carl King devoted his life to proving Colin's innocenceThe Current War – historical drama film inspired by the 19th century competition between Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse over which electric power delivery system would be used in the United States Cyborgs – Ukrainian war drama film about the Cyborgs, the Ukrainian defenders in the Second Battle of Donetsk Airport during the war in DonbasDaddy – Indian Hindi-language political crime drama film portraying gangster-turned-politician Arun GawliDarkest Hour – British war drama film about Winston Churchill in his early days as prime minister during World War II and the May 1940 War Cabinet CrisisDating Game Killer – biographical crime television film about serial killer Rodney AlcalaThe Death of Stalin – British satirical black comedy film that depicts the power struggle following the death of Soviet leader Joseph Stalin in 1953Detroit – historical crime drama film of the Algiers Motel incident during the 1967 Detroit riotThe Disaster Artist – biographical comedy drama film chronicling an unlikely friendship between aspiring actors Tommy Wiseau and Greg Sestero that results in the production of Wiseau's 2003 film The RoomDjango – French biographical drama film about the life of Django Reinhardt Don't Tell – Australian drama film based on the true story of Lyndal, a young woman who had been sexually abused at a prestigious private school and, with the help of a determined lawyer, sued the powerful church that denied her abuse for ten yearsDunkirk – British-American-French-Dutch epic historical war thriller film depicting the Dunkirk evacuation of World War II from the perspectives of the land, sea, and airEngland Is Mine – British biographical drama film, based on the early years of singer Morrissey, before he formed The Smiths in 1982 with Johnny MarrFilm Stars Don't Die in Liverpool – British biographical romantic drama film about Academy Award-winning American actress Gloria Grahame in 1970s Liverpool and, some years later, her death from stomach cancerFinal Portrait – British-American drama film about the friendship between Swiss sculptor, painter, draftsman and printmaker Alberto Giacometti and American writer James LordFirst They Killed My Father – Cambodian-American historical thriller film depicting 5-year-old Loung Ung, who was forced to train as a child soldier while her siblings were sent to labor camps during the Khmer Rouge regimeFlint – biographical drama television film based on the Flint water crisisThe Founding of an Army – Chinese historical drama film depicting the founding of the People's Liberation Army at the beginning of the Nanchang uprising, known as the first major Kuomintang–Communist engagementGabriel and the Mountain – Brazilian-French drama film telling the true story of Brazilian backpacker Gabriel Buchmann who travels through several African countries, some of the time with his girlfriend Cristina, and dies while climbing Mount Mulanje, MalawiGiant – Spanish Basque-language drama film based on the life of Miguel Joaquín Eleicegui who suffered from gigantism and was known as the "Giant from Altzo"Gautamiputra Satakarni – Indian Telugu-language epic historical drama film based on the life of 2nd century AD Satavahana ruler Gautamiputra SatakarniGhazi – Indian Telugu-language war film inspired by the events from the sinking of during the Indo-Pakistani War of 1971 The Glass Castle – biographical drama film depicting Jeannette Walls' childhood, where her family lived in poverty and sometimes as squattersGoing Vertical – Russian sports drama film about the controversial victory of the Soviet national basketball team over the 1972 U.S. Olympic team, ending their 63-game winning streak, at the Munich Summer Olympic's men's basketball tournamentGoodbye Christopher Robin – British biographical drama film about A. A. Milne and his son Christopher Robin Milne, the inspiration for the Winnie-the-Pooh booksThe Greatest Showman – musical biographical drama film inspired by the story of P. T. Barnum's creation of Barnum's American Museum and the lives of its star attractionsGunpowder – British historical drama miniseries based on the Gunpowder Plot in London in 1605Haseena Parkar – Indian Hindi-language biographical crime film based on Dawood Ibrahim's sister Haseena Parkar Hostages – Russian-Georgian drama film based on a true story about a group of Georgian youngsters who try to escape the Soviet Union by hijacking a plane in 1983I Am Elizabeth Smart – biographical drama television film based on the Kidnapping of Elizabeth SmartI, Tonya – biographical sports drama film following the life of figure skater Tonya Harding and her connection to the 1994 attack on her rival Nancy KerriganThe Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks – biographical drama television film telling the story of Henrietta Lacks, who was diagnosed with cervical cancer in the 1950s, and whose cancer cells would change the course of cancer treatmentIn Search of Fellini – coming-of-age adventure film inspired by the early years in the entertainment industry and a journey to Italy to "find herself" of Nancy CartwrightThe Insolent Plant – Venezuelan biographical drama film depicting the tenure of Venezuelan President Cipriano CastroThe Institute – horror thriller film based on a true story of a young girl's treatment at The Rosewood Institute in Owings Mills, MarylandThe Invisibles – German biographical war drama film recounting the struggle of Cioma Schönhaus, Hanni Lévy, Eugen Friede and Ruth Arndt-Gumpel to survive their persecution as Jews in Berlin from 1942 to 1945Joaquim – Brazilian historical drama film depicting an account of the life of Brazil's national hero Joaquim José da Silva XavierJungle – Australian-Colombian biographical survival film based on the true story of Israeli adventurer Yossi Ghinsberg's 1981 journey into the Amazon rainforestKartini – Indonesian biographical drama film about Indonesian woman emancipation heroine, Kartini Kharms – Russian biographical drama film about the Russian poet Daniil Kharms Khibula – Georgian historical drama film about the first democratically elected president of Georgia, Zviad GamsakhurdiaKiss and Cry – Canadian biographical drama film depicting the life of Carley Allison who suffered from a rare form of cancerLast Call – surrealist biographical drama film recreating the life of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas through flashbacks during the famous drinking binge at the White Horse Tavern in York City which ended fatally during the fall of 1953Little Boy Blue – British crime thriller miniseries focusing on the murder of Rhys Jones in Croxteth, Liverpool in 2007The Long Road Home – biographical war drama miniseries telling the story of a U.S. Army unit during the first day of the siege of Sadr City in 2004Loving Pablo – Spanish biographical crime drama film about Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar and the romantic relationship he had with the journalist and television presenter, Virginia VallejoLoving Vincent – Polish-British animated drama film about the life of the painter Vincent van Gogh, in particular the circumstances of his deathMad to Be Normal – British biographical drama film portraying the story of Scottish psychiatrist R. D. LaingMadiba – biographical drama miniseries documenting the true lifelong struggle of Xhosa human rights activist, lawyer, political prisoner, and eventual president of South Africa Nelson Mandela to overthrow the oppressive regime of institutionalized racism and segregation known as apartheidMajaz – Indian Hindi-language biographical drama film based on the real life story of famous poet, Asrar ul Haq MajazThe Man Who Invented Christmas – Irish-Canadian biographical drama film following Charles Dickens as he conceives and writes A Christmas CarolThe Man with the Iron Heart – French-Belgian biographical war thriller film focusing on Operation Anthropoid, the assassination of Nazi leader Reinhard Heydrich in Prague during World War IIMark Felt: The Man Who Brought Down the White House – biographical political thriller film depicting how Mark Felt became the anonymous source nicknamed "Deep Throat" for reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein and helped them in the investigation which led them to the Watergate scandal, which resulted in the resignation of President Richard NixonMarshall – biographical legal drama film about Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, and focusing on one of the first cases of his career, the State of Connecticut v. Joseph SpellMary Shelley – British-Australian-Irish-American biographical historical romantic drama film following Mary Shelley's first love and her romantic relationship with the poet Percy Bysshe Shelley, which inspired her to write her 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern PrometheusMatilda – Russian historical romantic drama film telling the story about the relationship between ballerina Matilda Kshesinskaya and Nicholas IIMaze – Irish-British prison drama film about the Maze Prison escape of 38 Provisional Irish Republican Army prisoners in 1983McLaren – New Zealand biographical sports film based on the life of Bruce McLaren, founder of the Bruce McLaren Motor Racing teamMeesaya Murukku – Indian Tamil-language biographical comedy film about Adhithya Ramachandran ("Adhi")'s early lifeMegan Leavey – biographical drama film based on the true events about a young female marine named Megan Leavey and a combat dog named RexMemoir of War – French war drama film based on the 1985 autobiographical novel La Douleur by Marguerite DurasMenendez: Blood Brothers – biographical crime television film based on the lives of Lyle and Erik Menendez, two brothers who were convicted of murdering their parents in 1989The Mercy – British biographical drama film based on the true story of the disastrous attempt by the amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst to complete the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in 1968 and his subsequent attempts to cover up his failureMichael Jackson: Searching for Neverland – biographical drama television film dramatizing the final years of Michael Jackson's lifeMilada – Czech-American biographical drama film following the life of Milada Horáková, a politician who was hanged by the Czechoslovakian communist party on fabricated charges of conspiracy and treasonThe Miner – Slovenian drama film following the true story of a miner, who discovers thousands of executed people in Barbara Pit massacreMolly's Game – biographical crime drama film about Molly Bloom who became known as the "Poker Princess" for organizing high stakes underground poker in Los Angeles that attracted A-list actorsThe Most Hated Woman in America – biographical drama film telling the story of Madalyn Murray O'HairMurdered for Being Different – British crime drama television film based on the 2007 murder of Sophie Lancaster in the United KingdomThe Music of Silence – Italian biographical drama film inspired by Andrea Bocelli's childhood life until the beginning of his careerMy Friend Dahmer – biographical psychological drama film about American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer My Name Is Lenny – British biographical drama film telling the story of Lenny McLean's life in the east end of LondonMy Other Home – American-Chinese biographical sports film focusing on basketball player Stephon Marbury's days in China playing in the Chinese Basketball Association The New Edition Story – biographical miniseries about the R&B group New Edition, from their rise to fame as a boy band from the Orchard Park Projects of Roxbury, Massachusetts, to becoming a successful adult actNew Trial – South Korean crime drama film based on the 2000 "Iksan murder case" where a teenage boy was falsely accused of the murder of a taxi driver and spends ten years in prisonNewton's Grace – historical drama film about John Newton, a slave ship captain and later Church of England pastor who wrote many hymns, including Amazing GraceNico, 1988 – Italian-Belgian biographical drama film chronicling the last year of the life of German singer and model NicoOmerta – Indian biographical crime drama film exploring the 1994 kidnappings of Westerners in India for which Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh was arrested and served time in prison and the plotting of murder of Wall Street Journal journalist Daniel Pearl in 2002Only the Brave – biographical drama film telling the story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, an elite crew of firefighters from Prescott, Arizona who lost 19 of 20 members while fighting the Yarnell Hill Fire in June 2013Papillon – biographical drama film telling the story of French convict Henri Charriere, nicknamed Papillon, who was imprisoned in 1933 in the notorious Devil's Island penal colony and escaped in 1941 with the help of another convict, counterfeiter Louis DegaThe Pirates of Somalia – drama film about Jay Bahadur and his reporting on piracy in SomaliaThe Polka King – biographical comedy film about real-life Polish-American polka band leader Jan Lewan, who was imprisoned in 2004 for running a Ponzi schemePoorna: Courage Has No Limit – Indian Hindi-language biographical adventure film with Aditi Inamdar as Malavath Poorna, the youngest girl to climb the Mount EverestThe Post – historical political thriller film depicting the true story of attempts by journalists at The Washington Post to publish the Pentagon Papers, classified documents regarding the 20-year involvement of the United States government in the Vietnam WarProfessor Marston and the Wonder Women – biographical drama film about William Moulton Marston, the creator of Wonder WomanPromise at Dawn – French-Belgian drama film about Romain Gary from his childhood through his service in World War II, and the story of his self-sacrificing mother Nina, who raised him aloneRebel in the Rye – biographical drama film about the life of writer J. D. Salinger during and after World War IIThe Rebellion of Lafras Verwey – South African biographical drama film depicting the life and career of Lafras Verwey who worked as a clerk in the Civil Service in Pretoria for thirty yearsRedoubtable – French biographical comedy drama film about the affair of filmmaker Jean-Luc Godard with actress Anne Wiazemsky in the late 1960s, during the making of his film La Chinoise Reis – Turkish biographical drama film about Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the incumbent president of TurkeyRodin – French-Belgian biographical drama film depicting an account of the famous French sculptor's romance with Camille ClaudelRoxanne Roxanne – musical drama film revolving around the life of rapper Roxanne ShanteThe Royal Exchange – French-Belgian historical drama film telling the story of an arranged marriage between the heir of France and the Spanish Infanta in 1721Salyut-7 – Russian historical drama film about the 1985 Soyuz T-13 mission to the Salyut 7 space stationSame Kind of Different as Me – religious drama film telling about Ron Hall's and Denver Moore's intersecting life journeysSand Castle – war drama film centering on Matt Ocre, a young soldier in the United States Army, who is tasked with restoring water to a village in Iraq, based on the true events and the experience of the film's writer Roessner during the Iraq WarSantiago Apóstol – Spanish biographical drama film based on the life of Santiago Apóstol Saturday Church – musical drama film loosely based on the LGBTQ+ outreach program, Art & Acceptance, at St Luke in the Fields located in the West Village of New York CitySekigahara – Japanese jidaigeki film recounting the Battle of Sekigahara, a six-hour battle in 1600 that brought an end to the Warring States era in Japanese history, as well as the political struggles that led up to itShock and Awe – political drama film following a group of journalists at Knight Ridder's Washington Bureau who investigate the rationale behind the Bush Administration's then-impending 2003 invasion of IraqSicilian Ghost Story – Italian thriller drama film inspired by the story of Giuseppe Di Matteo who was abducted in 1996 and then brutally killed on orders of Sicilian Mafia boss Giovanni Brusca in order to silence his father, a cooperating witnessSong of Granite – Irish-Canadian biographical drama film depicting the origins and rise of sean-nós singer Joe HeaneyStronger – biographical drama film based on the memoir of Boston Marathon bombing survivor Jeff BaumanThank You for Your Service – biographical war drama film about veterans of the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment returning to the vicinity of Fort Riley, Kansas, following a 15-month deployment in Iraq in 2007Three Christs – drama film based on Milton Rokeach's nonfiction book The Three Christs of Ypsilanti of three patients whose paranoid schizophrenic delusions cause each of them to believe they are Jesus ChristThree Girls – British crime drama miniseries dramatising the events surrounding the Rochdale child sex abuse ring, and describing how the authorities failed to investigate allegations of rape because the victims were perceived as unreliable witnessesTina and Bobby – British romantic drama miniseries based on the relationship between footballer Bobby Moore and Tina MooreTom of Finland – Finnish-American biographical drama film about Touko Laaksonen, better known as Tom of Finland, a Finnish homoerotic artistToofan Singh – Indian Punjabi-language biographical drama film about the Sikh militant Toofan SinghTrain to Zakopané – romantic drama film depicting a true love story that lays bare how compassion and intolerance can, even in the most unusual of circumstances, be oneThe Upside – comedy drama film inspired by the life of Philippe Pozzo di BorgoViceroy's House – British-Indian historical drama film telling the true story of the final months of British rule in IndiaVictoria & Abdul – British biographical comedy drama film about the real-life relationship between Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and her Muslim servant Abdul KarimWar Machine – satirical war comedy film depicting a fictionalized version of events surrounding General Stanley A. McChrystal in AfghanistanThe Whiskey Bandit – Hungarian action film about Attila Ambrus, a famous Hungarian bank robberThe White Princess – historical drama miniseries depicting the story of the marriage of Henry VII and Elizabeth of York and how it effectively ended the Wars of the Roses by uniting the houses of Lancaster and YorkWomen Walks Ahead – American-British biographical drama film about the story of Caroline Weldon, a portrait painter who travels from New York to Dakota to paint a portrait of Sitting Bull in 1890Wormwood – biographical drama miniseries based on the life of a scientist, Frank Olson, who worked for a secret government biological warfare program at Fort Detrick, Maryland The Wizard of Lies – biographical drama television film depicting the fall of Bernie Madoff, whose Ponzi scheme robbed $65 billion from unsuspecting victims; the largest fraud in U.S. historyYadvi – The Dignified Princess – Indian biographical drama film depicting the life and times of Maharani Yadhuvansh Kumari, Patiala's Maharaja Bhupinder Singh of PatialaThe Young Karl Marx – Belgian-French-German historical drama film about Karl MarxThe Zookeeper's Wife – war drama film telling the true story of how Jan and Antonina Zabiński rescued hundreds of Jews from the Germans by hiding them in their Warsaw Zoo during World War II