Are these true crime movies really accurate?

In 2009, The Guardian described it as "punch-drunk with inaccuracies." The portrayal of Elliot Ness as a straitlaced character is not true, as he was in fact an erratic alcoholic. Also, most of the members of The Untouchables in the movie were fictional, including Jim Malone (played by Sean Connery).

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'Public Enemies' 2009 -

Director Michael Mann isn't exactly a public enemy, he just went overboard. In the movie version, many people are killed by the bank robber John Dillinger between 1933 and 1934. What a cinematic bloodbath!

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'Public Enemies' 2009 -

However, according to Elliott Gorn, a history professor at Boston College and author of a book about Dillinger's life, the real John Dillinger probably killed only one person in the time period covered by the movie. Also, his accomplices Baby Face Nelson and Homer Van Meter die before Dillinger in the movie, but they outlived him in real life.

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'Bonnie and Clyde' (1967) -

The movie depicts the adventures of Bonnie (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde (Warren Beatty), a pair of bank robbers in Texas during the Great Depression.

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'Bonnie and Clyde' (1967) -

Some critics have said that the film glorifies the robbers by including some historically accurate events but omitting anything that might diminish their 'Robin Hood' image.

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'American Gangster' (2007) -

Denzel Washington plays Frank Lucas, a gangster who is caught by Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), a New Jersey detective trying to root out corruption within the police force.

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'American Gangster' (2007) -

The film has been accused of containing more fiction than fact. In particular, Roberts' character is a combination of several detectives who were involved in the actual case, although he was a real person and actually became Lucas' lawyer.

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'The French Connection' (1971) -

Detectives Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (played by Gene Hackman) and Buddy "Cloudy" Russo (played by Roy Scheider) try to catch a heroin smuggler.

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'The French Connection' (1971) -

The movie is based on a non-fiction book about a real 1961 substance bust and is fairly accurate, but (like many Hollywood stories) it exaggerates for the sake of entertainment. The actual investigators who worked on the case were there as consultants on most of the filming days. They even had cameos!

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'Catch Me If You Can' (2002) -

The movie follows the criminal life of Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), a highly successful forger and con man who is 'on the run' from imminent arrest by FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks).

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'Catch Me If You Can' (2002) -

Based on Abagnale's own memoirs, he claims that although the story is exaggerated here and there, the film is about 80% true.

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'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013) -

The film depicts the dramatic rise and fall of Jordan Belfort (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), a man who made a fortune by scamming investors and using the money for an outrageously excessive lifestyle.

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'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013) -

The film is based on the book that Belfort wrote himself, which means the source material may have been exaggerated to begin with... However, the FBI agent who investigated Belfort has confirmed that everything he wrote about his own 'adventures' is true.

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'The Big Short' (2015) -

'The Big Short' depicts the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and follows the stories of several men who profit from the ensuing economic collapse.

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'The Big Short' (2015) -

The film, based on the book of the same name by Michael Lewis, deviates in its depiction of the characters and their actions, but supposedly stays true to the larger historical context. Here and there, the characters themselves address the audience directly to admit inaccuracies.

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'Dog Day Afternoon' (1975) -

Al Pacino plays the main character in a movie about a poorly planned bank heist in 1972. His goal is to get enough money to pay for his partner's operation.

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'Dog Day Afternoon' (1975) -

The movie is quite close to the true events. John Wojtowicz, the actual robber, even screened the movie while serving his prison sentence and used some of the proceeds to pay for his partner's operation.

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'American Hustle' (2013) -

The film features top-tier actors, such as Amy Adams, Christian Bale, Bradley Cooper, and Jennifer Lawrence. It revolves around Irving Rosenfeld (played by Bale), a con man who teams up with FBI agent Richie DiMaso (Cooper) to expose political corruption.

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'American Hustle' (2013) -

The movie is inspired by the Abscam operation in which Melvin Weinberg (Rosenfeld in the movie) was involved. It begins with the very accurate line "some of this actually happened." However, certain events, such as Sydney Prosser's (Adams) involvement in the scams and the love triangle between Sydney, Irving, and Richie, never actually happened.

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'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' (2007) -

Jesse James (Brad Pitt) was a famous outlaw and robber from the mid-to-late 19th century. He was eventually killed by Robert Ford (Casey Affleck), who was a member of his own gang. The movie follows the relationship between the two and the events that led to his murder.

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'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' (2007) -

This movie is one of many that tell the story of Jesse James and is considered one of the most accurate. However, some critics found it too solemn and missed the essence of the subject.

23 / 34 Fotos

'King of Thieves' (2018) -

The Hatton Garden robbery is a great idea for a movie! A group of retired criminals attempt to commit the "largest burglary in English legal history" — without getting caught.

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'King of Thieves' (2018) -

The movie was remarkably accurate. Screenwriter Joe Penhall incorporated various sources such as press releases and a "100-page transcript from Scotland Yard" to get an authentic depiction of the original robbers (pictured).

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'The Bling Ring' (2013) -

Directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Emma Watson, this film tells the story of a group of teenagers who used online sources to find and rob celebrities' homes.

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'The Bling Ring' (2013) -

Most of the events described in the movie were true, including some of the quotes. However, Emma Watson clarified in an interview with Rookie magazine that her character was "three steps removed from who she might be in real life."

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The Black Dahlia (2006) -

In 1947, Elizabeth Short, a 20-year-old aspiring actress, was found murdered in Los Angeles, California. The case became one of the most notorious unsolved crimes. Posthumously, the media nicknamed Short the "Black Dahlia."

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The Black Dahlia (2006) -

In 2006, the case was released as a film, which was criticized for changing the details of the investigation and being full of clichés, flat acting, and a confusing plot.

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'Goodfellas' (1990) -

Scorsese's acclaimed film is based on the true story of Henry Hill, a real-life gangster played by Ray Liotta (center). The leading actors include Joe Pesci (left) and Robert De Niro (right).

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'Goodfellas' (1990) -

The movie was based on the book 'Wiseguy' by Nicholas Pileggi, and according to Henry Hill, the movie was "95% accurate." But he also said that some of the crimes and criminals were toned down a bit, believe it or not!

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'The General' (1998) -

The biopic depicts the life of Irish gangster boss Martin Cahill (Brendan Gleeson, pictured), also known as "The General," in the form of a flashback, beginning with his death.

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'The General' (1998) -

The film was criticized for its allegedly inaccurate portrayal of the killer and the motive for Cahill's murder.

Sources: (Screen Rant) (Insider)

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'American Hustle' (2013) -

NL Beeld

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'The Untouchables' (1987) -

'The Untouchables' are a team of law enforcement officers led by Elliot Ness (Kevin Costner). Their mission is to dismantle Al Capone (Robert De Niro) during the Prohibition era.

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'The Untouchables' (1987) -

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'Public Enemies' 2009 -

NL Beeld

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'Public Enemies' 2009 -

NL Beeld

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'Bonnie and Clyde' (1967) -

The movie depicts the adventures of Bonnie (Faye Dunaway) and Clyde (Warren Beatty), a pair of bank robbers in Texas during the Great Depression.

6 / 34 Fotos

'Bonnie and Clyde' (1967) -

Some critics have said that the film glorifies the robbers by including some historically accurate events but omitting anything that might diminish their 'Robin Hood' image.

7 / 34 Fotos

'American Gangster' (2007) -

Denzel Washington plays Frank Lucas, a gangster who is caught by Richie Roberts (Russell Crowe), a New Jersey detective trying to root out corruption within the police force.

NL Beeld

8 / 34 Fotos

'American Gangster' (2007) -

9 / 34 Fotos

'The French Connection' (1971) -

Detectives Jimmy "Popeye" Doyle (played by Gene Hackman) and Buddy "Cloudy" Russo (played by Roy Scheider) try to catch a heroin smuggler.

10 / 34 Fotos

'The French Connection' (1971) -

11 / 34 Fotos

'Catch Me If You Can' (2002) -

The movie follows the criminal life of Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), a highly successful forger and con man who is 'on the run' from imminent arrest by FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks).

12 / 34 Fotos

'Catch Me If You Can' (2002) -

Based on Abagnale's own memoirs, he claims that although the story is exaggerated here and there, the film is about 80% true.

13 / 34 Fotos

'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013) -

14 / 34 Fotos

'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013) -

15 / 34 Fotos

'The Big Short' (2015) -

'The Big Short' depicts the financial crisis of 2007-2008 and follows the stories of several men who profit from the ensuing economic collapse.

16 / 34 Fotos

'The Big Short' (2015) -

17 / 34 Fotos

'Dog Day Afternoon' (1975) -

Al Pacino plays the main character in a movie about a poorly planned bank heist in 1972. His goal is to get enough money to pay for his partner's operation.

18 / 34 Fotos

'Dog Day Afternoon' (1975) -

19 / 34 Fotos

'American Hustle' (2013) -

NL Beeld

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'American Hustle' (2013) -

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'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' (2007) -

22 / 34 Fotos

'The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford' (2007) -

This movie is one of many that tell the story of Jesse James and is considered one of the most accurate. However, some critics found it too solemn and missed the essence of the subject.

23 / 34 Fotos

'King of Thieves' (2018) -

The Hatton Garden robbery is a great idea for a movie! A group of retired criminals attempt to commit the "largest burglary in English legal history" — without getting caught.

24 / 34 Fotos

'King of Thieves' (2018) -

25 / 34 Fotos

'The Bling Ring' (2013) -

Directed by Sofia Coppola and starring Emma Watson, this film tells the story of a group of teenagers who used online sources to find and rob celebrities' homes.

26 / 34 Fotos

'The Bling Ring' (2013) -

27 / 34 Fotos

The Black Dahlia (2006) -

Getty Images

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The Black Dahlia (2006) -

In 2006, the case was released as a film, which was criticized for changing the details of the investigation and being full of clichés, flat acting, and a confusing plot.

Getty Images

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'Goodfellas' (1990) -

Scorsese's acclaimed film is based on the true story of Henry Hill, a real-life gangster played by Ray Liotta (center). The leading actors include Joe Pesci (left) and Robert De Niro (right).

30 / 34 Fotos

'Goodfellas' (1990) -

31 / 34 Fotos

'The General' (1998) -

The biopic depicts the life of Irish gangster boss Martin Cahill (Brendan Gleeson, pictured), also known as "The General," in the form of a flashback, beginning with his death.

32 / 34 Fotos

'The General' (1998) -

The film was criticized for its allegedly inaccurate portrayal of the killer and the motive for Cahill's murder.

Sources: (Screen Rant) (Insider)

33 / 34 Fotos

Are these true crime movies really accurate?

Are these iconic movies genuinely inspired by real events?

5 hours ago | StarsInsider

MOVIES Film

Have you ever wondered what it really means when a movie claims to be "based on true events?" In Hollywood, filmmakers often exercise their artistic license, even when adapting a true story. They can decide whether they want to stick to the basic truths or enhance the story with additional dramatic effects. This makes it hard to separate fact from fiction when watching a dramatization of a real criminal case.

Check out this gallery to find out how accurate your favorite true crime movies really are. Click on to get started.