We love to be inspired by true stories. Here are the best movies based on true events and people coming in 2017.
‘Hidden Figures’: Jan. 6
In the 1960s, the Soviet Union was the first country to put a man in space. The U.S. panicked and knew they had to step up their game if they wanted to be first to reach the moon. Hidden Figures tells the hardships and triumphs experienced by a team of female black mathematicians who worked as human calculators to help launch astronaut John Glenn into space. We predict Taraji P. Henson will win the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
‘Patriots Day’: Jan. 13
In 2013, Chechen brothers Dzhokhar and Tamerlan Tsarnaev deployed two pressure-cooker bombs at the finish line of the Boston Marathon. What followed was a city-wide search for the culprits led by the Boston Police Department and the FBI. Patriots Day recounts the actions of Commissioner Ed Davis (John Goodman), and Sgt. Tommy Saunders (Mark Wahlberg) as they cordoned off a 20-block area of the city and hunted down the terrorists.
‘The Zookeeper’s Wife’: March 31
When the Germans invaded Poland in World War II, Warsaw zookeeper Jan ?abi?ski, his wife Antonina and their son Ryszard used the zoo and their home to shelter hundreds of Jews. Based on the book of the same name by Diane Ackerman, The Zookeeper’s Wife stars Jessica Chastain and Johan Heldenbergh as the brave couple who risked their own lives to save others.
‘The Founder’: Jan. 20
Founded in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant by brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald, the first McDonald’s restaurant opened in San Bernardino, California, with little hope of becoming an international success. The Founder tells the story of how the shrewd but aggressive businessman Ray Kroc (Michael Keaton) purchased the restaurant from the disgruntled McDonald brothers and perfected the super-fast, production line-like service model, making McDonald’s the largest restaurant chain in the world.
‘A United Kingdom’: Feb. 17
Seretse Khama was the African Prince of Botswana who fell in love with Lloyd’s of London worker Ruth Williams in 1948. A United Kingdom tells the story of how the interracial couple caused an international uproar on two continents. David Oyelowo and Rosamund Pike play the brave couple who faced racism and exile in a time of Apartheid while fighting for Botswana’s independence.
‘Bitter Harvest’: Feb. 24
In 1933, the Soviet Union’s tyrannical leader Joseph Stalin decided to punish the people of Ukraine for resisting his orders to give up their own land and work on government-controlled farms. Stalin caused the Holodomor, the man-made genocidal famine that took the lives of millions. Bitter Harvest is a love story based on true events starring Max Irons and Samantha Barks as a couple who must endure starvation while trying to hold onto their land, culture and ideals.
‘The Lost City of Z’: April 21
In one of the biggest exploration mysteries of all time, British Colonel Percy Fawcett traveled to the Brazilian jungle in 1925 to search for an ancient city called Z. He hoped to gain fame and fortune by uncovering an archeological goldmine. The Lost City of Z tells the story of Fawcett’s (Charlie Hunnam) strange disappearance followed by the disappearance of those sent to rescue him. The real Fawcett inspired the character of Indiana Jones in movies like Raiders of the Lost Ark.
‘Dunkirk’: July 21
At the northern tip of France sits the harbor port of Dunkirk, where many Allied soldiers from Belgium, Britain and France were left stranded in World War II. At the mercy of the German army, it was British Prime Minister Winston Churchill who concocted a rescue mission. Dunkirk tells the story of the miraculous evacuation effort made from May 27 to June 4, 1940, that saved hundreds of lives.
‘Victoria and Abdul’: Sept. 22
Queen Victoria had a very close relationship her attendant, Abdul Karim, a Muslim Indian, during the last 15 years of her reign. Tensions mounted within the palace as people surrounding the Queen were baffled by her maternal fondness for a man who was seen by the British as inferior. Victoria and Abdul stars Judi Dench and Ali Fazal and tells the story of an unlikely friendship that helped people overcome their racial prejudices.
‘Darkest Hour’: Nov. 24
Winston Churchill was prime minister of Britain from 1940 to 1955 and is considered one of the greatest leaders of all time because he lead Britain out of World War II and outsmarted Adolf Hitler. Darkest Hour stars Gary Oldman as Churchill and focuses on the early days of the war.
‘The Greatest Showman’: Dec. 25
The legendary American showman, P.T. Barnum, was notorious for creating hoaxes like the Fiji mermaid to fill his pockets with cash. The Greatest Showman stars Hugh Jackman as Barnum and explores Barnum’s wild imagination and unscrupulous business tactics before founding the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus.
‘Woman Walks Ahead’
Catherine Weldon was a 19th-century portrait artist from Brooklyn, New York, who traveled to Dakota to fulfill her dream of living with the Sioux Indians. In 1890, Weldon befriended Chief Sitting Bull, painting four portraits of him. Woman Walks Ahead stars Jessica Chastain as Weldon and Michael Greyeyes as Sitting Bull, sharing the details of their difficult relationship and Weldon’s journey into political activism.
Untitled A.A. Milne project
A.A. Milne was the beloved children’s author who created the Winnie the Pooh books for his son, C.R. Milne. This film shares the intimate story of Milne (Domhnall Gleeson) and his son Christopher Robin (Alex Lawther) as the Pooh stories gain popularity around the world after the devastation of World War I.
‘The Mercy’
Failing British businessman and amateur sailor Donald Crowhurst made waves when he attempted to win the Sunday Times Golden Globe yacht race. Unable to successfully sail around the world on his own, Crowhurst secretly abandoned the race and succumbed to mental illness before taking his own life.
‘Billionaire Boys Club’
Joseph Henry Gamsky, also known as “Joe Hunt,” started a Ponzi scheme in Los Angeles in 1983 to create a luxurious lifestyle for himself and his buddies. Billionaire Boys Club tells the story of how Gamsky and his friends went from the high life to a life of crime and murder.
‘The Masterpiece’
In 1993, Tommy Wiseau wrote, directed and starred in an independent film called The Room, a melodramatic love story with tragic consequences. Panned at first for its bizarre storytelling and poor special effects, the film soon gained a huge cult following around the world. The Masterpiece tells the true story about the making of The Room and delves into why it’s considered the Citizen Kane of bad movies.
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