40+ Historically Inaccurate Movies That Got the Facts All Wrong

This movie is all about the rock band Queen. The movie’s climax features a nearly identical recreation of Queen’s iconic Live Aid performance at Wembley Stadium. It was so precise that the filmmakers even used multiple camera angles to match the original performance.

Most of the film is true, but some parts are made up. For instance, Paul Prenter didn’t get fired for saying Mercury should go solo, he got fired for throwing a wild party at Mercury’s house.

Pocahontas was a real historical figure, born around 1596 in the Powhatan Confederacy in what is now Virginia, USA. However, Pocahontas wasn’t her real name – her birth name was Matoaka.

Disney often changes real stories in their animated films. In this one, they show a friendship between Pocahontas and John Smith. In reality, Pocahontas was only 10 years old at the time, while John Smith was an authority figure.

Cool Runnings was produced by Walt Disney Pictures. This movie tells the story of a bobsleigh team in the 1988 Winter Olympics. But it includes extra drama, especially at the end.

In reality, they didn’t carry their sled and didn’t get much applause from the crowd. Instead, they walked alongside it and got only a bit of attention from the audience.

At its core, A Knight’s Tale is a love story between William Thatcher and Lady Jocelyn. A few critics really criticized this movie for not getting history right, but they’re in the minority.

They mainly have two complaints – the rock music and how the victorious knights are praised. The weirdest thing may be that they’re upset about rock music, as everybody knows rock wasn’t a thing in medieval Europe. This unusual mix of period drama and contemporary music gives the film a unique and memorable atmosphere.

James Cameron created a masterpiece with his Oscar-winning movie, telling a story that made a generation fall madly in love with Jack and Rose. However, even though the movie was based on a true story, it didn’t get all its facts right.

For example, according to the movie, Pablo Picasso’s famous painting Les Demoiselles d’Avignon sank to the bottom of the ocean along with the ship. In reality, the painting is safe and sound at the Museum of Modern Art in New York City.

Argo is a movie about a mission, but the term ‘based on a true story’ is stretching the truth a little too much. The movie portrays the rescue mission as being an American accomplishment when it was much more than that.

In reality, Canada’s involvement in the success of the mission was much larger than what was showcased in the movie, with the country’s resources being given the major credit for the rescue.

The film is known for William Wallace’s rousing freedom speech. Mel Gibson improvised a lot of this speech on the spot while filming. It’s since become one of the most iconic moments in cinema history.

This movie doesn’t really care about history, though. It treats historical facts like they’re just hints. The person who wrote the script said the movie was inspired by a 15th-century poem. They changed things and made up stuff so much that you can hardly tell what’s what.

The movie faced backlash for inaccurately portraying the Mayan culture. The movie also made it seem like the Mayans were uncultured and violent. On the other hand, the Europeans were portrayed in a flattering light.

However, there was a silver lining in the end. The film sparked interest in Mayan history and culture, leading to an increase in tourists. Everyone suddenly wanted to visit Mayan archaeological sites in Mexico and Central America.

The movie Gladiator made Russell Crowe famous and won the Best Picture award at the 73rd Academy Awards. However, it changed a lot of historical facts.

First, the main character Maximus, played by Russell Crowe, is made up and not a real person. Also, in real history, Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius didn’t pass away because of his son Commodus, but from chickenpox. Also, Commodus wasn’t as unhinged and cruel as he appears to be in the movie.

This 2015 movie finally did what many award-winning movies before it couldn’t do – get Leonardo DiCaprio his much-awaited Oscar. However, despite the compelling story it tells of explorer Hugh Glass, there’s no actual evidence of the scenes that take place in the movie.

Even though Glass was indeed a traveler, there are no official documents that state that he had a fight with a bear or that he had a son. More surprisingly, he never set out to take revenge on Fitzgerald, as shown in the movie.

The film revolves around the highs and lows of the tribe Lakota Sioux. The main story is fictional in nature, but it incorporates some historical elements that are completely inaccurate as per the real-life timelines.

The story of the Sioux and their rivals, the Pawnees, isn’t your typical David and Goliath story. The Sioux had superior power and resources, unlike what’s shown in the movie.

This crime drama is another movie that claims to be based on a true story but is actually an amalgamation of many different incidents put together. The movie begins with a disclaimer that states that the events depicted in the movie took place in the state of Minnesota in 1987.

The Coen brothers, who wrote and directed the movie, later explained that it was actually a ‘true story movie’ and not a true story itself.

Director Oliver Stone and his team conducted extensive research to ensure historical accuracy in the film. They consulted with historians and scholars to recreate the look and feel of ancient Greece and the surrounding regions.

Nonetheless, when Hollywood tries to show the history of Alexander the Great, it often doesn’t do a good job. This movie has several problems. In the movie, the Persians seem like a simple, uncivilized nation. In reality, they were advanced and cultured.

Bonnie and Clyde is a landmark film in cinema. It played a significant role in ushering in the New Hollywood era of filmmaking. It had realism and a willingness to tackle controversial subjects.

The movie made Bonnie and Clyde’s lives seem exciting and unfairly portrayed people like Frank Hamer as evil. Frank Hamer was a respected Texas Ranger, unlike what was portrayed in the movie.

Troy is an epic historical film directed by Wolfgang Petersen. It’s based on Homer’s ancient Greek epic poems The Iliad and the Odyssey.

Homer made it sound exciting, but Hollywood made it way more dramatic than it really was. The movie shortens the conflict, rather than showing how dragged out it was in real life.

Rudy is the perfect watch for when you need some inspiration or just a little heart-warming emotion. The sports movie is one of the best to ever come out of Hollywood. However, despite being based on a real person’s life events, it received the Hollywood treatment and isn’t 100% accurate.

For example, the character of Fortune in the movie is actually based on three different people that the real Rudy Ruettiger encountered during his time at Notre Dame. Another thing is the villainizing of the head coach, who was, in reality, the biggest supporter of the underdog player.

The film is inspired by the life of Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams. Adams was a doctor and social activist who believed in healing through humor and compassion. Some critics and healthcare professionals criticized the film for its idealized portrayal of Patch Adams and his unconventional methods.

The movie got it wrong, focusing too much on comedy and not showing the real story. Even Hunter Doherty “Patch” Adams said it was factually wrong. He liked Robin Williams’s acting but didn’t like how the story was told in the film.

The film is loosely based on the memoir of Maria von Trapp. It tells the story of a young woman who becomes a caretaker for a man’s seven children in Austria. The film was in theaters for an astonishing four and a half years!

This movie, like the stage musical it’s based on, changes some details about the von Trapp family story. In real life, they didn’t live in a big mansion, and Georg von Trapp had a different title than what was shown in the movie.

Many movies and shows talk about King Henry VIII’s marriages and relationships. The Other Boleyn Girl, based on a book by Philippa Gregory and directed by Justin Chadwick, changed some facts about King Henry’s relationship with Anne Boleyn and her sister Mary.

In reality, Mary was older than Anne and didn’t have children with the king. Their romance ended before he got involved with Anne, but the creators mixed up the timelines to make the story more exciting. Also, Anne didn’t spend just a few months in France; she stayed there for seven years.

The movie is about a mathematician named Alan Turing, played by Benedict Cumberbatch, who helped decode messages using a machine called “The Christopher” (though it was actually called “Victory”).

In reality, it was a collaborative effort involving others, including Polish cryptanalysts and mathematicians like Gordon Welchman. The film has been criticized for not accurately portraying Turing’s personality.

This movie made several mistakes. For example, the characters in the film use modern cutlery.

Additionally, in the movie, Shakespeare gets inspiration for Romeo and Juliet from his own forbidden love story, and Viola plays Juliet on stage with Shakespeare as Romeo. But, back then, women weren’t allowed to act on stage.

Captain Phillips is a grand retelling of an attack on a container ship. Tom Hanks plays the titular role and, in typical Hanks fashion, turns the captain into a hero who’s larger than life.

This movie deviates from reality a little, as Captain Phillips wasn’t actually that heroic. Instead of sacrificing himself to save his crewmates on the ship, it was said that his failure to comply only made things worse during the actual situation.

In plain words, the movie Newsies is based on a real event called the Newsboys Strike of 1899 in New York City. In the story, a group of boys protests against the higher prices of newspapers.

However, there are some things in the movie that aren’t historically accurate. For example, it combines real people to create fictional characters, changes how the strike ends, and portrays Joseph Pulitzer differently than how he was in real life. So, while it’s inspired by a true event, it takes some creative liberties for the sake of storytelling.

The film is loosely based on the Satsuma Rebellion of 1877. The rebellion was led by the samurai Saigō Takamori against the Meiji’s policies. It ultimately marked the end of the samurai era.

Some said the movie was biased because Tom Cruise’s character seemed to save Japanese people in the story. Others talked about the Meiji modernization and the part the samurai played in it. In short, the facts were all over the place.

The movie is a great watch and even won an Oscar for Best Picture. However, it didn’t accurately portray John Forbes Nash Jr., the mathematician. The film also left out his other achievements and mainly focused on game theory and Nash equilibrium.

Nonetheless, the film contributed to increased awareness of mental health issues. It underscores the importance of empathy and support for people who are neurodivergent.

U-571 is an action film about American spies getting on the U-571 to steal a secret spy machine. The biggest lie in the movie is that it shows Americans doing this.

In reality, the first time the Enigma machine was captured was before the United States joined in the chaos. The movie is also full of mistakes about technology and history.

In the early 1930s, a man named Eliot Ness led a group of dedicated law enforcement officers called the Untouchables. They aimed to bring down Al Capone.

However, most of the movie isn’t true. Many exciting parts, like the border raid, are made up. Also, Al Capone and Eliot Ness never actually met, and Capone didn’t use the tactics shown in the film against Ness’s group. The movie’s ending is also inaccurate.

If the horses could talk as fast as they could run in this movie, they’d probably talk about how Frank Hopkins’ story in Hidalgo isn’t a true historical depiction and how the self-proclaimed horseman wasn’t that good.

The movie glorifies Hopkins and his skills on a horse when, in reality, he was actually quite moderate in his skills. But his imagination truly did know how to run wild – even wilder than the horses!

All of America watched with bated breath in January 2009 as pilot Chelsey “Sully” Sullenberger landed his plane on the Hudson River. Clint Eastwood decided to turn this historical incident into a movie, but not without the Hollywood touch.

The biggest difference between reality and the movie is the role of the National Transport Safety Board (NTSB), who were shown to be very strict and harsh in the movie while performing their investigation on the incident.

Amadeus features some of Mozart’s most famous compositions, including pieces from his operas Don Giovanni, The Marriage of Figaro, and The Magic Flute.

Mozart and Antonio Salieri were famous musicians back then, and they competed secretly, but the movie exaggerates their rivalry. They actually respected each other and had a friendly rivalry. To be clear, Salieri didn’t make Mozart fail, nor did he attempt to harm him.

The whole story in this movie wouldn’t make sense if the bad guys – or anyone watching – simply checked a map.

Furthermore, Arthur is portrayed as a Roman officer (Artorius Castus) rather than a traditional medieval king. Instead of the Middle Ages, it sets the conflict in AD 467.  Fun fact, the Romans had already left England by 410 AD.

The Far Horizons is about the real-life story of the Lewis and Clark expedition. In the movie, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark meet a helpful woman named Sacagawea. Sacagawea and Clark fall in love while facing dangers and a jealous villain named Toussaint Charbonneau.

However, the movie didn’t mention an important fact – Sacagawea was married to Charbonneau. The explorers hired Charbonneau, who was a French-Canadian trader, as an interpreter and allowed his pregnant wife to come along. Sacagawea was very helpful to the group, but there’s no historical evidence to suggest she had a romantic relationship with William Clark.

There are quite a lot of things wrong with this movie. It portrays George Armstrong Custer as a friend to the Indians when he was anything but.

In the movie, Custer says there’s no gold in the Black Hills but, in real life, he led a group in 1874 that found gold near French Creek. Moreover, the movie depicts Custer and the 7th cavalry charging with their swords, which can’t be true because they didn’t have their swords with them at all.

This 2013 Formula One movie shows the rivalry between two top drivers, Niki Lauda and James Hunt, during the 1976 season of the race. While the story impressed Lauda, who praised it for its accuracy, there are many reports that the movie did embellish a couple of incidents.

For example, the movie completely glosses over the fact that the rivals were actually roommates for a while, sharing an apartment and living together. Not to mention, a lot of rankings in the movie have been changed from the real ones.

Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical is a feast for the eyes and the ears, but maybe not so much for the brains. The muscle has also been converted into a movie by Disney+, reaching an even wider audience than it did on Broadway.

However, in terms of historical accuracy, the movie falls a bit short, as it villainized Aaron Burr. Burr’s commitment to fighting for those with no voice was completely ignored by the movie.

Foxcatcher is based on the tragic events surrounding the relationship between John du Pont and the Schultz brothers. The Schultz brothers were accomplished wrestlers, while John du Pont, heir to the du Pont family fortune, was an eccentric. He established a wrestling facility on his estate called “Foxcatcher Farm,” where he hoped to train these Olympic athletes.

Steve Carell did a good job imitating John du Pont’s behavior in the movie, but there are mistakes. The film also doesn’t tell the whole truth and leaves out important details. It makes up things about Mark and du Pont’s relationship and doesn’t talk about Dave’s influence on wrestling.

This 18th-century movie is the historical equivalent of the classic Mean Girls. The movie’s comedy is mined from the incidents of Queen Anne’s closest people fighting amongst themselves. Olivia Coleman, Emma Stone, and Rachel Weisz are incredible in the movie.

However, despite the rave reviews, the movie’s high school petty likeness, as well as the bizarre incidents, are completely inaccurate, making it more like a parody than a comedy movie.

This 1997 movie paints a fairly inaccurate portrayal of one of the most well-known female painters in history. Most of her work was overshadowed at the time, due to her treatment at the hands of Agostino Tassi.

However, the movie turns this undesired relationship into one of mutual love. The movie also shows that Tassi influenced Artemisia’s work when that wasn’t the case in real life, and the progressive painter’s work was all her own doing.

Anonymous is known for its elaborate and visually stunning recreation of England. The film explores the theory that William Shakespeare didn’t write the plays and sonnets attributed to him, but that they were instead penned by Edward de Vere, the 17th Earl of Oxford. This theory has been widely discredited by Shakespearean scholars.

The film blends historical fact with fiction. It presents an alternative history in which de Vere secretly writes plays and poems while using Shakespeare as a front.

This movie was so despised that a critic even called it a “sublimely dunderheaded excursion into human prehistory.” In a part of the movie, people who seem to be from ancient Egypt are made to construct pyramids. Pyramids were actually built around 8,000 years later.

Additionally, the movie shows woolly mammoths helping in building the pyramids, which is not realistic because woolly mammoths would likely have not been able to survive the heat in the desert. Did anyone else notice these absurd leaps of fantasy?

This is a family flick that tells a story set in Russia and features Grigori Rasputin as the bad guy. However, the main plot isn’t based on true events but comes from an old Russian myth.

The real Anastasia and her family passed away in 1918. Now, this is where it gets interesting… A woman named Anna Anderson pretended to be Anastasia, leading to false rumors about her survival. Talk about the heebie-jeebies!

Ridley Scott’s Robin Hood tried to turn a beloved legend into a serious historical drama. Scott’s version adds a lot of history, claiming to tell the “untold” story of Robin Hood. The film is a confusing mix of a complicated plot and a heavy-handed focus on freedom.

It not only gets the history wrong but also takes away the fun of the Robin Hood legend of a clever rogue in the woods stealing from the rich and helping the poor. Instead, Crowe plays a serious and gloomy Robin Hood who yells at enemies who aren’t really there.

Everybody knows who Stephen Hawking is, but barely anybody knew his life story before Eddie Raymond appeared on our screens as Hawking in the 2014 movie The Theory of Everything.

While the movie is based on Hawking’s ex-wife Jane’s memoir, it does embellish a few facts. For example, romanticizing a lot of their interactions, as well as changing the way Jane finds out about Hawking’s diagnosis. Still, the movie provides a fascinating, albeit not entirely true, look into the genius’s life.

Is The Greatest Showman a true story? Well, not really. The movie tells the tale of P.T. Barnum, who goes from being poor to super successful. He starts a museum and gathers some unique people for his show, which becomes a hit.

It’s true that Barnum was born in 1810 and created a museum with unusual exhibits, and he later had a famous circus. But the movie doesn’t show his flaws, like his involvement with a singer named Jenny Lind. Instead, the film simplifies his life and relationships.

Russell Crowe starred in and as Cinderella Man, aka boxer James J. Braddock. The 2005 sports drama covered the boxer’s triumphant and unexpected return to boxing, as well as his success in clinching the title from the virtually undefeated Max Baer.

While the movie got its basic timeline right, it ended up horribly villainizing the character of Baer. According to the boxer’s son, the director turned a fun-loving man who hated boxing into somebody who loved hurting other people