The phrase “ripped from the headlines” gets a bad rap. At its essence, it just means that a movie or television show has been inspired by real-life events, often a crime. Some of the most popular movies and TV series from the past half-century have been created this way, taking their inspiration from everything from the mob to drug dealers to underage crime sprees. Here are just a handful of the stories born from real events:
1. In Cold Blood (1967)
Based on Truman Capote’s groundbreaking work of true crime, In Cold Blood follows a pair of criminals as they commit a robbery that turns into a quadruple-homicide in Holcomb, Kansas, in 1959. The starkly made, black-and-white film was nominated for four Academy Awards the following year, and in 2008 it was added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
2. All the President’s Men (1976)
Washington Post reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein became the most famous journalists of their era for their work uncovering the Watergate crimes and the subsequent book, All the President’s Men, which detailed their investigation into one of the highest-profile criminal conspiracies of the past 50 years. The film was nominated for a host of awards and nabbed a best supporting actor Oscar for Jason Robards as Ben Bradlee, the Post‘s editor.
3. GoodFellas (1990)
Reporter Nicholas Pileggi’s nonfiction book Wiseguy was a fascinating chronicle of the American Mafia from the perspective of Henry Hill, a member of the Lucchese crime family who eventually escaped the life by joining the Witness Protection Program after being caught in a drug bust. Martin Scorsese’s film of the book became one of his most admired movies, and has been hailed as one of the best gangster and true crime movies ever made.
4. “Law & Order” (premiered 1990)
Dozens of “Law & Order” episodes have been based on real-life cases and crimes, so it’s tough to pick just one. However, one of the earliest examples that the show would base some of its stories on actual people was the first season’s “Subterranean Homeboy Blues,” which dealt with a woman shooting two attempted muggers in a story that paralleled the Bernhard Goetz in its approach to vigilante justice. The NBC series was a modern pioneer in its “ripped from the headlines” TV format, and would inspire many other crime procedurals that followed to do the same.
5. Badlands (1973)
Director Terence Malick hasn’t made many movies, but the few he’s directed have been riveting. Case in point: Badlands, based on the 1957 murder spree committed by Charles Starkweather and girlfriend Caril Ann Fugate in Nebraska and Wyoming.
6. “Cold Case” (premiered 2003)
The first-season episode “The Boy in the Box” was based on a case of the same name from 1957, in which the body of a young boy was found in a cardboard box in Pennsylvania. The real-life murder is still unsolved.
7. Helter Skelter (1976)
The Charles Manson Family murders of 1969 shocked the nation, and the resulting trial was turned into a book, Helter Skelter, by attorney Vincent Bugliosi with Curt Gentry. The book was then adapted into a TV-movie in 1976.
8. “Criminal Minds” (premiered 2005)
The crime show’s first season featured the episode “Natural Born Killer,” which was based on the case of Richard Kuklinski, aka “The Iceman,” a contract killer for organized crime families.
9. The Accused (1988)
Jodie Foster won an Oscar for her portrayal of a rape victim seeking justice from the men who attacked her. The film was based on the 1983 rape of Cheryl Araujo in Massachusetts.
10. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1991)
This chilling film stars Michael Rooker as Henry, a cold-blooded serial killer based on the real-life Henry Lee Lucas. It deviates from the true account in several ways, but is notable for its bracing and frank approach to the horrific subject matter. Lucas later recanted to some of his murder claims, casting doubt on the real number of victims he accrued.
11. Alpha Dog (2006)
Featuring a young cast including Anton Yelchin, Emile Hirsch, and Justin Timberlake, Alpha Dog is based on the true story of the kidnapping and killing of Nicholas Markowitz, only 15 years old, and the involvement of local drug dealer Jesse James Hollywood. Hollywood is currently serving a life sentence for orchestrating the plot.
12. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
Sidney Lumet’s award-winning crime drama is based on the real-life hostage situation that occurred in 1972 when two men held up a bank in Brooklyn. Their day-long siege came to an end when one was arrested and the other killed by the FBI in the final moments of the incident.
13. The Insider (1999)
Inspired by an article in Vanity Fair, Michael Mann’s The Insider is based on the “60 Minutes” interview with Jeffrey Wigand, a corporate whistle-blower who angered his bosses at a tobacco company when he went public with knowledge about a cover-up related to nicotine’s addictive qualities. Tobacco firm Brown and Williamson even took out a full-page ad in The Wall Street Journal after the film opened to protest its approach to the story. The movie received a host of critical acclaim.
14. Notorious (2009)
This 2009 biographical drama detailed the life of Christopher Wallace, aka the Notorious B.I.G., a rapper who was shot and killed by an unknown assailant in 1997.
15. Ghosts of Mississippi (1996)
Civil rights leader Medgar Evers was assassinated in June 1963, but it wasn’t until 1994 that his killer, white supremacist Byron De La Beckwith, was convicted for the killing. Rob Reiner’s film of the events was a moving portrayal of the long search for justice.
16. Monster (2003)
Serial killer Aileen Wuornos, a former prostitute, killed seven men throughout the late 1980s and early 1990s, claiming they raped her or attempted to do so while she was in the process of performing sex acts. She was convicted of the murders and executed by lethal injection in 2002. The film is tough one, but Charlize Theron’s performance as Wuornos earned her an Academy Award.
17. Serpico (1973)
Before Sidney Lumet and Al Pacino teamed for Dog Day Afternoon, they worked together on this true-crime classic about a cop determined to do what’s right. Based on the true story of NYPD officer Frank Serpico, the film follows an undercover officer who works to expose the corruption of fellow officers.
18. The Perfect Husband: The Laci Peterson Story (2004)
TV-movies have long been home to stories based on true events, as was the case with USA Network’s film version of the sordid affair involving Lacy Peterson, the pregnant wife of Scott. When Lacy disappeared, Scott led the charge to find her, but when her dead body was found mutilated, Scott was arrested for the crime. He was eventually convicted for the murder, though he maintains his innocence. He currently waits on death row.
19. American Gangster (2007)
Russell Crowe plays a determined detective and Denzel Washington plays a powerful Harlem drug kingpin in this film based on true events chronicled in New York Magazine. The film earned general critical acclaim and garnered multiple award nominations.
20. Casino (1995)
Once again working from source material by Nicholas Pileggi, Martin Scorsese’s epic about criminals rising to power in Las Vegas remains one of his most-praised films. It’s also one his coarsest: At the time of its release, it featured more uses of “f***” than any other film to date.
21. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Steven Spielberg’s light caper film tells the true story of Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio), a young man who conned his way into fortune by forging checks and posing as, among others, a Pan Am pilot, a doctor, and a lawyer. Although he was caught and convicted for his crimes, he was eventually brought on to work with the FBI to help catch other forgers.
22. Wonderland (2003)
Val Kilmer plays porn star John Holmes in this account of the robbery and murders Holmes was involved with in 1981. Holmes was acquitted of any wrongdoing after successfully portraying himself as an unwitting accomplice.
23. Bully (2001)
Directed by Larry Clark, Bully is based on the true plot of several high schoolers to kill their peer and tormentor after they tire of his physical and emotional abuse. The multple conspirators all received jail time for the killing, ranging from 11 years to a death sentence that was commuted to life imprisonment.
24. Blow (2001)
The final film from Ted Demme details the life and times of George Jung (Johnny Depp), a notorious cocaine smuggler who winds up working with Colombians like Pablo Escobar.
25. The Untouchables (1987)
Also the name of a 1950s TV series, this 1987 film deals with one of the most infamous criminals in American history: Al Capone. Eliot Ness’ quest to bring him to justice during the Prohibition era remains a popular fodder for entertainment, and this film version was a critical and financial success.
