Best Movies Based On Real-Life Tragedies

Humankind and the building civilizations that we take immense pride in have been paved with serval dark moments. Knitted closely with fundamental mentality, pain, negligence, sloppy greed, and sometimes the things that we ignore end up engulfing a huge population. Wildfires, oil spillage, radioactive mishaps, flooding, genocides, and wars, most of these mishaps are connected with human myopia about situations and classism based on religion, culture, and society.

Throughout history, you will come across tragedies that are recognized as too piercing or deep; although there are also dark moments that are brushed under the carpet and historians are working endlessly on documenting the facts that can pave the way to a healthy civilization. The tragedies that are usually glorified can be traced back to the weak conquering the strong-minded for motivational purposes.

Some communities that were once far too weak to speak later learned from their bumpy past and shined through the dark. These communities became stronger and economically stable so their voices made it to the big screen. However, some calamities are considered global because of their global impact. These tragedies were put on display through art and literature for future reference.

Where these tragedies show the capacity of human brutality and viciousness, it also highlights the importance of literature and art in documenting history. Several filmmakers have used history as the plot for their films. They have either been inspired by the story or have used a few details as inspiration and added a blend of fiction. No matter what they use, we cannot deny filmmakers are taking the role of historians raising awareness about important issues, and offering voices to marginalized communities.

To watch these fascinating pieces on history, you need good internet and just a subscription to an online content streaming site. In case, you are considering upgrading your internet connection, you should explore Spectrum Español.

Here is a list of some of the best Movies Based on Real-Life Tragedies:

Movies Based On Real-Life Tragedies That Will Leave a Bitter Aftertaste

1.     Titanic

Released in: 1997

Available on: Disney+ Hotstar

Duration: 3hr. 14min

IMDb Rating: 7.9

Genre: Romance, Drama, Fiction  

Starting our list with the iconic tragedy-based movie that made it evident that with just the right blend of fiction and fantasy you, can make any catastrophe palatable for the audience. Titanic is the story of a small-town poor boy who gets to step on the mighty Titanic and meets the woman of his dreams and the story of true love and sacrifice begins.

With the tasteful blend of romance and drama, the movie is seen as the epitome of romance in the motion picture world. The best thing about the movie is the cinematography which makes it so believable and relatable for the audience. James Cameron’s Titanic can easily be rated as one of the best movies of all time.

2.     Schindler’s List

Released in: 1993

Available on: Paramount Plus, Prime Video, Vudu, Apple TV

Duration: 3hr. 15min

IMDb Rating: 9

Genre: War, History, Drama

Exceptionally well-shot and tear-jerking, Schindler’s List offers a story that will make you believe in humanity. The story revolves around a factory worker during the holocaust who saves Jews from concentration camps by recruiting them for work.

Bone-chilling, gruesome and painful, this movie has a black-and-white effect representing sadness that will leave you sobbing. Known to be one of the best holocaust movies, this movie offers a true picture of desperation, calamity, and the bone-chilling act that humans are capable of.

3.     Trees of Peace

Released in: 2021

Available on: Netflix

Duration: 1hr. 37min

IMDb Rating: 6.5

Genre: Drama, History, Genocide

Trees of peace is not a movie for the faint-hearted. This movie offers the true picture of the Rwanda genocide that continued for around 81 days. The story mainly revolved around four women stuck in a small storage chamber for survival. Battling, bonding, and surviving through the days, the story will offer you a ride through the darkest days of Rwanda.

This masterpiece will make you so claustrophobic that you will feel stuck in the same basement box with the actors. Although the movie does not have any direct violent scenes, it can surely make you lose sleep at night. Beautifully pictured with an exceptionally gripping yet haunting story, Trees of Peace might stay with you for a long time.

4.     Farah

Released in: 2021

Available on: Netflix

Duration: 1hr. 31min 

IMDb Rating: 8.6

Genre: War, Conflict, Genocide

For the first time on the big screen and any online streaming platform, Farah brings the story of Nakba – the other N-word that no one is allowed to say out loud. Farah talks about the ongoing Gaza genocide and immigration based on Israel’s spread in the Gaza strip.

Gut-wrenching and extremely disturbing, the story does not offer any direct violence reference, yet it will make you feel sick. Where most critics appreciate the cinematography and story, this movie is a true icon for bringing the Palestine story into the limelight. The true picture of Samood (steadfastness), struggle, and survival – Farah is a must-watch.

5.     Deepwater Horizon

Released in: 2016

Available on: Amazon Instant Video, Vudu, Google Play, iTunes

Duration: 1hr. 47min

IMDb Rating: 7.1

Genre: Thriller, Action, Drama

Nominated for two Oscars, Deepwater Horizon offers a story that will leave you on the edge of your seat. The movie offers the story of the 2016 oil spill disaster that eventually led to an inextinguishable fire.

With the perfect mix of human negligence, greed, and personal vendetta, the story is far too thrilling to be missed. Deepwater Horizon is the true documentation of one of the worst disasters in the history of the United States. If you are a true history buff, this thrilling masterpiece will leave you with a bitter aftertaste in your mouth.

Wrap Up

To sum it all up, tragedies that are not learned, give birth to more tragedies. With the help of these marvelous motion pictures, documentation of history and learning through them is much easier. Regardless of whichever side of the story you believe, appreciation of motion picture brings all of us closer to accepting, overcoming, and learning from our differences.