This weekend, Oscar-nominated Spotlight is released in cinemas across the UK. It tells the true story of the Boston Globe’s “Spotlight” investigators, who uncover shocking allegations of abuse within the Catholic Church. A year-long investigation uncovers years of cover-ups by Boston’s legal, religious and government establishments, leading to a wave of revelations around the world.
To celebrate the release of Spotlight, we’ve compiled our three favourite films based on true stories. If you have some other suggestions, let us know in the comments below.
Argo
As true stories go, Argo is a pretty unbelievable one. Ben Affleck – who also directed the movie – plays Tony Mendez, an exfiltration expert who is drafted in to help smuggle six Americans out of Iran, following an attack on the US embassy. Due to the political minefield which surrounds such an operation, Mendez creates a phony Canadian film project with the aim of sneaking them out as part of the crew. His daring plan causes both the White House and his charges to doubt his abilities, all while the Iranian security forces close in.
Argo is available on Blu-ray with a number of special features, including a feature length documentary about the real life experience that Mendez and his charges faced, audio commentary and a behind-the-scenes documentary.
Catch Me If You Can
The con is on in this biographical drama about the life of Frank Abagnale Jr, one of the world’s most famous con artists.
DiCaprio stars as Abagnale Jr, who starts his career as a professional con artist by learning how to cash fraudulent cheques. As his confidence and scams grow, he takes on a host of fake identities, including an airline pilot and a doctor. He soon earns the attention of Detective Carl Hanratty, played by Tom Hanks, who becomes obsessed with catching him in the act.
The Blu-ray comes with a number of special features, including a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the movie, a look at the casting, and a number of photo galleries.
Valkyrie
There is a huge amount of incredible true stories from World War II. But perhaps one of the most unbelievable is the treacherous plot to assassinate Hitler, planned from within the high echelons of the Third Reich itself.
Tom Cruise plays Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, who launches a plot along with a number of other high-ranking Nazi officials to assassinate Adolf Hitler and seize power of the military command, with the aim of ending the war. The operation was given the codename ‘Valkyrie’, lending the film its title. It features a superb supporting cast, including Terence Stamp, Bill Nighy, Eddie Izzard and Kenneth Branagh.
The Valkyrie Blu-ray comes with a number of HD exclusive extras, including a feature on the locations depicted in the film, a behind-the-scenes look at the allied attack sequence in Tunisia, and a documentary about how the crew recreated WWII Berlin.
