Movies Based on True Stories: There’s something about a true story that makes a movie hit harder. Maybe it’s the emotional weight, maybe it’s the goosebumps you get knowing “this really happened,” or maybe it’s the curiosity of watching how close (or far) Hollywood gets to the truth. Whatever the case, Amazon Prime Video is home to a host of films that dramatize real-life events — and they’re anything but boring.
Whether you’re into sports legends, flawed geniuses, or larger-than-life personalities, here’s a list of top movies based on true stories currently streaming on Prime that are gripping, inspiring, and in some cases, downright jaw-dropping.
Top Movies Based on True Stories Amazon Prime:
Ferrari (2023)
Genre: Drama, Biography
Starring: Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz
Set in the Italian summer of 1957, Ferrari isn’t just about cars, it is about obsession, loss and the need to win, no matter the cost. Enzo Ferrari, played by Adam Driver, is a man at a breaking point. His car company is floundering, his marriage is unraveling, and the only way forward is the brutally dangerous Mille Miglia — a 1,000-mile race across Italy.
The film delivers high-octane visuals, of course, but it’s the emotional engine — Ferrari’s internal struggle — that keeps it racing ahead.
Race (2016)
Genre: Sports, Biography
Starring: Stephan James, Jason Sudeikis
If Ferrari is about obsession, Race is about defiance. Jesse Owens, a Black American track star, rose to Olympic glory in Nazi Germany during the 1936 Olympics, a direct challenge to Hitler’s propaganda machine.
More than just a sports movie, Race is an emotional dive into one man’s courage and focus under international pressure and overt racism. It’s about much more than medals — it’s about legacy.
BlackBerry (2023)
Genre: Drama, Tech Biopic
Starring: Jay Baruchel, Glenn Howerton
Once upon a time, BlackBerry was the king of the mobile world. BlackBerry charts the wild, weird, and often hilarious rise of the world’s first smartphone — and its spectacular fall.
It’s part Silicon Valley chaos, part buddy-comedy, and all cautionary tale. What happens when visionaries clash with investors? When innovation meets ego? When tech becomes bigger than the people who built it?
Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016)
Genre: Sports Drama
Starring: Kevin de Paula, Vincent D’Onofrio
Before he became a global football icon, Pelé was just a kid juggling a ball made of rags in the streets of Brazil. This film traces his rise from poverty to national treasure, culminating in his breakout moment at the 1958 World Cup — when he was just 17.
Yes, it’s a sports movie. But it’s also a story about family, belief, and the kind of natural talent that only comes around once in a lifetime.
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Genre: Crime, Biography
Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill
The wildest entry on this list, The Wolf of Wall Street is based on the real-life rollercoaster of stockbroker Jordan Belfort — who went from penny stocks to private jets, and eventually, to prison.
Directed by Martin Scorsese and carried by DiCaprio’s electric performance, the film doesn’t shy away from the excess, greed, and moral vacuum of Wall Street in the ’90s. It’s a film that’s as entertaining as it is alarming — a cautionary tale wrapped in a party.
Final Take: Truth, with a Side of Drama
What makes true-story movies so bingeable is the perfect storm of drama and authenticity. These films aren’t just telling stories — they’re reviving legacies, questioning ambition, and giving us front-row seats to history (with better lighting).
