10 Real Life Happy Endings That Became Disturbing Movies

6. Midnight Express (1978)

An adaptation of Billy Hayes’ book of the same name, and the story of his incarceration in (and eventual escape from) Turkish prison for attempting to smuggle hashish out of the country, Alan Parker’s movie is grim and pitiless but a compelling cinematic statement.

It’s also a highly sensationalised version of Hayes’ story, a film in which the Turkish prisoners and guards are depicted as snarling, violent animals while the westerners surrounding Billy are depicted as nobler creatures being treated unbearably cruelly.

In the film’s climax, Billy - committed to a prison asylum after years of mental and physical torture - escapes by murdering a guard who tries to rape him, stealing a uniform and walking out of the door. The film’s epilogue explains that he made his way to Greece and safety.

In reality, Hayes’ time in prison wasn’t remotely as savage. Transferred to a more open prison after giving up his appeal, he simply stole a rowboat three months later to escape.

Hardly mentally scarred by his experience, Hayes has written several books on the subject and openly expressed regret that the subsequent movie had cast Turkey in such a bad light, commenting on his love for Istanbul. Finally returning in 2007, he even made a public apology to the Turkish people on behalf of the filmmakers in a press conference.