15 Incredible Films Based On Real-Life Tragedies

15. Everest

Based On: The 1996 Mount Everest Disaster.

Everest, at first glance, seemed like a generic Hollywood survival thriller in which everyone would survive in a cliched resolution, but it's safe to say everyone's expectations were subverted. This is actually a sobering, downbeat drama in which characters you'd expect to survive don't actually make it and the film gets highly emotional at times.

Well-directed and carried through by a skilled ensemble cast, especially Jason Clarke and Josh Brolin, Everest is far better than anyone thought it would be. While it is a tense, visually stunning work, ultimately the film puts the characters first and action second. It proves a highly respectful and moving tribute to those who died on the mountain and ends with a tear-jerking montage of real-life footage and photographs of those affected by the disaster.

Everest might not be a perfect movie, but it definitely deserves praise for being a respectful account of the tragedy while also remaining an effective, exciting Hollywood thriller.