10 Biggest Lies In Recent Movie Biopics

For as long as there have been films, there have been films based on the lives of real people. Biographical pictures - or "biopics" to save time - have long been popular with both studios and audiences, as people love seeing extraordinary true events played out on screen.

Unfortunately, there's a reason why these sorts of movies usually open with the words "Based on a true story".

The problem with real life is that it's not always straightforward and doesn't usually fit the conventions of a three-act story. As a result, directors, writers, and producers will often tweak minor historical details in the name of dramatic license. Sometimes though, they'll change something so big that it simply cannot be ignored.

The following ten movies, which were all released in the last year or so, are all based on true events but all contain certain scenes that don't quite play out as they did in reality. Some dates were changed, some characters were added or removed from particular moments, and sometimes, the truth was completely and utterly mangled.

Remember - don't always believe what you see on the big screen.

In 2023, Christopher Nolan brought the world his latest cinematic epic; a three-hour exploration of the life of J. Robert Oppenheimer, the man chiefly responsible for the creation of the atomic bomb during World War II. Sure, J. Robert might have unleashed a technology that killed thousands and left millions more in a constant state of fear, but just look at those cheekbones. 

As well as his work on the bomb, the movie also depicts Oppy’s relationship and rivalry with Lewis Strauss, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission who conspires to get the famed physicist’s security clearance downgraded. 

One scene depicts Strauss offering his foe a position as director at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Study, which Oppenheimer says he’ll think about. It’s implied that this is him snubbing Strauss, but in reality, Oppenheimer took the job. 

Not only did he accept Strauss’ offer, but he remained at the Institute for Advanced Study for the next two decades, serving until just a few months before his death. They might not have been the best of friends, but this is one part of the Strauss-Oppenheimer relationship that wasn’t as frosty as the movie made it out to be.