15 Incredible Films Based On Real-Life Tragedies

Is it ever appropriate to make films based on real tragedies? Films that tackle such events, such as Patriot's Day or 9/11 (2017) are usually met with controversy before their release, but are such controversies fair?

Well, not necessarily.

Film is a good way to memorialize and process such events, as well as to pay tribute to both the survivors and the victims. Granted, this type of film occasionally goes horribly wrong, such as with the horrors of Michael Bay's Pearl Harbor or worse still, Charlie Sheen's 9/11 movie, but many great films based on historical tragedies have been released as well.

While these representations will likely always create controversy, such films have also often proved a great way to meditate on the event in question and the issues it raises. These following 15 films, all of which are well worth seeking out, are a great testament to that.

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

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.