15 Incredible Films Based On Real-Life Tragedies
12. Foxcatcher
Based On: The murder of wrestler Dave Schultz by John du Pont.
Foxcatcher is a somewhat rare thing: an Oscar-Bait movie that's actually awesome and genuinely deserved the Oscar nominations it received. A grim, haunting and Noir-like story, this is certainly not a cheerful watch but it will get under your skin and stay there.
Foxcatcher is bolstered by Bennett Miller's superb direction and a fascinating script, but it ultimately falls on the three leads to carry the film and they succeed with a vengeance.
Mark Ruffalo is as reliable as ever, while Steve Carell's skin-crawling, repulsive villainous turn was a startlingly transformative performance that has led to him becoming more and more of a dramatic actor in recent times. Despite the shock of Steve Carell breaking type so strongly, the real surprise is Channing Tatum, who gives a far better performance than anyone would've expected from his unremarkable blockbuster roles.
Foxcatcher tells a chilling, stranger-than-fiction true story about the drive to win and the dark side of the sporting world in a highly effective, disturbing manner; it might not be the easiest viewing out there but it's definitely worth seeing.