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Netflixs True-Story Lineup: Five Original Films That Bring Real Events to the Screen
Netflix has turned history into Hollywood with a lineup of five original dramas that bring real‑world stories to the screen. From papal intrigue to mountaineering survival, each film is anchored in fact, polished by star‑powered performances, and rewarded by critics.
The Two Popes (2019) opens the collection. It dramatizes the 2013 meeting between Pope Benedict XVI, played by Anthony Hopkins, and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio—who would become Pope Francis—portrayed by Jonathan Pryce. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by Anthony McCarten, the movie follows Benedict’s attempt to persuade Bergoglio to reconsider his resignation as archbishop. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on 31 August 2019, hit U.S. theaters in a limited run on 27 November 2019, and landed on Netflix on 20 December 2019. Hopkins and Pryce, along with the screenplay, earned nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and British Academy Film Awards.
Next is Society of the Snow (2023), a survival drama rooted in Pablo Vierci’s 2008 book about the 1972 Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crash in the Andes. J. A. Bayona directs the film, which was shot largely in Sierra Nevada, Spain, and features a cast of Uruguayan and Argentine actors. It closed the 80th Venice International Film Festival in an Out‑of‑Competition slot and received theatrical releases in Uruguay (13 December 2023), Spain (15 December 2023), and the United States (22 December 2023). The film earned two Academy Award nominations—for Best International Feature Film and Best Makeup and Hairstyling—and won several awards at the Goya and Platino ceremonies.
The Good Nurse (2022) tells the true‑crime story of nurse Amy Loughren, played by Jessica Chastain, who suspects fellow nurse Charles Cullen—portrayed by Eddie Redmayne—of murdering patients. Based on Charles Graeber’s 2013 book and directed by Tobias Lindholm, the film premiered at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 2022, opened in select theaters on 19 October 2022, and streamed on Netflix on 26 October 2022. Redmayne received nominations for a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
In 2017, Mudbound offered a stark look at rural Mississippi after World War II. Dee Rees directs the adaptation of Hillary Jordan’s novel, following two veterans—one Black, one white—who confront racism, trauma, and poverty on a shared farm. The film premiered at Sundance on 21 January 2017, launched on Netflix and in limited theaters on 17 November 2017, and earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for Mary J. Blige and Best Adapted Screenplay for Rees and Virgil Williams.
Nyad (2021) dramatizes marathon swimmer Diana Nyad’s 110‑mile swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the film stars Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, and Rhys Ifans. Produced by Black Bear and Mad Chance Productions, it was released on Netflix.
All five titles are available to subscribers of Netflix’s ad‑free service, which starts at $8 per month in the United States. The platform streams licensed and original programming across multiple devices, with simultaneous streams ranging from two to four. Netflix’s summer release schedule continues to feature additional true‑story projects, and the company’s subscription model remains a key driver of its global streaming footprint.
These films illustrate Netflix’s strategy of pairing compelling narratives with real‑world events—a formula that has attracted critical acclaim and positioned the service as a major player in the biographical drama genre.
The Two Popes (2019) opens the collection. It dramatizes the 2013 meeting between Pope Benedict XVI, played by Anthony Hopkins, and Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio—who would become Pope Francis—portrayed by Jonathan Pryce. Directed by Fernando Meirelles and written by Anthony McCarten, the movie follows Benedict’s attempt to persuade Bergoglio to reconsider his resignation as archbishop. The film premiered at the Telluride Film Festival on 31 August 2019, hit U.S. theaters in a limited run on 27 November 2019, and landed on Netflix on 20 December 2019. Hopkins and Pryce, along with the screenplay, earned nominations at the Academy Awards, Golden Globes, and British Academy Film Awards.
Next is Society of the Snow (2023), a survival drama rooted in Pablo Vierci’s 2008 book about the 1972 Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crash in the Andes. J. A. Bayona directs the film, which was shot largely in Sierra Nevada, Spain, and features a cast of Uruguayan and Argentine actors. It closed the 80th Venice International Film Festival in an Out‑of‑Competition slot and received theatrical releases in Uruguay (13 December 2023), Spain (15 December 2023), and the United States (22 December 2023). The film earned two Academy Award nominations—for Best International Feature Film and Best Makeup and Hairstyling—and won several awards at the Goya and Platino ceremonies.
The Good Nurse (2022) tells the true‑crime story of nurse Amy Loughren, played by Jessica Chastain, who suspects fellow nurse Charles Cullen—portrayed by Eddie Redmayne—of murdering patients. Based on Charles Graeber’s 2013 book and directed by Tobias Lindholm, the film premiered at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival on 11 September 2022, opened in select theaters on 19 October 2022, and streamed on Netflix on 26 October 2022. Redmayne received nominations for a Golden Globe, a BAFTA, and a Screen Actors Guild Award.
In 2017, Mudbound offered a stark look at rural Mississippi after World War II. Dee Rees directs the adaptation of Hillary Jordan’s novel, following two veterans—one Black, one white—who confront racism, trauma, and poverty on a shared farm. The film premiered at Sundance on 21 January 2017, launched on Netflix and in limited theaters on 17 November 2017, and earned four Academy Award nominations, including Best Supporting Actress for Mary J. Blige and Best Adapted Screenplay for Rees and Virgil Williams.
Nyad (2021) dramatizes marathon swimmer Diana Nyad’s 110‑mile swim from Cuba to Florida without a shark cage. Directed by Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin, the film stars Annette Bening, Jodie Foster, and Rhys Ifans. Produced by Black Bear and Mad Chance Productions, it was released on Netflix.
All five titles are available to subscribers of Netflix’s ad‑free service, which starts at $8 per month in the United States. The platform streams licensed and original programming across multiple devices, with simultaneous streams ranging from two to four. Netflix’s summer release schedule continues to feature additional true‑story projects, and the company’s subscription model remains a key driver of its global streaming footprint.
These films illustrate Netflix’s strategy of pairing compelling narratives with real‑world events—a formula that has attracted critical acclaim and positioned the service as a major player in the biographical drama genre.
