Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Historically Inaccurate Movies That Everyone Gives A Pass

Historically Inaccurate Movies That Everyone Gives A Pass
person watching movie

Reddit user Agreeable-Beach-3009 asked: 'What's a historically inaccurate movie that gets a pass because of how good it is?'

Make us preferred on Google

Generally speaking, we watch movies to escape our current realities and be transported to other worlds.

As a result, we don't always walk into movie theaters hoping for a truly authentic or genuine experience.


After all, how many people in real life actually met the love of their life at the top of the Empire State Building on Valentine's Day, after hearing them on the radio?

When it comes to historical fiction and dramas, however, some might say the facts and historical accuracy are a bit more important.

Indeed, part of the ongoing grudge over Shakespeare In Love's surprise Oscar victory over Saving Private Ryan was the latter was applauded for its accuracy, while the victor was anything but.

However, what probably helped in Shakespeare In Love's upset despite its many historical inaccuracies was that when push came to shove, it was a very good movie.

Redditor Agreeable-Beach-3009 was curious to hear what other films people thought were so good, that their anachronisms and inaccuracies should be overlooked, leading them to ask:

"What's a historically inaccurate movie that gets a pass because of how good it is?"

You Mean, Rasputin WASN'T A Demonic Sorcerer?

"'Anastasia'."

"Can you imagine getting murdered, then a movie gets made implying the woman who claimed your identity was the real deal and had to fight a freaky wizard's curse, and there were two knockoff movies made in the same year?"

"Songs were boppin tho."- vworpstageleft

"CRETACEOUS Park" Just Doesn't Have The Same Ring To It...

"Most of the dinosaurs you see in 'Jurassic Park' are actually from the Cretaceous Period."- 3loodwolf117

First Hand Accounts Were Probably A Bit Hard To Come By...

"Gladiator."- chewie8291

"Almost nothing about the movie 'Gladiator' is historically accurate, but it doesn't matter."

"S tier historical drama."- Pixelated_Penguin808

Russell Crowe Gladiator GIF by MOODMANGiphy

Those Costumes Though!

"Amadeus."- Sgtp3ppers

"I feel like 'Amadeus' gets a pass because it's an adaptation of a stage play and as an adaptation, it's not trying to be historically accurate but to instead tell a great story, which it does phenomenally."- LadicusRex

Making His Lies Even More Far Fetched...

"Catch Me If You Can."- Bender_Wiggin

"While it all being bullsh*t does take some of the magic out of it, it’s still an entertaining story."

"And the soundtrack absolutely slaps."- rnilbog

It's Safe To Assume The Spanish Inquisition Had A Lot Less Singing And Dancing...

"History of the world part I."- whopper68

"Rome didn't have bullsh*t artists collecting unemployment?"

"Did Mel Brooks lie to me?"- CrunchyDonut42

Giphy

Good Delivery Can Disguise Almost Anything...

"Tombstone."

"But I really do love it."- Iwouldntifiwereme

"Always Look On The Bright Side Of Life"

"The Life of Brian."- Visible_Claim_388

"'He’s not the messiah he’s just a naughty boy'."- dcrico20

For One Thing, Dogs Can't Talk...

"Balto?"- rmr236

"I love how the premise is that the little girl is telling the story as an old woman, but she was unconscious the whole time."

"She’s definitely pulling that shi* out of her a**."- TheFufe10

sad shame GIFGiphy

There Is, Indeed, A Sucker Born Every Minute. Including Many Who Thought This Movie Told The Truth...

"'The Greatest Showman' makes PT Barnum look like a better person than he was in real life."- viridianvenus

He Was A Man Of Many Talents... This Wasn't One Of Them...

"Abraham Lincoln Vampire Slayer."- nogoat23

"That movie crosses the absurd into awesome, and I love it."- FactoryOfBradness

Stretching It...

"A Knights Tale."- SoCalRc

"I always wondered how Queen never admitted to stealing such a banger from hundreds of years ago."- londoner4life

heath ledger love GIFGiphy

Some Of The Irish Accents Were Less Than Authentic As Well...

"'Gangs of New York'."

"Historically accurate setting, costumes and some characters/gangs, but the plot and the events supporting it are largely fictional."

"Damn good movie though."- Lieutenant_Skittles

Tom Cruise Swinging A Sword Is More Than Enough For Some People...

"The Last Samurai."- The Last Samurai

"I was surprised at how good this movie was when I saw it this year for the first time."

"The costumes, action, and acting were all quite good."- OutlawQuill

More Memorable Than The Truth?

"The 1970 production 'Tora, Tora, Tora' pulled off one of the great cons of modern cinematography."

"It convinced an entire generation of Americans that after the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, the Japanese Admiral Yamamoto had said 'I fear that all we have done is awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve'."

"There is no evidence that the quote was ever spoken by Yamamoto."

"But it was so perfect and convincing that subsequent Hollywood movies released in 2001 (Pearl Harbor) and 2019 (Midway) unquestioningly passed it off as legitimate."- InstrumentRated

Movies are, first and foremost, a source of entertainment.

As a result, most viewers pay no mind at all to all the complaints historians and scholars may have about them.

If you're looking for speedy answers for a history test or essay, it's best to stick to the textbooks and not rely on Spielberg or Scorcese.


More from Trending/best-of-reddit

Jimmy Kimmel; Matthew McConaughey
Scott Kirkland/FXX via Getty Images; Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Jimmy Kimmel Reveals NSFW Way Matthew McConaughey Consoled Him During Emmys—And It Actually Helped

Every awards show has an "In Memoriam" section, and every time it's a tear-jerker.

And at this year's Emmys, even funny man Jimmy Kimmel couldn't keep from crying, following the death of his childhood friend and frequent fixture on his show, Cleto Escobedo III.

Keep ReadingShow less
Joanna Wietrzyk
Fred Lee/Getty Images

HYROX World Champion Who Soiled Herself During Event Speaks Out To Apologize After Controversy

On September 12, Joanna Wietrzyk of Australia won in the Pro Women's solo division at HYROX Beijing 2026 and set off a literal sh*tstorm of controversy. Wietrzyk suffered acute gastrointestinal distress, soiling herself, partway through the course, but she chose to continue and finished in first place.

HYROX is a standardized global fitness-racing series that combines eight kilometers of running with eight functional workout stations. Participants run one kilometer, then complete one of the functional workout stations, then repeat this sequence eight times alongside the other competitors in their division.

Keep ReadingShow less
David Letterman; Donald Trump
Amy Sussman/WireImage; Mandel Ngan/AFP via Getty Images

David Letterman's Resurfaced Warning About The Future Of The Media Under 'Authoritarian' Trump Is Eerily Accurate

A resurfaced clip of former late-night host David Letterman has gone viral for a prescient warning he gave to the media about the perils of being a "suck up" to an "authoritarian regime" like the Trump administration.

Letterman originally made those remarks during an appearance last year at The Atlantic Festival. He criticized the Trump administration and cautioned media outlets while reflecting on the administration's efforts to silence Letterman's fellow late-night hosts Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert.

Keep ReadingShow less
Screenshot of Dave Lowe
60 Minutes

Lifelong Texas Republican Goes Viral With Criticism Of Proposed AI Data Center On '60 Minutes'—And Everyone's Saying The Same Thing

Dave Lowe, a resident of Red Oak, Texas, and a "lifelong conservative Republican," went viral for his reaction to a proposed AI data center in his community, giving 60 Minutes reporters a response observers say perfectly sums up conservative thinking.

Data centers—vast, industrial buildings packed with servers, networking hardware, and storage systems—form the physical backbone of modern computing.

Keep ReadingShow less