Movies that are most closest and similar to real life, but NOT based on a true story
I really like Run (2020). I really don’t wanna spoil a single bit, you should go watch it.
There’s a submarine comedy called Down Periscope from the 90s. The story is, of course, absolute ridiculousness (albeit highly entertaining ridiculousness).
I’ve repeatedly been told by navy veterans, however, that it comes closest to portraying actual life in the navy - in particular, that virtually every character in the film is someone you can (and likely will) actually encounter in the navy.
My dad was in the Navy (submariner) in the 80s and he loves that movie. He told me they didn’t do the thing with the string like they do in the movie … Instead they strung it up when they were at depth and took bets on when it would break on the way back up.
You couldn’t pay me enough to be that far underwater.
WarGames. Everything but the AI was very realistic. (Well, also except for the fact that the movie’s NORAD headquarters was apparently way fancier than it was in real life.)
Don’t Look Up
There are a bajillion, but maybe you are looking for a specific genre that nails it on the head.
As someone mentioned, there are thousands of social drama films that could’ve easily happened. The success of that type of film is selling a “day in the life” plot.
Someone else mentioned Office Space. That film is a satire, but it condenses and delivers refined representations of the banality of cubicle life that we all can easily relate to. The characters truly seem to be facsimiles of people we’ve known in our working lives.
Someone else mentioned Michael Clayton. It’s an excellent thriller with flawed characters with believable motives that yes, it could be real. And maybe something like that has happened?
What genre will help us answer your question?
Office Space. Although, it is a little too real sometimes.
- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
- Civil War
- The Ides of March
- Michael Clayton
- A Most Wanted Man
The Room
Yeah, it really does match the incoherent conversations and relationships that a lot of people have in a way that most scripted movies don’t.
It doesn’t make for a good movie, but when I did watch it the characters reminded me of people I knew.
Fargo is not a true story, though some of it was inspired by true events (wood chipper)
I got called to Minnesota to serve two years as an LDS missionary back in 2000. I absolutely loved the place. But my first day was I was stationed in Brainerd MN, and my apartment was on the edge of a frozen lake. I took a picture of it, and colored in the old brick BBQ to look like a wood chipper with feet sticking out of the top, and a large red stain across the ice, and sent it to my sister. That picture sat in her cubicle for years after that. I can’t think of that scene without thinking of it.
That’s amazing
Probably would have to be the movie Rubber.
Any social drama? These movies are boring as fuck and resemble the shit you can hear about the neighbors. Quite realistic.
Marriage Story is one to check out if that’s what you are looking for.
