Comedy is one of the most popular film genres. The audience enjoys it because it helps them relax and the writers, directors, and actors like creating them because they can have fun while portraying the most incredible situations.
However, some of the greatest comedies are surprisingly based on real events, some of which have taken place relatively recently while others happened a long time ago. From unusual love stories to crimes, Hollywood is no stranger to making wonderful comedies inspired by real life.
10 Catch Me If You Can (2002)
While not a pure comedy, this Steven Spielberg movie has a lot of hilarious moments. Such as when Frank Abagnale introduces himself as Barry Allen to the FBI agent Carl Hanratty who pursues him. Portrayed by Leonardo DiCaprio in the movie, Frank Abagnale has become famous as one of the most accomplished con men of all time.
Throughout the film, he pulls off increasingly bold stunts that make Hanratty desperate but cause the audience to smile or laugh on more than one occasion.
9 The Big Sick (2016)
Not every relationship has to start and move smoothly. In The Big Sick, Kumail and Emily start dating, even though one could also call them friends with benefits. Things get more complicated when Emily gets sick (hence the film's name) and ends up in a coma. Kumail Nanjiani and his partner Emily V. Gordon based the story on their real relationship that also included a medical emergency.
However, instead of Gordon, Zoe Kazan appeared as Emily in the film while Kumail Nanjiani played himself. Not so many romantic comedies are based on real events so it's always a surprise when one breaks this pattern.
8 Battle Of The Sexes (2017)
Back in the 1970s, women tennis players weren't taken as seriously as they are today. The story of Billie Jean King who beat Bobby Riggs in 1973 in the so-called Battle of the Sexes has the strength to resonate with the audience to this day. The film made this even easier by casting Emma Stone as King and Steve Carrell as Riggs.
Even though the film offers a lot of dramatic moments, it also doesn't shy away from humor. Especially whenever Riggs appears on the scene since it's just difficult to take him entirely seriously.
7 Arsenic And Old Lace (1944)
Arsenic and Old Lace is the oldest film on this list and it has become an undeniable classic since its release. But even the fans of the Frank Capra dark screwball comedy starring Cary Grant might not know it's based on real events. Grant plays a young man who has just gotten married but is afraid to introduce his wife to his aunts. He's recently discovered they like to kill people.
The second part of the story has its basis in reality. A woman called Amy Archer-Gilligan ran a home for people who wanted to live out the rest of their lives in peace. Archer-Gilligan took their money and then murdered them. The exact number of her victims remains unknown but she killed at least 20 people. The film is understandably much more light-hearted which makes this discovery even more surprising.
6 I Love You Philip Morris (2009)
Escaping from prison is no easy task but some people pulled it off more than once. Despite the film's name, the main hero of the story is the brilliant Steven Russel who has managed to escape prison multiple times. His successful attempts to escape are one of the funniest parts of the film.
Such as when Russel pretended to be dying and the prison authorities fell for it. It's easy to sympathize with Russel despite his actions since he continues to run away to be with the man he loves. Russel's story is one of the tales that are so strange it's difficult to believe something like this has really happened.
5 Ed Wood (1994)
Edward D. Wood Jr. was a film enthusiast but these days, he's best known as one of the worst film directors of all time. Ed Wood, as he's often called, has lacked both financial means and the talent necessary to make good films. Yet that never stopped him from trying. Tim Burton has captured Ed's story in 1994 and Johnny Depp played the titular role.
The film is often funny, especially when it shows Ed's effort to make his latest film that eventually turns out to be just as awful as the last one. Despite that, Ed Wood doesn't come across as a caricature since it's easy to sympathize with him and understand where he's coming from.
4 Tag (2018)
In recent years, Jeremy Renner has become best known for playing Hawkeye in the MCU. However, Renner portrayed another funny action role in this comedy based on real events. It tells the story of a group of friends who have been playing the game tag for years. Renner's hero Jerry Pierce is the only member of the group who hasn't yet been tagged.
His friends decide to get Jerry no matter what it takes but he seems to be one step ahead. Tag is apparently a popular game in real life as well. A group of 10 men from Spokane played the game for almost 30 years. Their escapades then inspired the film's story.
3 50 First Dates (2004)
The Big Sick isn't the only romantic comedy inspired by real events. 50 First Dates tell the unusual story of a young woman Lucy (Drew Barrymore). She has a form of amnesia that makes it impossible for her to form new memories - and also date. Except that Henry (Adam Sandler) falls in love with Lucy and decides to make it work anyway. The film is full of funny mishaps. Especially once Henry and the audience realize what exactly is going on with Lucy. While the story itself is fictional, Lucy is inspired by a real person. Michelle Philipots hasn't been able to form new memories since 1994 from injuries she sustained when she survived a car accident.
2 Masterminds (2016)
A lot of heist movies walk the line between action and comedy. But not so many of them are actually based on real events. Masterminds focus on a war veteran David who agrees to help his colleague Kelly to rob a bank. Despite their less than ideal plan, they actually succeed and have to figure out what to do next.
The film draws inspiration from the life of David Ghantt who tried to rob the second-largest American bank of his time. Unfortunately for him, the law eventually caught up to him. However, that shouldn't stop the audience from enjoying the funny film. Especially if they love Zach Galifianakis, Kristen Wiig, Kate McKinnon, or Owen Wilson who are all highly experienced comedy actors.
1 Mike And Dave Need Wedding Dates (2016)
Hollywood movies draw inspiration from various sources - books, comic books, games, and in this film's case, also an actual Craigslist ad. As the name suggests, two brothers need dates for a wedding. To their surprise, they end up taking out two girls who are just as wild as them, if not more. In real life, the brothers were surprised by the large number of answers they got.
Just like in the film, choosing the right dates proved out to be a real challenge for them. The film follows the basic story but it also changed a lot of things about it, most notably what happened at the wedding.