vs Hollywood
Fact-checking historical movies and separating truth from fiction
Harriet vs. History: How Accurate Is the Harriet Tubman Biopic?
The 2019 film Harriet dramatizes Tubman's escape from slavery and her Underground Railroad missions. Here's what Kasi Lemmons got right, what she invented, and why the gun matters.
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Hamnet vs. History: How Accurate Is the Shakespeare Grief Film?
The 2026 film Hamnet, starring Paul Mescal, brings Maggie O'Farrell's novel to the screen. Here's what it gets right about Shakespeare's dead son, and what it had to invent.
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Magellan vs. History: How Accurate Is the 2026 Circumnavigation Epic?
Hollywood finally gave the Magellan-Elcano voyage the epic treatment it deserved. The film gets the terror and the tragedy right. It quietly buries the man who actually finished the job.
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The Smashing Machine vs. History: How Accurate Is the A24 MMA Biopic?
The Smashing Machine (2025) follows Mark Kerr, once the most feared heavyweight in MMA. Here's how accurately it captures Pride FC, his back-to-back UFC titles, and the opioid addiction that dismantled his career.
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