Buzz
Who doesn't love a good conspiracy? Hollywood has certainly tapped into this fascination. Sometimes, these stories are entirely fictional, but other times, they reflect real-life conspiracies. With so many actual theories and cover-ups out there, it’s no surprise they often don't need to invent anything.
Conspiracy thrillers often feature a 'Hero' battling against 'Shadowy Forces'—usually corrupt corporations and powerful government agencies that operate with too much unchecked power. Think alphabet agencies, pharmaceutical giants, and anyone who profits from secrecy.
In our quest for truth and transparency, and in protest of Google's recent crackdown on conspiracy-related content, we took the time to relax, watch some films, and compile a list of the top ten conspiracy movies inspired by real-world events.
Grab some popcorn 🍿 and enjoy the ride.
10. The Lincoln Conspiracy 1977
In 1865, President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while attending a play at Ford's Theatre in Washington. The murder, occurring just after the Civil War's end, sparked overwhelming emotions across the United States. The assassin, John Wilkes Booth, sought to ignite another war, using Lincoln’s death as a catalyst to revive the Confederate cause.
At least, that's the official narrative.
In *The Lincoln Conspiracy*, director James L. Conway presented an alternative theory. Rather than the act of a few rebellious Confederates unable to accept defeat, the film suggested that the assassination was masterminded by influential government and corporate interests who were opposed to Lincoln's Reconstruction plans for the South.
The film even proposed that the man killed at Garrett’s Farm, Virginia, was not John Wilkes Booth, but rather James William Boyd, a Confederate soldier recently released from captivity, whose name sounded eerily similar to Booth's.
The film, featuring Bradford Dillman as the ill-fated Booth, was mostly overlooked upon its release in 1977. However, over time, it has fueled further speculation about the president's assassination and continues to ignite debates to this day.
9. Capricorn One 1978
In 1969, the United States launched Apollo 11, with Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin becoming the first humans to step onto the moon. The world stopped to watch as Armstrong descended the ladder and left his mark on a celestial body (yes, we know it’s not a planet, but you get the idea). For a brief moment, all eyes were on the stars (no, not celebrities) as humanity made its giant leap.
Or did he?
In 1973, a self-published book by a man with no space travel experience, aeronautical knowledge, or expertise in anything, cast doubt on what was touted as humanity's greatest achievement. The idea that the moon landing was a massive hoax gained traction in 1978 with the release of *Capricorn One*. While the movie told the story of a faked Mars mission, conspiracy theorists quickly noticed its striking resemblance to Apollo 11. The film offered a plausible scenario for how a well-funded space agency might have staged the moon landing.
In the film, confused astronauts are whisked away from the shuttle just as the countdown begins, secretly transported to a military base in the desert. The empty shuttle is then launched into space while news briefings keep the public in the dark. Meanwhile, the astronauts fake their footage of space and their landing on Mars.
The Fake Moon Landing Conspiracy gained significant traction after the release of the film, starring Elliot Gould and Josh Brolin (with OJ Simpson cast as an unlikely astronaut). In the movie, though, the hoax is quickly exposed by NASA technicians and swiftly leaked to the press.
That particular detail seems to have been overlooked.
8. Z 1969
On May 22, 1963, Greek politician and activist Grigoris Lambrakis was struck in the head by two men after giving an anti-war speech to a crowd of supporters. His subsequent death in the hospital five days later sparked a wave of protest against the right-wing Greek government and led thousands of Greek youths to form left-wing political organizations.
The investigation into Lambrakis's death revealed ties to the military and the police. Those who dared to investigate were either removed from their positions or imprisoned for a time. Eventually, under intense pressure, the Prime Minister was forced to resign. In 1974, the military dictatorship in Greece came to an end.
Greek director Costa-Gavras took inspiration from this real-life event for his 1969 film *Z*, which he presented as a contemporary political thriller. In the movie, an unnamed deputy is murdered after a political rally—struck on the head by a passerby in a truck, dying five days later—and the investigation uncovers a conspiracy implicating the military police and the army.
Though charges are filed against several officers, it seems like justice will prevail. However, the military ultimately stages a coup, overthrows the government, and bans modern art, pop music, and even the letter 'Z,' which had become a symbol of the young Greek protest movement.
*Z* won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 1969.
7. Nixon 1996
Much like his political adversary, John F. Kennedy, Richard Nixon has been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. However, the conspiracies surrounding Nixon seem few when compared to the numerous ones Nixon himself believed were being plotted against him.
No matter how you view it, Richard Nixon was a deeply paranoid man.
Having already delved into the chaos surrounding President Kennedy's assassination, it seemed almost inevitable that Oliver Stone would turn his focus to Nixon.
This was challenging, however, since Nixon was a private (and paranoid) individual. Stone's film began with a disclaimer, stating that it was 'an attempt to understand the truth… based on an incomplete historical record.'
The film starts with the infamous break-in at the Watergate building, then explores Nixon's strange relationships with his staff, his increasing secrecy (paranoia), his obsession with recording conversations in his office and over the phone, which ultimately led to his downfall.
Nixon, portrayed by Anthony Hopkins, was depicted as a brilliant yet strange (paranoid) man, gradually succumbing to his delusions—delusions fueled by the scheming he had engaged in to rise to power and his growing conviction that others were now conspiring against him.
While *JFK* had received a mix of critical reviews, *Nixon* was hailed as a powerful performance and earned 4 Oscar nominations, including Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins.
Hopkins lost the Oscar to Nicolas Cage for *Leaving Las Vegas*.
Had Nixon still been alive, he surely would have been paranoid about that too.
6. The China Syndrome 1979
They say timing is everything in the movie industry, and James Bridges certainly proved that with *The China Syndrome*, a film about a journalist who uncovers the fact that a nuclear power plant, recently involved in a meltdown, had been violating safety protocols.
While the film's plot was entirely fictional, just 12 days after its release, the 3 Mile Island nuclear disaster occurred. It soon became clear that the plant had indeed been violating its safety procedures for months, with operators manually overriding malfunctioning cooling systems—an action that should have been impossible.
The eerie similarities between the film and the actual incident were undeniable. The event likely played a role in the film's success, with both of its stars—Jane Fonda and Jack Lemmon—receiving Oscar nominations in 1980. Unfortunately for *The China Syndrome*, that year also saw the releases of *Kramer vs. Kramer* and *Apocalypse Now*, and while a nuclear meltdown is compelling, it couldn't quite rival the complexity of a 'three-sided' love story or the chilling spectacle of Marlon Brando in eye makeup.
5. The Constant Gardener 2005
John Le Carre, renowned for his spy novels, shifted gears with *The Constant Gardener*, focusing on the pharmaceutical industry. He found the operations of these companies to be as ruthless and cutthroat as any secret service.
The 2001 film adaptation of the novel stars Ralph Fiennes as a British diplomat investigating the murder of his wife. She had been looking into a pharmaceutical company that was testing TB drugs on impoverished African women.
While the film is not based on any single real-life drug scandal, it reflects many drug trials carried out in Africa, especially those for diseases like meningitis and HIV, where consent was often dubious. There are also accusations of even more unethical trials, where individuals were deliberately infected with polio and HIV to test vaccines, although these claims have never been conclusively verified. The film's storyline also shares similarities with *Dark Waters*, a recent release that exposes the deceptive practices of a global chemical company and their careless disposal of toxic chemicals, painting a picture of large corporations still polluting without consequences and harming both their customers and workers.
*The Constant Gardener* did, however, garner multiple awards, including an Oscar for Rachel Weisz.
So there's that.
4. The Insider 1999
Michael Mann’s 1999 film *The Insider* dramatizes the real-life story of a whistleblower’s exposé of the tobacco industry. Russell Crowe portrayed the actual whistleblower, Jeffrey Wigand, while Al Pacino played the documentary filmmaker who uncovered the story, despite the nondisclosure agreement that protected the corporation.
Wigand was a research chemist for a tobacco company, where he studied ways to reduce nicotine in cigarettes. However, he claimed that instead of reducing nicotine, the company added other chemicals, like ammonia, to amplify the nicotine's effects, thereby keeping consumers addicted. After exposing the truth, Wigand faced harassment from his employer and even received anonymous death threats.
Michael Mann’s film was met with critical acclaim and earned 7 Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor (for Russell Crowe), and Best Screenplay. However, Crowe lost to Kevin Spacey in *American Beauty*, as did Mann for Best Director.
*American Beauty* won Best Picture and Best Director as well.
3. JFK 1991
There seems to be as many films about the death of John F. Kennedy as there are conspiracy theories surrounding his assassination.
Yet, without a doubt, the best of them is Oliver Stone’s *JFK*. Stone himself referred to his film as a 'counter myth,' challenging the narrative put forward by the Warren Commission about who was responsible for the president’s death.
Stone's movie proposed that the assassination of JFK wasn't the work of a lone gunman but was instead orchestrated and aided by the CIA. Jim Garrison, the District Attorney of New Orleans, portrayed by Kevin Costner, argued that three shooters fired six shots from the grassy knoll.
The film wasn’t embraced by critics, but it was a hit with the public. Many reviews focused on the conspiracy theories rather than evaluating the film itself, and Stone was sharply criticized. An editorial in *The Washington Post* called him 'a man of technical skill, scant education, and negligible conscience.'
Despite its negative reviews, *JFK* found great success with audiences. However, rather than resolving the question of who killed Kennedy, Stone’s film simply added another theory—or counter myth—to the ever-expanding list.
If you think we missed any notable films, feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below!
2. *The Manchurian Candidate* 1962
The Cold War era of the 1950s cultivated a world rife with suspicion and tension in international relations. Intelligence agencies from all nations kept tabs on both their foes and their allies. John Frankenheimer’s 1962 film *The Manchurian Candidate* perfectly captured the pervasive climate of distrust.
Featuring Frank Sinatra and Laurence Harvey, the movie portrays two soldiers captured during the Korean War, who are subjected to brainwashing via hypnosis. After Harvey returns to his dysfunctional, power-driven family, Sinatra starts having unsettling dreams.
Soon, Sinatra realizes that false memories have been planted in his mind. Fearing that Harvey has been brainwashed into an assassin, Sinatra grows paranoid, believing that he is being manipulated into killing a presidential candidate.
The film makes strong references to the McCarthy witch hunts of the 1950s, the tense international climate, and the public's mistrust of covert government-backed entities, which appeared to be creating their own rules, ignoring any international agreements like the Geneva Convention.
It even suggests that unscrupulous foreign governments might manipulate other countries by spreading false information to gain influence.
Surely, that can’t be true.
1. *The Big Short* 2015
Not so much a conspiracy theory as a documented conspiracy, *The Big Short* exposed how banks, brokers, and other dishonest players took part in the sub-prime mortgage disaster that ultimately led to the global financial collapse.
A movie centered around mortgages would typically be a tough sell, and an even tougher watch. After all, mortgages aren’t exactly thrilling.
However, Adam McKay approached it like a slick heist film.
In a sense, that’s exactly what it was.
Like *Ocean’s 11*, but with less glamor and more impressive acting (seriously, Don Cheadle’s accent deserves its own award), *The Big Short* managed to break down how sub-prime mortgages worked, why they were bound to fail, and, most crucially, how the entire banking industry was aware but more concerned with lining their pockets to care.
The film garnered multiple awards and earned 5 Oscar nominations, winning 1 for Best Adapted Screenplay. No bankers were harmed during the production.
Regrettably.
