Animal films
Movies inspired by and based on true stories.
View trailers, reviews, films, and facts about animal films. Discover the facts vs. fiction, history vs. Hollywood.
Most films included are highly rated on Rotten Tomatoes and the Internet Movie Database (IMDb). They have at least a 70% rating from critics and audiences alike, many with 80% or above. Enjoy the best true story films about animals!
Scene from Gorillas in the Mist (1988)
Reality can be more endearing than fiction, as we see in films about nonhuman animals and their human companions. Human beings are animals, too. We belong to the animal kingdom. The colloquial meaning of "animal" excludes us by mistake. Perhaps this is due to the human obsession with differentiating ourselves, making ouselves out to be superior to other members of the animal kingdom. Many true story animal films show nonhuman animal worlds intersecting human lives, connecting us with bonds of love, compassion, loyalty, and care. Enjoy these highly rated animal films inspired by and based on true stories!
Films in alphabetical order:
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PG-13 | Adventure, Animals, Drama, Sport | Michael Light is an adventure racer who gets together a team to compete in the Adventure Racing World Championship in the Dominican Republic, where he befriends a wounded, stray dog he names Arthur, who follows him in the epic race.
Trailers and Reviews:
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History vs Hollywood video on YouTube
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Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home book by Mikael Lindnord on Amazon
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Arthur: The Dog who Crossed the Jungle to Find a Home book preview on Google Books
PG | Adventure, Animals, Drama, Kids & Family | A young dolphin swimming freely in the ocean seriously injures her tail in a trap when a young boy finds her. The dolphin, now named Winter, receives aid from a marine biologist, a prosthetics designer, and the caring boy, who tries to help the dolphin swim again.
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Movies: True story behind ‘Dolphin Tale’ article from The Washington Post
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7 Things You Should Know About Dolphin Tale article from Wired
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The true story behind Dolphin Tale article from tribute.ca
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Free Lessons collection for students, teachers, and parents, including educational materials, activities, and background facts from True Story Movies on Pinterest
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PG | Adventure, Animals, Drama, Kids & Family | Three members of a scientific expedition are forced to leave their sled dogs behind after an accident and worsening weather conditions, followed by the dogs struggling to survive on their own in the Antarctic winter.
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Inspired by a Japanese movie about the same story: Nanyoku Monogatari, also called Antarctica (1983/1984).
PG | Adventure, Animals, Drama, Kids & Family | Amy stumbles upon abandoned Canada goose eggs, and when the eggs hatch, she and her dad work together to teach the motherless birds to fly south for the winter.
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PG-13 | Animals, Biography, Crime, Drama | Scientist Dian Fossey comes to Africa to study the vanishing mountain gorillas and later fights to protect them from exploitation.
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Gorillas in the Mist book by Dian Fossey detailing her thirteen years in a remote rain forest with the gorillas
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Dian Fossey biography on gorillafund.org, Biography.com, and New World Encyclopedia
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Secrets in the Mist: Murder on the Mountain (Full Episode) | Dian Fossey by National Geographic on YouTube
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Gaining the Trust of the Gorillas | Dian Fossey: Secrets in the Mist by National Geographic on YouTube
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Dian Fossey Narrates Her Life With Gorillas in This Vintage Footage | National Geographic on YouTube
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Mountain Gorillas' Survival: Dian Fossey’s Legacy Lives On | Short Film Showcase by National Geographic on YouTube
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Quotes from Dian Fossey
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"When you realize the value of all life, you dwell less on what is past and concentrate more on the preservation of the future."
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"The man who kills the animals today is the man who kills the people who get in his way tomorrow."
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"The more you learn about the dignity of the gorilla, the more you want to avoid people."
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G | Animals, Biography, Drama, Family | A music professor bonds with an abandoned Akita puppy he takes into his home, and the loyal dog waits for his human companion at the train station every evening.
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Facts:
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10 things you didn't know about Hachiko, Japan's most loyal dog article on TimeOut
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Rare Photos Of Hachiko Patiently Waiting For His Owner Have Surfaced And It’s Heartbreaking To See article on Bored Panda
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The Amazing And True Story Of Hachiko The Dog article by Maria Wulff Hauglann on Nerd Nomads
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"No Animals Were Harmed" article on humanehollywood.org
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The True Story article by Vicki Wong, creator-producer of the American movie
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Hachikô monogatari (1987) Japanese film on IMDb
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Hachikō article on Wikipedia
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Hachiko: The True Story of the Royal Dogs of Japan and One Faithful Akita nonfiction children's book by Julie Chrystyn on Amazon
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Hachi-Kō: At The Centennial Of His Birth nonfiction book by Mayumi Itoh on Amazon, the 2023 revision of the author's two previous books on Hachi
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Free Lessons collection for students, teachers, and parents, including educational materials, activities, and background facts from True Story Movies on Pinterest
PG | Adventure, Animals, Drama, Kids & Family, War | After U.S. Marine Kyle Wincott is killed in Afghanistan, his military service dog, Max, returns traumatized from Afghanistan to the United States, where he is adopted by Kyle's teenage brother.
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"Learn the Real-Life Stories Behind the Movie Max" by American Kennel Club staff
PG-13 | Action, Animals, Biography, Drama, History, War | Megan Leavey is a U.S. Marine corporal who serves as a Military Police K9 handler, paired with military working dog Rex, who serves with her in Iraq, where they are both wounded by an explosive device.
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PG | Adventure, Animals, Drama, Family | On an island near Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, humble fisherman João has turned away from the world in the wake of tragedy, but one day, he finds a lost Magellanic penguin caught in an oil spill in the ocean and rescues him, becoming unlikely friends.
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The Charming and Emotional True Story Behind My Penguin Friend, Explained article by Adam Symchuk on Movie Web
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My Penguin Friend’s True Story, Explained article by Aahana Swrup on TheCinemaholic
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Patagonian Penguin Finds Second Home in Brazil video from The Wall Street Journal on YouTube
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Penguin Returns Yearly to Visit Man Who Saved His Life video interview with João and the penguin from ABC News on YouTube
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An Old Man and His Penguin: How Dindim made João Pereira de Souza an Honorary Penguin Book Trailer video for a children's book about the true story on YouTube
PG | Animals, Biography, Comedy, Drama, Family, Romance | The story of Red Dog, who united a disparate local community while roaming the Australian outback in search of his long-lost master.
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The Real “Red Dog,” and the “Actor” Red Dog on the National Purebred Dog Day website
TV-G | Animals, Biography, Drama, Family | State trooper Dan dreams of joining the K-9 Search & Rescue team, and fate brings him to Ruby, a smart and ill-behaved shelter dog who needs a forever home.
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PG-13 | Drama, History, Sport | During the Great Depression, a businessman whose son tragically passed away, a jockey with a history of injuries, and a poor horse trainer team up with Seabiscuit, an undersized and temperamental racehorse.
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How real is the reel Seabiscuit? by Jeff Merron on ESPN
Unrated | Animals, Biography, Drama, Family | In London, a stray ginger cat changes the life of James Bowen, a homeless street musician and recovering drug addict.
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A Street Cat Named Bob: And How He Saved My Life autobiographical book by James Bowen on Amazon
PG | Adventure, Animals, Biography, Drama, Family, History | In winter of 1925, the champion dogsled trainer Leonhard Seppala and his lead sled dog, Togo, embark on an adventure across the treacherous terrain of Alaska to transport medicine to a small town, despite Togo being considered too small and weak to lead the intense race.
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History vs Hollywood article
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History vs Hollywood video on YouTube
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Serum Run of 1925 from Alaska State Archives
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The True Story of Togo: Siberian Husky Sled Dog Hero of 1925 Nome Serum Run article by Will Hank on American Kennel Club
More to Come!
Other real-life animal films based on and inspired by true stories:
After Thomas (2006 TV Movie)
Balto (1995)
Greyfriars Bobby: The True Story of a Dog (1961)
Jock of the Bushveld (1986)
Marley and Me (2008)
My Dog Skip (2000)
Quill: The Life of a Guide Dog (2012)
War Horse (2011) and the documentary War Horse: The Real Story (2012 TV Movie)
Are there any more films based on a true story about nonhuman animals to include here? Any more facts vs. fiction? Reach out and contact me. I am open to respectful questions, comments, positive feedback, and constructive feedback about this website. Thank you, and enjoy the movies!
