True Crime Shows That Sound Made Up But Are Actually Based on Real Events

Sometimes while watching true crime series or movies, we think that all these stories are complete fiction, despite having “true” in the title. But sometimes, those writers that have seemingly come up with unbelievably crazy stories are inspired by real-life incidents.

Here are true crime dramas that sound made up but are actually based on real events.

1. Monster

The movie Monster centers around Aileen Wuornos, who killed seven men in 1989-1990, becoming the second female maniac in US history. Wuornos came from a highly dysfunctional family, showed a propensity for violence, and led a chaotic lifestyle. She was arrested many times for various reasons, including theft, fraud, and robbery, and by 1989 prostitution became her main source of livelihood. At some point, she started killing and robbing her clients. After the inevitable arrest, Wuornos claimed it was all in self-defense.

2. The Wolf of Wall Street

It’s so strange that even the Wolf of Wall Street is based on real events. The story is about Jordan Belfort, who, in 1987, became a broker at a successful investment bank, but it went down shortly after the sudden collapse of the Dow Jones index. Following his wife’s advice, Jordan gets a job dealing with small stocks. His peculiar style of communication with clients and innate charisma quickly bear fruit. One thing leads to another, and one day an FBI agent comes knocking at Belfort’s door. That’s where the fun part starts.

3. Zodiac

For over ten years, the Zodiac killer kept all of San Francisco in terror. Communicating with the authorities through reporters, he blamed the police for inaction in his creepy letters. The Zodiac kept disappearing and reappearing, so the police started doubting whether they were hunting the same person or if there was a copycat. However, both the MO of the murders and the letters to reporters indicated that the Zodiac had not yet retired.