Welcome to History Lesson, where we take a closer look at the movies that dare to tackle real-life events with varying levels of accuracy, drama, and WTF casting choices. These films promise to educate and entertain, but more often than not, they rewrite history with the subtlety of a sledgehammer. We’ll be your guide through the land of miscast biopics, dramatic embellishments, and historical “inspired-by” liberties, breaking down whether these flicks are Golden Reel Award-worthy masterpieces or just a big-budget Wikipedia summary. Either way, it’s more fun than your high school history class—and there’s popcorn.
This time around we will take a look at Season 14's fact-based slate....
HISTORY LESSON: THE YOUNG PRETENDER
The Young Pretender is a lavish, angst-filled chronicle of Charles Edward Stuart (Nicholas Hoult), aka Bonnie Prince Charlie, aka Scotland’s Biggest Mistake. With more wigs, swords, and melodrama than a season of The Crown, the film captures Charles’s quixotic attempt to reclaim the British throne for the Stuart family — because apparently, what the world needed was more monarchy. Hoult struts through the role with princely arrogance, while Anya Taylor-Joy plays Clementina, his lover who spends most of the runtime saying, “Maybe don’t do that,” only for Charles to, of course, do that.
While The Young Pretender nails the visuals (yes, Scotland looks majestic as ever), its grasp on history is shakier than a Highland charge. Charles’s ill-advised invasion of England is as entertainingly chaotic as it was in real life, though the film conveniently glosses over the fact that he was basically ghosted by the French when he begged for help. And yes, he really did flee Scotland disguised as a maid named Betty Burke — though it’s unclear if he nailed it as hard as Hoult does, complete with a sassy apron. The movie trades accuracy for spectacle, but honestly, watching Charles self-destruct while everyone around him rolls their eyes is its own kind of historical truth.
HISTORY LESSON: HARRELSON
David Mackenzie’s Harrelson dives headfirst into the outrageous and chaotic life of Charles Harrelson (Stephen Dorff), a man who transitioned from a charismatic hustler to a hitman with delusions of grandeur. The film opens with Harrelson confessing, during a cocaine-fueled standoff, to killing not just federal judge John Wood but also JFK — because why not? From there, we’re taken on a wild ride through his early cons, his questionable courtroom victories (thanks to David Strathairn’s oily defense attorney Percy Foreman), and his eventual unraveling as a coked-up outlaw whose biggest crime might just be oversharing.
The film's razor-sharp script finds humor in Harrelson’s blend of confidence and incompetence. From paying witnesses who conveniently vanish to leaving a murder trial thinking he’s untouchable, Dorff perfectly captures a man too reckless for his own schemes. Highlights include Giovanni Ribisi as sleazy gambler Pete Scamardo and Harrelson’s botched assassination plot against Judge Wood, which spirals into absurdity when he brags about it to an entire bar. Mackenzie masterfully balances the dark humor of Harrelson’s antics with the grim reality of his downfall, painting a portrait of a man too impulsive to realize he was his own worst enemy.
HISTORY LESSON: SUNNY DAYS
Sunny Days takes some liberties with historical accuracy, but hey, that’s showbiz. Did Tammy Sytch’s rise to fame include this much melodrama and scandal? Absolutely. Did every wrestler and promoter around her speak in perfectly scripted dialogue that conveniently moves the story forward? Probably not. The film tries to capture the chaos of the ‘90s wrestling scene, but at times it feels more like a TMZ reenactment than a true-to-life biography. And let’s not even talk about how sanitized the film handles Tammy’s later life struggles — she’s portrayed as messy but still redeemable, which is a bold choice considering the real-world headlines about her post-wrestling career.
Now, Jack Black as Tom Prichard? Inspired and hilariously off-the-wall. Sure, the real Prichard probably wasn’t cracking jokes like he’s in a School of Rock sequel, but Black brings a surprising amount of heart to the role. His chemistry with Lucas Till’s Chris Candido is one of the movie’s bright spots, even if it feels like they’re in an entirely different, far funnier movie. Meanwhile, Bradley Cooper as Vince McMahon continues to baffle — it’s as if they cast him hoping he’d charm audiences into forgetting that Vince is an intimidating, growly-voiced control freak. For a film set in the sweaty, chaotic world of professional wrestling, Sunny Days feels oddly polished, like a WrestleMania match that’s gone through one too many rewrites.
HISTORY LESSON: THE TEMPTATIONS
The Temptations struts onto the screen with sequins, soul, and just enough sanitized drama to make you wonder if Berry Gordy was peeking over Clint Eastwood’s shoulder the whole time. Credit where it’s due: this is a glossy, energetic tribute with killer music and an impressively committed ensemble—Corey Hawkins’ David Ruffin is appropriately magnetic and exhausting in equal measure, and Lakeith Stanfield’s Otis Williams makes stoicism feel (almost) cinematic. The musical numbers? Top-notch. The suits? Even better. But for all its smooth grooves, this Motown saga plays more like a well-rehearsed PR tour than a deep dive into one of music’s most volatile ensembles.
Historical accuracy takes a backseat to nostalgia here. Ruffin’s coke-fueled meltdowns and Paul’s tragic descent into alcoholism are present, but filtered through a PG-13 lens—like we’re watching the version you’d show in a high school music history class. The film keeps the timeline moving so fast it practically blurs major milestones (the group went through more lineup changes than the Avengers, but don’t expect too much clarity on who’s who after Act Two). And while the Motown politics are acknowledged, Berry Gordy’s depiction is suspiciously gentle—because of course the man who’s been mythologized for half a century comes off like a slightly irritable uncle instead of a calculating mogul. Still, despite the sanded edges and the faint scent of authorized biography, The Temptations is a toe-tapping, respectably reverent crowd-pleaser. Just don’t expect much more than what’s already in the liner notes.
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