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 17's fact-based slate....
HISTORY LESSON: THE KING OF HEARTS
The King of Hearts is Bennett Miller’s latest attempt at turning a hyper-specific niche into a gripping drama, and, in true Miller fashion, it works. Chronicling the legendary rivalry between two of America’s most iconic heart surgeons, Dr. Denton Cooley (Tom Cruise, all charisma and gumption) and Dr. Michael DeBakey (Tom Hanks, doing his stern yet soulful thing), the film deftly navigates high-stakes operating rooms, lavish galas, and petty professional grudges. Cruise and Hanks spar with the intensity of two men who can’t decide if they hate each other more than they hate being overshadowed. The result is part buddy drama, part surgical thriller, and part extended PSA about the dangers of unchecked ego.
The film gets most of its historical details right, from the groundbreaking surgeries to the awkwardly public feuds. However, it occasionally slips into melodrama, like when Cooley dramatically stares at his shaky hands as if he’s auditioning for Doctor Strange. The pacing wobbles a bit as the script tries to juggle marital spats, medical breakthroughs, and boardroom backstabbings, but Miller’s direction keeps it afloat. Is it a little over the top at times? Sure. But when you have Tom Cruise and Tom Hanks trading surgical barbs like it’s The West Wing with doctors, who cares? By the time the rivals share a bittersweet reconciliation in their twilight years, you’ll almost forgive the film for treating artificial heart drama like a heavyweight boxing match.
HISTORY LESSON: THE HIT MAKER
The Hit Maker chronicles the meteoric rise and disastrous fall of Milli Vanilli with a mix of campy absurdity and unexpected pathos. Christian Bale gives a wildly entertaining performance as Frank Farian, a sleazy music producer who, realizing his two golden-voiced singers look more "dad bod" than MTV heartthrob, decides to cast two lip-syncing models (Stephan James and Kelvin Harrison Jr.) as pop sensations. Director Craig Brewer delivers the perfect mix of satire and drama, showcasing both the ridiculousness of the Milli Vanilli facade and the human cost of Farian's ambition. Alicia Keys shines as Maya, Farian’s on-again, off-again muse and occasional moral compass, who tries to navigate the chaos while maintaining her own integrity.
The film sticks relatively close to the real-life saga, though it punches up the drama and humor for entertainment's sake. The infamous MTV performance where the backing track skips is as cringeworthy on screen as it was in real life, and the subsequent fallout is both hilarious and tragic. The script nails the industry’s absurd focus on image over talent, but at times it feels like it glosses over the deeper emotional fallout for Rob and Fab. Still, the movie captures the absurdity of Farian’s scheme with style, making The Hit Maker a toe-tapping reminder that sometimes truth really is stranger than fiction.
HISTORY LESSON: HIGH SCHOOL
High School tries its best to capture the melodrama of teen life but ends up feeling like the cinematic equivalent of someone strumming the same three sad chords on a guitar for two hours. Elle Fanning’s dual portrayal of Tegan and Sara Quin is solid, but even her talent can’t fully elevate a film that seems to think "angsty teens glaring at their parents or pining over crushes" constitutes riveting storytelling. Director Luca Guadagnino drenches the film in 90s nostalgia — complete with Smashing Pumpkins CDs and Nirvana debates — but watching the twins argue over car seats, weed, and open mic nights begins to feel like flipping through a photo album where every page is labeled "moody adolescence, again."
The movie’s obsession with teenage angst feels less like a deep dive into the Quin sisters’ formative years and more like a checklist of every YA drama trope ever written. Sara’s relationship with Naomi (Beanie Feldstein) has some emotional heft, but it’s buried under scenes of broken arms, broken hearts, and one too many "the world doesn’t understand me" stares. Even Chloe Sevigny as the weary single mom can’t save this from its own overwrought tendencies. Sure, there’s a charm to High School — but by the time Tegan and Sara are belting out their feelings at yet another house party, you’re left wondering if the film is trying to be poignant or just punishing.
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