8 Massachusetts Stories That Would Make Great Movies Or Series

Ever hear a story on the news, or even overhear something fascinating at a restaurant or bar? Have you then thought, "wow that would make a great movie or TV series." I know I have. There are so many stories right in our own backyards that I could totally see on the big (or little) screen. So why don't we take a look into some of these Massachusetts stories that would make great movies or series.

Of course there are the murder mysteries and unsolved crimes that get turned into movies or series. Think: Boston Strangler, Making a Murderer, Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story, American Crime Story, and many, many more.

There are also tons of show/movies based on historical events. There's of course Titanic, but also: Narcos, Oppenheimer, When They See Us, Spotlight, and even movies on the Boston Marathon bombings.

Personal stories also make great entertainment. Stories of overcoming tough life situations like Will Smith's The Pursuit of Happyness. Orange is the New Black was the personal story of Piper Kerman and her experiences at a minimum security federal prison. And we can't forget about the hugely popular Tiger King, about former zookeeper and convicted felon Joe Exotic.

Some really great movies/shows come from simply asking a question. How did Air Jordan's become so huge? The movie Air answers the question by telling the story of Nike's pursuit of rookie Michael Jordan. How did Facebook start? In The Social Network we find, and I think sometimes forget, that it all started because I guy got rejected by a woman and wanted to get back at her. But I digress.

So what stories and events close to home would make great shows and/or movies? Maybe a real-life person with a great story. Or a hometown scandal that rocked your community? They're out there, and we would love to see it. Here are some great stories and people that we think would make great movies or shows.

https://twitter.com/MassDCR/status/1694450259420717300?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1694450259420717300%7Ctwgr%5Ef11aa4ddd806c5bde9790fd45e75d5e4a544589d%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.boston.com%2Fnews%2Flocal-news%2F2023%2F08%2F24%2Fvideo-dcr-parody-storrow-drive-sarah-mclachlan-angel%2F

I could definitely see this as a series. Telling the stories of young, hopeful, students headed to Boston to start the next chapters of their lives, only to get "Storrowed" on the last leg of the trip. For anyone who doesn't know, getting "Storrowed" is when your too-tall moving truck gets stuck in the Storrow Drive tunnel. Of course we'll have to figure out a happy ending for each episode.

Our very own Leroy told this story, which could make a great movie. Maybe a Hallmark or Lifetime movie.

"I was working in Lynn at a Thrift store, and while handing out promotion for the place I became discouraged. Even though I was fresh out of high school, I was worried about where my life was headed.

I sat down on a bench in the Lynn commons and noticed an older black woman with a cane slowly walking towards me. She sat next to me and instantly started speaking life into me. She said “Everything’s going to be alright. You’re doing the right thing, and that God was with me.”

I wasn’t startled, I felt nothing but peace, and smiled while she spoke.

I told her thank you, and got up to leave. I took maybe 5 steps and wanted to turn around and tell her thanks again, so I did.
When I turned around she was nowhere to be found. I just laughed and thanked God for the experience.

I will never forget that." - Leroy

How could we forget this story! Lobster diver Michael Packard was swallowed by a whale. In an interview with the Cape Cod Time, Packard said, “I was completely inside; it was completely black,” Packard said. “I thought to myself, ‘there’s no way I’m getting out of here. I’m done, I’m dead.’ All I could think of was my boys — they’re 12 and 15 years old.”

I mean this has movie written all over it. This would definitely be an "inspired by a true story," because it would need to have some extra drama and details written in. But I would watch!

Ever hear of the Bridgewater Triangle? I hadn't, but apparently it's a well-known thing. The Bridgewater Triange is a 200 square mile "paranormal vortex" that has three points in Abington, Rehoboth, and Freetown. Inside the vortex are the communities of Taunton, Raynham, Berkley, Dighton, Brockton, Easton and Bridgewater. A cryptozoologist named Loren Coleman came up with the name back in 1983.

Reports say for decades, people have reported paranormal experiences in the triangle including: UFO-sightings, animal mutilations, ghosts, bigfoot sightings, poltergeists, and more.

If this doesn't have TV series written all over it, I don't know what does.

https://provincetownmagazine.com/index.php/2011/10/16/the-black-flash-the-legend-lives-on/

Urban legend has it that a tall figure named the Black Flash haunted people in Provincetown in the 1930s. A couple people claimed to have been assaulted by Black Flash, described as being at least 8 feet tall, unusually thin, and dressed completely in black. I guess sightings of Black Flash ended around 1945, but sounds like this could be a great addition to the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The Charles River, or the Charles, is an 80-mile-long river that flows from Hopkinton to Boston. Over the years, people have explored the depths of the Charles for reasons I'm not sure of, but have come up with some strange and interesting discoveries.

A Wellesley man found four cars submerged in the Charles, and another man found a cellphone junkyard down there. Let's just say there have been a lot of discoveries down there.

I would love to see a series about the things found there. Follow people who are searching for things, what they found, looking for the owners. There are so many opportunities for great shows.

Lots of videos go viral for a lot of reasons. This one after a Boston cop decided to take a trip down a children's slide, and it didn't go so well. Since then, the "Cop Slide" has taken on a life of its own, with grown adults showing up to try it, and it even showing up on Google Maps.

How's the cop? He was treated for injuries, but didn't miss any work. I see this as a series similar to America's Funniest Home Videos, but maybe all featuring adults at playgrounds, or doing "kid stuff" they shouldn't be doing.

Every year since 1927, Gloucester has hosted the St. Peter's Fiesta. It's a 5-day festival celebrating Gloucester's fishing industry and Catholic faith.

The main event of the fiesta is their iconic Greasy Pole Contest where grease, or other slippery substances are slathered on a pole and people try to get to the other end. The pole is 40 feet long and suspended over Pavilion Beach.

My thoughts on a movie for this one? Similar to the football movie Rudy, we follow one man's journey over the years to be the winner. After years of training and losing, he finally wins. Of course, a lot of other things happen in between, but personally I love it and would totally watch.