Movies based on real life are aplenty, but Netflix's new espionage thriller under that umbrella might just seize your attention. Wasp Network (released on the streaming service on June 19) features renowned French director Olivier Assayas and a star-studded cast - Penélope Cruz, Ana de Armas, Gael García Bernal, and Edgar Ramírez - at its core. Based on a true story, the film draws inspiration from Fernando Morais' book The Last Soldiers of the Cold War. It follows Cuban pilot René González (played by Ramírez) as he leaves his wife and daughter behind to infiltrate an anti-Castro organization in Miami. The story goes beyond González, of course. In 1998, the arrest of five Cuban intelligence officers, including him, caught international attention by a whirlwind. Here's what you need to know about the Cuban Five and the controversy that followed their incarceration.

The History Behind the Wasp Network

When the...