The Best Biopics
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- DirectorJames MangoldStarsJoaquin PhoenixReese WitherspoonGinnifer GoodwinA chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins.
- DirectorJeff TremaineStarsDouglas BoothIwan RheonColson BakerBased on the bestselling autobiography from Mötley Crüe, the film is an unflinching tale of success and excess as four misfits rise from the streets of Hollywood to the heights of international fame.
- DirectorRobert MandelStarsNick BagnallKarl GearyAdam MacDonaldA dramatization of the early years of the hard rock band, Def Leppard, the group faces both success and personal tragedies such as drummer, Rick Allen losing his arm in a car accident and guitarist Steve Clark's alcohol addiction.
- DirectorBennett MillerStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanClifton Collins Jr.Catherine KeenerIn 1959, Truman Capote learns of the murder of a Kansas family and decides to write a book about the case. While researching for his novel In Cold Blood, Capote forms a relationship with one of the killers, Perry Smith, who is on death row.
- StarsJonathan Rhys MeyersRose McGowanRandy QuaidA chronicle of the life of Elvis Presley, from his humble beginnings to his rise to international stardom.
- DirectorJerry LondonStarsChad LoweKristin DavisGerald McRaneyJohn Denver achieved fame, fortune, and acclaim for his iconic country-pop music, but his sunny personality masked private pain and dark secrets that his celebrity could never heal.
- DirectorJim McBrideStarsDennis QuaidWinona RyderJohn DoeThe life and career of wildly controversial rock 'n' roll star Jerry Lee Lewis.
- StarsJudy DavisVictor GarberHugh LaurieThe Judy Garland story from the 1930s until her death.
- DirectorTim FywellStarsAshley JuddMira SorvinoJosh CharlesThis film follows Norma Jean from her simple, ambitious youth to her superstar pinnacle and back down. She moves from lover to lover in order to further her career. She finds fame but never happiness, only knowing seduction but not love.
- DirectorTim BurtonStarsJohnny DeppMartin LandauSarah Jessica ParkerAmbitious but troubled movie director Edward D. Wood Jr. tries his best to fulfill his dreams despite his lack of talent.
- DirectorDavid LynchStarsAnthony HopkinsJohn HurtAnne BancroftA Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man who is mistreated while scraping a living as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of kindness, intelligence and sophistication.
- DirectorJames MarshStarsEddie RedmayneFelicity JonesTom PriorStephen Hawking gets unprecedented success in the field of physics despite being diagnosed with motor neuron disease at the age of 21. He defeats awful odds as his first wife Jane aids him loyally.
- DirectorLeon IchasoStarsWood HarrisBilly ZaneDorian HarewoodBiography of Jimi Hendrix perhaps the single most groundbreaking guitarist in the history of rock and roll. Examines Hendrix's life and career both on and off the stage.
- DirectorSteven RobmanStarsJennifer Love HewittFrances FisherKeir DulleaBiographic made-for-TV movie of the life of one of Hollywood's most famous actreses: Audrey Hepburn, spaning from her early childhood to the 1960's which details her life as Dutch overachieving ballerina, coming to grips with her parents divorce and enduring five hard years of living in Nazi occupied Holland during World War II. Audrey then settles in the USA where she tries to make it big as a movie actress and the emotional trials that follow her with it.
- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsJamie FoxxRegina KingKerry WashingtonThe story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.
- DirectorMichael SwitzerStarsBruce GreenwoodGreg KeanArlen Dean SnyderDramatization looks at the tumultuous relationship that existed between rock group The Beach Boy's Brian and Dennis Wilson and their father, Murry. It also examines their struggles with drugs and alcohol.
- DirectorKevin MacdonaldStarsJames McAvoyForest WhitakerGillian AndersonBased on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin's regime as seen by his personal physician during the 1970s.
- DirectorJohn GrayStarsJeremy DaviesClea DuVallAllison SmithA new take on the Manson Family murders, with a keen focus on Charles Manson himself.
- StarsFrederick WellerMatt LetscherNick StabileTV miniseries about the rise of The Beach Boys.
- DirectorFloria SigismondiStarsKristen StewartDakota FanningMichael ShannonA coming-of-age biographical film about the 1970s teenage all-girl rock band The Runaways. The relationship between band members Cherie Currie and Joan Jett is also explored.
- DirectorOliver StoneStarsVal KilmerMeg RyanKyle MacLachlanThe story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band The Doors and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison, from his days as a UCLA film student in Los Angeles, to his untimely death in Paris, France at age 27 in 1971.
- StarsThommy BerggrenStina EkbladTomas BolmeIn this six part series August Strindberg is portrayed as a misogynous, selfish and racial. And he loses everything, for the sake of the art.
- DirectorSam Taylor-JohnsonStarsAaron Taylor-JohnsonKristin Scott ThomasAnne-Marie DuffA chronicle of John Lennon's first years, focused mainly in his adolescence and his relationship with his stern aunt Mimi, who raised him, and his absentee mother Julia, who re-entered his life at a crucial moment in his young life.
- DirectorBill PohladStarsJohn CusackPaul DanoElizabeth BanksIn the 60s, Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson struggles with emerging psychosis as he attempts to craft his avant-garde pop masterpiece. In the 80s, he's a broken, confused man under the 24-hour watch of shady therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy.
- DirectorTate TaylorStarsChadwick BosemanNelsan EllisDan AykroydA chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
- DirectorLuis ValdezStarsLou Diamond PhillipsEsai MoralesRosanna DeSotoBiographical story of the rise from nowhere of early rock and roll singer Ritchie Valens who died at age 17 in a plane crash with Buddy Holly and The Big Bopper.
- DirectorSteve RashStarsGary BuseyDon StroudCharles Martin SmithThe story of the life and career of the early rock and roll singer, from his meteoric rise to stardom, to his marriage and untimely death.
- DirectorAlex CoxStarsGary OldmanChloe WebbDavid HaymanThe relationship between Sid Vicious, bassist for British punk group Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen is portrayed.
- DirectorBrian GibsonStarsAngela BassettLaurence FishburneRaéVen KellyThe story of singer Tina Turner's rise to stardom and how she gained the courage to break free from her abusive husband, Ike Turner.
- DirectorTodd HaynesStarsChristian BaleCate BlanchettHeath LedgerRuminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work.
- DirectorNeill FearnleyStarsBruce McGillVeronica CartwrightPatrick LevisThe story of the personal lives and professional careers of the show-business family The Osmonds, and how the stresses and strains of their careers and the turbulent '70s and '80s affected their relationships with each other and their families.
- DirectorRob CohenStarsRay LiottaJoe MantegnaDon CheadleThe public and private lives of Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. and Peter Lawford.
- DirectorIain SoftleyStarsStephen DorffSheryl LeeIan HartA dramatization of the Hamburg, Germany phase of The Beatles' early history.
- DirectorCharles HaidStarsMackenzie AstinKevin SpaceyDavid Ogden StiersA brave young man is thrust into adulthood as he and his courageous team of sled dogs embark on a grueling and treacherous cross-country marathon.
- DirectorAnthony MannStarsJames StewartJune AllysonHarry MorganBiography of bandleader Glenn Miller from his beginnings to his death over the English Channel in December 1944.
- DirectorAnton CorbijnStarsSam RileySamantha MortonCraig ParkinsonA profile of Ian Curtis, the enigmatic singer of Joy Division whose personal, professional, and romantic troubles led him to die by suicide at the age of 23.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsJohn Lloyd YoungErich BergenMichael LomendaThe story of four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who came together to form the iconic 1960s rock group The Four Seasons.
- DirectorRon HowardStarsRussell CroweEd HarrisJennifer ConnellyA mathematical genius, John Nash made an astonishing discovery early in his career and stood on the brink of international acclaim. But the handsome and arrogant Nash soon found himself on a harrowing journey of self-discovery.
- DirectorMichael MannStarsChristian BaleJohnny DeppChristian StolteThe Feds try to take down notorious American gangsters John Dillinger, Baby Face Nelson, and Pretty Boy Floyd during a booming crime wave in the 1930s.
- DirectorMilos FormanStarsWoody HarrelsonCourtney LoveEdward NortonThe story of controversial pornography publisher Larry Flynt, and how he became a defender of free speech.
- DirectorAntonio CamposStarsRebecca HallMichael C. HallTracy LettsThe story of Christine Chubbuck, a 1970s TV reporter struggling with depression and professional frustrations as she tries to advance her career.
- DirectorLuc BessonStarsMilla JovovichJohn MalkovichRab AffleckA young girl receives a vision that drives her to rid France of its oppressors.
- DirectorOliver HirschbiegelStarsNaomi WattsNaveen AndrewsCas AnvarDuring the last two years of her life, Princess Diana embarks on a final rite of passage: a secret love affair with Pakistani heart surgeon Hasnat Khan.
- DirectorPatty JenkinsStarsCharlize TheronChristina RicciBruce DernBased on the life of Aileen Wuornos, a Daytona Beach prostitute who became a serial killer.
- DirectorArthur PennStarsWarren BeattyFaye DunawayMichael J. PollardBored waitress Bonnie Parker falls in love with an ex-con named Clyde Barrow and together they start a violent crime spree through the country, stealing cars and robbing banks.
- DirectorAlan ParkerStarsBrad DavisIrene MiracleBo HopkinsBilly Hayes, an American college student, is caught smuggling drugs out of Turkey and thrown into prison.
- DirectorAllan ArkushStarsRick PetersBob GuntonAlyson CourtA "mockumentary" about Elvis's real-life trip to the White House to become a federal marshal under the DEA, but meets the President instead. Along the way, the film exposes Elvis's humor, drug problem, and even him pulling a gun out at a doughnut shop.
- DirectorRidley ScottStarsMichelle WilliamsChristopher PlummerMark WahlbergThe story of the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother to convince his billionaire grandfather Jean Paul Getty to pay the ransom.
- DirectorMatthew BrightStarsMichael Reilly BurkeBoti BlissJulianna McCarthyThe story of serial killer Ted Bundy.
- StarsJeremy SistoDebra MessingJacqueline BissetA movie about the life, work and death of Jesus as we know it from the Bible.
- DirectorMichael TollinStarsCuba Gooding Jr.Ed HarrisDebra WingerThe story of a high school coach and the developmentally challenged man who he took under his wing.
- DirectorMichael CristoferStarsAngelina JolieFaye DunawayElizabeth MitchellThe story of the life of Gia Carangi, a top fashion model from the late 1970s, from her meteoric rise to the forefront of the modeling industry, to her untimely death.
- DirectorMikael HåfströmStarsSelma GlasellJonas KarlssonDavid DencikThe captivating story of Sweden's greatest judicial scandal ever, about one man who sacrificed everything in his hunt for the truth.
- DirectorJon S. BairdStarsSteve CooganJohn C. ReillyShirley HendersonLaurel and Hardy, the world's most famous comedy duo, attempt to reignite their film careers as they embark on what becomes their swan song: a grueling theatre tour of post-war Britain.
- DirectorJohn KrishPeter SykesStarsBrian DeaconRivka NeumanAlexander ScourbyFilmed on location in Israel at authentic biblical sites, this inspirational drama and commercial success retells the life of Christ.
- DirectorNorman JewisonStarsTed NeeleyCarl AndersonYvonne EllimanFilm version of the musical stage play, presenting the last few weeks of Christ's life told in an anachronistic manner.
- DirectorCecil B. DeMilleStarsCharlton HestonYul BrynnerAnne BaxterMoses, raised as a prince of Egypt in the Pharaoh's household, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people from slavery.
- DirectorPhilip SavilleStarsHenry Ian CusickDaniel KashChristopher PlummerThe story of Jesus' life as told by the apostle John, narrated by Christopher Plummer.
- StarsRobert PowellOlivia HusseyLaurence OlivierBeginning before the Nativity and extending through the Crucifixion and Resurrection, this mini-series brings to life all of the sweeping drama in the life of Jesus, as told by the Gospels.
- DirectorPier Paolo PasoliniStarsEnrique IrazoquiMargherita CarusoSusanna PasoliniThe life of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel of Matthew. Pasolini shows Christ as a Marxist avant-la-lettre and therefore uses half of the text of Matthew.
- DirectorCatherine HardwickeStarsKeisha Castle-HughesShohreh AghdashlooOscar IsaacA drama that focuses on the period in Mary and Joseph's life where they journeyed to Bethlehem for the birth of Jesus.
- DirectorNick GomezStarsChristina RicciClea DuVallGregg HenryIn 1893 Massachusetts, Lizzie Andrew Borden is put on trial for murdering her father and stepmother with an ax.
- DirectorMary HarronStarsHannah MurrayMatt SmithSosie BaconThe tragic tale of an all-American girl who was transformed into a cold-blooded killer in the summer of 1969.
- DirectorMel GibsonStarsJim CaviezelMonica BellucciMaia MorgensternDepicts the final twelve hours in the life of Jesus of Nazareth, on the day of his crucifixion in Jerusalem.
- DirectorDanièle HuilletJean-Marie StraubStarsGustav LeonhardtChristiane LangPaolo CarliniThe life and music of Johann Sebastian Bach as presented by his wife, Anna.
- DirectorGeorge StevensStarsMillie PerkinsShelley WintersJoseph SchildkrautDuring World War II, a teenage Jewish girl named Anne Frank and her family are forced into hiding in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands.
- DirectorMark RydellStarsJames FrancoMichael MoriartyValentina CerviThe man behind the legend and 1950's Hollywood are revealed in this dynamic biopic of the meteoric star whose troubled life echoed his gut-grabbing performances in East of Eden, Rebel Without A Cause and Giant.
- DirectorFrançois TruffautStarsIsabelle AdjaniBruce RobinsonSylvia MarriottThe story of Adèle Hugo's unrequited love for a lieutenant.
- StarsJoanne WoodwardSally FieldBrad DavisA young woman whose childhood was so harrowing to her that she developed sixteen different personalities is treated by a doctor.
- DirectorUli EdelStarsNatja BrunckhorstEberhard AurigaPeggy BussieckA teen girl in 1970s Berlin becomes addicted to heroin. Everything in her life slowly begins to distort and disappear as she befriends a small crew of junkies and falls in love with a drug-abusing male prostitute.
- DirectorLukas MoodyssonStarsOksana AkinshinaArtyom BogucharskiyPavel PonomaryovSixteen-year-old Lilja and her only friend, the young boy Volodja, live in Russia, fantasizing about a better life. One day, Lilja falls in love with Andrej, who is going to Sweden, and invites Lilja to come along and start a new life.
- DirectorJack BenderStarsJohn RitterAnnette O'TooleRue McClanahanThe film is the biography of Frank Baum, the children's book author and creator of the fantasy world Oz.
- StarsBrian DennehyMichael RileyMargot Kidder"To Catch a Killer" tells the true gruesome story of John Wayne Gacy - a good friend and helpful neighbour, a great child entertainer, a respectful businessman, and a violent serial killer who raped and murdered over 30 young boys.
- DirectorSvetozar RistovskiStarsWilliam ForsytheJesse MossEmma LahanaA chronicle of the interaction between college student Jason Moss and the object of his obsession, serial killer John Wayne Gacy.
- DirectorClive SaundersStarsMark HoltonAdam BaldwinTom WaldmanModel citizen, devoted father, loving husband and serial killer John Wayne Gacy - a man with over 30 dead men and boys entombed in the crawl space underneath his family house. Based on a true story.
- DirectorDavid JacobsonStarsJeremy RennerBruce DavisonArtel GreatBiopic about notorious American serial killer Jeffrey Dahmer, taking place in both the past and the present.
- DirectorMarc MeyersStarsRoss LynchAlex WolffAnne HecheA young Jeffrey Dahmer struggles to belong in high school.
- DirectorJoe BerlingerStarsLily CollinsZac EfronAngela SarafyanA chronicle of the crimes of Ted Bundy from the perspective of Liz, his longtime girlfriend, who refused to believe the truth about him for years.
- DirectorChris GerolmoStarsStephen ReaDonald SutherlandMax von SydowDuring the 1980s, Soviet authorities hunt for a serial killer who picks his victims in railway stations and commuter trains and lures them into the woods.
- DirectorMichael Caton-JonesStarsRobert De NiroLeonardo DiCaprioEllen BarkinThe story about the relationship between a rebellious 1950s teenager and his abusive stepfather, based on the memoirs of writer and literature Professor Tobias Wolff.
- DirectorLiza JohnsonStarsMichael ShannonKevin SpaceyAlex PettyferThe untold true story behind the meeting between Elvis Presley, the King of Rock 'n Roll, and President Richard Nixon, resulting in this revealing, yet humorous moment immortalized in the most requested photograph in the National Archives.
- DirectorKimberly PeirceStarsHilary SwankChloë SevignyPeter SarsgaardA young man named Brandon Teena navigates love, life, and being transgender in rural Nebraska.
- DirectorSteven SoderberghStarsJulia RobertsAlbert FinneyDavid BrisbinAn unemployed single mother becomes a legal assistant and almost single-handedly brings down a California power company accused of polluting a city's water supply.
- DirectorGeorge Tillman Jr.StarsCuba Gooding Jr.Robert De NiroCharlize TheronThe story of Carl Brashear, the first African-American U.S. Navy Diver, and the man who trained him.
- DirectorPaul WendkosStarsElizabeth MontgomeryFionnula FlanaganEd FlandersIn 1893 Massachusetts, Lizzie Andrew Borden is put on trial for murdering her father and stepmother with an axe.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsRami MalekLucy BoyntonGwilym LeeThe story of the legendary British rock band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury, leading up to their famous performance at Live Aid (1985).
- DirectorMichael FeiferStarsKane HodderAmy LyndonOdessa RaeDennis L. Rader systematically tortured and killed innocent victims for over two decades, evading the police for over 30 years while living a seemingly normal life as a husband, father, security officer and church president.
- DirectorMichael Lindsay-HoggStarsAidan QuinnJared HarrisRic ReidIn 1976, John Lennon and Paul McCartney have a chat about their lives and discuss whether The Beatles will ever reunite.
- DirectorDaniel FarrandsStarsMena SuvariNick StahlTaryn ManningInspired by true events, the film follows OJ Simpson's ex-wife Nicole Brown Simpson in the last days before her tragic death on June 12th 1994, as seen from her point of view.
- DirectorMikael HåfströmStarsAndreas WilsonHenrik LundströmGustaf SkarsgårdA teenage boy expelled from school for fighting arrives at a boarding school where the systematic bullying of younger students is encouraged as a means to maintain discipline, and decides to fight back.
- DirectorSteven SpielbergStarsLeonardo DiCaprioTom HanksChristopher WalkenBarely 17 yet, Frank is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit.
- StarsDavid DencikMats BlomgrenSten Johan HedmanFollows the Swedish serial killer and bank robber John Ausonius, nicknamed "the laser man".
- DirectorJon PetterssonStarsSimon CarlssonCasper SandDavid ThorénThe story takes place in the summer of 1995 outside of Gothenburg, Sweden, during the rise of Neo-Nazi violence that was sweeping across the country. The film "John Hron" is the true story about a teenager, his friends and family. John is caught up in defense of a student being bullied in school. As the conflict with the bully escalates it soon causes strain between John and his friends. While John is trying to win back his friends, the bully joins a violent Neo-Nazi gang. This also casts a long shadow over John's plans of a future motorcycle vacation with his girlfriend and his efforts in perusing to win the national canoeing championships. The conflict reaches to threats of murder and finally evolves to a nationwide interest. For his fearless and heroic actions John Hron becomes a well-known icon and has had a great impact on Sweden even to this day.
- DirectorJohn SchmidtStarsMikael AyeleBrian DeaconBrandon GilberstadtThis is the story of Jesus as seen through the eyes of children who might have lived during the time of Jesus. Follow the lives of Benjamin, Caleb, Sarah, Joel, Leah and Nathan, living in Jerusalem about A.D. 30. Hear the stories of the man from Nazareth who heals the sick and raises the dead. They struggle to make sense of it all - some from families who believe Jesus is the Son of God, others from families who do not. They watch Jesus from the crowds. They follow him, to see what this incredible man, who loves children, will do next. They see him betrayed, wrongly accused, crucified, and buried. But, they remembers the promise of Jesus and they believe they will see him again. Children of all ages will enjoy this captivating retelling of the true story of Jesus from a child's perspective.
- DirectorKevin ConnorStarsChristian BalePernilla AugustMelinda KinnamanMary, Mother of Jesus and her pivotal position in Christianity is portrayed in the story of the woman who has been a symbol of hope and inspiration to people of diverse faiths throughout history.
- DirectorBaz LuhrmannStarsTom HanksAustin ButlerOlivia DeJongeThe life of American music icon Elvis Presley, from his childhood to becoming a rock and movie star in the 1950s while maintaining a complex relationship with his manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
- DirectorDaniel FarrandsStarsPeyton ListTobin BellLydia HearstThe early years of notorious serial killer Aileen Wuornos, who marries a wealthy, older man in 1976, only to inflict mayhem within her new family and Florida's high society.
- DirectorAmir ChamdinStarsHans-Erik Dyvik HusbyMalin CrépinHelena Af SandebergBiographical account of singer and composer Cornelis Vreeswijk including his breakthrough and his marital problems.
- DirectorStephen WoolleyStarsLeo GregoryPaddy ConsidineDavid MorrisseyA chronicle of the sordid life and suspicious death of Rolling Stones co-founder Brian Jones, who was found in the bottom of his swimming pool weeks after being let go from the band.
- DirectorD.W. GriffithStarsWalter HustonUna MerkelWilliam L. ThorneAn episodic biography of the 16th President of the United States.