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20 Best Biopic Movies of All Time

Hollywood and other film industries have always been fascinated with the lives of famous people. That’s why we have so many biopics made right since the beginning of cinema. Not all of them are great, but we certainly have seen a fair share of really good biopic movies. From Gandhi to Zuckerberg, Hollywood has tried its hand on making biopics on people from all strata of life. Now, let’s look at the list of top biopic movies of all time. You can watch several of these best biopic movies on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.

20. Nixon (1995)

Hopkins had quite a run after he won the Academy Awards for ‘The Silence of the Lambs’ (1991), but the boldest work of his career was as President Richard Nixon in this outstanding bio from Oliver Stone . As one of the most polarizing figures of the seventies, Nixon was a true statesman, but a flawed and paranoid man, doomed as a world leader. He captures the wounded soul of the disgraced President in every way. Looking nothing like him, he instead captures his essence and speech pattern and becomes Nixon before our very eyes.

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19. Bugsy (1991)

Warren Beatty was always an interesting actor, but with his work here as murderous gangster Benjamin Siegel, he proved he was a great one. With movie star good looks, Siegel landed in Hollywood and quickly took over all gangland related activities and when visiting the desert, he had a vision of what became Las Vegas. Obsessed with his Flamingo Hotel in the desert, he failed to see his girlfriend was stealing from the mob, which brought Siegel down. Beatty is terrifying in his rages, deluded in his belief he can kill Mussolini, yet gentle and kind with his family and friend Meyer Lansky.

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18. Chaplin (1992)

A brilliant actor ready for the performance of his lifetime, stuck with a weak script, a cowardly director not willing to show his subject warts and all, Robert Downey Jr. still gave one of the great performances of all time, beautifully capturing Chaplin and his artistry. Sadly neither the director nor script took advantage of Downey being so far into character; the actor was gone, Chaplin remained. With an edgy actor such as Downey, why explore the more controversial aspects of his life? They had an actor ready to cut loose and they failed him.

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17. Downfall (2005)

Is it possible to humanize Hitler, possibly the most hated and evil man to ever exist? Bruno Ganz did that very thing in the superb German film ‘Downfall’, which explores the last days Hitler was alive in his bunker, the Soviets not far from the heart of the city. Hands shaking, frail, obviously drugged heavily, he knows the end is near and what is coming; he knows what the reaction will be to his Death Camps. Often gentle and kind with those around him, other time he flies into a rage when his orders are not followed. In the end, the monster was all too human, just a man. An astounding, brave performance.

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16. Lincoln (2012)

The moment we laid eyes on him in the opening moments of the film, and he spoke in that surprising high reedy voice, audiences felt they were encountering Abraham Lincoln, possibly the greatest American who ever lived. Daniel Day-Lewis poured over books, found descriptions of his voice, his gait, the manner in which he spoke and the deep melancholy he carried with him and brought it with him to his performance. His co-stars claimed they never met Day-Lewis until the film’s premiere; they knew only President Lincoln. This profoundly fine performance won the actor his third Academy Awards for Best Actor.

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15. The Aviator (2004)

As the young Howard Hughes during his Hollywood years, before the madness set in, Leonardo DiCaprio is truly outstanding. Blessed with a brilliant, inquisitive mind, he is always looking to the skies, even in his first film, ‘Hells Angels’ (1930), which he re-shot after the advent of sound. Fascinated with aviation, he built planes, making them bigger and faster, crashing one of them in downtown LA, forever damaging himself. It is a bold, outstanding performance that beautifully explores a troubled mind. The genuine fear in his eyes when he has one of his spells is truly frightening because he is never really sure if he can snap out of it.

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14. The Last King of Scotland (2006)

In portraying the purely evil yet charismatic Idi Amin Dada, actor Forest Whitaker gave a performance for the ages, winning every single award available to him that year. As self appointed President, actually dictator of Uganda, he takes a young Scottish doctor under his wing and it is through that man’s eyes we see the monster appear. Whitaker is brilliant, seething with anger and contempt for those who defy him, believing himself to be a God. Terrifying.

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13. Patton (1970)

As one of the greatest warriors in the history of the United States military, General George S. Patton did as he pleased often defying his superiors’ orders. George C. Scott is magnificent as Patton, one of the screen’s greatest performances and refused the Oscar he won for Best Actor. That iconic image that opens the film — Scott dwarfed by a massive flag — once seen can never be forgotten.

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12. My Left Foot (1989)

On the rise as an actor when he made this lovely, gritty film about Irish artist/writer Cristy Brown, afflicted with cerebral palsy since birth, Day-Lewis won the Academy Award and several other awards in announcing himself as a major new acting force. His eyes ablaze with intellect and purpose; his body betraying him with constant shaking, twitching, everything out of control except his left foot. The actor brings us the fierce mind that was trapped in that wretched body. Despite his affliction, he was gifted, horny and a heavy drinker. Day-Lewis is a miracle in the film.

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11. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

As stock swindler Jordan Belfort, who became obscenely wealthy before the FBI brought him down, Leonardo DiCaprio gives a brilliant performance – the best of his career. The young actor brings a furious energy to the performance and brash confidence, moving through the film like a young rock star. Whether stoned on drugs , smashed out of his mind, or arguing with his gorgeous wife, the actor is a revelation and force of nature. He is electrifying from beginning to end, always in motion, scheming, descending slowly into his own hell.

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10. The Social Network

Made at a time when Facebook had reached meteoric height’s, ‘The Social Network’ works as a powerful commentary on modern times and feels utterly fresh, even after six years. It deserves a place on every such list because of the treatment by David Fincher . Led by powerful performances from Jesse Eisenberg and Andrew Garfield , it is a deeply personal tale which works on so many levels, and is a study on the nature of friendship , ambition and power.

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Helmed by Bennett Miller (who also directed ‘Foxcatcher’), ‘Capote’ chronicles the life of Truman Capote during the period when he was writing his non-fiction novel, ‘In Cold Blood’. Superbly constructed, the film feels bleak and sublime at the same time, as it tries to convey the horrors of the killings. But the movie stands out chiefly because of the honest and riveting performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman , which earned him an Academy Award for Best Actor. It is sad that we’ve lost a truly great artist.

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8. Malcolm X

At a run time of 200 minutes, ‘Malcolm X’ is a long movie. But it never seems long, thanks to a phenomenal performance by Denzel Washington , and nuanced direction by Spike Lee . The film dramatizes chief events of the life of African American activist Malcolm X. The film received much skepticism and criticism even before it actually hit the screen, mainly because of the sensitive nature of the subject. But it received overwhelming critical acclaim upon release. Denzel Washington was nominated for Best Actor in a Leading Role for his standout performance, but lost out to Al Pacino , which many think was unfair on the Academy’s part.

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7. The Pianist

Roman Polanski is a director known for his technical prowess, edgy direction and excellence in handling the noir genre of cinema. But in ‘The Pianist’ , the visionary director takes his skills and gives us a devastating biographical drama. ‘The Pianist’ is the moving life-story of Władysław Szpilman, a Polish pianist and composer, portrayed by Adrien Brody , who loses his family during the Holocaust. Polanski paints a bleak, harrowing landscape – drawing from his own experiences of the war – and gives us a terrifying, yet human tale of hope and survival .

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Richard Attenborough’s enduring masterpiece ‘Gandhi’ is still fresh in the hearts of the millions of Indians who watched it at the time when it was released. Made on a very large-scale and featuring actors from both Hollywood and Bollywood, this biographical drama feels fiercely authentic. The direction is quite traditional, and is exactly what a biopic of this scale needed; after all, it was about an ordinary man who did extraordinary things. Sir Ben Kingsley’s commanding presence as Mahatma Gandhi is one of the pioneering examples of biopic performances.

5. The Elephant Man

David Lynch is a master of his craft, and is a tough director to watch. His body of work – original and largely cerebral – proves that beyond a shadow of doubt. But in ‘The Elephant Man’, the visionary director outdoes himself and shows us an intensely moving tale about a disfigured man trying to find his place in society. It is based on the life of Joseph Marrick, a man suffering from severe deformity. The film depicts his life in a Victorian freak show and his relation with Dr. Frederick Treves, who tends to him later, and provides him shelter. Technically brilliant, and at times quite bleak – considering the nature of the subject – the film is especially noted for the make-up done on John Hurt for him to look the part. It is historically quite significant because the Academy was criticized for failing to recognize the efforts gone in the make-up process, and only after this film was the category for Best Make-up introduced.

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4. Raging Bull

There are boxing movies and then there is ‘Raging Bull’ . This Martin Scorsese gem is the biographical account of the boxer Jake LaMotta, his rise to fame and his personal struggles. Scorcese pours his heart out in this picture, which is so perfectly crafted that it works both as a sports movie , and as a tragic drama. Robert De Niro gave an explosive and riveting performance as Jake LaMotta, rightfully taking home the Best Actor Oscar for this role. Shot entirely in Black and White , the movie came out in the same year as ‘The Elephant Man’, competing for the Best Picture award. Unfortunately, neither of the two won the award, which went to ‘Ordinary People’.

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3. Goodfellas

Hailed by many as the second best gangster movie ever, (first being ‘The Godfather’ ) ‘Goodfellas’ is a riveting crime drama based on a non fictional book Wiseguy, chronicling the rise and fall Henry Hill, a crime family associate. Plumbing the obscene depths of crime, ‘Goodfellas’ is an enduring tale about loyalty, betrayal and the corrupting nature of power. Martin Scorsese delivers perfection in this ageless film, which boasts of marvelous performances by Ray Liotta, Robert De Niro, and the swashbuckling Joe Pesci (who took home the Best Actor in a Supporting Role Oscar for his performance.)

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2. Schindler’s List

I won’t say much about ‘Schindler’s List’ here. Widely regarded as one of the best pictures in the history of cinema, ‘Schindler’s List’ is Steven Spielberg’s masterpiece, and is truly a work of art. With the Second World war as the backdrop, with the Nazi terror achieving terrible heights, ‘Schindler’s List’ is a moving tale about one man’s change of heart, and how he becomes a messiah. But, oh, it still doesn’t occupy the top spot on this list. Wonder why? Well, scroll down to find out which film holds that honor.

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1. Lawrence of Arabia

A film so grand and epic in scope that it commands multiple viewings. Really, get a Blu-ray and watch it on a big screen TV. Made in 1962, ‘Lawrence of Arabia’ is David Lean’s magnum opus. It is a riveting saga about the life of British archaeologist T.E Lawrence and the role he played during the Arab revolt against the Ottoman Empire. Everything about this movie is beautiful in a terrific, haunting way, crafted by a film-maker at the peak of his powers. The melodious score by Maurice Jarre, the authentic, breathtaking cinematography by F.A Young (the desert never looked so mesmerizing ), and a powerful performance by the-then newcomer Peter O’ Toole , make this movie one of the greatest films of all time . Its influence can still be felt in modern biopics.

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10 of the best celebrity biopics of all time

Rocketman and Bohemian Rhapsody have put celebrity biopics at the forefront again

We've had no shortage of biopics of late, be it Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, or Baz Luhrmann's forthcoming film about the life of Elvis. Here, we look back at 10 of the best celebrity biopics - the films that help us to see their famous subjects anew - from troubled country stars to iconic artists.

Amadeus, 1984

Considered one of the best films of all time, Amadeus follows the rivalry between Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Italian composer Antonio Salieri. Featuring a dramatic Mozart soundtrack, the film won eight Oscars, four BAFTAs, four Golden Globes and a Directors Guild of America award. Ambition, jealousy and tragedy serve as the pillars of this epic tale that appeals to adults and children alike.

Frida, 2002

The Theory of Everything, 2014

For most of us, our image of Stephen Hawking is punctuated by not only his intellect, but his wheelchair and computer-generated voice. The Theory of Everything reminds us that Hawking wasn't born with motor neurone disease - he was once a young Cambridge student spinning around with his new girlfriend and later wife, Jane. The story stages his physical deterioration, while also showcasing Hawking's humour, his brilliant mind and the loving, respectful relationship between he and his wife.

The Social Network, 2010

Mark Zuckerberg might not have come off well in The Social Network, which stages the birth and development of Facebook, but it's still a compelling story that captures the spirit of our age. Adapted from Ben Mezrich's non-fiction The Accidental Billionaires, we see Zuckerberg go from tech geek to media mogul and Facebook transform from a misogynistic website designed to rate girls on campus to a global network connecting millions around the world. An accurate portrait of a tech-fuelled world, The Social Network is as much about the power of the internet and its capacity to bring together, as much as it is the narcissism that it breeds.

Ed Wood, 1994

Only Tim Burton, a perennial albeit very successful outsider, would choose to create a film about the world's worst film director, Ed Wood. With Johnny Depp as the titular role, this black and white film offers a sensitive, understanding celebration of a third rate, energetic and eccentric filmmaker who refused to be defied by Hollywood. Despite ridicule from his peers, Wood's films were still made, including cult classics such as Plan 9 From Outer Space and Glen Or Glenda . Ed Wood steers clear from the true darkness about its subject (Woods died a resentful alcoholic), but is still considered one of Burton's finest works.

Malcolm X, 1992

Directed by Spike Lee, Denzel Washington stars as civil rights activist Malcolm X. Based on the 1965 autobiography co-written by Malcolm X and future Roots creator Alex Haley, the film is divided into three parts - his younger years, his incarceration and his development as a world-renowned public activist which led to his assassination in 1965. Lee is unafraid to show more controversial moments - for example, Malcolm’s comments about JFK’s murder being a case of “chickens coming home to roost”. A compelling and ever relevant biopic.

Jamie Foxx offers a candid insight into the life of Ray Charles, making us privy to the complexities that shaped him both as a man and musician. Foxx masters his subject's physicality in an energetic performance that captures his exuberance, charisma, ruthlessness and addictions - to both women and drugs. The film starts with a life-changing moment for Charles, who at nine years old, watches his brother drown, too emotionally overwhelmed to intervene, leaving him with a guilt that he grapples with for years afterwards. Soon after, he starts to go blind and, after his mother urges him not to feel sorry for himself, he rises up to become one of history's most prolific jazz musicians.

Walk The Line, 2005

Walk The Line 's insightful, candid portrayal of Johnny Cash is based on two autobiographies authored by the country singer-songwriter: 1975's Man in Black: His Own Story in His Own Words and 1997's Cash : The Autobiography. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon excel as Cash and June Carter with ample time given to their enduring chemistry, as well as the demons that blighted the former's career. Ultimately, this is a tale of music, redemption and a love that conquered all.

Jackie, 2016

Little screen time is offered to the First Wives of US Presidents, but Jackie proves why these women should be more of a cinematic focus. We've seen countless pictures of Jackie Kennedy and are familiar with video footage of her, but Natalie Portman's portrayal helps us to see her anew. She is physically the closest person to JFK when he was shot, his blood covering her clothes and his death leaving her emotionally shattered. We see her wrestle with grief, while being forced to move herself and her children out of the White House - all the while maintaining a polished facade to the public.

La Vie En Rose, 2007

Marion Cotillard offers an exceptional performance as France's legendary Edith Piaf. Although the lengthy biopic avoids one of the singer's most interesting periods, when she lived in occupied France during the second world war, it does trace her dramatic story from her impoverished childhood to a showbiz career mired by insecurity, drug abuse and lost love. Cotillard's electrifying turn secured her an Oscar for Best Actress, and it's not hard to see why.

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Stream these films starring Rami Malek, Natalie Portman, Chadwick Boseman, and more A-list celebs.

If you’re in search of a good source of inspiration, then watching celebrity biopics might just be the boost of creativity you’re looking for. While these films may vary in genre — from bubbly musicals to gritty dramas — they all have the same goal: to tell the real-life stories of icons throughout history and immortalize them forever on the silver screen.

These celebrity biopics also contain standout performances from some of Hollywood’s most popular actors such as Rami Malek as Queen’s smooth crooning Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody and Natalie Portman as the resilient Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in Jackie . These actors’ spellbinding characterizations will leave you not only with a greater sense of knowledge and appreciation for the person they’re portraying, but also the actor bringing them to life. There’s a reason why seven of the actors on this list have won Oscars for their performances in these films, after all.

Below are 13 celebrity biopics that are the perfect blend of enlightening, insightful, and entertaining. From Reginald Dwight’s transformation into superstar Elton John in Rocketman to the creation of Facebook (and its subsequent lawsuits) in The Social Network , there’s truly something for everyone in this list no matter what mood you might find yourself in. Be sure to bookmark this list too, as we’ll continue to update it as more exciting biopics are released.

Jamie Foxx won the Academy Award for Best Actor in 2004 with this film — and for good reason. Ray tells the moving story of musician Ray Charles (Foxx), who loses his vision at a young age. His incredible talent at playing the piano and ability to mesh genres together sets him on a career that spans decades and includes chart-topping hits like “ Hit The Road Jack ” and “ Georgia On My Mind ,” but drug addiction and infidelity cause him to nearly lose it all.

I, Tonya (2017)

I, Tonya sees Margot Robbie step into the skates of Olympic figure skater Tonya Harding . The film chronicles the historic moments in Harding’s life, ranging from her childhood spent with controlling mother LaVona Golden (Allison Janney) to the infamous, career-ending controversy she was entangled in after the attack on fellow figure skater Nancy Kerrigan (Caitlin Carver). Bold and unapologetic, I, Tonya is a whirlwind full of performances that you’ll find yourself re-watching over and over again.

Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy? Well, it’s a mix of the two! Bohemian Rhapsody details the humble origins of the now-iconic rock band Queen all the way to the group’s unforgettable performance at Live Aid in 1985. The musical is not only filled to the brim with incredible hits that will make you want to sing along , but it also explores the backstory of the group’s out of this world frontman Freddie Mercury, played by Rami Malek , and his relationships with his fellow band members, partners, drugs and alcohol with authenticity and immense care.

The Theory of Everything (2014)

Based on the novel Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen by Jane Hawking, The Theory of Everything details the life of famous English physicist and writer Stephen Hawking from his Cambridge University days all the way to the film’s release in 2014. Oscar winner Eddie Redmayne delivers a masterful performance as Hawking, highlighting his brilliant mind as well as poignantly chronicling his struggle with motor neurone disease. Though the film may be about larger than life concepts like black holes, The Theory of Everything is a film that finds beauty in the little things in life too.

Jackie (2016)

Jackie allows audiences a seat at the table in a fictitious, poignant interview with First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in the aftermath of President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963. The film stars Natalie Portman , whose powerful and incredibly emotional performance highlights Kennedy’s struggle to continue to inspire the country and keep her family afloat while also navigating her own intense grief. Raw, real, and visceral, Jackie is a film you don’t want to miss.

Get On Up (2014)

Get on up and get ready to dance with this biopic about the Godfather of Soul James Brown . Played by the late Chadwick Boseman, Get On Up tells Brown’s story from his childhood years growing up in Augusta, Georgia, to the lead singer of The Famous Flames to a superstar in his own right. And, because no film about a musician can be complete without some fantastic performances , the film is filled with the hits that shaped Brown’s career like “Soul Power,” “Night Train,” and “Please, Please, Please.”

The King’s Speech (2010)

Before he is set to ascend the throne, King George VI (played by Oscar winner Colin Firth ) must first confront the stammer that appears whenever he speaks. In an effort to help combat it, his wife, Elizabeth (Helena Bonham Carter), recommends that he begin speech therapy with Lionel Logue (Geoffrey Rush). Their quest to find techniques that help King George navigate his stammer spawns an enriching, life-long friendship between the two men.

Selena (1997)

Jennifer Lopez stars as Selena Quintanilla-Pérez in the 1997 biopic about the influential Latin singer. The film tells the story of Quintanilla’s life from as child with a passion for singing on stage with her family to an unforgettable star selling out stadiums. Lopez captures Quintanilla’s bubbly, charming nature well throughout the film, but it’s the film’s heartbreaking ending that will stick with you long after your first watch.

The Social Network (2010)

Directed by David Fincher, The Social Network depicts the creation of Facebook from its humble origins of Mark Zuckerberg’s (Jesse Eisenberg) Harvard dorm room to the website that is still visited by millions of people to this day. Written by Aaron Sorkin, the film is told through the lens of two separate depositions after Zuckerberg is sued by his former friend Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), as well as Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss (Armie Hammer). For a film about a website, its story is one filled with wit, betrayal, and heart.

Malcolm X (1992)

Denzel Washington delivers an enthralling performance as influential human and civil rights activist Malcolm X in his eponymous 1992 film. Based upon The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley, the film highlights key moments within Malcolm X’s life including his loss of his parents at a young age, his introduction to the Nation of Islam while incarcerated, his speeches about racial justice during the civil rights movement, and his death in 1965. Directed by Spike Lee, this film is a must-watch that needs to be added onto everyone’s list.

Rocketman (2019)

Let Taron Egerton take you back to when rock was young as heralded singer-songwriter Elton John in the musical Rocketman . The film highlights John’s transformation from Reginald Dwight into the legendary Elton John and his enduring friendship with lyricist and collaborator Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell). Egerton perfectly embodies John’s larger-than-life personality and weaves a selection of John’s most popular songs, like “Tiny Dancer” and “Your Song,” into the tapestry of his life with grace and skill. Egerton also sang and performed every song in the film , and if that’s not impressive, I don’t know what is.

The Queen (2006)

Queen Elizabeth II ( Helen Mirren ) grapples with how to best helm the country and its people after the death of Diana, Princess of Wales in 1997 in the 2006 film The Queen . The situation is only exacerbated by the grieving public’s perceived lack of response from the royal family after Diana’s passing. As the newly-appointed prime minister Tony Blair (Michael Sheen) tries to help the royal family, he too is met with backlash. As the conversation surrounding the royals is whipped into a public uproar, the Queen must carefully decide her next steps in an ever-changing world.

Judas & the Black Messiah (2021)

Judas & the Black Messiah is a tale of two men: Chairman Fred Hampton ( Daniel Kaluuya ) of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, and William “Bill” O’Neal ( Lakeith Stanfield ). After stealing a car, O’Neal is told by FBI handler Roy Mitchell (Jesse Plemons) that his charges will be dropped if he will infiltrate the Black Panther Party and provide the FBI with information on its innermost workings. As O’Neal’s role within the party continues to grow, he finds himself stuck in the middle of a life or death situation that has violent, tragic ends. Kaluuya won Best Supporting Actor at the 2021 Oscars for this role.

This article was originally published on May 28, 2021

From 'Elvis' to 'The Pianist': 20 Best Biopic Movies of the 21st Century (So Far)

Telling incredible true stories.

Read update

Oppenheimer , Christopher Nolan 's most anticipated biopic will soon hit theaters this summer (July 21), marking not only Nolan's return but also the newest installment in the biopic genre, which is currently popular in Hollywood. In the meantime, there are tons of great biopics of the 21st century that fans can watch.

What is a biopic? A biopic (short for "biographical picture") is a non-fictional film that depicts the tale of a real person's life. Biopic movies are usually about a historical figure or a well-known individual. However, they can be about anyone as long as the subject exists. A biopic film must focus on a single protagonist and portray the narrative of that person's life across many years (rather than simply one event or era in their life).

Biopics are the goldmines of Hollywood movies, regardless of whose life they show. Many of these films served as stepping stones in the careers of their filmmakers and actors, helping to launch them to stardom. Even though many excellent biopics are produced each year, a special few have gone above and beyond after the turn of the millennia.

Updated on March 30, 2023, by Jessie Nguyen:

20 'bohemian rhapsody' (2018).

Bohemian Rhapsody tells the story of the British rock band Queen and their lead singer, Freddie Mercury , played by Rami Malek . The film traces the band’s rise to fame, from their early days playing small gigs to their legendary performance at Live Aid in 1985. It also explores Mercury’s relationships with his bandmates, as well as his romantic ones and his struggle with his sexuality.

Bohemian Rhapsody nevertheless serves as a good reminder of the band's musical brilliance and Freddie's singular stage presence owing to the film's aesthetically stunning musical moments and Malek's dominating leading role. Despite its limitations, the movie is still an exquisite tribute to the band and its dedicated fans.

Watch on Hulu

19 'A Beautiful Mind' (2001)

Inspired by the 1998 biography of the same name by Sylvia Nasar , A Beautiful Mind chronicles the life of John Forbes Nash Jr. ( Russell Crowe ), who went through it all – from fame's pinnacles to its darkest abysses. He was a mathematical prodigy who was on the verge of receiving international renown when he made an astounding discovery early in his career. Yet he quickly finds himself embarking on a torturous and terrifying quest of self-discovery.

A Beautiful Mind has become one of the most engaging and well-liked movies of all time, despite issues with tone and structure as well as some significant absences from Nash's real life. Because Nash's life is the focus of the film rather than his mental health , and because of Russell Crowe's stirring portrayal, Nash is given a second chance to relive both his success and his failure.

Watch on Prime Video

18 'Elvis' (2022)

Elvis chronicles the life story of American music legend Elvis Presley , played by Austin Butler , from his youth to his 1950s rise to rock and roll stardom while retaining a complicated bond with Colonel Tom Parker ( Tom Hanks ), his manager.

Butler's spectacular portrayal of Elvis humanized the legend by bringing down the spotlight from his physical gestures to the enormous, gruff voice to reveal the troubled man hiding behind the timeless God of Rock. In addition, the wild singing, set design, reenactment of iconic incidents, and compelling performers give the impression that audiences are viewing a documentary instead.

Watch on Max

17 'Ray' (2004)

Ray tells the story of the legendary musician Ray Charles ( Jamie Foxx ) and his struggles with blindness, poverty, and addiction, as well as his relationships with the women in his life. It also delves into Charles' musical career, including his experimentation with different genres such as R&B, gospel, and country, and his collaborations with other musicians.

Ray is a moving and inspiring film that offers a window into the life of one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, and the struggles and triumphs that shaped his extraordinary career. Also, the acting is strong, the directing is deft, the storyline is insightful, and Foxx gives an outstanding performance.

Watch on Netflix

16 'The Wolf of Wall Street' (2013)

The story of 1990s stock trader Jordan Belfort , whose company, Stratton Oakmont, participated in unprecedented levels of corruption and fraud, is told in Martin Scorsese 's smash biopic The Wolf of Wall Street .

Scorsese's picture is the ultimate of excess, with Leonardo DiCaprio as Belfort giving a truly outrageous performance. As they are in many of Scorsese’s films , the sins are visited upon the sinner, but the "Wolf" warns us at the end that no number of cautionary stories will prevent future generations from engaging in short-sighted, amoral, selfish ambitions.

Watch on Fubo

15 'A Hidden Life' (2019)

Based on the true story of Franz Jägerstätter , an Austrian farmer who refused to fight for the Nazis during World War II, The Hidden Life follows Franz ( August Diehl ) as he lives a quiet life with his family in the small village of St. Radegund. When war breaks out, Franz is called up to serve in the German army, but he refuses to swear allegiance to Hitler and fight for the Nazis.

Through a genuine account of faith, family, and the indomitable human spirit in the face of extreme persecution, director Terrence Malick presents the viewers with a rare image of a special kind of hero. Additionally, it serves as an engaging and oftentimes moving example of how regular people respond to the ills of the world.

14 'Lincoln' (2012)

Lincoln follows the 16th President of the United States, Abraham Lincoln ( Daniel Day-Lewis ), as he navigates the political landscape of the Civil War era, trying to garner support for the amendment from both Republicans and Democrats. It also focuses on the final months of his presidency and his efforts to pass the 13th Amendment to the Constitution, which would abolish slavery.

Lincoln is one of Steven Spielberg 's most methodical efforts as a director, and it is undeniably a respectable, absorbing film. Additionally, despite having a history lesson at its center, it is deftly concealed by one outstanding performance and a number of steadfast supporting characters.

13 'Capote' (2005)

Capote tells the story of Truman Capote ( Philip Seymour Hoffman ), a famous American writer, as he travels to Kansas to investigate and write about the brutal murders of the Clutter family in 1959, which later becomes the basis for his novel, In Cold Blood . The film explores Capote’s relationship with the murderers, Richard ‘Dick’ Hickock ( Mark Pellegrino ) and Perry Smith ( Clifton Collins Jr. ), as he spends them with them in jail.

Hoffman offers a captivating portrayal of and perspective on a troubled character who is nonetheless regarded by many as one of America's best authors. Moreover, Bennett Miller was able to convey the complexity of human brains and relationships, as well as the source of artistic inspiration, thanks to a fantastic screenplay.

Watch on Roku

12 'I, Tonya' (2017)

After her husband ordered an assault on her opponent, Nancy Kerrigan , Tonya Harding ( Margot Robbie ) went from one of the most skilled athletes in the country to a worldwide laughingstock. Her troubles as an outcast, her dysfunctional family, and her outspoken nature were all depicted in the film.

Craig Gillespie 's film does more than convey Harding's story, it completely reframes the narrative and rewrites her as the hero of her own story in a complicated but persuasive way. I, Tonya also provides Robbie with her first opportunity to demonstrate her entire range as an actor, and she is radiant.

11 'Dallas Buyers Club' (2013)

Dallas Buyers Club follows Ronald Woodroof ( Matthew McConaughey ), a philandering, drug addict, and homophobic electrician from Texas, living a carefree life until his doctor diagnoses him with HIV/AIDS, which will likely kill him in 30 days. Woodroof discovers an experimental medicine that can potentially prolong his life and establishes the titular "Dallas Buyers Club" to import the drug from Mexico to anyone who needs it.

The combination of sharp character study and moving pharmaceutical docudrama is lively and memorable at just under two hours. Moreover, McConaughey and Jared Leto ’s transformative performances are the reason to visit this biopic. Not only do they successfully give voice to the disaffected of the 1980s, but to everyone who is suddenly confronted with unfathomable challenges.

10 'Hidden Figures' (2016)

Loosely based on the 2016 non-fiction book of the same name by Margot Lee Shetterly , Hidden Figures chronicles the story of a group of female Black mathematicians (played by Taraji P. Henson , Octavia Spencer , and Janelle Monáe ) who played crucial roles in NASA during the early stages of the US space program.

With its recognizable period-piece perspective on a neglected moment in space history, Hidden Figures maintains optimism for what science and technology may accomplish when the sharpest minds work together. Moreover, the film respectfully honors the unheralded female heroines of history by featuring three exceptional performances from the three leads.

Watch on Disney+

9 'Milk' (2008)

Milk is about the life of an openly gay activist and politician, Harvey Milk (played by Sean Penn ), who became the first LGBTQ+ person elected to public office in California. The film chronicles the period from Milk's 40th birthday until his horrific killing in 1978, using archival footage from his life.

The film, directed by Gus Van Sant and written by Dustin Lance Black , immerses us in the political process as Penn's brilliant performance captures Milk's playful intellectual personality. Furthermore, by combining 1970s news footage with newly shot sequences, Van Sant constructed his film around some massive, screen-filling set pieces, making the audience feel as if they had stepped inside the story.

8 'The King's Speech' (2010)

When Albert "Bertie" George 's father, King George V , dies and his brother King Edward VIII chooses love over the kingdom, he is compelled to crown himself king. The King's Speech depicts the narrative of King George VI 's friendship with his speech therapist, who helped the king overcome his stutter to confidently address his subjects.

Instead of being a film about a monarch triumphantly leading his folks to victory, it is about a would-be king battling to find his voice and the strength to lead his people through one of the most challenging periods in their history. Colin Firth as Bertie also imbues his restrained character with complexity, dignity, and wit, making a lasting impression.

Watch on Plex

7 '12 Years a Slave' (2013)

Solomon Northup (played by Chiwetel Ejiofor ) was a free Black man from New York who was kidnapped and sold into slavery in 1841. For a dozen terrifying years, he was subjected to various forms of torture and wickedness before being free once more.

Though 12 Years a Slave is full of intriguing characters, Ejiofor steals the show by maintaining the character's dignity throughout. Moreover, director Steve McQueen immerses the spectators in an unforgivably hideous era from which there is no way out. It's about as intense as a biopic can go and many viewers deem this movie to be too heartbreaking for a second screening .

6 'The Pianist' (2002)

Based on the autobiographical book of the same name by a Polish-Jewish pianist, composer, and Holocaust survivor, Władysław Szpilman , The Pianist follows Szpilman ( Adrien Brody ), who after being forced into the Warsaw Ghetto, loses contact with his family as a result of Operation Reinhard. He then hides in various places among the rubble of Warsaw from this point until the captives of the concentration camps are released.

The unflinching anti-war film is a masterpiece about the struggle between good and evil, the tenacity and mercy of art, and the horrific personal toll left by one of history's worst moments. Like many films about the Holocaust, The Pianist can be difficult to see, but it's important to remember what happened and Brody was mesmerizing in it.

5 'The Social Network' (2010)

Though it wasn’t perfectly accurate, The Social Network covers the narrative of Facebook's early years and its founder, Mark Zuckerberg ’s ( Jesse Eisenberg ) initial social decline, starting with the break-up of his romantic relationship with Erica Albright ( Rooney Mara ) and concluding with the tragic end of his friendship with co-founder Eduardo Saverin ( Andrew Garfield ).

The film is one of the best performing and acclaimed films of 2010 , thanks to screenwriter Aaron Sorkin 's typical quick-witted writing and Jesse Eisenberg's riveting portrayal of the renowned social network creator. Moreover, everyone in the film is on the verge of snapping, which adds to the film's authenticity and realism.

4 'Catch Me If You Can' (2002)

Catch Me If You Can follows Frank Abagnale Jr. (played by Leonardo DiCaprio), a skilled con man who pretended to be a doctor, lawyer, and pilot while only being 21 years old. Meanwhile, Tom Hanks ' FBI agent Carl Hanratty gets obsessed with finding Frank and later succeeds in persuading Frank to become an FBI assistant for atonement.

The story was brought to life by Steven Spielberg's skill as a filmmaker, exquisite cinematography, elegant editing, brilliant script, and a beautiful score by John Williams . Not to mention DiCaprio and Hanks' incredible chemistry and performances resulting in a gentle, charmingly adventurous film that makes you feel wonderful.

3 'BlacKkKlansman' (2018)

Based on Ron Stallworth ’s 2014 memoir Black Klansman , BlacKkKlansman takes place in the 1970s in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and follows the city's first Black detective ( John David Washington ) as he attempts to infiltrate and out the local Ku Klux Klan chapter.

BlacKkKlansman is timely because it engages in a crucial national dialogue that is full of metaphors and juxtapositions. Moreover, the chemistry between Washington and Adam Driver is crucial to keep the film's rhythm enjoyable as the movie alternates between comedy and crime . Also, through their characters, viewers feel like they have just walked through the lane of history in over two hours.

2 'Can You Ever Forgive Me?' (2018)

Melissa McCarthy plays Lee Israel , a struggling writer who seeks to revive her career by selling counterfeit letters from celebrities who have died. Can You Ever Forgive Me? by Marielle Heller is one of the finest contemporary films on economic hardship and ethical compromise.

The biopic is an intellectually interesting drama due to the contradiction between blatant deception, undeniable necessity, and a group of victims who, presumably, can afford to be fooled. Moreover, McCarthy's impressive performance is both fierce and compassionate at the same time, constantly improving the material and stealing every scene she is in.

1 'Selma' (2014)

Selma was praised for its historical authenticity as it followed Martin Luther King Jr. as he fought for Black voting rights. The film follows King's frenetic three months leading up to the march from Selma to Montgomery in 1965. Their efforts directly contributed to President Lyndon B. Johnson signing the 1965 Voting Rights Act.

The film focuses primarily on King's role in the events without diminishing the importance of the other leaders' contributions to molding this pivotal moment in American history. Moreover, the screenplay by Paul Webb and David Oyelowo ’s performance as King gives us a profound, gratifying depiction of King as a man capable of errors, self-doubt, and pain.

Watch on Showtime

NEXT: Great Biopics That Got Surprisingly Dark

Screen Rant

10 best biopics about hollywood celebrities & the film industry.

Between Sunset Boulevard, The Aviator, and The Disaster Artist, audiences have been gifted with several stellar biopics about Hollywood.

There are so many subgenres of biopics, and movie buffs have certainly seen their fair share of those about actors and directors. In fact, some of the best films to recommend to cinephiles might just be those that offer deep dives into the movie industry itself. With one real-life story to follow, there's so much to learn and love about Hollywood.

RELATED:  10 Best Biopics Of The Past Decade, According To IMDb

From  Mank   to  The Aviator ,  it's time to snuggle in and revisit the Golden Age of Hollywood, the political landscape in the 1950s, and so much more, where real movie lovers can get a dramatic and entertaining experience that's still a nod to a truthful and real event and story.

Sunset Boulevard (1950) - Available On Prime Video

Sunset Boulevard  is a classic and must-see for anyone who calls themselves a movie buff. This iconic 1950s flick is a mix of fiction and reality, and it tells a dramatized story set in the real world with legends like Alan Ladd and Cecil B. De Mille.

The story follows a screenwriter and his complicated relationship with a film star as her stardom begins to fade. Directed by Billy Wilder, this movie is the perfect blend of drama and biopic, rooting itself in the real events of 1950s Hollywood.

Chaplin (1992) - Available On Prime Video

Robert Downey Jr. brings the story of Charlie Chaplin to the big screen, where this legendary film director and actor recalls his rise from poverty to fame.  Chaplin  dives deep into his personal life, but also the movie industry.

It's impossible to not celebrate Charlie Chaplin as a pioneer in entertainment , and this movie is a great watch for his true story surrounding his successes and innovative decisions in an ever-changing industry.

Ed Wood (1994) - Available On Apple TV

This comedy drama stars tells the true story of Ed Wood (played by Johnny Depp), who struggles to make it big as a movie director. However, he's not willing to give up on his dreams, despite what perhaps lacking the talent to achieve them.

RELATED:  Ma Rainey's Black Bottom 10 Best Musical Biopics To Stream Now

With a cast comprised of name actors like Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, and Bill Murray, this biography is a unique and quirky take on what it takes to have success in Hollywood. Amidst laughs and drama,  Ed Wood   is an entertaining watch.

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999) - Available On HBO Max

Halle Berry brings the story of Dorothy Dandridge to the big screen, from her early days as a dancer to becoming the first Black actress to receive a nomination for Best Actress at the Academy Awards. With a story from the 1950s, this film tackles racism and success in a riveting drama.

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge  shows the difficulties of this actress making her rise in the political landscape of the 1950s movie industry. It's a must-see, and Halle Berry knocks the role out of the park .

The Aviator (2004) - Available On HBO Max

The Aviator   is a riveting, gut-wrenching, and infatuating tale of Howard Hughes, famous director and wealthy aviator and businessman. In the 1920s, this story shows his obsession with making "the best movie of all time" - and his descent into mental illness and madness.

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Leonardo DiCaprio gives a thrilling performance as Howard Hughes, and the film shows the economic and political drama that ties into Hollywood, fame, and riches. This movie should be a priority for all self-proclaimed film buffs.

My Week With Marilyn (2011) - Available On Apple TV

My Week with Marilyn   dives into the lives of one of the most iconic actresses of all time, Marilyn Monroe . This movie follows the tale of Colin Clark too, who documents the relationship between Monroe and Sir Laurence Oliver, the producer of  The Prince and The Showgirl.

With Michelle Williams, Eddie Redmayne, and Kenneth Branagh, this movie unravels the tensions and pressures of working on a film set and the costs of fame and success, all while centering itself on one of the most well-known names in Hollywood.

Trumbo (2015) - Available On Prime Video

Bryan Cranston brilliantly brings Dalton Trumbo's iconic story to life in this biography drama. Taking place in 1947,  Trumbo   tells the tale of this screenwriter's famous career. However, it also dives into the politics of the time period and how artists were being blacklisted for their views.

This flick is a perfect portrayal of the political landscape of Hollywood and the entertainment industry, and it also blends crimes and thrills with artistic passion, all while featuring great performances by the cast.

The Disaster Artist (2017) - Available On Netflix

This might be the strangest movie on the list, but it is a comedic and thrilling dive into the life of aspiring director and actor, Tommy Wiseau.  The Disaster Artist   shares the struggle-filled story of Wiseau's creation of his "masterpiece,"  The Room.

RELATED:  10 Films To Watch If You Like The Disaster Artist

Directed by James Franco, the star also appears as Tommy, and he is joined by his brother Dave Franco, Seth Rogen, Alison Brie, and more. It's a bit cringy and outrageous, but it is a surprisingly interesting take on what it means to make a movie and make it big in Hollywood.

Seberg (2019) - Available On Prime Video

In a similar fashion to political dramas,  Seberg  tells Jean Seberg's story - an actress and activist in the 1960s. She was targeted by the FBI because of her fame being clouded by her romantic involvement with Black Panther Party member, Hakim Jamal.

This biography drama shows the tensions of fame and spotlight and how the politics of these celebrities is vetted and controlled. The fresh flick deals with race, politics, and success all in the context of Hollywood and acting. Starring Kristen Stewart, it's an infatuating watch .

Mank (2020) - Available On Netflix

Mank  was the perfect feature to celebrate the story and artistic genius of  Citizen Kane .  This biopic tells the story of the screenwriter behind it all, Herman J. Mankiewicz . Additionally, in 1930s Hollywood, one sees the social reputations, politics, and alcohol that must be navigated.

As Mank tries to finish his screenplay, tales are told of his rise to fame and the relationships he builds and burns along the way. With Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, and more, this is a perfect watch for movie lovers.

NEXT:  Mank 10 Best Screenwriters Who Deserve Their Own Biopics

The 17 Best Celebrity Documentaries Will Give You An Inside Look Into Stars' Lives

Your movie night plans are all sorted now.

These days, whether you subscribe to Netflix , Hulu , Amazon Prime, or HBO Max—or still have your ex boo’s password saved (just me?)—there are tons of celebrity documentaries for you to get your voyeuristic fix. (No shade, you’re not the only fan hungry for an intimate look at your fave star's usually-hidden pains and pleasures.) These docs aren't just about rappers and pop stars, though there are plenty of those (lookin' at you, Biggie and T-Swift). They also feature the life stories of comedian Tig Notaro, ballerina Misty Copeland, and mother-daughter acting duo Debbie Reynolds and Carrie Fisher, too.

So, grab a tub of popcorn and your tissues because these docs will have you crying tears of sadness, joy, and nostalgia by pulling at your heartstrings and revealing the unknown. Read on for the 17 best celebrity documentaries you can watch right now with the click of a button.

One Direction: This Is Us (2013)

Long before Harry graced the cover of Vogue , Zayn, Liam, and Louis had kids, and Niall went solo, these men were in a boyband that made middle schoolers scream: One Direction. While released at the height of the British band's fandom in 2013, when watched today, this documentary gives fans a chance to reminisce about 1D's heyday before their split. And hey, "Midnight Memories" is still a bop.

Singer Amy Winehouse was known for her throaty, sultry sound, so it should come as no surprise that this masterpiece is as moody as it is moving. The British documentary fuses old interviews with clips of the singer, features fan reactions to her death, and details her life and relationship with music, sex, self-harm, and drugs—showcasing both her talent and her struggles. (Fair warning: Self-harm and substance abuse make big appearances in this doc.)

A Ballerina’s Tale (2015)

You don’t have to be a former dancer nor current ballerina to enjoy this documentary on the greatest ballerina of all time: Misty Copeland. Through A Ballerina’s Tale , an IFC Film, Copeland proves that what people think ballerinas have to be (white, petite, rich, young) is racist, classist hogwash. Both inspirational and aspirational, this doc is for anyone looking for an ~against all odds~ heroine story.

watch now on amazon prime

Calling all former class-clowns, laugh-lovers, and Tig Notaro fans, this Netflix documentary is for you. Named after the dry-as-bread comedian, Tig follows the brilliant comedian as she recovers from a quadruple whammy: A bacterial infection, cancer diagnosis, family death, and breakup. Equal parts morbid and moving, Tig offers the dry flair you’ve learned to expect from Tig herself along with close-ups of the comic in her personal life.

watch now on netflix

Bright Lights (2016)

Did you know that Singin' In The Rain icon Debbie Reynolds and Star Wars actress Carrie Fisher were related? Yep! The mother-daughter duo lived next door to each other until late in their lives, teasing, bickering, and helping each other until they both passed unexpectedly, just days apart. Bright Lights offers a sneak peak into the life of and bond between these showbiz babes.

Watch now on HBO Max

Gaga: Five Foot Two (2017)

Lady Gaga is more than just a powerhouse singer decked in a meat-dress—she’s a human with wants, anxiety, imposter syndrome, fibromyalgia, and talent. In this up-close-and-personal Netflix documentary, the A Star Is Born actress and real-life pop star gets raw about the way society’s view on femininity, sexuality, success, access, and ability have caused her pain. It also explores how she’s redefined for herself what it means to be successful, in order to emerge from that pain more-self assured.

watch now on Netflix

Homecoming: A Film by Beyoncé (2018)

Through a combination of backstage chit-chat, honest AF dialogue from Beyoncé herself, and rehearsal footage, Homecoming chronicles what went into Beyoncé's iconic 2018 Coachella performance— the first time a Black woman headlined the music festival.

A Grammy-nominated music film, Homecoming pays homage to and celebrates all the Black creatives and women that came before Queen Bey. Packed with performance, pride, and power, this Netflix documentary affirms what you already knew intuitively: For Beyoncé, stage is home.

Watch now on netflix

Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly (2019)

Ready for a documentary that’ll give you chills on chills on chills? Look no further than this intimate look at Travis Scott’s life, which weaves fan testimonials with home video footage and concert clips to depict Scott’s life. ( KUWTK fans, fear not: There are plenty of moments between Scott, Kylie Jenner, and baby Stormi shown in this Netflix documentary.)

Chasing Happiness (2019)

While you won’t finish this film with a definitive answer around why the brotherly trio split, you will leave feeling nostalgic for the Disney Channel Jonas-mania days.

Featuring home video clips from as early as Nick’s birth, as well as interview footage asking the pop stars if they’ll ever split (they say no, LOL), plus concert and television clips, Chasing Happiness captures the rise, then fall, then reunion of the Jonas Brothers. Now available on Amazon Prime, this documentary is a must-watch for anyone that ever plastered a Jonas Brothers Tiger Beat poster on their bedroom wall.

Watch now on amazon prime

This Is Paris (2020)

Paris Hilton is known as the OG influencer, but that doesn’t mean she’s immune to having her image warped, then guzzled by gossip columnists and bored housemoms alike—in fact, just the opposite.

In This Is Paris , the hotel heiress takes back the mic to give viewers a real, unfiltered look at her not-so-happy life, including her time at a program in Utah where she was abused. What starts as a story about just another rich blonde girl, evolves into something much more nuanced. Ultimately, the film challenges the societal expectations put on stars like Paris.

Watch now on YouTube

Shawn Mendes: In Wonder (2020)

In Wonder features monologues from the "Señorita" artist and behind-the-scene clips featuring him and girlfriend Camila Cabello . It's also packed with concert shots and earthy panoramas shot while Shawn is on his world tour. He wonders what it means to be a star, what his future in music holds, and how it influences his relationships.

watch no on netflix

Ariana Grande: Excuse Me, I Love You (2020)

If scrolling through this list has you wondering whether a happy celebrity documentary is an oxymoron, your next watch should be Ariana Grande: Excuse Me, I Love You . Sure, there’s an emotional backstage moment or three, but the bulk of this high-pony pop star's Netflix documentary is made up of upbeat behind-the-scenes moments and concert footage from her 2019 Sweetener world tour. Even those who aren’t die-hard fans will be saying, "Excuse me, I love you too" by the end.

Miss Americana (2020)

As if a documentary by this name could be about anyone other than the world’s (minus Kanye West’s) favorite girl next door: Taylor Swift . In this Netflix documentary, the singer-songwriter takes off the "good girl muzzle" and gets real about the role politics play in her music. T-Swift wants to convince her fans that she’s not just an artist; she’s an activist, too.

Demi Lovato: Dancing With The Devil (2021)

Whether you’ve been a Demi fan since their Barney and Friends days, or were late to the game only stanning them with the release of their Tell Me You Love Me 2017 album, you’ll be transfixed by this four-part documentary series.

The documentary follows Demi from 2018-2020, shedding insight on their eating disorder , drug use , mental health diagnoses and misdiagnoses, sexuality , and the traumas that led up to their near-fatal overdose in July of 2018. But ultimately, the series ends on a hopeful note with the finale, titled "rebirthing," suggesting the pop star has finally found their footing.

Biggie: I Got A Story to Tell (2021)

The rapper of many names—Biggie Smalls, Notorious B.I.G, and sometimes simply, Biggie—has been memorialized documentary-style. By interweaving a combination of concert footage, behind-the-scenes family videos, and interviews, this Netflix documentary explores how the talented star rose from the streets to the stage. Consider this a must-watch for anyone asking themselves whether raw talent alone is enough? Spoiler: Yes it is.

Billie Eilish: The World’s A Little Blurry (2021)

The World’s A Little Blurry offers an intimate look at singer-songwriter Billie Eilish. Footage spans the artist's life from before she could walk to getting her license to the release of When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go? Thanks to this documentary, viewers get a deeply intimate look at how lonely it is to be a girl growing up in a cut-throat industry and the importance of community and family.

Watch now on Apple TV+

Framing Britney Spears (2021)

ICYMI: Britney was involuntarily committed to a psychiatric ward in 2008 after what's been deemed her infamous meltdown (you know, when she shaved her head?), shocking paparazzi and the public in the process. Soon after, Britney was put in a conservatorship under her father, Jamie Spears, which she is currently fighting in court.

Framing Britney Spears , produced by FX and Hulu and investigated by The New York Times , explores the misogyny, cruelty, and ableism that led to the 39-year-old star being bound by this legal conservatorship, which many now believe should never have been implemented in the first place.

Watch now on hulu

Gabrielle Kassel (she/her) is a sex and wellness journalist who writes at the intersection of queerness, sexual health, and pleasure. In addition to being in Cosmopolitan , her work can also be found in publications such as Shape, Well + Good, Women’s Health , Health, Self, Men’s Health , Greatist, and more! In her free time, Gabrielle can be found reviewing one of the nearly 1,000 pleasure products she's tested, reading smut, or recording episodes of the podcast she cohosts called Bad In Bed . Follow her on Instagram @GabrielleKassel .

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The 21 Best Movies About Musicians, Bands, and Singers

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Hollywood films love to inspire awe and encourage viewers to pursue their dreams—because, after all, anything is possible! Who knows which viewer might become the next Elvis or Madonna?

And Hollywood loves to do that by featuring successful musicians, bands, and singers as the protagonists of their movies. Sometimes they're based on real people. Sometimes they're made up.

From obsessed artists to inspirational biopics, here are our picks for the best movies about musicians, bands, and famous singers. (That doesn't mean these are all musicals, by the way!)

21. Rocketman (2019)

Directed by Dexter Fletcher

Starring Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden

Biography, Drama, Music (2h 1m)

7.3 on IMDb — 89% on RT

We saw a flurry of musical film releases in 2018 and 2019, with a big trend in biopics. After the success of Bohemian Rhapsody , Hollywood took to telling another whimsical celebrity's story: Elton John.

Dexter Fetcher directs this glitzy, sequin-studded drama that stars Taron Egerton as the androgynous British pop star.

Rocketman opens with Elton's childhood and very quickly breaks out into flashy musical numbers. It follows Elton's rise into the glamorous world of fame, where the singer-songwriter's homosexuality is thrown into the limelight... all the while he battles alcoholism.

20. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)

Directed by Bryan Singer

Starring Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee

Biography, Drama, Music (2h 14m)

7.9 on IMDb — 60% on RT

Bryan Singer's Bohemian Rhapsody isn't without its flaws. That said, the huge box office hit is sure to get viewers nostalgically singing along—and what else could you ask for from a musical movie?

Rami Malek gives a sparkling performance as the late Freddie Mercury, lead singer of the iconic rock band Queen. Bohemian Rhapsody is an explosive celebration of Mercury's talent, who tragically died due to AIDS complications at just 45.

Malek's incredible performance is at the heart of this movie, taking us through Mercury's journey from a baggage handler still living with his parents to egotistical pop sensation.

Coming to terms with his sexuality and fatal illness, Mercury's experience of fame isn't always a positive one.

19. Get On Up (2014)

Directed by Tate Taylor

Starring Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd

Biography, Drama, Music (2h 19m)

6.9 on IMDb — 80% on RT

The "Godfather of Soul" James Brown was originally a gospel singer in Georgia, who grew up in poverty with an abusive father. Fascinated by shout music and jazz, he joined Bobby Byrd's gospel group and slowly climbed the ranks.

He was known as the "hardest working man in show business"—despite his abuse of drugs and his brushes with the law—and worked towards Africanizing rhythm and blues.

Tate Taylor uses a nonlinear structure to tell Brown's life story, balancing funky numbers with tense drama. Chadwick Boseman stars as the "Soul Brother No. 1" alongside Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, and Viola Davis.

18. Respect (2021)

Directed by Liesl Tommy

Starring Jennifer Hudson, Forest Whitaker, Marlon Wayans

Biography, Drama, Music (2h 25m)

6.6 on IMDb — 68% on RT

In Respect , Jennifer Hudson is the powerful soul singer Aretha Franklin, known for her incredible vocals. Liesl Tommy's feature directorial debut touches base on all the major moments of this icons life—from the death of her mother to her first #1 single "Respect."

Hudson's on-screen presence and the souring musical score make Respect a classy and polished powerhouse movie.

Like many stars on this list, Aretha Franklin grappled with the pressures of her career by turning to drugs and alcohol, giving us a peek into the reality of being famous.

17. The Runaways (2010)

Directed by Floria Sigismondi

Starring Kristen Stewart, Dakota Fanning, Michael Shannon

Biography, Drama, Music (1h 46m)

6.5 on IMDb — 69% on RT

Who doesn't love a good all-girl rock band? The hardcore, leather-wearing 70s band The Runaways made a whole bunch of hits, with the lead singer Cherie Currie (played by Dakota Fanning) having been inspired by David Bowie as a teenager.

Floria Sigismondi's punky drama mainly focuses on the formation of the band with an emphasis on Cherie, who suffered with addiction and mental health issues.

The girls originally met at a club in California, all dreaming of life as a rock star. Then: the dream came true.

The Runaways is based on Cherie's own accounts in Neon Angel: A Memoir of a Runaway , balancing out its electric energy with that of desperation. Kristen Stewart and Michael Shannon also star.

16. Straight Outta Compton (2015)

Directed by F. Gary Gray

Starring O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell

Biography, Drama, History (2h 27m)

7.8 on IMDb — 88% on RT

Straight Outta Compton may not look like your usual Oscar-nominated movie by its poster, but it was one of the top movies of 2015.

A musical crime drama directed by F. Gary Gray, the film shows your typical rise-and-fall journey with a unique and memorable zeal.

O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr. and Aldis Hodge star as the members of gangsta rap band N.W.A, alongside Paul Giamatti as their controversial manager.

The Californian hip-hop group practically triggered a culture war, which Gray hones in on as an allegory for police brutality and gang violence.

15. The Doors (1991)

Directed by Oliver Stone

Starring Val Kilmer, Meg Ryan, Kyle MacLachlan

Biography, Drama, Music (2h 20m)

7.2 on IMDb — 56% on RT

We're not sure what planet Jim Morrison was on, but it wasn't Earth. The lead singer of The Doors was always elusive, spending most of his time on acid, flirting with death, and improvising nonsensical poetry.

It's a surprise he ever managed to produce six world-famous albums while hallucinating all day! In The Doors , Val Kilmer perfectly encapsulates Jim Morrison's edgy, rebellious, and unpredictable reputation as the ultimate bad boy.

Oliver Stone directs us through the formation of The Doors and the impact of Jim Morrison's hectic lifestyle with psychedelic flair—one that perfectly manages Morrison's personality.

14. Crazy Heart (2009)

Directed by Scott Cooper

Starring Jeff Bridges, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Colin Farrell

Drama, Music, Romance (1h 52m)

7.2 on IMDb — 90% on RT

A faded country star who boozes in country pubs while singing sad country songs. It's a familiar character archetype that never fails to tug at our heartstrings and put us in a meditative state about our own lives, past, habits, and heartbreaks.

In Crazy Heart , Scott Cooper directs Jeff Bridges as the gruff-talking, beer-drinking cowboy singer Bad Blake who makes his living in dive bars across the American Southwest.

Bad Blake doesn't see the point in getting his life back together—until he meets the young, divorced journalist Jean Craddock (Maggie Gyllenhaal).

Crazy Heart is an intimate and earnest portrait of a man who's lost in the desert but brought back by love. Bridges's performance is so good, you'll forget you've heard this story many times before!

13. Yesterday (2019)

Directed by Danny Boyle

Starring Himesh Patel, Lily James, Sophia Di Martino

Comedy, Fantasy, Music (1h 56m)

6.8 on IMDb — 63% on RT

There are few movies with a plot as bold and original as Yesterday . Auteur director Danny Boyle poses the question: What if there was no such thing as The Beatles?

The British rock band had one of the biggest impacts on the music industry, with Beatlemania sending shock waves throughout the UK and US during the 1960s. But what would happen if one day you woke up and, suddenly, they never existed?

Well, that's exactly what happens to wannabe musician Jack Malik, played by Himesh Patel. As the only person who remembers the legendary band, Jack decides to use their songs as a way of claiming their forgotten fame for himself.

Yesterday is a funny, heart-warming tale that showcases the spirit and influence of The Beatles on the world.

12. Wild Rose (2018)

Directed by Tom Harper

Starring Jessie Buckley, Matt Costello, Jane Patterson

Drama, Music (1h 41m)

7.1 on IMDb — 92% on RT

Wild Rose follows Rose-Lynn Harlan, a Scottish single mum who's fresh out of prison. Fed up with her demoralizing cleaning job, she decides to pursue her dream of becoming a country singer.

Jessie Buckley shines and inspires as the lead of Tom Harper's musical drama. Wild Rose is more grounded than some of our other showy Hollywood picks on this list, adopting a (much needed) female focus in a male-dominated industry.

11. Judy (2019)

Directed by Rupert Goold

Starring Renée Zellweger, Jessie Buckley, Finn Wittrock

Biography, Drama, Music (1h 58m)

6.8 on IMDb — 82% on RT

It's public knowledge that Judy Garland—Hollywood's number one starlet of the Golden Age—had a less-than-easy life. A myriad conspiracy theories and YouTube documentaries have explored the dark underside to the production of The Wizard of Oz .

However, the extent of Judy Garland's trauma comes as a tragic surprise in Rupert Goold's biopic Judy . Renée Zellweger gives an unrecognizably stellar performance as the troubled singer, winning the Academy Award for Best Actress in a Leading Role.

Taking place near the end of her life at the young age of 47, Garland reminisces on her career through a series of heart-breaking flashbacks. Despite her immense talent, Garland struggles to keep performances going due to sheer exhaustion and alcoholism.

10. Love & Mercy (2014)

Directed by Bill Pohlad

Starring John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks

7.4 on IMDb — 90% on RT

John Cusack and Paul Dano both star as Brian Wilson, lead singer of the surfer-pop band The Beach Boys.

When young Wilson (Dano) begins to suffer early stages of schizophrenia, he's forced to put his passion project "Smile" on hold. Director Bill Pohlad jumps between timelines, where 20 years later Wilson (Cusack) is controlled by his therapist and legal guardian.

The main plot of Love & Mercy is centered around Wilson's battle with mental illness—worsened by his repeated use of LSD during the 1960s—and the manipulation he suffered as a result.

That said, Pohlad doesn't forget to pay tribute to the visionary artist who paved the way for new experimental sounds.

9. 8 Mile (2002)

Directed by Curtis Hanson

Starring Eminem, Brittany Murphy, Kim Basinger

Drama, Music (1h 50m)

7.2 on IMDb — 75% on RT

The best movies about musicians and bands often center on genres like rock, country, jazz, and blues. But how about some rap?

8 Mile is a semi-autobiographical exploration of world-famous rapper Eminem, who plays a fictionalized version of himself called B-Rabbit.

Although 8 Mile was controversial for its insinuation of reverse racism, it's still a hailed indie drama with a big cult following. It's a film that's grimy, violent, and covered in sweat, just like B-Rabbit himself as he belts out his lines to the now-famous "Lose Yourself" track.

Director Curtis Hanson shows us the two sides of 8 Mile Road, which is predominantly segregated by race—and is a road that B-Rabbit must dare to cross if he's to pursue his rapping career.

8. Walk the Line (2005)

Directed by James Mangold

Starring Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin

Biography, Drama, Music (2h 16m)

7.8 on IMDb — 82% on RT

Another in a long list of music-related biopics (because who doesn't love a true story?), Walk the Line tells the surprisingly sad story of American country singer Johnny Cash.

The movie begins with the devastating death of Cash's brother during their childhood on a cotton farm, and his father furious that Satan "took the wrong son." From there, Cash enlists in the US Air Force, writing acoustic blues songs and eventually making a name for himself.

Joaquin Phoenix delivers a beautiful performance as the damaged and erratic singer, who became hooked on amphetamines and alcohol. Reese Witherspoon is equally wonderful as the bubbly June Carter, Cash's second wife.

James Mangold's drama is a searing portrait of the legendary 20th century musician, grappling with themes of faith and self-destruction.

7. Elvis (2022)

Directed by Baz Luhrmann

Starring Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge

Biography, Drama, Music (2h 39m)

7.3 on IMDb — 77% on RT

Austin Butler might not have nabbed the Oscar for Best Actor when Elvis dropped in 2022, but he did take home a BAFTA for his stunning portrayal of the King of Rock, Elvis Presley.

A figure as glamorous as Elvis needs a movie that's equally glamorous to match, so director Baz Luhrmann was the perfect choice to lead this project. It's a fast-paced, in-your-face melodrama that's swamped in diamonds but one that never loses its Memphis roots.

Tom Hanks stars alongside Austin Butler as the rock legend's manipulative manager. Baz Luhrmann takes us on a whirlwind ride from Presley's poor childhood to his glittering, amphetamine-fueled career.

6. Control (2007)

Directed by Anton Corbijn

Starring Sam Riley, Samantha Morton, Craig Parkinson

Biography, Drama, Music (2h 2m)

7.6 on IMDb — 88% on RT

Black-and-white indie flick Control follows the rise and fall of Ian Curtis—singer of New Wave band Joy Division—who tragically committed suicide at just 23. A pioneering icon of post-punk rock, Joy Division remains one of the most influential English rock bands to date.

Sam Riley gives a brooding performance as the enigmatic singer suffering with both depression and epilepsy.

Control doesn't harbor the sort of flamboyant screen spectacle that Hollywood biopics use. Instead, it offers a quietly desperate glimpse into the troubled mind of a musical legend.

5. A Star Is Born (2018)

Directed by Bradley Cooper

Starring Lady Gaga, Bradley Cooper, Sam Elliott

Drama, Music, Romance (2h 16m)

7.6 on IMDb — 90% on RT

It's important to understand the context of A Star Is Born , which is the third edition in a cycle of remakes.

The original A Star Is Born from 1937 features Judy Garland. Then, Barbra Streisand stepped in for the 1976 version. This time around, it's Lady Gaga who comes in with incredible chemistry with co-star Bradley Cooper, who also directs the film.

Each installment reflects not only the music industry at the time, but greater society as a whole. It's become a sort of endearing Hollywood tradition to tell this story every 40 years or so.

The story follows wannabe artist Ally, who falls for alt-country star Jackson Maine and subsequently rockets to fame. However, Jackson's inner demons puts a strain on their relationship and her career.

4. Amadeus (1984)

Directed by Miloš Forman

Starring F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge

Biography, Drama, Music (2h 40m)

8.4 on IMDb — 89% on RT

Miloš Forman is the director behind this beautiful period biopic, where grand costumes sweep through the opera house to hear Mozart play. Amadeus begins in the winter of 1823, when Italian composer Antonio Salieri is committed to a psychiatric hospital.

Envious of the great Mozart—who he considers an immature buffoon—Salieri renounces God and vows to destroy his competition.

Okay... this story might not be completely true, but it does have its roots in history. Nominated for 50 awards (of which it won 40, including 8 Oscars), we simply had to include it!

3. School of Rock (2003)

Directed by Richard Linklater

Starring Jack Black, Mike White, Joan Cusack

Comedy, Music (1h 49m)

7.2 on IMDb — 92% on RT

A family film that's just as much for adults as it is kids, School of Rock is now a cultural icon.

Jack Black gives an unforgettable performance as Dewey Finn, a failing rock artist who steals his best friend's identity. Kicked out of his band and unable to make rent, Dewey pretends to be a substitute teacher.

However, his plans to sit back and skive off soon turns into a unique opportunity to cash in: Dewey decides to secretly turn the class into one big rock band and enter them into Battle of the Bands. Of course, this is easier said than done.

School of Rock is a hilariously entertaining classic with a rocking soundtrack. You can tell how much fun the cast had making this movie!

2. Frank (2014)

Directed by Lenny Abrahamson

Starring Michael Fassbender, Domhnall Gleeson, Maggie Gyllenhaal

Comedy, Drama, Music (1h 35m)

6.9 on IMDb — 92% on RT

Frank ranks so highly on our list because, well, there's really no other film like it. Lenny Abrahamson's indie musical tells the bizarre tale of an obscure pop group, whose lead singer wears a papier-mâché head.

Aspiring songwriter Jon joins the group and spends a month in an isolated cabin in Ireland, preparing an album. Though things start off well, tensions soon begin to buckle.

Frank is a black-comedy like no other. It's eccentric, it's fun, and it's surprisingly heartfelt—prepare to shed some tears. Domhnall Gleeson and Maggie Gyllenhaal star, alongside (a mostly hidden yet still electrifying) Michael Fassbender.

1. Whiplash (2014)

Directed by Damien Chazelle

Starring Miles Teller, J. K. Simmons, Melissa Benoist

Drama, Music, Thriller (1h 46m)

8.5 on IMDb — 94% on RT

Academy Award-winning psychological drama Whiplash started life as a short film in 2013 that examined the dark side of musical obsession. Damien Chazelle then turned it into a full-length movie featuring knockout performances from Miles Teller and J. K. Simmons.

Young drummer Andrew enrolls in a New York music school, where he's tutored (or should we say, abused) into greatness by ruthless jazz conductor Terence Fletcher.

In Whiplash , the stage isn't a means of artistic self-expression—it's a battlefield for perfection, where student and teacher lock horns in a spectacular head-to-head finale.

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The 9 Best Celebrity Lifetime Movies of All Time

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Britney Spears ‘  unauthorized and rather raw-looking Lifetime movie drops tomorrow. At 8 p.m. Eastern time. Not that we’re counting down the hours or anything. But if we were, we’d note that it airs in T minus 29 hours; we’re stockpiling on fancy popcorn and sparkling beverages; and, if you’re a Britney fan, you should too. Because it’s going to be  wild .

MORE:  9 Moments We Hope Are in Britney’s Lifetime Movie

We’ve already waxed poetic about the nine moments we hope are in  Britney Ever After , but it got us thinking: What are the other incredible, terrible, over-the-top, larger-than-life movies that Lifetime has done about celebrities over the years? And as we began compiling a greatest-hits list, we realized—wow, there are a  lot. 

Ahead, find our picks for the nine best-ever celebrity lifetime movies , and feel free to add them to your watch list—once you’ve already seen Natasha Bassett star in  Britney Ever After,  of course.

MORE: The 60 Most Naked Celebrity Instagram Photos of All Time

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Anya Taylor-Joy

Actor Anya Taylor-Joy won a Golden Globe for her leading role in the miniseries The Queen's Gambit and is known movies like Split and The Menu .

1996-present

Quick Facts

Early life: parents and ethnicity.

• Movies: Split, The Witch, and The Menu

TV Shows: Peaky Blinders and The Queen’s Gambit

Who is anya taylor-joy.

Actor Anya Taylor-Joy starred in the hit Netflix series The Queen’s Gambit and has appeared in movies such as The Menu and Split. Growing up in Argentina and the United Kingdom, the American-born future star trained as a dancer before dropping out of school to pursue acting at age 16. Her breakthrough performance came in the 2015 horror movie The Witch . Since then, she has received three Golden Globe nominations—winning one for The Queen’s Gambit —and one Emmy nomination, also for the Netflix series. Taylor-Joy plays the titular character in the upcoming sci-fi movie Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga , in theaters this May.

FULL NAME: Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy BORN: April 16, 1996 BIRTHPLACE: Miami, Florida SPOUSE: Malcolm McRae (2023-present) ASTROLOGICAL SIGN: Aries

Anya-Josephine Marie Taylor-Joy was born on April 16, 1996, in Miami. Her parents are Dennis Alan Taylor, a former banker, and Jennifer Marina Joy, a psychologist. Anya is the youngest of six siblings, some of whom are from her father’s first marriage.

Taylor-Joy comes from a multiethnic background. Dennis is Scottish-Argentinian, and Jennifer is Spanish-English but was born and grew up in Zambia. Anya was born while her parents were on vacation in Miami, granting her American citizenship. She also holds British and Argentinian citizenship.

Taylor-Joy, whose first language was Spanish, partially grew up in Buenos Aires, Argentina. When she was 6, her family moved to London in search of a less tumultuous political climate. Taylor-Joy refused to speak English for two years, thinking it would force her parents to take her back to Argentina. When it became apparent her plan wouldn’t work, she learned her second language by reading the popular Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling . “As lame as it sounds, those characters really were my first friends,” she told TV host Graham Norton.

While attending Hill House in Knightsbridge and the Queen’s Gate School in South Kensington, Taylor-Joy trained as a ballet dancer. She has described herself as “very insecure and deeply unhappy” during this time and admitted to struggling with body image.

In September 2016, she told W magazine she had a very compact head as a child, meaning her eyes were positioned far apart on her face. While this became less prominent as she grew older, she remained self-conscious about her eyes and social media posts related to it. “I didn’t enjoy it and I kind of stopped looking in mirrors for a very long time. I still don’t really spend a lot of time in front of mirrors because I don’t really have to deal with my face. Unfortunately, y’all do,” she said.

Taylor-Joy dropped out of school at age 16, and although she was scouted by and briefly worked as a model for Storm Management, acting remained her desired path.

Movies: Split , The Witch , and The Menu

Beginner’s luck wasn’t in the cards for Taylor-Joy, whose first professional audition was for the 2014 Disney movie Maleficent . She hoped to portray a younger version of Angelina Jolie ’s titular character but didn’t get the part. “It was my first experience of, like, rejection, like true rejection,” she later told BuzzFeed Celeb . “Even though I look nothing like [Jolie], but I definitely cried for a very long time after that happened.”

She did begin to earn smaller parts, such as an uncredited role in the 2014 teen flick Vampire Academy and a one-episode appearance in the British TV series Endeavour that same year. Her breakout role in a cult classic scary movie wasn’t far off.

Taylor-Joy played a teenage girl named Thomasin in 2015’s The Witch , an atmospheric horror film about a family in Puritanical New England that encounters supernatural forces in the woods near their settlement.

On the same day she was cast in the movie, Taylor-Joy also received an offer to star in a Disney Channel pilot episode. However, she “had this really good feeling” and committed to The Witch instead.

Despite her initial optimism, Taylor-Joy was “devastated” upon watching her performance and thought she would never work in movies again. “It was just the worst feeling of, ‘I have let down the people I love most in the world. I didn’t do it right,’” she told the Awards Chatter podcast . “And I’m quite verbose, I like to talk, I like to communicate. I did not talk, I just cried. I couldn’t handle seeing my face that large.”

Luckily, critics and moviegoers felt differently. The Witch was a financial success, grossing $40 million worldwide against a $4 million budget. Taylor-Joy’s acting career was off and running.

Split , Emma. , and The Menu

Off her performance in The Witch , Taylor-Joy appeared in the sci-fi thriller Morgan (2016) and the Netflix movie Barry (2016), based on the early life of former President Barack Obama .

That same year, she played protagonist Casey Cooke in the M. Night Shyamalan thriller Split , also starring James McAvoy. The movie, set in the same universe as Shyamalan’s previous movie Unbreakable , spawned the 2019 sequel Glass , again starring Taylor-Joy and McAvoy, as well as Bruce Willis and Samuel L. Jackson .

Having proven she could act alongside Hollywood heavyweights, Taylor-Joy soon garnered her first major award recognition for 2020’s Emma. , based on the Jane Austen novel of the same name. The actor received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy for playing the movie’s namesake, Emma Woodhouse.

Since then, Taylor-Joy has been in high demand, appearing in movies such as Last Night in Soho (2021); The Northman (2022), marking another collaboration with The Witch director Robert Eggers; and Amsterdam (2022).

The most prominent of her recent roles came in the 2022 dark comedy The Menu , about a disillusioned chef (played by Ralph Fiennes ) who exacts revenge on his unsuspecting diners. Taylor-Joy earned another Golden Globe nomination for The Menu , as well as the admiration of her co-star. “There are just some times when you feel the truthfulness of the person you’re acting with, and it really helps you. It really raises your game somehow. And she’s got that,” Fiennes said .

Blockbusters: Dune: Part Two and Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

In 2023, Taylor-Joy lent her voice to The Super Mario Bros. Movie , the second-highest grossing movie of the year that made more than $1 billion at the global box office . In the film, based on the Nintendo video game, she voiced Princess Peach, the fearless leader of the Mushroom Kingdom.

Despite the immense financial success of Super Mario Bros. , Taylor-Joy is on pace for an even bigger year in 2024. She started by making a crucial cameo appearance in the science-fiction epic Dune: Part Two , also starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya .

Her next major role is starring as the titular character in the post-apocalyptic thriller Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga . The prequel to the 2015 hit Mad Max: Fury Road also stars Chris Hemsworth and is scheduled to release in theaters on May 24, 2024.

While spending time in front of a camera was nothing new for Taylor-Joy, driving a souped-up war machine as Furiosa was a learning experience. The actor doesn’t have a driver’s license, and performing stunts for the movie marked her first time behind the wheel of a car. “I can’t parallel-park, I can’t go on the highway. I still don’t have [a license], but I can do that,” she joked with TV host Graham Norton.

In addition to her growing list of movie roles, Taylor-Joy has starred in two of the biggest television series of the past decade.

In 2019, she joined the cast of Peaky Blinders , the popular BBC and Netflix gangster drama starring Cillian Murphy . Taylor-Joy appeared as Gina Gray in 11 episodes across Seasons 5 and 6. According to hair and makeup designer Julie Nightingale, the show took inspiration from Old Hollywood stars such as Ginger Rogers and Jean Harlow in creating Taylor-Joy’s distinctive look for the series.

In a less violent but equally thrilling alternative to Peaky Blinders , Taylor-Joy took the lead for The Queen’s Gambit , a limited series about a fictional chess prodigy named Beth Harmon. The show, which debuted during the COVID-19 pandemic in October 2020, was a smash hit. Within the first month, 62 million households watched The Queen’s Gambit , making it Netflix’s most watched scripted limited series to date.

Critics lauded Taylor-Joy’s performance, with the actor winning the 2021 Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or Motion Picture Made for Television and receiving an Emmy nomination. “I’ve never given so much of myself to a character before,” Taylor-Joy told Variety . “I usually think about a character as so different from me, and I make a real point to make them walk differently, to have a different caliber of voice, to laugh differently, to cry differently. I want them to be their own person. But for Beth, it was the first time that I just thought the only way to tell this accurately is to give bits of myself up.”

Fans clamoring for another season were disappointed to learn in January 2023 that a Tweet from Taylor-Joy referencing a second season was the result of hacking. However, the actor has teased that she is open to the idea of returning for a second part. “It would be silly of me to go, ‘There’s never going to be a second series,’” she told Elle in 2021, “and then I’m 40 and [co-creator Scott Frank’s] like, ‘Yo, how do you feel about this? You want to go back?’”

Elsewhere, Taylor-Joy starred in the 2017 BBC and PBS miniseries The Miniaturist and hosted Saturday Night Live in May 2021.

Taylor-Joy married musician Malcolm McRae in October 2023 in Venice, Italy. A number of famous friends attended the ceremony, including actors Miles Teller , Nicholas Hoult, Cara Delevingne, and Julia Garner.

Although it’s unclear when they began dating, Taylor-Joy first made reference to McRae as “my partner” in an April 2021 interview with Elle . The two were spotted together in New York City the following month, and McRae all but confirmed their relationship status by October after posting an Instagram photo of the couple holding hands.

According to People , McRae plays guitar and piano and sings in a two-person rock band called More*, formed with former Portugal. The Man member Kane Ritchotte. His relationship with Taylor-Joy is reflected in his music, with McRae writing the song “Really Want to See You Again” only two days after meeting her in 2021.

McRae and Taylor-Joy have the same birthday, April 16, and adopted a cat named Kitsune in May 2022.

Taylor-Joy has kept details of her prior relationships private, though she was previously linked to Irish actor Eoin Macken from 2016 through 2017. “I was not a good dater, and I’m quite glad to not be. I hear stories from my friends, and I’m like, ‘God, I would suck at that,’” she said .

According to Celebrity Net Worth , Taylor-Joy’s total fortune is estimated to be around $7 million.

• It’s bizarre that [red carpets are] a huge part of my normal life, but it’s not normal life at all. In which situation do you ever dress yourself to the nines to be photographed by 200 people who are screaming at you? It’s not normal.
• Trying to pick a project that I’m most proud of is like trying to pick between children. Even if you do have a favorite, you’re not supposed to say it!
• I never had any intention of being a method actor, but the more movies I do, the line is getting blurrier and blurrier. I’m finding it harder to disconnect between what is occurring for my [character] and what is occurring for me.
• I was born in Miami, raised between Argentina and London, and my first language is Spanish. So, legally, my ethnicity is fashion week.
• When people shake or cry when they meet you, you just feel really like, “Please don’t do that, it’s really OK!” Like, I’m not scary, and I’m not anything wild and crazy.

Fact Check: We strive for accuracy and fairness. If you see something that doesn’t look right, contact us !

Tyler Piccotti first joined the Biography.com staff as an Associate News Editor in February 2023, and before that worked almost eight years as a newspaper reporter and copy editor. He is a graduate of Syracuse University. When he's not writing and researching his next story, you can find him at the nearest amusement park, catching the latest movie, or cheering on his favorite sports teams.

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'Oppenheimer' premieres in Japan: Here's how Hiroshima survivors, Japanese residents reacted

The Oscars'  best picture winner "Oppenheimer"  premiered in Japan on Friday, nearly nine months after its global release, amid concerns about how the country would receive the movie as a victim of atomic bombing.

Christopher Nolan 's film focuses on physicist J. Robert Oppenheimer ( Cillian Murphy ), who led the race to develop the atomic bomb, although the effects on the people of Japan are not depicted. American atomic bombs  devastated the western city of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to the south at the close of World War II, killing more than 200,000 people.

Images on social media showed signs posted at the entrances to some Tokyo theaters, warning that the movie featured images of nuclear tests that could evoke the damage caused by the bombs.

The film was received with mixed reviews from Japanese residents, as well as those in the U.S. who are still suffering from the effects of nuclear bomb testing in Nevada. While some believe the film is a needed cautionary tale about mass destruction, others have felt the film focuses overly on Oppenheimer rather than the victims.

Former Hiroshima mayor criticizes 'Oppenheimer,' some Japanese viewers leave theater in distress

Former Hiroshima Mayor Takashi Hiraoka, who attended an earlier media screening of "Oppenheimer," criticized the absence of humanity for Hiroshima residents. "From Hiroshima’s standpoint, the horror of nuclear weapons was not sufficiently depicted," he told Japanese reporters, according to The Associated Press .

He added: "The film was made in a way to validate the conclusion that the atomic bomb was used to save the lives of Americans."

Hiroshima resident Kawai, who would only give his family name to Reuters, made similar criticism, telling the news agency, "The film also depicts the atomic bomb in a way that seems to praise it, and, as a person with roots in Hiroshima, I found it difficult to watch."

"I'm not sure this is a movie that Japanese people should make a special effort to watch," Kawai concluded.

Yujin Yaguchi, a professor of American studies at the University of Tokyo, told The New York Times the film "celebrates a tiny group of white male scientists who really enjoyed their privilege and their love of political power" rather than giving a voice to victims in Japan and America.

"We should focus more on why such a rather one-sided story of white men continues to attract such attention and adulation in the U.S. and what it says about the current politics and the larger politics of memory in the U.S. (and elsewhere)," Yaguchi added.

Toshiyuki Mimaki, a co-chair of Hidankyo, an atomic bomb survivors group, was left disappointed after leaving the theater, he told The Guardian .

"I was waiting for the Hiroshima bombing scene to appear, but it never did. It’s important to show the full story, including the victims, if we are going to have a future without nuclear weapons," Mimaki said.

Japanese viewers leave 'Oppenheimer' feeling sympathy for the physicist

Speaking to Reuters before the movie opened, atomic bomb survivor Teruko Yahata said she was eager to see it, in hopes that it would re-invigorate the debate over nuclear weapons.

Yahata, now 86, said she felt some empathy for the physicist behind the bomb. That sentiment was echoed by Rishu Kanemoto, a 19-year-old student, who saw the film on Friday.

"Hiroshima and Nagasaki, where the atomic bombs were dropped, are certainly the victims," Kanemoto said. "But I think even though the inventor (Oppenheimer) is one of the perpetrators, he's also the victim caught up in the war."

Masao Tomonaga, an atomic bomb survivor and honorary director of the Japanese Red Cross Nagasaki Atomic Bomb hospital, called the lack of survivors a "weakness" in The Guardian. However, "Oppenheimer’s lines in dozens of scenes showed his shock at the reality of the atomic bombing. That was enough for me."

Moviegoer and Nagasaki resident Koichi Takeshita similarly told NPR , "The last look of Oppenheimer in the film was that of pain. It was a look of either regret, because he was the person who made the A-bomb, or he didn't know what to do and was sad, as tens of thousands of people died."

Oppenheimer's nuclear fallout: How his atomic legacy destroyed my world

Shogo Tachiyama, a university student, told The Guardian the movie was good for educational purposes as the full story wasn't taught to him in Japan. "We learned about the bombing and its aftermath at primary school, but I knew nothing about Oppenheimer," he said.

Tachiyama added: "I learned a lot from the film, and it’s made me think again about what I and other young people can do … starting from the insistence that nuclear weapons should never be used again."

New Mexicans, downwind survivors still seeking reparations speak out amid 'Oppenheimer'

During the Cold War,  the United States detonated 928 nuclear bombs in the Nevada desert , many of which were  more powerful than those that decimated Hiroshima and Nagasaki .

Oppenheimer’s Trinity test  sent a cloud of fallout over communities downwind of Los Alamos and  into 46 states , according to a new study, catapulting the world into the nuclear age. The Atomic Energy Commission's decision to  ignore , and then  cover up , the danger has left a trail of suffering and death that continues.

Mary Dickson, an author and activist against nuclear weapons, wrote about the effects of Oppenheimer's testing in an op-ed for USA TODAY in August.

"As a child in Salt Lake City, my thyroid absorbed this radiation. Years later,  I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer  and suffered other health complications that left me unable to have children. For others, the poison went into the teeth, bones, liver, lungs, pancreas, breasts, soft tissue and reproductive organs. The damage caused can take decades to manifest as life-threatening illnesses," Dickson wrote.

Open letter: Jane Fonda, 'Oppenheimer' stars ask to 'make nukes history' ahead of Oscars

Mark Shapiro, producer and co-director of the 2023 documentary " Downwind ," also called for more attention to New Mexico residents and others affected by the bombings.,

The film "exposes a tragic, largely forgotten and unforgivable chapter of U.S. history and the ongoing health consequences for Americans and global citizens, addressing the current state of the downwinders, the hopeful expansion of RECA (Radiation Exposure Compensation Act) and the continued tenacity of heroic activists who won't be stopped in their pursuit of government accountability and humanitarian justice," Shapiro wrote in a USA TODAY op-ed in March ahead of big wins for "Oppenheimer" at the Oscars.

Contributing: Mary Dickson and Mark Shapiro, USA TODAY; Irene Wang , Reuters

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• Wrong Way on the Underground Railroad
• Movies All Black Children Should See
• The Greatest Black Actresses of All Time
• Must-See Movies About American Slavery
• The Greatest Black Characters in Film History
• The Greatest Black Actors in Film History
• Great Women in Politics
• Black Inventions That Changed Everything
• Claudette Colvin, Who Stood Her Ground
• What the March on Washington Was Really Like
• Famous Firsts by Black Americans
• The 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing
• You Should Know Aristocrat Dido Elizabeth Belle
• Must-Read Slave Narratives
• Inspiration from the Underground Railroad
• The Brutal Misery About Slave Ships
• Read the Real 'Green Book'
• Robert Smalls: From Slave to Congressman
• Freed Slaves Who Became Cowboys
• The Effects of a 1998 Lynching
• Life for Black Servicemen During WWII

The Greatest African American Biopics

Though we tend to get the most entertainment out of action-packed thrillers, sci-fi flicks, and comedies, a good biopic every now and then can be just as captivating. Not only that, but these biographical films can span a range of genres—no matter the subject at hand. Some of the most moving and interesting of them all, however, are African American biopics. As you can imagine, these typically fall within dramas and period pieces, but they're incredible movies nonetheless. Whether you're talking about breakthrough athlete biopics , notable figures in history, or the greatest musicians, Black biopics are aplenty. 

It's no secret: racial tension has long been a problem in our world and instead of sitting idly by, a great deal of African Americans have made great strides in such difficult circumstances. Considering this, such is often the topic of biopics. From being the first Black baseball player to becoming a leading political rights activist, these moving stories were rightfully made into biopics, and some are simply the greatest biographical films of all time . Jackie Robinson, Malcolm X, Winnie Mandela, and Ray Charles are just a few wonderful subjects of top African American biopics and there are plenty more where that came from. What's your favorite?

Check out the list of African American biopics below and vote up those you think are the best—whether that be the most influential, inspiring, or downright impactful films. Of course, feel free to add any others that may be missing from the list. 

Undeniably influential, this Spike Lee-directed film portrays the life of civil rights activist Malcolm X, played powerfully by Denzel Washington. Erudition and empathy underlie the depiction of the leader's evolution from Malcolm Little - a small-time hustler and street-wise criminal - to his conversion to Islam and his rise as an advocate for African American emancipation. The riveting account of an impassioned voice silenced by assassination is required viewing for those who want to delve into America's historical struggles with racial justice.

• # 144 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
• # 201 of 379 on The Best Movies Of The 1990s
• # 96 of 240 on The 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story

Ray offers a captivating portrayal of the life of legendary musician Ray Charles, with Jamie Foxx delivering a breathtakingly authentic performance that earned him an Academy Award. The movie chronicles the journey of Ray's life, from his impoverished childhood and tragic loss of sight, to his meteoric rise to fame and his battle against addiction. This elevation of the biopic genre through its powerful storytelling and emotionally charged scenes cements the film's status as a classic.

• # 141 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
• # 34 of 99 on The Best Period Movies Set in the '80s
• # 40 of 240 on The 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story

Hidden Figures

Unearthing a vital but often overlooked part of history, Hidden Figures tells the story of three brilliant African American women mathematicians - Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan, and Mary Jackson - who defied societal expectations to make invaluable contributions to NASA during the 1960s Space Race. Featuring stand-out performances from Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, and Janelle Monáe, this inspiring tale of resilience and perseverance skillfully showcases the brilliance of these three women and their fight for both racial and gender equality. Viewers will leave with a newfound sense of admiration for their groundbreaking work in a predominantly white, male-dominated field.

• # 11 of 240 on The 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story
• # 1 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories
• # 28 of 90 on The 85+ Most Inspirational Movies Of All Time

Chronicling the story of Joe Clark, a relentless and controversial high school principal who takes over an inner-city school plagued by violence and poor academic performance, Lean on Me showcases Morgan Freeman's captivating portrayal of a man willing to defy convention to make a difference. The film's examination of education as a critical component of social change is as relevant today as it was during Clark's tenure in the 1980s. As a testament to perseverance and tough love, Lean on Me offers a compelling perspective on the power of a determined leader to fight for meaningful change.

• # 36 of 111 on The 100+ Best Movies About High School
• # 18 of 83 on The Best Movies Of 1989, Ranked
• # 7 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories

Chronicling the life of Jackie Robinson, the first African American Major League Baseball player, 42 tells the inspiring story of a man who broke barriers and changed the game forever. Chadwick Boseman delivers a formidable performance as Robinson, capturing the quiet dignity and determination he displayed while enduring vicious racism and defying expectations. This stirring tribute to a trailblazing legend reminds viewers of the resilience and courage it took for one man to transform America's pastime.

• # 126 of 240 on The 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story
• # 26 of 205 on The Best Sports Movies Ever Made
• # 4 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories

Straight Outta Compton

A gritty and gripping account of the controversial emergence of gangsta rap group N.W.A., this movie dives into the complex dynamics and social context that shaped their incendiary music. With powerful performances from a young cast, the film portrays the irresistibly defiant spirit of rappers Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, MC Ren, and DJ Yella, capturing the raw energy of their influential rise against the backdrop of racial tension and police brutality in late-1980s Los Angeles. By revealing the captivating stories behind the music, it leaves an indelible mark on viewers who crave authenticity.

• # 33 of 99 on The Best Period Movies Set in the '80s
• # 131 of 240 on The 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story
• # 51 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories

12 Years a Slave

Based on the harrowing true story of Solomon Northup, a free African American man kidnapped and sold into slavery, this devastating film provides a haunting and visceral exploration of the horrors of American chattel slavery. With unforgettable performances from Chiwetel Ejiofor, Lupita Nyong'o, and Michael Fassbender, director Steve McQueen captures the inhumanity, perseverance, and eventual triumph of Northup's spirit in the face of unbelievable adversity. Garnering numerous accolades, including an Academy Award for Best Picture, the film is a necessary reminder of the dehumanizing brutality of America's past and a chilling call to never forget.

• Dig Deeper... Movies That Won Best Picture at the Oscars and Golden Globes
• # 32 of 96 on The Very Best Oscar-Winning Movies For Best Picture
• # 42 of 240 on The 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story

Glory chronicles the experiences of the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment – the first African American unit to fight for the Union during the Civil War. Denzel Washington, Morgan Freeman, and Andre Braugher deliver riveting performances as soldiers grappling with issues of race, loyalty, and sacrifice on their march to history. The gut-wrenching depiction of an often-overlooked aspect of America's past makes this film a powerful and unforgettable tribute to the courage of those who fought for freedom.

• # 2 of 27 on The 25+ Best Civil War Movies Of All Time, Ranked
• # 13 of 263 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time
• # 133 of 399 on The Best Movies Of The 1980s, Ranked

The Tuskegee Airmen

This historical drama chronicles the heroic journey of the pioneering African American pilots known as the Tuskegee Airmen, who defied racism and skepticism to fight for their country during World War II. With powerful performances from a talented ensemble cast, including Laurence Fishburne, Andre Braugher, and Cuba Gooding Jr., the film delves into the harsh realities faced by these fearless men as they battled bigotry on the home front while courageously taking to the skies. The compelling portrayal of their tenacity and patriotism shines a light on an often-forgotten chapter in American military history and serves as a testament to the power of perseverance.

• # 179 of 263 on The 200+ Best War Movies Of All Time
• # 23 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories
• # 117 of 467 on The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked

Judas and the Black Messiah

This intense historical drama delves into the betrayal and assassination of Fred Hampton, the charismatic chairman of the Illinois chapter of the Black Panther Party, at the hands of an FBI informant. Daniel Kaluuya's electrifying portrayal of Hampton anchors the film, shedding light on the radical politics and enduring impact of a leader cut down before his prime. Driven by dynamic performances and a gripping narrative, the movie forces viewers to confront the lengths governments will go to crush powerful voices advocating for change.

• Dig Deeper... Every Oscar Winning Film Ever
• # 329 of 460 on The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked
• # 134 of 155 on The Best Ensemble Movies Of All Time

Remember the Titans

Set against the backdrop of racial tensions in early-1970s Virginia, this uplifting sports drama recounts the true story of an African American football coach , played by Denzel Washington, tasked with integrating a racially divided high school team. Aided by a strong ensemble cast, the movie skillfully weaves themes of courage, unity, and acceptance into a larger narrative about overcoming prejudice. By rooting the story in the transformative power of sports, the film manages to effectively address the persistent struggle for racial equality in America.

• # 27 of 111 on The 100+ Best Movies About High School
• # 502 of 772 on The Most Rewatchable Movies
• # 114 of 155 on The 150+ Best Classic Tween Movies

Cadillac Records

Cadillac Records delves into the colorful world of Chess Records, the iconic Chicago-based label that cultivated African American artists and popularized the electric blues genre. The stellar cast, including Adrien Brody, Jeffrey Wright, and Beyoncé Knowles, portrays the tumultuous relationships, groundbreaking artists, and racial challenges faced by the company at the height of its success. For music enthusiasts and history buffs alike, the electrifying performances and evocative storytelling make this film a fascinating window into a pivotal moment in American music history.

• # 152 of 240 on The 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story
• # 25 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories
• # 106 of 467 on The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked

Showcasing Chadwick Boseman's dynamic portrayal of James Brown, Get on Up dances through the rise, fall, and ultimately triumphant resurgence of one of the most influential musicians in history. Told using an innovative nonlinear style, the film delves into the Godfather of Soul's troubled childhood, ambitious drive, and groundbreaking performances that both captivated audiences and influenced generations of artists to come. As much a portrait of the man as of his music, the film is a love letter to the lasting legacy of a complex and enduring cultural icon.

• # 194 of 240 on The 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story
• # 22 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories
• # 86 of 90 on The 85+ Most Inspirational Movies Of All Time

Step into the ring with Will Smith's immersive and intense portrayal of boxing legend Muhammad Ali, as the film covers everything from his biggest fights to his personal relationships and political activism. Masterfully directed by Michael Mann, the movie captures the swagger, charisma, and poignancy that made Ali such a beloved and controversial figure beyond the world of sports. Offering an intimate look at the trials and triumphs of a larger-than-life personality, Ali packs a punch that leaves viewers enthralled.

• # 41 of 113 on The Best Movies Of 2001
• # 124 of 240 on The 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story
• # 92 of 205 on The Best Sports Movies Ever Made

Why Do Fools Fall in Love

This poignant drama delves into the life and loves of 1950s doo-wop crooner Frankie Lymon, exploring his rise to fame, his tumultuous relationships with three women, and his tragic downward spiral. The film boasts a talented ensemble cast, including Larenz Tate as Lymon, alongside Halle Berry, Vivica A. Fox, and Lela Rochon. The courtroom scenes form a significant part of the plot, adding a unique twist to the genre by entertainingly revealing scandalous details about Lymon's personal life.

• # 162 of 170 on The Best Movies About Music
• # 85 of 467 on The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked
• # 130 of 153 on The Best Movies Named After Songs

American Gangster

Chronicling the rise and fall of drug kingpin Frank Lucas, this compelling crime drama features Denzel Washington as the notorious Harlem crime lord. The film's sharp exploration of the complexities inherent in Lucas' empire - his ruthless ambition juxtaposed against his dedication to family and community - underscores the duality between the American dream and the dark underbelly of criminal enterprise. With strong performances and gripping storytelling, the movie provides a raw and unflinching glimpse into the life of one of the most infamous figures in criminal history.

• # 134 of 190 on The Best Movies For Men
• # 207 of 675 on The Best Movies Roger Ebert Gave Four Stars
• # 9 of 94 on The 90+ Best Mafia Movies Of All Time

Introducing Dorothy Dandridge

Embodying the glamour and grace of the first African American actress to be nominated for an Academy Award, Halle Berry delivers a stunning performance in the title role of this television biopic. Chronicling the captivating life of Dorothy Dandridge, the film exposes the racial barriers and pay inequality she faced, while also revealing her resilience, charisma, and groundbreaking accomplishments. A riveting tribute to an iconic figure often forgotten by history, the movie leaves viewers eager to learn more about Dandridge's trailblazing legacy.

• # 156 of 467 on The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked
• # 51 of 121 on The 100+ Best Movies With Black Female Leads
• # 31 of 65 on The Best Movies About Becoming Famous

Fruitvale Station

A heartrending portrayal of the final day in the life of Oscar Grant III, a young African American man who was fatally shot by a police officer in Oakland, California, Fruitvale Station tells a poignant story of injustice and loss. Michael B. Jordan delivers a powerful performance as Grant, humanizing the tragedy through intimate glimpses into his relationships, dreams, and struggles. The film leaves a lasting impression, serving as a sobering reminder of the ongoing issues of racial bias and police violence faced by African Americans.

• # 28 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories
• # 255 of 467 on The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked
• # 37 of 55 on The Best Movies About Corrupt Cops

Antwone Fisher

Based on the autobiography of Navy sailor Antwone Fisher, this emotionally charged drama follows Fisher's journey as he navigates his traumatic childhood, anger issues, and struggles with self-worth. Derek Luke delivers a powerful performance as the film's resilient protagonist, while director Denzel Washington masterfully guides the narrative as it delves into the power of healing and redemption. A poignant exploration of overcoming past wounds and finding inner strength, the movie serves as a testament to the resilience of the human spirit.

• # 37 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories
• # 89 of 152 on The Best Movies of 2002
• # 53 of 467 on The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked

The Great Debaters

Inspired by the true story of Melvin B. Tolson, an African American professor in the Jim Crow-era South who coached a debate team to national acclaim, The Great Debaters showcases Denzel Washington's directorial prowess and acting talent. As both behind the camera and in front of it, Washington explores themes of education, perseverance, activism, and racial inequality through the experiences of an underdog team from a small black college. This uplifting drama, punctuated by powerful performances and rousing speeches, highlights the transformative power of learning and eloquence in the face of adversity.

• # 17 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories
• # 62 of 467 on The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked
• # 7 of 40 on The Most Inspirational Black Movies

The New Edition Story

This immersive three-part miniseries captures the exciting rise and tumultuous journey of R&B group New Edition from their humble beginnings in Boston to their global success and subsequent breakup. Entertaining and honest, the series delves into the personal and professional lives of these talented musicians, offering a fascinating glimpse into the challenges faced by fame and fortune. This engaging biographical drama, bolstered by strong performances from a young cast, takes viewers on an unforgettable ride through the history of a beloved musical act.

The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman

A groundbreaking television movie that has stood the test of time, The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman traces the life of a woman who was born into slavery and survived to participate in the civil rights movement of the 1960s. Cicely Tyson's riveting portrayal of the titular character garnered widespread acclaim, poignantly capturing the resilience and wisdom of someone who has seen the best and worst of humanity. By offering a sweeping look at a century of history through the eyes of one indomitable character, the film remains a must-watch for those exploring the African American experience in cinema.

• # 140 of 467 on The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked
• # 22 of 53 on Well-Made Movies About Slavery
• # 16 of 163 on The Best Movies About Black History

Rosewood paints a harrowing picture of the 1923 racially motivated massacre that devastated the predominantly African American town of Rosewood, Florida. Director John Singleton masterfully recreates the brutal violence and racial hatred that led to the killing of innocent residents, while also weaving a fictional narrative of courage and heroism that illuminates the resilience of the community. With its gripping story and powerful performances, the film offers a harrowing look at a dark chapter in American history, shedding light on the pervasive impact of racism.

• # 7 of 9 on John Singleton: Movies Directed By John Singleton
• # 13 of 35 on The Best Movies Based on Real Murders
• # 14 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories

Based on the 1981 Broadway musical, this dazzling cinematic adaptation weaves a fictional narrative inspired by the rise of Diana Ross and The Supremes. The ensemble cast, including Beyoncé Knowles, Jennifer Hudson, and Eddie Murphy, delivers top-notch performances that capture the ambitions, tribulations, and triumphs of the talented singers striving for stardom in a cutthroat music industry. This glittering spectacle of song and dance, bolstered by its evocative exploration of fame, friendship, and loss, offers a striking glimpse into a pivotal era in African American pop culture.

• Dig Deeper... Every Song in Dreamgirls, Ranked by Singability
• # 106 of 204 on Musical Movies With The Best Songs
• # 42 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories

Capturing the lightning-in-a-bottle talent of Christopher "Biggie Smalls" Wallace, Notorious offers a poignant and authentic look at the meteoric rise and untimely demise of one of hip-hop's most influential figures. With pitch-perfect casting, particularly in the form of Jamal Woolard's heartfelt portrayal of Wallace, the film delves into the complex man behind the image, from his beginnings as a Brooklyn street hustler to his ascension to the top of the rap game. Ultimately, the movie serves as a fitting tribute to a legend whose life was cut short, leaving an indelible mark on the world of music.

• # 81 of 99 on The Best Period Movies Set in the '80s
• # 52 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories
• # 145 of 170 on The Best Movies About Music

The Pursuit of Happyness

This heartrending drama, inspired by the true story of Chris Gardner's struggle to overcome homelessness and become a successful entrepreneur, showcases Will Smith's stirring portrayal of a man determined to build a better life for himself and his son. Through its blend of heartache, humor, and hope, the film expertly captures the resilience of the human spirit and the power of persistence. A classic underdog story, The Pursuit of Happyness resonates with audiences as a reminder that even the most insurmountable obstacles can be conquered with unwavering determination.

• Dig Deeper... The Sad Tale Of Chris Gardner, The Man From The Pursuit of Happyness
• # 154 of 190 on The Best Movies For Men
• # 39 of 99 on The Best Period Movies Set in the '80s

Focusing on the early career of future Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, this riveting courtroom drama sees Chadwick Boseman embodying the fearless attorney who dedicated his life to fighting for civil rights and equality. The film follows Marshall as he defends a young African American man accused of a brutal crime, showcasing his tenacity, wit, and unflinching pursuit of justice. As an inspiring portrait of a legal pioneer who would later change the course of American history, Marshall is a compelling addition to the biopic canon.

• # 153 of 238 on The 200+ Best Movies Based On A True Story
• # 33 of 80 on Great Historical Black Movies Based On True Stories
• # 79 of 90 on The 85+ Most Inspirational Movies Of All Time

Ghosts of Mississippi

This potent courtroom drama exposes the long-delayed pursuit of justice for the murder of civil rights leader Medgar Evers, with Alec Baldwin as zealous prosecutor Bobby DeLaughter and James Woods as the unrepentant white supremacist assassin Byron De La Beckwith. Symbolizing the broader struggle for civil rights, the film expertly navigates the political, social, and emotional complexities surrounding the reopening of a case that had lain dormant for three decades. The emotionally charged atmosphere and outstanding performances make it a riveting watch, particularly for those interested in the untold histories of America's civil rights movement.

• # 52 of 117 on The Best Movies Of 1996
• # 225 of 467 on The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked
• # 5 of 13 on Historical Movies Where The 'Hero' Is The Wrong Person

Coach Carter

Based on the true story of high school basketball coach Ken Carter, this inspirational sports drama portrays Samuel L. Jackson's titular character as an uncompromising educator who prioritizes academics over athletics to an initially resistant team. Showcasing the transformative power of discipline, teamwork, and mentorship, the movie delves into the impact that a dedicated coach can have on young lives. As an uplifting tale of success beyond the confines of the basketball court, Coach Carter serves as a reminder of the importance of education and personal growth.

• # 52 of 205 on The Best Sports Movies Ever Made
• # 36 of 143 on The Best Movies of 2005
• # 22 of 467 on The Best Black Movies Ever Made, Ranked
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Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar, dies at 87

Updated on: March 29, 2024 / 3:02 PM EDT / CBS/AP

Louis Gossett Jr., the first Black man to win a supporting actor Oscar and an Emmy winner for his role in the seminal TV miniseries "Roots," has died. He was 87.

Gossett's cousin, Neal L. Gossett, confirmed his death to CBS News. The actor died Thursday night in Santa Monica, California, The Associated Press reported. No cause of death was revealed.

"It is with our heartfelt regret to confirm our beloved father passed away this morning. We would like to thank everyone for their condolences at this time. Please respect the family's privacy during this difficult time," his family said in a statement Friday.

Gossett always thought of his early career as a reverse Cinderella story, with success finding him from an early age and propelling him forward, toward his Academy Award for "An Officer and a Gentleman."

He earned his first acting credit in his Brooklyn high school's production of "You Can't Take It with You" while he was sidelined from the basketball team with an injury.

"I was hooked — and so was my audience," he wrote in his 2010 memoir "An Actor and a Gentleman."

His English teacher urged him to go into Manhattan to try out for "Take a Giant Step." He got the part and made his Broadway debut in 1953 at age 16.

"I knew too little to be nervous," Gossett wrote. "In retrospect, I should have been scared to death as I walked onto that stage, but I wasn't."

Gossett attended New York University on a basketball and drama scholarship. He was soon acting and singing on TV shows hosted by David Susskind, Ed Sullivan, Red Buttons, Merv Griffin, Jack Paar and Steve Allen. Gossett became friendly with James Dean and studied acting with Marilyn Monroe, Martin Landau and Steve McQueen at an offshoot of the Actors Studio taught by Frank Silvera.

In 1959, Gossett received critical acclaim for his role in the Broadway production of "A Raisin in the Sun" along with Sidney Poitier, Ruby Dee and Diana Sands. 

"I'm fortunate to have worked with Sidney Poitier, Diana Sands, Ruby Dee. What a pleasure," Gossett told CBS News in 2020 . "Showed me what was good and what was bad. They taught me about that. And I fell in love. It's in my bloodstream."

Gossett went on to become a star on Broadway, replacing Billy Daniels in "Golden Boy" with Sammy Davis Jr. in 1964. 

Gossett went to Hollywood for the first time in 1961 to make the film version of "A Raisin in the Sun." He had bitter memories of that trip, staying in a cockroach-infested motel that was one of the few places to allow Black people.

In 1968, he returned to Hollywood for a major role in "Companions in Nightmare," NBC's first made-for-TV movie that starred Melvyn Douglas, Anne Baxter and Patrick O'Neal.

This time, Gossett was booked into the Beverly Hills Hotel and Universal Studios had rented him a convertible. Driving back to the hotel after picking up the car, he was stopped by a Los Angeles County sheriff's officer who ordered him to turn down the radio and put up the car's roof before letting him go.

Within minutes, he was stopped by eight sheriff's officers, who had him lean against the car and made him open the trunk while they called the car rental agency before letting him go.

"Something happened to my system. You know, have to look over and be careful. Because that sensation did damage to me," Gossett said while recounting the incident in 2020. "So, when they say Black lives matter? All lives matter, because not only did they hurt me, but they hurt themselves."

After dinner at the hotel, he went for a walk and was stopped a block away by a police officer, who told him he broke a law prohibiting walking around residential Beverly Hills after 9 p.m. Two other officers arrived and Gossett said he was chained to a tree and handcuffed for three hours. He was eventually freed when the original police car returned.

"Now I had come face-to-face with racism, and it was an ugly sight," he wrote. "But it was not going to destroy me."

In the late 1990s, Gossett said he was pulled over by police on Pacific Coast Highway while driving his restored 1986 Rolls Royce Corniche II. The officer told him he looked like someone they were searching for, but the officer recognized Gossett and left.

He founded the Eracism Foundation to help create a world where racism doesn't exist.

Gossett made a series of guest appearances on such shows as "Bonanza," "The Rockford Files," "The Mod Squad," "McCloud" and a memorable turn with Richard Pryor on "The Partridge Family."

In August 1969, Gossett had been partying with members of the Mamas and the Papas when they were invited to actor Sharon Tate's house. He headed home first to shower and change clothes. As he was getting ready to leave, he caught a news flash on TV about Tate's murder. She and others were killed by Charles Manson's associates that night.

"There had to be a reason for my escaping this bullet," he wrote.

Louis Cameron Gossett was born on May 27, 1936, in the Coney Island section of Brooklyn, New York, to Louis Sr., a porter, and Hellen, a nurse. He later added Jr. to his name to honor his father.

Gossett broke through on the small screen as Fiddler in the groundbreaking 1977 miniseries "Roots," which depicted the atrocities of slavery on TV. The sprawling cast included Ben Vereen, LeVar Burton and John Amos.

Gossett became the third Black Oscar nominee in the supporting actor category in 1983. He told CBS News that at first, he didn't realize he had won for his performance as the intimidating Marine drill instructor in "An Officer and a Gentleman" opposite Richard Gere and Debra Winger.  

"My agent hit me in the chest and said, 'They mentioned your name!' And I had to look at him 'cause I thought I was asleep," said Gossett, who also won a Golden Globe for the role. "And I looked around and there was applause. Not supposed to be possible. So, that's a piece of history."

Gossett said that that win allowed him to choose "good parts" in future movies. In 2020, he told CBS News  that he considered his long career "a blessing" and would stay in the business as long as he was able. 

"As long as I'm here, there is a job to do for the benefit of us all, for what it's worth," he said.

Gossett appeared in such TV movies as "The Story of Satchel Paige," "Backstairs at the White House, "The Josephine Baker Story," for which he won another Golden Globe, and "Roots Revisited." He played an obstinate patriarch in the 2023 remake of "The Color Purple."

Gossett struggled with alcohol and cocaine addiction for years after his Oscar win. He went to rehab, where he was diagnosed with toxic mold syndrome, which he attributed to his house in Malibu.

In 2010, Gossett announced he had prostate cancer , which he said was caught in the early stages. In 2020, he was hospitalized with COVID-19.

He is survived by sons Satie, a producer-director from his second marriage, and Sharron, a chef whom he adopted after seeing the 7-year-old in a TV segment on children in desperate situations. His first cousin is actor Robert Gossett.

Gossett's first marriage to Hattie Glascoe was annulled. His second, to Christina Mangosing, ended in divorce in 1975 as did his third to actor Cyndi James-Reese in 1992.

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Top 100 Biography Movies

These are the top 100 movies from the Biography genre (as per indicated by IMDb, even though I may disagree with some movies being classed as such) that I have watched & rated since joining IMDb in July 2016, well at least according to me anyway. This is not a complete list of everything I have watched ever as my memory isn't that good but is a complete list since joining and thus keeping track. I have them listed in order from my favourite down.

• Movies or TV
• IMDb Rating
• In Theaters
• Release Year

1. Dangerous Minds (1995)

R | 99 min | Biography, Drama

LouAnne, a retired US marine, becomes a teacher in a Californian high school. But her mostly Latino and black students from an impoverished and racially segregated locality do not easily embrace her.

Director: John N. Smith | Stars: Michelle Pfeiffer , George Dzundza , Courtney B. Vance , Robin Bartlett

Votes: 56,948 | Gross: $84.92M

2. The Hurricane (1999)

R | 146 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

The story of Rubin 'Hurricane' Carter , a boxer wrongly imprisoned for murder, and the people who aided in his fight to prove his innocence.

Director: Norman Jewison | Stars: Denzel Washington , Vicellous Shannon , Deborah Kara Unger , Liev Schreiber

Votes: 102,273 | Gross: $50.67M

3. Remember the Titans (2000)

PG | 113 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

In 1971 Virginia high school football was everything to the people of Alexandria. But when the school board was forced to integrate an all-black school with an all-white one, the very foundation of football's tradition was put to the test.

Director: Boaz Yakin | Stars: Denzel Washington , Will Patton , Wood Harris , Ryan Hurst

Votes: 231,375 | Gross: $115.65M

4. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)

R | 139 min | Biography, Drama, History

World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss , serving during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.

Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Andrew Garfield , Sam Worthington , Luke Bracey , Teresa Palmer

Votes: 591,331 | Gross: $67.21M

5. Inherit the Wind (1960)

Passed | 128 min | Biography, Drama, History

Based on a real-life case in 1925; two great lawyers argue the case for, and against, a Tennessee science teacher accused of the crime of teaching Darwin's theory of evolution.

Director: Stanley Kramer | Stars: Spencer Tracy , Fredric March , Gene Kelly , Dick York

Votes: 32,684

6. Secretariat (2010)

PG | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Family

Penny Chenery Tweedy and colleagues guide her long-shot but precocious stallion to set, in 1973, the unbeaten record for winning the Triple Crown.

Director: Randall Wallace | Stars: Diane Lane , John Malkovich , Margo Martindale , Nelsan Ellis

Votes: 30,503 | Gross: $59.71M

7. Phar Lap (1983)

PG | 107 min | Biography, Drama, Family

The true story of a New Zealand racehorse that became a champion, with the help of a local stable-boy.

Director: Simon Wincer | Stars: Tom Burlinson , Judy Morris , Martin Vaughan , Celia De Burgh

Votes: 1,961

8. Dangal (2016)

Not Rated | 161 min | Action, Biography, Drama

Former wrestler Mahavir Singh Phogat and his two wrestler daughters struggle towards glory at the Commonwealth Games in the face of societal oppression.

Director: Nitesh Tiwari | Stars: Aamir Khan , Sakshi Tanwar , Fatima Sana Shaikh , Sanya Malhotra

Votes: 209,584 | Gross: $12.39M

9. A Royal Affair (2012)

R | 137 min | Biography, Drama, History

A young queen, who is married to an insane king, falls secretly in love with her physician - and together they start a revolution that changes a nation forever.

Director: Nikolaj Arcel | Stars: Alicia Vikander , Mads Mikkelsen , Mikkel Boe Følsgaard , Trine Dyrholm

Votes: 50,606 | Gross: $1.55M

10. Coach Carter (2005)

PG-13 | 136 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

Controversy surrounds high school basketball coach Ken Carter after he benches his entire team for breaking their academic contract with him.

Director: Thomas Carter | Stars: Samuel L. Jackson , Rick Gonzalez , Robert Ri'chard , Rob Brown

Votes: 171,192 | Gross: $67.26M

11. The Idol (2015)

Not Rated | 100 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama

Mohammed Assaf, an aspiring musician living in Gaza, sets a seemingly impossible goal: to compete on the program "Arab Idol."

Director: Hany Abu-Assad | Stars: Tawfeek Barhom , Qais Attaallah , Hiba Attalah , Ahmad Qasem

Votes: 1,989

12. Coal Miner's Daughter (1980)

PG | 124 min | Biography, Drama, Music

The fictionalized life of singer Loretta Lynn, a girl who rose from humble beginnings to become a country music star in the 1960s/70s.

Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Sissy Spacek , Tommy Lee Jones , Levon Helm , Phyllis Boyens

Votes: 20,438 | Gross: $67.18M

13. Bloodsport (1988)

R | 92 min | Action, Biography, Drama

"Bloodsport" follows Frank Dux , an American martial artist serving in the military, who decides to leave the army to compete in a martial arts tournament in Hong Kong where fights to the death can occur.

Director: Newt Arnold | Stars: Jean-Claude Van Damme , Donald Gibb , Leah Ayres , Norman Burton

Votes: 93,644 | Gross: $11.81M

14. Soul Surfer (2011)

PG | 112 min | Biography, Drama, Family

Bethany Hamilton, a professional surfer, loses her left arm in a shark attack. Unwilling to pay attention to the gravity of her situation, Bethany decides to get back into the ocean and surf again.

Director: Sean McNamara | Stars: AnnaSophia Robb , Dennis Quaid , Helen Hunt , Carrie Underwood

Votes: 52,774 | Gross: $43.85M

15. The Blind Side (2009)

PG-13 | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

The story of Michael Oher, a homeless and traumatized boy who became an All-American football player and first-round NFL draft pick with the help of a caring woman and her family.

Director: John Lee Hancock | Stars: Quinton Aaron , Sandra Bullock , Tim McGraw , Jae Head

Votes: 359,688 | Gross: $255.96M

16. Papillon (1973)

R | 151 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

A French convict in the 1930s befriends a fellow criminal as the two of them begin serving their sentence in the South American penal colony on Devil's Island, which inspires the man to plot his escape.

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner | Stars: Steve McQueen , Dustin Hoffman , Victor Jory , Don Gordon

Votes: 138,120 | Gross: $53.27M

17. Hansie: A True Story (2008)

123 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

"How do you start over once you have betrayed a nation's trust?" The news of Hansie Cronjé's involvement with Indian bookmakers and his resulting public confession rocked the international ... See full summary  »

Director: Regardt van den Bergh | Stars: Frank Rautenbach , Sarah Thompson , Matthew Dylan Roberts , Leslie Mongezi

18. The Intouchables (2011)

R | 112 min | Comedy, Drama

After he becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, an aristocrat hires a young man from the projects to be his caregiver.

Directors: Olivier Nakache , Éric Toledano | Stars: François Cluzet , Omar Sy , Anne Le Ny , Audrey Fleurot

Votes: 926,121 | Gross: $13.18M

19. Ed Wood (1994)

R | 127 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama

Ambitious but troubled movie director Edward D. Wood Jr. tries his best to fulfill his dreams despite his lack of talent.

Director: Tim Burton | Stars: Johnny Depp , Martin Landau , Sarah Jessica Parker , Patricia Arquette

Votes: 183,713 | Gross: $5.89M

20. Brain on Fire (2016)

PG-13 | 88 min | Biography, Drama

A young, capable professional cannot explain her newly erratic behavior.

Director: Gerard Barrett | Stars: Chloë Grace Moretz , Thomas Mann , Richard Armitage , Carrie-Anne Moss

Votes: 24,084

21. The Legend Is Born: Ip Man (2010)

Not Rated | 100 min | Action, Biography, Drama

Yip Man's resistance against invading foreigners, along with his romantic relations while under the tutelage of three Wing Chun masters.

Director: Herman Yau | Stars: Yu-Hang To , Yi Huang , Biao Yuen , Siu-Wong Fan

Votes: 32,756

22. 42 (2013)

PG-13 | 128 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

In 1947, Jackie Robinson becomes the first African-American to play in Major League Baseball in the modern era when he was signed by the Brooklyn Dodgers and faces considerable racism in the process.

Director: Brian Helgeland | Stars: Chadwick Boseman , T.R. Knight , Harrison Ford , Nicole Beharie

Votes: 102,367 | Gross: $95.00M

23. Ip Man (2008)

R | 106 min | Action, Biography, Drama

During the Japanese invasion of China, a wealthy martial artist is forced to leave his home when his city is occupied. With little means of providing for themselves, Ip Man and the remaining members of the city must find a way to survive.

Director: Wilson Yip | Stars: Donnie Yen , Simon Yam , Siu-Wong Fan , Ka-Tung Lam

Votes: 233,205

24. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)

R | 111 min | Action, Biography, Crime

Bored 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.

Director: Arthur Penn | Stars: Warren Beatty , Faye Dunaway , Michael J. Pollard , Gene Hackman

Votes: 120,394

25. 8 Seconds (1994)

PG-13 | 105 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

This movie chronicles the life of Lane Frost, 1987 PRCA Bull Riding World Champion, his marriage and his friendships with Tuff Hedeman (three-time World Champion) and Cody Lambert.

Director: John G. Avildsen | Stars: Luke Perry , Stephen Baldwin , James Rebhorn , Cameron Finley

Votes: 5,734 | Gross: $19.60M

26. An American Crime (2007)

R | 98 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

The true story of suburban housewife Gertrude Baniszewski, who kept a teenage girl locked in the basement of her Indiana home during the 1960s.

Director: Tommy O'Haver | Stars: Elliot Page , Hayley McFarland , Nick Searcy , Romy Rosemont

Votes: 36,883

27. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)

PG | 110 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

In 1890s Wyoming, Butch Cassidy and The Sundance Kid lead a band of outlaws. When a train robbery goes wrong, they find themselves on the run with a posse hard on their heels. After considering their options, they escape to South America.

Director: George Roy Hill | Stars: Paul Newman , Robert Redford , Katharine Ross , Strother Martin

Votes: 226,340 | Gross: $102.31M

28. The Greatest Showman (2017)

PG | 105 min | Biography, Drama, Musical

Celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.

Director: Michael Gracey | Stars: Hugh Jackman , Michelle Williams , Zac Efron , Zendaya

Votes: 310,298 | Gross: $174.34M

29. Spartacus (1960)

PG-13 | 197 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama

The slave Spartacus survives brutal training as a gladiator and leads a violent revolt against the decadent Roman Republic, as the ambitious Crassus seeks to gain power by crushing the uprising.

Directors: Stanley Kubrick , Anthony Mann | Stars: Kirk Douglas , Laurence Olivier , Jean Simmons , Charles Laughton

Votes: 142,855 | Gross: $30.00M

30. Tracks (I) (2013)

PG-13 | 112 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama

A young woman goes on a 1,700-mile trek across the deserts of West Australia with four camels and her faithful dog.

Director: John Curran | Stars: Mia Wasikowska , Adam Driver , Lily Pearl , Philip Dodd

Votes: 31,673 | Gross: $0.51M

31. Sully (2016)

PG-13 | 96 min | Biography, Drama

When pilot Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger lands his damaged plane on the Hudson River in order to save the flight's passengers and crew, some consider him a hero while others think he was reckless.

Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Tom Hanks , Aaron Eckhart , Laura Linney , Valerie Mahaffey

Votes: 297,172 | Gross: $125.07M

32. Lion (2016)

PG-13 | 118 min | Biography, Drama

A five-year-old Indian boy is adopted by an Australian couple after getting lost hundreds of kilometers from home. 25 years later, he sets out to find his lost family.

Director: Garth Davis | Stars: Dev Patel , Nicole Kidman , Rooney Mara , Sunny Pawar

Votes: 250,367 | Gross: $51.74M

33. A Beautiful Mind (2001)

PG-13 | 135 min | Biography, Drama, Mystery

A 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.

Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Russell Crowe , Ed Harris , Jennifer Connelly , Christopher Plummer

Votes: 984,412 | Gross: $170.74M

34. The Wind Rises (2013)

PG-13 | 126 min | Animation, Biography, Drama

Jiro Horikoshi studies assiduously to fulfill his aim of becoming an aeronautical engineer. As WWII begins, fighter aircraft designed by him end up getting used by the Japanese Empire against its foes.

Director: Hayao Miyazaki | Stars: Hideaki Anno , Hidetoshi Nishijima , Miori Takimoto , Masahiko Nishimura

Votes: 98,213 | Gross: $5.21M

35. The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith (1978)

108 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

After suffering racist abuse throughout his life - which intensifies following his marriage to a white woman - a half-Aboriginal farmhand finds himself driven to murder.

Director: Fred Schepisi | Stars: Tommy Lewis , Freddy Reynolds , Angela Punch McGregor , Ray Barrett

Votes: 2,520

36. Lovelace (2013)

R | 93 min | Biography, Drama

The story of Linda Lovelace , who is used and abused by the porn industry at the behest of her coercive husband before taking control of her life.

Directors: Rob Epstein , Jeffrey Friedman | Stars: Amanda Seyfried , Peter Sarsgaard , Sharon Stone , Juno Temple

Votes: 42,671 | Gross: $0.36M

37. Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)

R | 117 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

A tale of an inner city drug dealer who turns away from a life of crime to pursue his passion of rap music.

Director: Jim Sheridan | Stars: 50 Cent , Joy Bryant , Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje , Omar Benson Miller

Votes: 50,076 | Gross: $30.98M

38. Eddie the Eagle (2015)

PG-13 | 106 min | Adventure, Biography, Comedy

The story of Eddie Edwards, the notoriously tenacious British underdog ski jumper who charmed the world at the 1988 Winter Olympics.

Director: Dexter Fletcher | Stars: Taron Egerton , Hugh Jackman , Tom Costello , Jo Hartley

Votes: 99,962 | Gross: $15.79M

39. Schindler's List (1993)

R | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History

In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Liam Neeson , Ralph Fiennes , Ben Kingsley , Caroline Goodall

Votes: 1,445,688 | Gross: $96.90M

40. Rush (I) (2013)

R | 123 min | Action, Biography, Drama

The merciless 1970s rivalry between Formula One rivals James Hunt and Niki Lauda .

Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Daniel Brühl , Chris Hemsworth , Olivia Wilde , Alexandra Maria Lara

Votes: 511,825 | Gross: $26.95M

41. Heavenly Creatures (1994)

R | 99 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

Two teenage girls share a unique bond; their parents, concerned that the friendship is too intense, separate them, and the girls take revenge.

Director: Peter Jackson | Stars: Melanie Lynskey , Kate Winslet , Sarah Peirse , Diana Kent

Votes: 67,295 | Gross: $3.05M

42. Enid (2009 TV Movie)

82 min | Biography, Drama

Edwardian child Enid Blyton begins to tell stories to her brothers as an escape from their parents' rows before the father deserts the family. While training as a teacher after the Great ... See full summary  »

Director: James Hawes | Stars: Helena Bonham Carter , Matthew Macfadyen , Denis Lawson , Claire Rushbrook

Votes: 1,666

43. The Zookeeper's Wife (2017)

PG-13 | 127 min | Biography, Drama, History

Keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Antonina and Jan Zabinski, must save hundreds of people and animals during the Nazi invasion in WWII Poland.

Director: Niki Caro | Stars: Jessica Chastain , Johan Heldenbergh , Daniel Brühl , Timothy Radford

Votes: 46,406 | Gross: $17.45M

44. In the Heart of the Sea (2015)

PG-13 | 122 min | Action, Adventure, Biography

A recounting of a New England whaling ship's sinking by a giant whale in 1820, an experience that later inspired the great novel Moby-Dick.

Director: Ron Howard | Stars: Chris Hemsworth , Cillian Murphy , Brendan Gleeson , Ben Whishaw

Votes: 148,469 | Gross: $25.02M

45. Shine (1996)

PG-13 | 105 min | Biography, Drama, Music

Pianist David Helfgott, driven by his father and teachers, has a breakdown. Years later he returns to the piano, to popular if not critical acclaim.

Director: Scott Hicks | Stars: Geoffrey Rush , Armin Mueller-Stahl , Justin Braine , Sonia Todd

Votes: 56,604 | Gross: $35.81M

46. Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013)

PG-13 | 100 min | Action, Biography, Drama

In postwar Hong Kong, legendary Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man is reluctantly called into action once more, when what begin as simple challenges from rival kung fu styles soon draw him into ... See full summary  »

Director: Herman Yau | Stars: Anthony Chau-Sang Wong , Gillian Chung , Jordan Chan , Eric Tsang

Votes: 11,539 | Gross: $0.04M

47. Devil's Knot (2013)

Not Rated | 114 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

The savage murders of three young children sparks a controversial trial of three teenagers accused of killing the kids as part of a Satanic ritual.

Director: Atom Egoyan | Stars: Colin Firth , Reese Witherspoon , Alessandro Nivola , James Hamrick

Votes: 23,795

48. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)

R | 180 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime

Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort , from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.

Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio , Jonah Hill , Margot Robbie , Matthew McConaughey

Votes: 1,575,730 | Gross: $116.90M

49. Miss Potter (2006)

PG | 88 min | Biography, Drama, Romance

The story of Beatrix Potter, the author of the beloved and best-selling children's book, "The Tale of Peter Rabbit", and her struggle for love, happiness, and success.

Director: Chris Noonan | Stars: Renée Zellweger , Ewan McGregor , Emily Watson , Barbara Flynn

Votes: 31,925 | Gross: $2.98M

50. Gorillas in the Mist (1988)

PG-13 | 129 min | Biography, Drama

The story of Dian Fossey , a scientist who came to Africa to study the vanishing mountain gorillas, and later fought to protect them.

Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Sigourney Weaver , Bryan Brown , Julie Harris , John Omirah Miluwi

Votes: 29,106 | Gross: $24.72M

51. I'm Not Ashamed (2016)

PG-13 | 112 min | Biography, Drama

The true story of Rachel Joy Scott , the first student killed in the Columbine High School shooting on April 20, 1999.

Director: Brian Baugh | Stars: Masey McLain , Ben Davies , Cameron McKendry , Terri Minton

Votes: 4,160 | Gross: $2.08M

52. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)

R | 125 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

Three amateur bank robbers plan to hold up a bank. A nice simple robbery: Walk in, take the money, and run. Unfortunately, the supposedly uncomplicated heist suddenly becomes a bizarre nightmare as everything that could go wrong does.

Director: Sidney Lumet | Stars: Al Pacino , John Cazale , Penelope Allen , Sully Boyar

Votes: 272,475 | Gross: $50.00M

53. Jesse James (1939)

GP | 106 min | Western

After railroad agents forcibly evict the James family from their family farm, Jesse and Frank turn to banditry for revenge.

Directors: Henry King , Irving Cummings | Stars: Tyrone Power , Henry Fonda , Nancy Kelly , Randolph Scott

Votes: 4,932

54. The Birth of a Nation (2016)

R | 120 min | Biography, Drama, History

Nat Turner, a literate slave and preacher in the antebellum South, orchestrates an uprising.

Director: Nate Parker | Stars: Nate Parker , Armie Hammer , Penelope Ann Miller , Jackie Earle Haley

Votes: 21,800 | Gross: $15.86M

55. Jappeloup (2013)

Not Rated | 130 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

A horse with amazing courage and a big heart.

Director: Christian Duguay | Stars: Guillaume Canet , Marina Hands , Daniel Auteuil , Lou de Laâge

Votes: 1,835

56. Full Out (2015)

TV-PG | 90 min | Biography, Drama, Family

A young gymnast's Olympic aspirations are crushed after a debilitating accident.

Director: Sean Cisterna | Stars: Ana Golja , Jennifer Beals , Sarah Fisher , Asha Ashanti Bromfield

Votes: 3,008

57. My Dinner with Andre (1981)

PG | 110 min | Comedy, Drama

Two old friends meet for dinner; as one tells anecdotes detailing his experiences, the other notices their differing worldviews.

Director: Louis Malle | Stars: Andre Gregory , Wallace Shawn , Jean Lenauer , Roy Butler

Votes: 25,626 | Gross: $5.25M

58. Wild (I) (2014)

R | 115 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama

A chronicle of one woman's 1,100-mile solo hike undertaken as a way to recover from a recent personal tragedy.

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée | Stars: Reese Witherspoon , Laura Dern , Gaby Hoffmann , Michiel Huisman

Votes: 138,471 | Gross: $37.88M

59. Miracles from Heaven (2016)

PG | 109 min | Biography, Drama, Family

Based on the incredible true story of the Beam family.

Director: Patricia Riggen | Stars: Jennifer Garner , Kylie Rogers , Martin Henderson , Brighton Sharbino

Votes: 28,279 | Gross: $61.71M

60. Rudy (1993)

PG | 114 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

Rudy has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame.

Director: David Anspaugh | Stars: Sean Astin , Jon Favreau , Ned Beatty , Greta Lind

Votes: 68,874 | Gross: $22.75M

61. Catch Me If You Can (2002)

PG-13 | 141 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

Barely 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.

Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio , Tom Hanks , Christopher Walken , Martin Sheen

Votes: 1,090,740 | Gross: $164.62M

62. Loving (2016)

PG-13 | 123 min | Biography, Drama, Romance

The story of Richard and Mildred Loving, a couple whose arrest for interracial marriage in 1960s Virginia began a legal battle that would end with the Supreme Court's historic 1967 decision.

Director: Jeff Nichols | Stars: Ruth Negga , Joel Edgerton , Will Dalton , Dean Mumford

Votes: 36,320 | Gross: $7.70M

63. My Darling Clementine (1946)

Passed | 97 min | Drama, Romance, Western

After their cattle are stolen and their brother murdered, the Earp brothers have a score to settle with the Clanton family.

Director: John Ford | Stars: Henry Fonda , Linda Darnell , Victor Mature , Cathy Downs

Votes: 25,692

64. Bully (2001)

R | 108 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

A pack of naïve teenagers conspire to murder a mutual friend, whose aggressive demeanour has proven too much.

Director: Larry Clark | Stars: Brad Renfro , Nick Stahl , Bijou Phillips , Rachel Miner

Votes: 40,440 | Gross: $1.54M

65. A Dangerous Method (2011)

R | 99 min | Biography, Drama, Romance

A look at how the intense relationship between Carl Jung and Sigmund Freud gives birth to psychoanalysis.

Director: David Cronenberg | Stars: Michael Fassbender , Keira Knightley , Viggo Mortensen , Vincent Cassel

Votes: 108,207 | Gross: $5.70M

66. Fearless (2006)

PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Biography, Drama

A biography of Chinese Martial Arts Master Huo Yuanjia, who is the founder and spiritual guru of the Jin Wu Sports Federation.

Director: Ronny Yu | Stars: Jet Li , Li Sun , Yong Dong , Yun Qu

Votes: 78,586 | Gross: $24.63M

67. 6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain (2017)

PG-13 | 98 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

An adrenaline seeking snowboarder gets lost in a massive winter storm in the back country of the High Sierras where he is pushed to the limits of human endurance and forced to battle his own personal demons as he fights for survival...."

Director: Scott Waugh | Stars: Josh Hartnett , Mira Sorvino , Sarah Dumont , Kale Culley

Votes: 8,528

68. My Left Foot (1989)

R | 103 min | Biography, Drama

Christy Brown , born with cerebral palsy, learns to paint and write with his only controllable limb - his left foot.

Director: Jim Sheridan | Stars: Daniel Day-Lewis , Brenda Fricker , Alison Whelan , Kirsten Sheridan

Votes: 79,580 | Gross: $14.74M

69. The Last King of Scotland (2006)

R | 123 min | Biography, Drama, History

Based on the events of the brutal Ugandan dictator Idi Amin 's regime as seen by his personal physician during the 1970s.

Director: Kevin Macdonald | Stars: James McAvoy , Forest Whitaker , Gillian Anderson , Kerry Washington

Votes: 195,726 | Gross: $17.61M

70. The New World (2005)

PG-13 | 135 min | Biography, Drama, History

The story of the English exploration of Virginia, and of the changing world and loves of Pocahontas.

Director: Terrence Malick | Stars: Colin Farrell , Q'orianka Kilcher , Christopher Plummer , Christian Bale

Votes: 89,554 | Gross: $12.71M

71. Fruitvale Station (2013)

R | 85 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

The story of Oscar Grant III, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008.

Director: Ryan Coogler | Stars: Michael B. Jordan , Melonie Diaz , Octavia Spencer , Kevin Durand

Votes: 85,780 | Gross: $16.10M

72. Only the Brave (2017)

PG-13 | 134 min | Action, Biography, Drama

Based on the true story of the Granite Mountain Hotshots, a group of elite firefighters who risk everything to protect a town from a historic wildfire.

Director: Joseph Kosinski | Stars: Josh Brolin , Miles Teller , Jeff Bridges , Jennifer Connelly

Votes: 77,061 | Gross: $18.34M

73. The Lost City of Z (2016)

PG-13 | 141 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama

A true-life drama, centering on British explorer Major Percival Fawcett, who disappeared whilst searching for a mysterious city in the Amazon in the 1920s.

Director: James Gray | Stars: Charlie Hunnam , Robert Pattinson , Sienna Miller , Tom Holland

Votes: 99,223 | Gross: $8.58M

74. Into the Wild (2007)

R | 148 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama

After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.

Director: Sean Penn | Stars: Emile Hirsch , Vince Vaughn , Catherine Keener , Marcia Gay Harden

Votes: 656,661 | Gross: $18.35M

75. Henry & June (1990)

NC-17 | 136 min | Biography, Drama

Anaïs Nin meets American writer Henry Miller in Paris in 1931. She keeps a diary of her sexual awakening, which includes Henry and his wife June.

Director: Philip Kaufman | Stars: Fred Ward , Uma Thurman , Maria de Medeiros , Richard E. Grant

Votes: 14,152 | Gross: $11.57M

76. The Pianist (2002)

R | 150 min | Biography, Drama, Music

During WWII, acclaimed Polish musician Wladyslaw faces various struggles as he loses contact with his family. As the situation worsens, he hides in the ruins of Warsaw in order to survive.

Director: Roman Polanski | Stars: Adrien Brody , Thomas Kretschmann , Frank Finlay , Emilia Fox

Votes: 908,562 | Gross: $32.57M

77. All the President's Men (1976)

PG | 138 min | Drama, History, Thriller

"The Washington Post" reporters Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein uncover the details of the Watergate scandal that leads to President Richard Nixon 's resignation.

Director: Alan J. Pakula | Stars: Dustin Hoffman , Robert Redford , Jack Warden , Martin Balsam

Votes: 125,710 | Gross: $70.60M

78. 127 Hours (2010)

R | 94 min | Biography, Drama

A mountain climber becomes trapped under a boulder while canyoneering alone near Moab, Utah and resorts to desperate measures in order to survive.

Director: Danny Boyle | Stars: James Franco , Amber Tamblyn , Kate Mara , Sean Bott

Votes: 400,442 | Gross: $18.34M

79. Dallas Buyers Club (2013)

R | 117 min | Biography, Drama

In 1985 Dallas, electrician and hustler Ron Woodroof works around the system to help AIDS patients get the medication they need after he is diagnosed with the disease.

Director: Jean-Marc Vallée | Stars: Matthew McConaughey , Jennifer Garner , Jared Leto , Steve Zahn

Votes: 518,128 | Gross: $27.30M

80. Everest (2015)

PG-13 | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Biography

On May 10, 1996, mountain guides Rob Hall and Scott Fischer combine their expedition teams for a final ascent to the summit of Mount Everest. With little warning, a storm strikes the mountain and the climbers must now battle to survive.

Director: Baltasar Kormákur | Stars: Jason Clarke , Ang Phula Sherpa , Thomas M. Wright , Martin Henderson

Votes: 231,871 | Gross: $43.48M

81. The Motorcycle Diaries (2004)

R | 126 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama

Ernesto Guevara de la Serna, popularly known as Che, along with his friend Alberto Granado, decides to take a road trip across South America. His experiences on the journey transform him.

Director: Walter Salles | Stars: Gael García Bernal , Rodrigo de la Serna , Mía Maestro , Mercedes Morán

Votes: 104,661 | Gross: $16.78M

82. The Snowtown Murders (2011)

Not Rated | 119 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

Based on true events, 16 year-old Jamie falls in with his mother's new boyfriend and his crowd of self-appointed neighborhood watchmen, a relationship that leads to a spree of torture and murder.

Director: Justin Kurzel | Stars: Lucas Pittaway , Daniel Henshall , Louise Harris , Bob Adriaens

Votes: 20,557 | Gross: $0.01M

83. The Devils (1971)

R | 111 min | Biography, Drama, History

In 17th-century France, Father Urbain Grandier's protection of the city of Loudun from the corrupt Cardinal Richelieu is undermined by a sexually repressed nun's accusation of witchcraft.

Director: Ken Russell | Stars: Vanessa Redgrave , Oliver Reed , Dudley Sutton , Max Adrian

Votes: 18,564 | Gross: $1.13M

84. In the Realm of the Senses (1976)

NC-17 | 109 min | Drama, Romance

A passionate telling of the story of Sada Abe, a woman whose affair with her master led to an obsessive and ultimately destructive sexual relationship.

Director: Nagisa Ôshima | Stars: Tatsuya Fuji , Eiko Matsuda , Aoi Nakajima , Yasuko Matsui

Votes: 22,722

85. The Sound of Music (1965)

G | 172 min | Biography, Drama, Family

A young novice is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer.

Director: Robert Wise | Stars: Julie Andrews , Christopher Plummer , Eleanor Parker , Richard Haydn

Votes: 259,980 | Gross: $163.21M

86. Amadeus (1984)

R | 160 min | Biography, Drama, Music

The life, success and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart , as told by Antonio Salieri , the contemporaneous composer who was deeply jealous of Mozart's talent and claimed to have murdered him.

Director: Milos Forman | Stars: F. Murray Abraham , Tom Hulce , Elizabeth Berridge , Roy Dotrice

Votes: 426,490 | Gross: $51.97M

87. Patton (1970)

GP | 172 min | Biography, Drama, War

The World War II phase of the career of controversial American general George S. Patton .

Director: Franklin J. Schaffner | Stars: George C. Scott , Karl Malden , Stephen Young , Michael Strong

Votes: 107,758 | Gross: $61.70M

88. Public Enemies (2009)

R | 140 min | Action, Biography, Crime

The 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.

Director: Michael Mann | Stars: Christian Bale , Johnny Depp , Christian Stolte , Jason Clarke

Votes: 318,123 | Gross: $97.10M

89. Orlando (1992)

PG-13 | 94 min | Biography, Drama, Fantasy

After Queen Elizabeth I commands him not to grow old, a young nobleman struggles with love and his place in the world.

Director: Sally Potter | Stars: Tilda Swinton , Billy Zane , Quentin Crisp , Jimmy Somerville

Votes: 18,658 | Gross: $5.29M

90. The Railway Man (2013)

R | 116 min | Biography, Drama, Romance

A former British Army officer, who was tortured as a prisoner of war at a Japanese labor camp during World War II, discovers that the man responsible for much of his treatment is still alive and sets out to confront him.

Director: Jonathan Teplitzky | Stars: Colin Firth , Nicole Kidman , Stellan Skarsgård , Jeremy Irvine

Votes: 42,581 | Gross: $4.44M

91. The Grandmaster (2013)

PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Biography, Drama

The story of martial-arts master Ip Man, the man who trained Bruce Lee.

Director: Kar-Wai Wong | Stars: Tony Leung Chiu-wai , Ziyi Zhang , Jin Zhang , Chang Chen

Votes: 36,647 | Gross: $6.59M

92. Downfall (2004)

R | 156 min | Biography, Drama, History

Traudl Junge , the final secretary for Adolf Hitler , tells of the Nazi dictator's final days in his Berlin bunker at the end of WWII.

Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel | Stars: Bruno Ganz , Alexandra Maria Lara , Ulrich Matthes , Juliane Köhler

Votes: 374,352 | Gross: $5.51M

93. Romulus, My Father (2007)

R | 104 min | Biography, Drama

It tells the story of Romulus, his beautiful wife, Christina, and their struggle in the face of great adversity to bring up their son, Raimond. It is a story of impossible love that ultimately celebrates the unbreakable bond between father and son.

Director: Richard Roxburgh | Stars: Eric Bana , Franka Potente , Marton Csokas , Kodi Smit-McPhee

Votes: 4,313 | Gross: $0.00M

94. Raging Bull (1980)

R | 129 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

The life of boxer Jake LaMotta , whose violence and temper that led him to the top in the ring destroyed his life outside of it.

Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro , Cathy Moriarty , Joe Pesci , Frank Vincent

Votes: 379,234 | Gross: $23.38M

95. Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (1986)

Unrated | 83 min | Biography, Crime, Drama

Arriving in Chicago, Henry moves in with ex-con acquaintance Otis and starts schooling him in the ways of the serial killer.

Director: John McNaughton | Stars: Michael Rooker , Tracy Arnold , Tom Towles , Mary Demas

Votes: 40,302 | Gross: $0.61M

96. The Bronx Bull (2016)

R | 94 min | Biography, Drama, Sport

Based on the tumultuous real-life experiences of legendary boxing champion Jake LaMotta, THE BRONX BULL chronicles his rise as a world-class boxer and his struggles with life outside of the ring, offering an unflinchingly honest look into the heart of a champion.

Director: Martin Guigui | Stars: William Forsythe , Joe Mantegna , Tom Sizemore , Paul Sorvino

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A Georgia Town Basks in Bountiful Filming. The State Pays.

When movies are made in Thomasville, Ga., it welcomes celebrities and an infusion of cash. But the financial incentives that attract studios have cost the state billions.

By Jonathan Abrams and Matt Stevens

Jonathan Abrams reported from Thomasville, Ga., and Matt Stevens from New York.

It is no wonder that moviemakers saw potential in Thomasville, Ga., as a stand-in for Main Street U.S.A. Cobblestone streets and mom-and-pop stores speckle the downtown of this city of 18,000 that is caked in red clay soil and nestled among rolling hills.

Just as attractive to some of those producers are Georgia’s lavish filming incentives, which have made Thomasville a cost-effective place to make modest pictures with major stars. Dustin Hoffman came for the rom-com “Sam & Kate.” A children’s book adaptation, “The Tiger Rising,” brought Dennis Quaid and Queen Latifah to town.

But what is good on the ground for local economies — Thomasville says each of the six movies filmed there has provided an economic boost of about $1 million — can simultaneously be a drain on state coffers .

Some Georgia lawmakers wondered whether it might be wise to put some limits on an uncapped tax incentive program that has given billions of dollars to Hollywood studios, scrambling this week in hopes of passing a bill that would modify the program.

How much money have states been spending?

Over the last 20 years, states have given movie and television productions more than $25 billion in filming incentives. Thirty-eight states currently offer some form of incentive. Georgia’s lauded program has poured more than $5 billion into Hollywood since 2015. New York has spent at least $7 billion, and California has dedicated more than $3 billion to try to retain productions.

Why do states want to encourage filming?

Supporters of film incentives see them as an engine for job creation. After all, when productions come to town, they need electricians, hair stylists and many other crew members to make movie magic. Productions also spend money while working — money that trickles through local economies to hotels, diners and dry cleaners.

Are there any downsides?

Incentives can be effective at luring projects. But economists warn that using them to do so is very expensive and offers minimal bang for your buck. Study after study has found that the tax revenue generated by film incentive programs is a quarter, or even a dime, of every dollar invested. In some programs, each job that is directly created can cost taxpayers more than $100,000.

And yet states are handing out cash?

Incentives come in different forms. Many states do offer cash rebates or grants, which are paid out directly to production companies. Other states give some form of a tax credit. Depending on the state, tax credits can be used toward tax liability, converted into a refund or sold.

Wait, studios sell their tax credits?

Yes. Many states offer a transferable tax credit. Studios can then sell those credits to companies with high state-tax liabilities. By selling them, often at a slight discount, studios can cash out and buyers can receive modest tax relief. As a result, companies with minimal ties to the entertainment industry have become a hidden part of the incentive ecosystem.

Who’s buying these credits?

Companies like Best Buy, U.S. Bank and Dr Pepper buy these tax credits from productions. High-net-worth individuals also sometimes purchase them. Consider one example: The production company behind “The Trial of the Chicago 7” received a $5.2 million tax credit from New Jersey that it sold to Apple Inc. for $4.8 million.

Can we track where all this money is going?

It’s hard. This process involves vast sums of tax revenue that states are owed but never collect. Because the money does not come into the state treasury to begin with, it is less obvious that the revenue has been lost. And that can make transferable tax credits politically palatable.

Stuffy meetings about abstract budget crunching can feel like distant concerns in Thomasville, a bastion for quail hunters that is much closer to Tallahassee, Fla., than to Atlanta. To residents, the evidence that the state’s film subsidies are a boon to business is as clear as day.

When “The Tiger Rising” became the first major movie to film in Thomasville in late 2019, the studio Thomasville Pictures wanted to make it apparent that productions would benefit local business owners. So it decided to slip $2 bills into its cash per diems.

The distinctive bills were presented as payment at Jonah’s Fish & Grits. Actors handed them across the counter at Grassroots Coffee. They were also laid down as tips at Liam’s, a local restaurant that fills up with crew members and celebrities alike.

Rhonda Foster, who owns and runs Liam’s with her family, estimates that the restaurant makes an additional $30,000 — enough to add a few full-time employees — whenever monthlong filming is underway. Machine Gun Kelly and his girlfriend, the actor Megan Fox, became regulars while he was working on “One Way.” During “Bandit,” so did Mel Gibson.

“Those of us that own businesses are more than happy to see them here,” Ms. Foster said.

But for all the extra revenue and civic pride generated in Thomasville and other municipalities in Georgia, many economists worry that the state is paying too high a price so locals can spot Mr. Quaid cruising by in a Jeep or Mr. Hoffman sipping his coffee.

Because municipalities seldom forgo tax revenue, they see only the benefits of the program. But the subsidy — studios can get up to 30 percent of their production costs back — is costly for the state, which is legally required to pass a balanced budget.

Between 2015 and 2022, Georgia paid out more than $5.2 billion in tax incentives for filming, according to data obtained by The New York Times. State estimates project that the program will cost Georgia another $2.5 billion altogether for 2023, 2024 and 2025.

J.C. Bradbury, an economics professor at Kennesaw State University who has studied the state’s program , estimated that the $800 million in tax credits Georgia handed out in 2018 cost each household $220. That fiscal year, the state planned to allocate less than $300 million from its general fund to its Department of Public Health .

“I would be happy driving a Ferrari,” Professor Bradbury said, “but I don’t buy a Ferrari because I’d rather have the other things that $500,000 could buy.”

Few can deny that Georgia’s spending has resulted in a formidable infrastructure to accommodate incoming productions. Dozens of states offer filming incentives, and some have struggled to train enough crew members and build enough soundstages to fully leverage the tax breaks. Not so in Georgia, which has for years been held up as a national success story.

Tyler Perry’s 330-acre studio complex stands tall in Atlanta , which has earned the nickname “Hollywood of the South” ; nearby, the 32 stages at Trilith Studios are home to Marvel movies . On-location shoots are also thriving, whether for television shows like “The Walking Dead” (Senoia) and “Stranger Things” (Jackson) or films like “May December” (Savannah) and “The Color Purple” (Macon).

Thomasville Pictures was founded in 2016 by Ryan Smith and Allen Cheney, a fourth-generation Thomasvillian who had moved to Los Angeles to begin his producing career. Their vision to film in southern Georgia overlapped with the goals of Bonnie Hayes, who was then Thomasville’s tourism director.

Ms. Hayes had hosted a local-interest television show for years before teaching broadcasting to high schoolers. Her students, she found, had no local outlet for pursuing passions like film after graduating.

“I would like for South Georgia to get a piece of that big money pie, to employ some of these really great creative kids,” said Ms. Hayes, who became Thomas County’s first film liaison.

Business owners said no when Marvel Studios asked to film a project that would close downtown for more than a month, Ms. Hayes said. But Thomasville’s small-town charm has come through since.

For “Bandit,” a closed restaurant became a strip club, and a member of a car club helped secure a few dozen 1980s vehicles. When one film wanted to use a specific house, Ms. Hayes persuaded the member of her church who lived there to allow it.

The films that Thomasville Pictures has brought to the city were not box-office bonanzas, making a combined $1.7 million from ticket sales. But they brought an infusion of cash and jobs to the region, which supporters of the film tax incentives say shows that the program is working as intended .

One recent report commissioned by the Georgia Screen Entertainment Coalition, an advocacy group for studios and their industry partners in the state, found that every dollar Georgia spends on film tax incentives generated $6.30 in value to the state economy. The same report found that the tax credit supported more than 59,000 jobs in 2022.

In a statewide online survey of likely voters conducted this month for the coalition, roughly two-thirds of the respondents said they were aware of the state’s film credit program and supported it.

Mr. Smith and Mr. Cheney say the response has been overwhelmingly positive when they talk to Thomasville business owners after each film.

“I didn’t want to just steamroll through it, use and abuse all the elements that we could and then head out, like some people might if they were just coming in to save money and they have no loyalty to an area,” Mr. Cheney said.

Economists not connected to the film industry say the big picture is more complicated.

“The argument against film subsidies isn’t that no one benefits,” Prof. Bradbury said. “There are clearly winners and losers, and if you are one of the winners, you’re obviously going to like them.”

State auditors published a report in December estimating that every dollar invested in the film incentive program was returning 19 cents in tax revenue. An auditors’ report in 2020 found that the Georgia Department of Economic Development had inaccurately nearly doubled the economic impact of the film tax credit while also reporting misleading job data.

The department eventually made some adjustments , and lawmakers responded to oversight concerns by requiring audits for projects receiving the credit .

This legislative session, a proposal to place even a very modest adjustable cap on the program’s spending met resistance.

As lawmakers tried to hammer out a compromise this week, they effectively gutted the cap proposal by carving out an exemption for productions shot inside Georgia’s biggest studios. A last-ditch effort to revive the plan died on Thursday, the last day of the session.

In Thomasville, not all business owners are sanguine about the filming that has arrived. Heather Abbott recalled how the actress Anne Heche bought several items, including a $300 purse, from her jewelry and leather goods store when Heche was filming “Supercell.”

Not long after Ms. Heche, who died in 2022 , hopped on her bike and pedaled off, Ms. Abbott weighed the cost of that economic engine. She said that when filming shuts down access to her store for a month, she loses about $2,000, and that a crew once taped over her windows without asking permission.

“Let’s get real, that tax credit is for a rich person,” Ms. Abbott said. “They are trying to offset their income by impeding on mine.”

Mr. Smith said that Thomasville Pictures had received $6 million in state tax credits for five of its films, and that the studio hoped to make three movies in the area this year.

It may yet get a little more help. The Georgia Regional Film and Entertainment Alliance, which represents smaller cities like Thomasville, has an idea: an additional 10 percent tax credit for all productions that film outside metro Atlanta.

Jonathan Abrams writes about the intersections of sports and culture and the changing cultural scenes in the South. More about Jonathan Abrams

Matt Stevens writes about arts and culture news for The Times. More about Matt Stevens