[The Bear as Springsteen is all the current buzz, but they’ve all taken a turn at having their moment on the silver screen. Now, it’s The Boss’s turn. Here’s one list rating the biopics. What are your thoughts? Share them in the comments. When are they going to do The Del Shannon Story? They should get it done before Danny De Vito is too old to play Del. SB SM]
The Runaways
Featured Artist: The Runaways
Director: Floria Sigismondi
Cast: Dakota Fanning, Kristen Stewart, Michael Shannon, Riley Keough, Stella Maeve, Scout Taylor-Compton, Johnny Lewis, Alia Shawkat, Hannah Marks, Keir O’Donnell, Tatum O’Neal
Featuring a remarkable collection of young actresses as its hard rockers, The Runaways brought punk spirit to biopic tropes, an appropriate way for director Floria Sigismondi to pay tribute to one of the first female-led rock groups of the 1970s. Really, you had us with Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett, though Dakota Fanning ends up being the real star as Cherie Currie, whose David Bowie obsession fuels her future passion. While Joan and Cherie’s stories eventually diverge, the movie captures the core of their bond, as well as the hits that won’t easily be forgotten. — L.S. Miller
Watch The Runaways now on VOD via Amazon.
19
Get on Up
Featured Artist: James Brown
Director: Tate Taylor
Cast: Chadwick Boseman, Nelsan Ellis, Dan Aykroyd, Viola Davis, Craig Robinson, Octavia Spencer
Before his tragically early passing at the age of 43, Chadwick Boseman played an impressive range of historical greats, with the role of James Brown bringing out every ounce of his showmanship. The story of Brown’s life unfolds in a nonlinear fashion, covering both his career highs as well as his personal lows — all while packing in plenty of the music that made him the Godfather of Soul. Backed by a solid supporting cast including standouts like Nelsan Ellis and Octavia Spencer, Boseman throws every inch of himself into an appropriately fevered performance. One thing’s without question: Boseman brought the funk. — L.S. Miller
Watch Get on Up now on Starz or on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
18
La Bamba
Featured Artist: Ritchie Valens
Director: Luis Valdez
Cast: Esai Morales, Rosanna DeSoto, Elizabeth Peña, Joe Pantoliano, Lou Diamond Phillips
Anyone familiar with that infamous 1959 plane crash knows that La Bamba won’t have a happy ending. But director Luis Valdez packs a lot of life into his depiction of Ritchie Valens, whose short career included notable hits like “Come On, Let’s Go,” “Donna,” “Bluebirds Over the Mountain,” and of course the titular “La Bamba.” The movie really lets star Lou Diamond Phillips push through Valens’ ups and downs professionally and personally, and while it isn’t at all shy about foreshadowing his tragic fate, the way it’s grounded in intimate details gives it real resonance today. — L.S. Miller
Watch La Bamba now on Tubi and Paramount+ or on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
17
Funny Girl
Featured Artist: Fanny Brice
Director: William Wyler
Cast: Barbra Streisand, Omar Sharif, Kay Medford, Anne Francis, Walter Pidgeon
How many people have won the Academy Award for Best Actress in their feature film debut? Not many, but Barbara Streisand did for her memorable, boisterous turn as Fanny Brice in 1968’s Funny Girl, itself an adaptation of the Streisand-starring stage musical of the same name. As its title suggests, Funny Girl is brimming with character and heart, positioning Brice as a stubborn-yet-infallible symbol of perseverance and prosperity within the American entertainment ecosystem. It arrived in the golden age of both musical theater and musical films, and it appropriately sent Streisand to front of the pack — if you’ve never watched her put her cards on the table and let it all out during the “Don’t Rain on My Parade” sequence, I highly suggest you do so. — Paolo Ragusa
Watch Funny Girl now on Prime Video or on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
16
Love & Mercy
Featured Artist: The Beach Boys
Director: Bill Pohlad
Cast: John Cusack, Paul Dano, Elizabeth Banks, Paul Giamatti, Bill Camp
If you are going to depict the creation of a record that has a genuine claim to the title of “greatest album of all time,” you’d better get it right. Luckily, director Bill Pohlad’s exploration of the life and work of Brian Wilson — wonderfully portrayed by both Paul Dano and John Cusack — succeeds in capturing the playful, perfectionist ethos of both Pet Sounds and The Beach Boys as a whole. It’s a compelling story set to incredible music, presented in a creative manner — what else could we possibly ask from a music biopic? — Jonah Krueger
Watch Love & Mercy now on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
15
Elvis
Featured Artist: Elvis Presley
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Cast: Austin Butler, Tom Hanks, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson, Richard Roxburgh, Kelvin Harrison Jr., David Wenham, Kodi Smit-McPhee, Luke Bracey, Dacre Montgomery
While it is objectively funny that Austin Butler got so into character as Elvis that it changed his actual speaking voice, his outstanding turn as The King isn’t the only reason why Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 biopic works. Leave it to the consistently-wacky Luhrmann to physicalize the fervor behind Elvis during his heyday. The thoroughly extra sequences bring incredible energy, color, and animation to scenes explaining why this kid from Memphis became such an icon. The whole picture of Elvis’ story is presented in the over-expressive reactions of people watching him, in the dozens of close-up shots of Butler’s hips gyrating, in the character’s devastating and crumbling collapse within the casino walls of the film’s final act. Even with an all-time terrible performance from Tom Hanks (it remains unbelievable that Hanks is the obvious weak link of this film), Elvis is a big, bawdy, risky, and a successful portrait of a complicated artist. — P. Ragusa
Watch Elvis now on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
14
Control
Featured Artist: Ian Curtis/Joy Divison
Director: Anton Corbijn
Cast: Samantha Morton, Sam Riley, Alexandra Maria Lara, Toby Kebbell, Craig Parkinson, James Anthony Pearson, Harry Treadaway
Ian Curtis’ life and career were both far too short, but the Joy Division frontman lived many chapters in his 23 years on Earth. Anton Corbijn was mostly known as a premier music video director when he took on the challenge of helming a feature film centered on Curtis, and he delivered a poignant look at the personal and professional struggles of the pioneering singer, who is brilliantly played by Sam Riley. Further enhancing the film is Samantha Morton’s gripping portrayal of Curtis’ widow, Deborah, whose memoir Touching from a Distance served as the basis of the biopic. The movie was deservedly honored multiple times at both the Cannes Film Festival and the British Independent Film Awards. — Spencer Kaufman
Watch Control now on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
13
I’m Not There
Featured Artist: Bob Dylan
Director: Todd Haynes
Cast: Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, Ben Whishaw, Charlotte Gainsbourg, David Cross, Bruce Greenwood, Julianne Moore, Michelle Williams
One of the most audacious movies on this list earns that honor by its bold approach to both narrative and casting. Yes, Timothée Chalamet earned an Oscar nomination for playing Bob Dylan in 2024’s A Complete Unknown, but casting him was less of an option in 2007, given that Chalamet was 12 at the time. So rather than choose one actor to capture the essence of Dylan, director Todd Haynes chose six: Christian Bale, Marcus Carl Franklin, Cate Blanchett, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw. Each of them portray one element of the famed folk singer’s persona, from rebel to poet to prophet, as the nonlinear narrative unfolds their individual stories. It’s a wild hodgepodge of styles and stories, a portrait done Picasso-style that leaves the viewer understanding the essence of Dylan better than you might expect. — L.S. Miller
Watch I’m Not There now on Kanopy or on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
12
Rocketman
Featured Artist: Elton John
Director: Dexter Fletcher
Cast: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard, Gemma Jones, Stephen Graham, Steven Mackintosh, Tate Donovan, Ophelia Lovibond
Director Dexter Fletcher’s fantastical vision for Elton John’s life served as the fullest realization of his theatrical strengths. Not only is it enjoyable to watch and crammed with great music and performances, Rocketman also lifts off from the traditional biopic by toying with reality in a way that would make Elton John proud. It’s one thing to capture the drama of a musician struggling to break out of his own internal world, but making that world accessible, colorful, and riveting is a challenging task, and on Rocketman, Fletcher, screeenwriter Lee Hall, and star Taron Edgerton achieve this through and through. — P. Ragusa
Watch Rocketman now on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
11
8 Mile
Featured Artist: Eminem
Director: Curtis Hanson
Cast: Eminem, Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Brittany Murphy, Evan Jones, Omar Benson Miller, De’Angelo Wilson, Eugene Byrd, Taryn Manning, DJ Head, Michael Shannon, Chloe Greenfield, Anthony Mackie
In addition to producing the Oscar-winning anthem “Lose Yourself,” 8 Mile is a fascinating time capsule of Eminem’s early cultural dominance in the late ’90s and early 2000s. With just two major label albums under his belt, the Detroit rapper’s battle rap origin story reportedly drew interest from Quentin Tarantino and Danny Boyle before Curtis Hanson took the helm. While it’s no surprise that Marshall Mathers convincingly inhabits Jimmy Smith Jr., aka B-Rabbit, co-stars Kim Basinger, Mekhi Phifer, Michael Shannon, and a vibrant Brittany Murphy carry the film with nuanced performances. Don’t miss Anthony Mackie in his first major film role as B-Rabbit’s fiercest rival. — Eddie Fu
Watch 8 Mile now on Netflix or on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
10
Selena
Featured Artist: Selena Quintanilla-Pérez
Director: Gregory Nava
Cast: Jennifer Lopez, Edward James Olmos, Jon Seda, Constance Marie, Jacob Vargas, Lupe Ontiveros, Jackie Guerra
The tragic tale of Selena Quintanilla-Pérez has broken hearts for decades, and if not for the 1997 Selena biopic, her life story may not have reached as many. Starring a then-unknown Jennifer Lopez in a role that catapulted her to fame, the film centers on the close-knit Quintanilla family. Led by a headstrong father (Edward James Olmos), who revamps his old-school rock band into “Selena y Los Dinos,” the family travels and performs together as Lopez’s Selena develops into a charismatic multilingual performer. Written and directed by Gregory Nava, the film focuses on the values, traditions, and struggles of a Mexican-American family, giving audiences a slice of life that didn’t dominate screens in the late ’90s. Eventually building to its devastating conclusion, Selena takes care to focus on the late singer’s warm personality, held intact even as she swiftly ascended in her brief career. — Kiana Fitzgerald
Watch Selena now on Paramount+ or on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
9
Ray
Featured Artist: Ray Charles
Director: Taylor Hackford
Cast: Jamie Foxx, Kerry Washington, Clifton Powell, Harry Lennix, Terrence Howard, Larenz Tate, Richard Schiff, Regina King
When Jamie Foxx was cast as Ray Charles for the 2004 biopic Ray, the choice was met with both excitement and curiosity; at the time, Foxx was a full-time jokester who had dreams of being an equally established R&B singer. He took the role of Ray Charles as seriously as any actor could, transforming his mannerisms and truly stepping into the life and body of the rhythm and blues pioneer. Because of this deep dedication to accuracy, Foxx went on to earn the Best Actor Oscar at the 77th Academy Awards, a testament to the caliber of his character portrayal. Orchestrating a strong supporting cast that included a rotation of lovers played by Kerry Washington, Aunjanue Ellis-Taylor, and Regina King, director Taylor Hackford didn’t shy away from presenting the complexities of Charles’s life. — K. Fitzgerald
Watch Ray now on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
8
Better Man
Featured Artist: Robbie Williams
Director: Michael Gracey
Cast: Robbie Williams, Jonno Davies, Steve Pemberton, Alison Steadman
Never mind your recency bias, and to hell with the “box office bomb” arguments — that just means millions missed some truly wonderful cinema. The gimmicky seeming choice to turn Robbie Williams into a motion-capture monkey (expertly performed by Jonno Davies and astonishingly rendered by Wētā FX) works both in allowing Williams to voice his younger self and as the central metaphor for a pop star desperately seeking approval via fame. Instead of hackneyed parable, the monkey magic trick is utterly disarming and technically impressive. Director Michael Gracey fully commits to the magical realism, delivering stunning camerawork spanning the emotional spectrum, including a joyous faux single-shot during “Rock DJ.” Though its balance between self-aggrandizement and self-pity occasionally wavers, Better Man is more exciting, fun, and original than most music biopics dare to be. — Ben Kaye
Watch Better Man now on Prime Video, Paramount+, and MGM+ or on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
7
24 Hour Party People
Featured Artist: The Manchester Music Scene
Director: Michael Winterbottom
Cast: Steve Coogan, Paddy Considine, Danny Cunningham, Sean Harris, Shirley Henderson, Lennie James, Andy Serkis, John Simm
As far as music biopics go, 24 Hour Party People is an interesting case. Rather than adapt the story of one great artist or notable group, the wildly creative flick seeks to capture the essence of the underground Manchester music scene of the late 20th century. Really, if it’s a “biopic” of anyone, it’s not Ian Curtis or New Order or Happy Mondays, but Factory Records co-founder and Haçienda manager Tony Wilson (portrayed by the great Steve Coogan). As a result, rather than exploring the intricate details of a troubled genius or a rags-to-riches songwriter, 24 Hour Party People successfully presents a history of the influential musical culture of a specific time and place, reveling in emotional truth as much as it does fact. — J. Krueger
Watch 24 Hour Party People now on The Roku Channel, Kanopy, and MGM+ or on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
6
Walk the Line
Featured Artist: Johnny Cash
Director: James Mangold
Cast: Joaquin Phoenix, Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Robert Patrick
Filmmaker James Mangold created the modern standard for music biopics with 2005’s Walk the Line — for better or worse. On the surface, it follows a familiar trajectory for the genre: childhood trauma leads to salvation in music leads to success, downfall, and redemption. Those tired beats became the blueprint for Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (which often gets wrapped up in the perception of Walk the Line itself), but Mangold’s handling of that structure is far more deft than most attempts. Equal credit belongs to his leads — Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash and Reese Witherspoon as June Carter — whose diametric chemistry brings full life to Cash and Carter’s pain and passion. That depth, in turn, gives their live musical performances even greater vitality. Mangold may have traced the music biopic line, but he did so with a much bolder stroke. — B. Kaye
Watch Walk the Line now on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
5
Coal Miner’s Daughter
Featured Artist: Loretta Lynn
Director: Michael Apted
Cast: Sissy Spacek, Tommy Lee Jones, Beverly D’Angelo, Levon Helm
Sissy Spacek won an Oscar for playing “First Lady of Country Music” Loretta Lynn, and deservedly so. Capturing both the hard times of Lynn’s life as a struggling young mother as well as the difficulties brought about by fame, Coal Miner’s Daughter doesn’t reinvent the music biopic. Instead, it leans hard into the underdog nature of this story to create a tale of triumph. Perhaps the most memorable part of the film features Lynn and husband Doolittle Lynn (the ageless Tommy Lee Jones) going on their own promotional tour to get her first single airplay — literally going to countless individual radio stations to get them to play “I’m a Honky Tonk Girl” until it becomes her first big hit. In a time without social media, what else was an artist supposed to do? — L.S. Miller
Watch Coal Miner’s Daughter now on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
4
Amadeus
Featured Artist: Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Antonio Salieri
Director: Miloš Forman
Cast: F. Murray Abraham, Tom Hulce, Elizabeth Berridge, Simon Callow, Roy Dotrice, Christine Ebersole, Jeffrey Jones, Charles Kay
Many biopics focus on unbridled, if troubled, genius. Amadeus, however, takes a different approach. What if you were merely above average — not revolutionary — and had to watch as someone who does harbor a special sort of genius passes you by? Better yet, \what if that future icon was unprofessional, seemingly uninvested in the grind of hard work, and, worst of all, really, really annoying? Such is the tale of Antonio Salieri and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, a story of grand proportions that doesn’t just rank as one of the greatest biographical films of all time (even if the events are quite dramatized), but one of the greatest motion pictures to ever win Best Picture. — J. Krueger
Watch Amadeus now on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
3
What’s Love Got to Do with It
Featured Artist: Tina Turner
Director: Brian Gibson
Cast: Angela Bassett, Rae’Ven Larrymore Kelly, Cora Lee Day, Khandi Alexander, Laurence Fishburne, Jenifer Lewis, Phyllis Yvonne Stickney, Penny Johnson Jerald, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Chi McBride
What’s Love Got to Do with It displays the transcendent highs and toxic lows of Tina Turner’s life, made complicated and oftentimes unnecessarily painful by the presence of her abusive mentor and one-time husband, Ike Turner. With Angela Bassett taking on the role of the fiery, resilient Tina and Laurence Fishburne starring opposite her as the charismatic, violent Ike, What’s Love Got to Do with It is one of the best music biopics because it’s not your average Hollywood story. There’s a great deal of pain packed within its runtime, as director Brian Gibson uses the film’s unwavering honesty as its best asset. It doesn’t hurt that the real Tina Turner makes a triumphant appearance at the end, highlighting the successful life that was hard-won both privately and publicly. — K. Fitzgerald
Watch What’s Love Got to Do with It now on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
2
Sid & Nancy
Featured Artist: Sid Vicious
Director: Alex Cox
Cast: Gary Oldman, Chloe Webb, David Hayman, Debby Bishop, Andrew Schofield, Xander Berkeley, Courtney Love
If ever there was a real-life “sex, drugs, and rock ‘n’ roll” story that was ready-made for film, it was the tumultuous and tragic relationship between punk legend Sid Vicious and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen. Writer-director Alex Cox was tasked with bringing the story to the big screen, and absolutely nailed it — in large part thanks to a then-young actor by the name of Gary Oldman in a star-making turn as Vicious, and Chloe Webb in a riveting portrayal of Spungen. The movie is fast-paced, raw, and, at times, downright disturbing, just like the turbulent romance on which it was based. While the film doesn’t feature any Sex Pistols songs, Oldman’s rendition of Vicious’ version of “My Way” stands as one of the best performance scenes you’ll ever see in a music biopic. — S. Kaufman
Watch Sid & Nancy now on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.
1
Straight Outta Compton
Featured Artist: N.W.A.
Director: F. Gary Gray
Cast: O’Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr., Aldis Hodge, Paul Giamatti, Marlon Yates Jr., R. Marcos Taylor, LaKeith Stanfield, Alexandra Shipp, Corey Reynolds
N.W.A’s story is just as turbulent as it is influential, with their internal strife proving just as compelling as their impact on the late ’80s rise of gangsta rap and mainstream pushback to their success. Even in the expert hands of director F. Gary Gray and producers Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, and Eazy-E’s widow, Tomica Woods-Wright, there’s a lot of ground to cover in Straight Outta Compton’s 147-minute runtime. But the cast, led by O’Shea Jackson Jr. as his father, Ice Cube, was up for the task, training for eight weeks as they re-recorded N.W.A’s debut album and studied every cadence to inhabit the “World’s Most Dangerous Group.” With Paul Giamatti’s layered performance as divisive manager Jerry Heller, Straight Outta Compton captures a volatile era when society wasn’t ready for the group’s unflinching social commentary. — E. Fu
Watch Straight Outta Compton now on VOD via Apple TV or Amazon.