The release of Elvis, the new biopic from Baz Luhrmann, which focuses on one of the most important figures in the history of music, is a testament to the power of this particular movie genre. It ably weaves together the story of Elvis’ life, while never losing sight of the power of its central drama.
In that respect, it has a great deal in common with the numerous other great biopics that have graced theaters of the years. Fortunately for those who yearn to see real life brought to the screen in a compelling way, the users of Ranker have helpfully identified a number of other great biographical movies.
Note: Ranker lists are live and continue to accrue votes, so some rankings may have changed after this publishing.
Coal Miner’s Daughter (1980)
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The musical biopic is often one of the most popular sub-genres, and there are many great examples of the genre. One of the most important of these is Coal Miner’s Daughter, which focuses on the unlikely career of Loretta Lynn.
Sissy Spacek delivers a career-best performance in the role, and the movie ably captures the many hurdles she faced, from her poor upbringing to the pressures created by her meteoric rise to fame. In the end, however, the movie makes it clear that Lynn succeeded because of her own drive and ambition. The film stands strong on its own merit, but its popularity may have also been boosted with voters due to another high-profile music biopic playing in theaters.
Amadeus (1984)
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Few composers have quite the status of Mozart, who is one of those whose name is familiar to almost everyone. He is also the subject of the movie Amadeus, though his life is framed through his (fictional) rivalry with the composer Salieri. Though it takes many liberties with the actual history, there’s no doubt the movie is nevertheless a success in capturing the ethos of the time.
However, there’s no doubt that its lavish production values and the powerful performances from F. Murray Abraham and Tom Hulce as Salieri and Mozart, respectively, elevate this movie about other similar bipics and keep it well-regarded among viewers, such as those that took to Ranker.
Casino (1995)
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Few directors have had quite as distinguished a career as Martin Scorsese, who has consistently shown that he has a keen understanding of the American psyche. In movies such as Casino, he focuses on the life of Robert De Niro’s Sam Rothstein as he contends with both his job as a handicapper at a casino and the changes in Las Vegas.
As is so often the case with Scorsese, the movie is epic in its ambitions, and it ably explores the unfolding of a key period of American history through one man’s experiences of it. It’s easy to see why a movie with such a strong cast of still-beloved actors would continue to appeal to fans decades later.
Braveheart (1995)
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Few movies from the 1990s have achieved quite the level of success as Braveheart, which follows the adventures of Mel Gibson’s William Wallace as he sets out to free Scotland from English domination. Though it is rife with historical inaccuracies, the movie nevertheless succeeds because it showcases how important one man can be to the unfolding of history.
What’s more, there’s no question that Gibson shines in the role, allowing viewers to feel and sympathize with Wallace as he puts himself at grave personal risk in his pursuit of something greater than just his own life. Though Gibson has been subject to his fair share of controversy, either enough time has passed for voters to think more positively of the actor or they’re simply able to separate the art from the artist.
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
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Ron Howard has had a long career in Hollywood, and he has left his mark as both a director and an actor. A Beautiful Mind is one of his best directorial efforts, focusing as it does on the life and extraordinary career of John Nash, a brilliant mathematician who struggled with schizophrenia.
The movie is a remarkable achievement, for it not only contains a realistic depiction of mental illness–immersing the viewer in Nash’s uncertain world–but is also sophisticated in its depiction of mathematics. It is, then, a complex portrayal of a very complex man.
Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Stream On Netflix
Leonardo DiCaprio has been in many great movies, but one of his best is Catch Me If You Can, in which he plays the notorious con artist Frank Abagnale, who successfully adopted a number of identities and successfully eluded apprehension. While the movie doesn’t ignore his exploits, it also doesn’t shy away from richer emotional material. In particular, it highlights Abagnale’s complicated relationship with his father.
There is, moreover, undeniable chemistry between DiCaprio and Tom Hanks, who plays the FBI agent determined to bring Abagnale to justice. The movie has perhaps remained as popular as it has with Ranker voters due to DiCaprio’s almost unparalleled popularity throughout the many phases of his career.
Ray (2004)
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Some biopics become almost hagiographical in their approach to their subject, but that is not the attitude taken by Ray, the very well-received biopic about the famous musician Ray Charles. Jamie Foxx digs deep in his portrayal of this extraordinary talent, a man who overcame both poverty and blindness to attain worldwide success.
At the same time, the movie doesn’t shy away from some of the less palatable parts of Charles’ personality and life. The result is a complex portrait of this complicated figure, a testament to both Foxx’s performance and Taylor Hackford’s direction.
Walk The Line (2005)
Stream On Disney+
Joaquin Phoenix has long had a reputation for his ability to inhabit complex, often enigmatic characters, and that is very much in evidence in Walk the Line, the biopic about the country music star Johnny Cash. The movie is remarkable for a number of reasons, not least the phenomenal chemistry between Phoenix and his co-star Reese Witherspoon (who plays June Carter Cash).
What’s more, the fact that both stars do their own singing adds another layer of authenticity and richness to their performance, allowing this biopic to truly rise above many others.
Goodfellas (1990)
Stream On Netflix
Throughout his career, Martin Scorsese has expressed an extraordinary interest in criminality, and this is much in evidence in Goodfellas.
The movie, which focuses on the mobster Harry Hill (played by frequent Scorsese collaborator Robert De Niro), features dynamic performances from the entire cast (much of which was originally ad libbed), as well as Scorsese’s keen sense of what makes film work as a medium. As a result, the movie becomes not just one of the best biopics but also one of the best movies about gangsters.
Schindler’s List (1994)
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Steven Spielberg has consistently shown that he is one of Hollywood’s most versatile directors, working in a wide range of genres. Arguably one of his most important movies, however, is Schindler’s List. Focusing on the Holocaust–in particular on the efforts of Liam Neeson’s Oskar Schindler to save the lives of many Jews–it is a bleak, beautiful, and difficult movie, all of which is in keeping with its very important subject.
It is a profound reflection on one man and his efforts to be a decent human during one of the gravest human rights catastrophes in modern history. Given these timeless themes, it’s no surprise that no other biopic hits quite so hard in the mind of voters on Ranker.
