92 articles
Goya's Ghosts
Goya's Ghosts (Los Fantasmas de Goya) is a 2006 historical drama by Miloš Forman, starring Javier Bardem, Natalie Portman, and Stellan Skarsgård as Goya, set during the Spanish Inquisition and Napoleonic invasion of Spain.
Grace of Monaco (film)
Grace of Monaco (Grace de Monaco), 2014 Olivier Dahan biographical drama starring Nicole Kidman as Grace Kelly, set in 1962 during France's tax dispute with Monaco; opened Cannes 2014, flopped critically, aired on Lifetime in 2015.
Green Book (film)
Green Book (2018) is Peter Farrelly's Oscar-winning comedy-drama, also called the Don Shirley and Tony Lip film, about a 1962 Jim Crow South concert tour; it won Best Picture, Supporting Actor, and Original Screenplay but drew Shirley family and white savior criticism.
I Saw the Light (film)
I Saw the Light is a 2015 American biographical drama directed by Marc Abraham, starring Tom Hiddleston as country singer Hank Williams and Elizabeth Olsen as his wife Audrey.
I'm Not There
I'm Not There, 2007 Todd Haynes film co-written with Oren Moverman; six actors play seven unnamed Dylan-inspired characters in a 135-minute experimental biopic, premiering at Venice 2007.
Isadora (1968 film)
Isadora is a 1968 British biographical film, also released as The Loves of Isadora, directed by Karel Reisz about dancer Isadora Duncan, starring Vanessa Redgrave, who won Cannes Best Actress 1969 and an Oscar nomination.
Kneecap (film)
Kneecap (2024) is Rich Peppiatt's comedy-drama biopic of the Belfast Irish-language rap trio Kneecap, who star as themselves. Sundance NEXT Audience Award winner, Ireland's 2025 Oscar entry, seven-time BIFA winner.
La Vie en Rose (2007 film)
La Vie en Rose (La Môme) is Olivier Dahan's 2007 France-UK-Czech biopic of Édith Piaf, starring Marion Cotillard, who won the 2008 Best Actress Oscar; shot in Prague for about $25 million, it earned about $86 million worldwide.
Last Days (2005 film)
Last Days (2005) is Gus Van Sant's drama, final film of his Death Trilogy with Gerry and Elephant, loosely inspired by Kurt Cobain's final days; Michael Pitt stars as Blake, and the film won Cannes' Technical Grand Prize for sound design.
Lee (2023 film)
Lee (2023) is a biographical war drama directed by Ellen Kuras, starring Kate Winslet as WWII Vogue war correspondent Lee Miller; premiered at TIFF 2023, released 2024, BAFTA and Golden Globe nominated.
Lenny (film)
Lenny (1974) is Bob Fosse's black-and-white biographical drama of comedian Lenny Bruce, starring Dustin Hoffman and Valerie Perrine, adapted from Julian Barry's Tony-winning play, with a mock-documentary structure and six Oscar nominations including Best Picture.
Life (2015 film)
Life (2015) is a biographical drama by Anton Corbijn, written by Luke Davies, starring Robert Pattinson as photographer Dennis Stock and Dane DeHaan as James Dean; premiered at Berlin 2015, 111 minutes, R-rated, modest box office.
Love & Mercy (film)
Love & Mercy is a 2014 Bill Pohlad biographical drama about Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson, with Paul Dano as 1960s Wilson and John Cusack as 1980s Wilson, premiered at TIFF 2014.
Love Me or Leave Me
Love Me or Leave Me (1955) is MGM's biographical musical of singer Ruth Etting, directed by Charles Vidor, starring Doris Day and James Cagney, winner of the Best Motion Picture Story Oscar with six nominations.
Madame Satã
Madame Satã (2002) is Karim Aïnouz's debut feature, a Brazilian-French biographical drama starring Lázaro Ramos as João Francisco dos Santos (1900–1976), the Lapa drag performer and outlaw who took his name from Cecil B. De Mille's 1930 film Madame Satan.
Mahler
Mahler (1974) is Ken Russell's British biopic of composer Gustav Mahler, starring Robert Powell and Georgina Hale, structured as a rondo around a train journey; it won the 1974 Cannes Technical Grand Prize.
Maudie (film)
Maudie is a 2016 Canadian-Irish biographical drama directed by Aisling Walsh, starring Sally Hawkins as folk artist Maud Lewis and Ethan Hawke as Everett Lewis; it premiered at TIFF 2016, won seven Canadian Screen Awards, and grossed $6.2 million in the US.
Midnight Rider (film)
Midnight Rider: The Gregg Allman Story, uncompleted 2014 biopic by Randall Miller; abandoned after a train killed camera assistant Sarah Jones on day one of filming in Georgia.
Monsieur Aznavour
Monsieur Aznavour is a 2024 French biopic of singer Charles Aznavour, directed by Mehdi Idir and Grand Corps Malade, starring Tahar Rahim, released 23 October 2024, 133 minutes, 2,054,791 French admissions.
Moss & Freud
Moss & Freud (2025) is a UK/New Zealand biographical drama by James Lucas starring Ellie Bamber as Kate Moss and Derek Jacobi as Lucian Freud, dramatizing the 2002 Naked Portrait sittings; Moss executive produced, premiere BFI London 2025.
Music of the Heart
Music of the Heart (1999) is a Wes Craven drama starring Meryl Streep as violin teacher Roberta Guaspari of East Harlem, based on the documentary Small Wonders; Metascore 54, Oscar-nominated Streep, $14.9M gross.
My Week with Marilyn
My Week with Marilyn is a 2011 Simon Curtis biographical drama starring Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe and Eddie Redmayne as Colin Clark, based on Clark's disputed memoir of a week during the filming of The Prince and the Showgirl.
Nie Er (聂耳)
Nie Er (聂耳, 1912–1935), born Nie Shouxin in Kunming, was a Chinese left-wing composer who wrote the March of the Volunteers, now the PRC national anthem, plus 36 songs and 6 instrumental pieces before drowning in Japan at 23.
Nina (2016 film)
Nina (2016) is a biographical drama about singer Nina Simone, directed by Cynthia Mort, starring Zoe Saldana and David Oyelowo. Released April 22, 2016 by RLJ Entertainment, it earned 2% on Rotten Tomatoes and drew family objections over Saldana's casting.
Notorious (2009 film)
Notorious is a 2009 American biographical drama about rapper The Notorious B.I.G., tracing his rise from Brooklyn street dealer to hip-hop star, directed by George Tillman Jr.
Nowhere Boy
Nowhere Boy is a 2009 British biographical drama about John Lennon's teenage years, directed by Sam Taylor-Wood in her feature debut, based on a memoir by his half-sister Julia Baird.
Pina (피나)
Pina (피나) is Wim Wenders' 2011 German 3D documentary tribute to choreographer Pina Bausch and her Tanztheater Wuppertal, made after Bausch died in 2009; Oscar-nominated documentary featuring Le Sacre du Printemps, Kontakthof, Café Müller, and Vollmond.
Pirosmani (Пиросмани)
Pirosmani (Пиросмани, ფიროსმანი) is Giorgi Shengelaia's 1969 Georgian biographical drama about naive painter Niko Pirosmanashvili, starring painter Avtandil Varazi, with Golden Hugo Chicago 1974 and Sutherland Trophy honors.
Pollock (film)
Pollock (2000) is Ed Harris's directorial debut biographical drama about painter Jackson Pollock and Lee Krasner, based on the Naifeh-Smith Pulitzer biography; Marcia Gay Harden won the 2001 Oscar for Best Supporting Actress.
Ray (film)
Ray (2004) is Taylor Hackford's biographical drama of Ray Charles, starring Jamie Foxx, released by Universal on Oct 29, 2004; it grossed $75.3M in the US, won two Oscars including Best Actor, and was the first Black biopic nominated for Best Picture.