What is a biopic, you might ask? First, a note on pronunciation. Some swear blind it's bi-AW-pick, to rhyme with myopic, but this, dear friends, is short-sighted. It’s BIO-pick, emphasis on the 'bio', since a biopic is a contraction, coined in the Forties, of 'biographical' and 'picture'.
Thus, its definition: a biopic is a film that dramatises a life, generally in either its entirety or a substantial section. A biopic is, therefore, less a film based on a true story and more a film based on many true stories (Apollo 13, for example, is a true story; First Man is a biopic).
As such, they've traditionally stuck close to the facts – when you're dealing with real lives, there's only so much you can get away with making up. That being said, of late, biopics have become less strict in their execution and have included more elements of fantasy or editorialising. Like Rocketman– a movie about Elton John’s life that hewed close to the truth, except for all-out fantasy dance sequences.
Here, we’ve rounded up a few of the best biopics out there, feather boas included.
Control (2007)
Biopics don’t come more stylish than photographer Anton Corbijn’s debut feature about Ian Curtis, the late frontman of Seventies post-punk band Joy Division, although nor does it put a gloss on the grimness, and eventual tragedy, of his circumstances. Curtis, played by a perfectly cast Sam Riley, dealt with both the burgeoning success of the band and his own severe epilepsy, while also doing himself no favours with his treatment of his first wife, Debbie Woodruff (Samantha Morton) in favour of his lover, Annik Honoré (Alexandra Maria Lara). Also features a scene-stealing turn by Toby Kebbell as Joy Division’s gobby manager Rob Gretton.
Lincoln (2012)
Steven Spielberg goes on the full chest-swelling rampage with this portrait of America’s 16th President, Abraham Lincoln, who achieved a stupendous amount in the four years of his presidency before being assassinated in 1865, including seeing his country out of civil war and passing the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863, heralding the end of slavery. Daniel Day-Lewis did more than due diligence (does he ever not?) in his Oscar-winning turn, with Adam Driver, Jared Harris, Sally Field and Tommy Lee Jones among the strong supporting cast.
Walk The Line (2005)
In case it wasn’t obvious from his film choices (Joker, You Were Never Really Here), Joaquin Phoenix is ever-so-slightly committed to his profession, which means his turn in James Mangold’s film about the life of Johnny Cash was never going to be less than seriously intense. Just as well given that Cash’s life was filled with triumph and tragedy from the off – from discovering the blues while in the Air Force and getting signed by Sun Records’ Sam Phillips, to the death of his young brother in a sawmill accident and the drink and drugs that cost him his first marriage. But it’s not all about Johnny: there’s June Cash, as whom Reece Witherspoon won a best supporting actress Oscar, and quite right too.
Mank (2020)
David Fincher's dramatisation of the whisky-soaked life of screenwriter Herman J Mankiewicz, the Hollywood insider-turned-outsider who burnt so many bridges he was forced to sacrifice sole credit for penning Citizen Kane, is a meta-biopic; Orson Welles's masterpiece was a film à clef about media magnate – and Mankiewicz sparring partner – William Randolph Hearst. Fincher adds extra layers of veracity by shooting in period-appropriate black and white, and stuffing his movie with Citizen Kane easter eggs.
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On the Basis of Sex (2018)
Even before Felicity Jones transformed into late US Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the Notorious RBG had gained a cult status as a champion of equal rights. This movie shows how, against all odds, the young woman came to earn her title. Completists should follow up with the equally excellent documentary RBG, which was released in the same year, and shows how Ginsburg's fight remained undimmed even at the end of her life.
Malcolm X (1992)
Denzel Washington received his third Oscar nomination for his portrayal of civil rights icon Malcolm X. His performance, like the film, is epic in scope, following the Black Nationalist leader from his early life as a small-time gangster to his years in the ministry and his enduring influence on the fight for Black equality as a member of the Nation of Islam.
A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019)
This incredibly heart-warming film about the American TV personality Mr. Rogers was inspired by a US Esquire article, “Can You Say ... Hero?”, by Tom Junod. The film weaves Junod’s story into a look at the life of a beloved American icon, played by another beloved American icon: Tom Hanks.
My Left Foot (1989)
As our understanding of identity and representation has evolved, films in which able-bodied actors play disabled roles can feel at best dated, at worst exploitative (last year's The Peanut Butter Falcon, which starred an actor with Down syndrome, Zack Gottsagen, as a character with Down syndrome, proved just how unnecessary this kind of casting is). But Daniel Day-Lewis's Oscar-winning performance as Christy Brown – an Irish novelist and artist with cerebral palsy, who could only write and paint with one foot – has lost none of its impact, in part due to the level of research and respect he brought to the role.
Harriet (2019)
Cynthia Erivo portrays Harriet Tubman, who was born enslaved in the American south and escaped, creating the Underground Railroad as she went back on at least a dozen missions to rescue others. The film of her life was a longtime coming, as women of colour have historically been last in the line for biopics.
Gandhi (1982)
Gandhi was an absolute triumph in all respects and gave lead Ben Kingsley (nee Krishna Bhanji) is first and only Oscar. Directed by Richard Attenborough (David’s late brother), it is an epic drama about Mahatma Gandhi’s life as lawyer-turned-civil rights leader who employed non-violent resistance to achieve India’s independence from Britain. We won’t spoilt the ending, but suffice it to say it’s not a happy one for the icon.
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Judy (2019)
Legendary songstress, performer and actor Judy Garland—for all the glitz and glamour surrounding her—had a difficult life filled with trauma and addiction. Judy shows Renée Zelwegger in an Oscar-winning performance and is based on a play that focuses on Garland’s last months leading up to her death in 1969, while briefly dipping back and forth into her past.
Chaplin (1992)
Another from the incomparable Mr. Attenborough, this biopic is based on the great Charlie Chaplin’s own 1964 autobiography. The comedic British actor made it big in Hollywood with the silent films as his titular character, “The Tramp,” and continued his celebrity through the talkies until his death in 1977. Robert Downey, Jr. took home a BAFTA for his performance of the legend.
The Founder (2016)
Michael Keaton’s comeback role was in The Founder, a film that chronicles the late-start beginnings and the swift rise to multi-billionaire Ray Kroc, the creator of the McDonald’s fast-food chain. Kroc was as ruthless as he was genius, and you won’t get through this film without wanting to eat a Big Mac.
I, Tonya (2017)
There isn’t an American born before 1985 who doesn’t know who Tonya Harding is, but in the United Kingdom, it was I, Tonya which brought the crazier-than-fiction story to an international level. The film, with a tour-de-force performance by Margot Robbie in the title role, tells the origin story of the incredible American figure skater who was on the brink of worldwide stardom when it all came crashing down in 1994 during the Olympic trials.
Steve Jobs (2015)
There is no digital revolution without the mastermind, Steve Jobs. But the guy was intensely private, and this biopic attempts to shed some light on the man behind the myth. Michael Fassbender stars in this riveting drama that unfolds around three iconic Apple products.
The Theory of Everything (2014)
This film focuses not just on the life of Stephen Hawking (Eddie Redmayne), the brilliant theoretical physicist who contracted ALS in his early 20s and lived on to see his own biopic, but it also bends to romance with a look at the 30-year relationship between he and his first wife, Jane Hawking (Felicity Jones).
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
This is one of those biopics about a lesser-known individual—American mathematician John Nash—which doesn’t diminish its narrative brilliance one iota. Nash made fundamental contributions to game theory among other very complicated maths-based things in everyday life. He was also a paranoid-schizophrenic. The film took home four Oscars, including best picture award, best director for Ron Howard, best actress for Jennifer Connelly, though, interestingly, not one for Russell Crowe, who was nominated for playing Nash.
The Aviator (2004)
Leonardo DiCaprio plays Howard Hughes—the American aviation pioneer, billionaire entrepreneur and filmmaker in this Martin Scorsese epic. The film is based on the biography, Howard Hughes: The Secret Life, and focuses on the 20-year period where is cultural contributions and playboy lifestyle made the most impact.
Milk (2008)
The life of gay rights activist and politician Harvey Milk is documented in this heart-wrenching drama starring Sean Penn. He won an Oscar for his portrayal of Milk—the first openly gay person to be elected to public office in California—and then-fledgling screenwriter Dustin Lance Black won an Oscar for his original screenplay.
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Miranda Collinge is the Deputy Editor of Esquire, overseeing editorial commissioning for the brand. With a background in arts and entertainment journalism, she also writes widely herself, on topics ranging from Instagram fish to psychedelic supper clubs, and has written numerous cover profiles for the magazine including Cillian Murphy, Rami Malek and Tom Hardy.
