Top 50 biography movies of all time

Last updated: January 21, 2025 by Common Sense Media

Sometimes real life is even more entertaining -- and inspiring -- than fiction. This list of our favorite biopics includes movies about all-star athletes, memorable musicians, powerful politicians, and more. Some are famous, some are infamous, but all of them lived incredible, interesting lives. The films on this list let us imagine what these heroes and celebrities were feeling and really going through as they influenced society in unbelievable ways. For even more true stories that will captivate kids, try our Best Documentaries list or read up on our favorite Biographies.

(Photo by Searchlight Pictures / courtesy Everett Collection. A COMPLETE UNKNOWN)

The latest: Bob Dylan goes electric in the Timothee Chalamet-starring A Complete Unknown, directed by Walk the Line‘s James Mangold.

Get ready for a Fresh new sound with tonight’s headliner: Rotten Tomatoes’ best music biopics ever!

Music has been a crucial component of the movies since the beginning, back even when they were supposedly ‘silent.’ So naturally we started making movies about those makers of melodies. And actors love playing them: They get to show off an expanded range of talent, and so many musicians’ lives are filled with drama and passion. As the term implies, the biopics on this list are all based on real people across an expanse of styles: rock (A Complete Unknown, Control), country (Coal Miner’s Daughter, Walk the Line), hip-hop (Straight Outta Compton), pop (Selena, Love & Mercy), classical (Amadeus), and beyond. The only exception we made was for 8 Mile: Though the names were changed, the fact that the main character – a Marshall Mathers stand-in – was played by the original Marshall Mathers demanded its inclusion.

Let’s take it from the top, and this time with feeling: Play on for the best-reviewed music biopic movies!

101. I Accuse (1958) (Alfred Dreyfus, French army captain) (José Ferrer)
102. Disraeli (1929) (Benjamin Disraeli, Prime Minister of Great Britain) (George Arliss)
103. First Man (2018) (Neil Armstrong, first man to walk on the Moon) (Ryan Gosling)
104.Elvis(2022) (Elvis Presley the King of Rock 'n' Roll) (Austin Butler)
105. King of Kings (1961) (Jesus) (Jeffrey Hunter)
106. Kinsey (2004) (Alfred Kinsey) (Liam Neeson)
107. Bugsy (1991) (Ben 'Bugsy' Siegel, gangster) (Warren Beatty)
108. Milk (2008) (Harvey Milk, California's first openly gay elected official) (Sean Penn)
109.Emily(2022) (Emily Brontë English novelist and poet) (Emma Mackey)
110. 127 Hours (2010) (Aron Ralston, Mountain climber survival) (James Franco)
111. Before Night Falls (2001) (Reinaldo Arenas, Cuban poet) (Javier Bardem)
112. People vs. Larry Flynt (1996) (Larry Flynt, publisher) (Woody Harrelson)
113. Steve Jobs (2015) (Apple Inc. co-founder Steve Jobs) (Michael Fassbender)
114.Respect(2021) (Aretha Franklin, soul singer) (Jennifer Hudson)
115. Boys Don't Cry (1999) (Teena Brandon, transgendered teen) (Hilary Swank)
116. Henry & June (1990) (Henry Miller, June Miller) (Fred Ward, Uma Thurman)
117. Casanova (2005) (Giacomo Casanova, Venetian writer, womanizer) (Heath Ledger)
118. Bound for Glory (1976) (Woody Guthrie, folk singer) (David Carradine)
119. El Cid (1961) ("El Cid", Rodrigo Díaz de Vivar, Spanish hero) (Charlton Heston)
120. Lion (2016) (Sheru Munshi Khan, Lost Indian boy finding home after 25 years) (Dev Patel)