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Top 100 Best Biography Movies Of All Time

What are the best biography movies? First of all let me clear you that biography movies are not as same as true story films and history movies. This is because movies made on true stories or historical events involves a group of people and none of them are known until the event occurred. While biographical movies or biopics tells the story of the life of a person who achieved significant status and affected the lives of other person either positively or negatively. Biographical Movies are often seen as inspirational and motivational films. This is because most of the biopics are made on people or legends who became inspirational source to many others due to their work and their attitude for life.

Biography movies are not easy to make. One reason is because you can not alter the events that occurred in the life of that person. Plus you also need to represent the events and the characters of person as real as possible. The real is that most of the biopics are made on the people who are not alive anymore and it gets harder to depict their reactions and their attitude on several topics and events. Interestingly almost all biography films have the plot different from the real events. Not all the events but either the chronology of events is altered or several events are added or deleted to add more high tension drama. Critics and Fans dont mind it as long as it plays off well and understandable.

Biographical Movies were not popular until the 90s. However there are few biography movies from the 70s and 80s decade too. But the genre was revisited and explored at a new level in the 90s. Due to show a wide range of emotions, only actors who could fill the demands are considered. Most biopic roles have resulted in major awards for good actors and directors. This is the reason why many directors and actors worked extensively in this genre.

Here is list of 100 Greatest Biographical Films all time and it includes biopic of many popular celebrities. This list of biographical films is updated regularly so you will find the most recent and latest biographical films too.

Contents

100. Breach


best biography movies
Director – Billy Ray
Cast – Ryan Phillippe, Chris Cooper, Dennis Haysbert, Laura Linney, Gary Cole, Caroline Dhavernas
IMDB Rating – 7
Rotten Tomatoes – 84%
Release Date – 16 February 2007
Box Office – $41 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

99. Quills


best biography movies
Director – Philip Kaufman
Cast – Kate Winslet, Michael Caine, Geoffrey Rush, Joaquin Phoenix
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 75%
Release Date – 2 September 2000
Box Office – $18 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

98. Kinsey


best biography movies
Director – Bill Condon
Cast – Laura Linney, Liam Neeson, Peter Sarsgaard, Chris O’Donnell, John Lithgow, Oliver Platt, Timothy Hutton
IMDB Rating – 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 90%
Release Date – 12 November 2004
Box Office – $16.9 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Romance
Awards – None
Plot –

97. Bronson


best biography movies
Director – Nicolas Winding Refn
Cast – Tom Hardy
IMDB Rating – 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 76%
Release Date – 13 March 2009
Box Office – $2.3 million
Genre – Action, Biography, Crime
Awards – None
Plot –

96. 42


best biography movies
Director – Brian Helgeland
Cast – Alan Tudyk, Chadwick Boseman, Harrison Ford, Nicole Beharie, Christopher Meloni, André Holland
IMDB Rating – 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 80%
Release Date – 12 April 2013
Box Office – $95 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Sport
Awards – None
Plot –

95. Hunger


best biography movies
Director – Steve McQueen
Cast – Liam Cunningham, Michael Fassbender
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 42%
Release Date – 2 October 2008
Box Office – $1.7 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

94. The Devil’s Double


best biography movies
Director – Lee Tamahori
Cast – Dominic Cooper
IMDB Rating – 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 55%
Release Date – 22 January 2011
Box Office – $4.8 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

93. Freedom Writers


best biography movies
Director – Richard LaGravenese
Cast – Scott Glenn, Mario, Hilary Swank, Patrick Dempsey, Imelda Staunton
IMDB Rating – 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 70%
Release Date – 5 January 2007
Box Office – $43.1 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

92. Out of Africa


best biography movies
Director – Sydney Pollack
Cast – Robert Redford, Klaus Maria Brandauer Meryl Streep
IMDB Rating – 7.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 60%
Release Date – 10 December 1985
Box Office – $227.5 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Romance
Awards – Won 7 Oscars
Plot –

91. Malcolm X


best biography movies
Director – Spike Lee
Cast – Angela Bassett, Denzel Washington, Albert Hall, Delroy Lindo, Spike Lee, Al Freeman Jr.
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 88%
Release Date – 18 November 1992
Box Office – $48.2 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – None
Plot –

90. Frida


best biography movies
Director – Julie Taymor
Cast – Roger Rees, Alfred Molina, Valeria Golino, Salma Hayek, Ashley Judd, Edward Norton, Mía Maestro
IMDB Rating – 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 75%
Release Date – 25 October 2002
Box Office – $56.3 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Romance
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

89. Invincible


best biography movies
Director – Ericson Core
Cast – Michael Hayes, Mark Wahlberg, Greg Kinnear, Elizabeth Banks
IMDB Rating – 7.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 72%
Release Date – 25 August 2006
Box Office – $58.5 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Sport
Awards – None
Plot –

88. Charlie Wilson’s War


best biography movies
Director – Mike Nicholls
Cast – Julia Roberts, Tom Hanks, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Ned Beatty, Emily Blunt, Amy Adams
IMDB Rating – 7
Rotten Tomatoes – 82%
Release Date – 10 December 2007
Box Office – $119 million
Genre – Biography, Comedy, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

87. American Splendor


best biography movies
Director – Robert Pulcini, Shari Springer Berman
Cast – Hope Davis, Judah Friedlander, Paul Giamatti
IMDB Rating – 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 94%
Release Date – 18 July 2003
Box Office – $7,986,084
Genre – Biography, Comedy, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

86. My week with Marilyn


best biography movies
Director – Simon Curtis
Cast – Emma Watson, Kenneth Branagh, Michelle Williams, Judi Dench, Eddie Redmayne
IMDB Rating – 24 February 2012
Rotten Tomatoes – 7
Release Date – 83%
Box Office – $35 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

85. The Great Debaters


best biography movies
Director – Denzel Washington
Cast – Nate Parker, Denzel Washington, Jurnee Smollett, Forest Whitaker, Denzel Whitaker
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 79%
Release Date – 25 December 2007
Box Office – $30.2 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Romance
Awards – None
Plot –

84. Jarhead


best biography movies
Director – Sam Mendes
Cast – Peter Sarsgaard, Jake Gyllenhaal, Chris Cooper, Jamie Foxx, Lucas Black
IMDB Rating – 7
Rotten Tomatoes – 61%
Release Date – 4 November 2005
Box Office – $96.9 million
Genre – Action, Adventure, Biography
Awards – None
Plot –

83. Fearless


best biography movies
Director – Ronny Yu
Cast – Jet Li, Nakamura Shidō II, Collin Chou, Dong Yong, Betty Sun
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 73%
Release Date – 26 January 2006
Box Office – $68.1 million
Genre – Action, Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

82. Rush


best biography movies
Director – Ron Howard
Cast – Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Alexandra Maria Lara, Pierfrancesco Favino, Olivia Wilde, Natalie Dormer
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 88%
Release Date – 20 September 2013
Box Office – $98.2 million
Genre – Action, Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

81. Milk


best biography movies
Director – Gus Van Sant
Cast – Diego Luna, Josh Brolin, Sean Penn, Emile Hirsch, Victor Garber, Alison Pill, Joseph Cross, Denis O’Hare
IMDB Rating – 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 93%
Release Date – 20 February 2009
Box Office – $54.6 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

80. Shine


best biography movies
Director – Scott Hicks
Cast – John Gielgud, Lynn Redgrave, Armin Mueller-Stahl, Geoffrey Rush, Noah Taylor
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 15 August 1996
Box Office – $35.9 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Music
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

79. Julie and Julia


best biography movies
Director – Nora Ephron
Cast – Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Chris Messina, Linda Emond, Stanley Tucci
IMDB Rating – 7
Rotten Tomatoes – 77%
Release Date – 7 August 2009
Box Office – $129.5 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Romance
Awards – None
Plot –

78. The Doors


best biography movies
Director – Oliver Stone
Cast – Meg Ryan, Val Kilmer, Kyle MacLachlan, Frank Whaley, Kathleen Quinlan, Billy Idol, Kevin Dillon
IMDB Rating – 7.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 57%
Release Date – 1 March 1991
Box Office – $34.4 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Music
Awards – None
Plot –

77. The Hurricane


best biography movies
Director – Norman Jewison
Cast – John Hannah, Denzel Washington, Liev Schreiber, Deborah Kara Unger, Vicellous Reon Shannon, David Paymer
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 83%
Release Date – 17 September 1999
Box Office – $74 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Sport
Awards – None
Plot –

76. Confessions of a Dangerous Mind


best biography movies
Director – George Clooney
Cast – Sam Rockwell, Drew Barrymore, George Clooney, Rutger Hauer, Julia Roberts
IMDB Rating – 7
Rotten Tomatoes – 79%
Release Date – 31 December 2002
Box Office – $33.1 million
Genre – Biography, Comedy, Crime
Awards – None
Plot –

75. Heavenly Creatures


best biography movies
Director – Peter Jackson
Cast – Kate Winslet, Melanie Lynskey, Simon O’Connor, Sarah Peirse, Clive Merrison, Diana Kent
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 92%
Release Date – 14 October 1994
Box Office – $5,438,120
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

74. Midnight Express


best biography movies
Director – Alan Parker
Cast – John Hurt, Brad Davis, Randy Quaid, Paul L. Smith, Irene Miracle, Bo Hopkins
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – 1978
Box Office – $35 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

73. Control


best biography movies
Director – Anton Corbijn
Cast – Samantha Morton, Alexandra Maria Lara, Sam Riley
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 88%
Release Date – 12 September 2007
Box Office – $8.9 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Music
Awards – None
Plot –

72. Born on Fourth of July


best biography movies
Director – Oliver Stone
Cast – Kyra Sedgwick, Tom Cruise, Raymond J. Barry, Frank Whale, Willem Dafoe, Jerry Levine
IMDB Rating – 7.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 89%
Release Date – 20 December 1989
Box Office – $161 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, War
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

71. Boys Don’t Cry


best biography movies
Director – Kimberly Peirce
Cast – Chloë Sevigny, Hilary Swank, Brendan Sexton III, Peter Sarsgaard, Jeannetta Arnette, Alicia Goranson
IMDB Rating – 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 88%
Release Date – 7 August 2000
Box Office – $20.7 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

70. The People Vs Larry Flynt


best biography movies
Director – Miloš Forman
Cast – Courtney Love, Edward Norton, Woody Harrelson
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 89%
Release Date – 25 December 1996
Box Office – $20.3 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

69. Elizabeth


best biography movies
Director – Shekhar Kapur
Cast – Cate Blanchett, Christopher Eccleston, Geoffrey Rush, Joseph Fiennes, Richard Attenborough, Eric Cantona
IMDB Rating – 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 82%
Release Date – 2 October 1998
Box Office – $82.1 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

68. The World’s Fastest Indian


best biography movies
Director – Roger Donaldson
Cast – Diane Ladd, Anthony Hopkins, Christopher Lawford, Jessica Cauffiel
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 82%
Release Date – 13 October 2005
Box Office – $18.3 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Sport
Awards – None
Plot –

67. The Basketball Diaries


best biography movies
Director – Scott Kalvert
Cast – Leonardo DiCaprio, Lorraine Bracco, Bruno Kirby, Ernie Hudson, Patrick McGaw,
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 46%
Release Date – 21 April 1995
Box Office – $2.4 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

66. The Motorcycle Diaries


best biography movies
Director – Walter Salles
Cast – Facundo Espinosa, Gael Garcia Bernal, Mercedes Morán, Rodrigo de la Serna, Mía Maestro, Jean Pierre Noher
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 83%
Release Date – 6 February 2004
Box Office – $57.7 million
Genre – Adventure, Biography, Drama
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

65. The Last Emperor


best biography movies
Director – Bernardo Bertolucci
Cast – Peter O’Toole, Joan Chen, John Lone, Ying Ruocheng, Victor Wong, Ryuichi Sakamoto, Dennis Dun
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 23 October 1987
Box Office – $44 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – Won 9 Oscars
Plot –

64. Awakenings


best biography movies
Director – Penny Marshall
Cast – John Heard, Robert De Niro, Robin Williams, Julie Kavner, Max von Sydow, Penelope Ann Miller
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 88%
Release Date – 12 December 1990
Box Office – $52.1 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

63. The Queen


best biography movies
Director – Stephen Frears
Cast – Helen Mirren, James Cromwell, Michael Sheen, Helen McCrory, Sylvia Syms, Alex Jennings, Roger Allam
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 97%
Release Date – 15 September 2006
Box Office – $123.4 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

62. The Conjuring


best biography movies
Director – James Wan
Cast – Patrick Wilson, Vera Farmiga, Lili Taylor, Ron Livingston
IMDB Rating – 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 85%
Release Date – 2 August 2013
Box Office – $319.5 million
Genre – Horror, Mystery, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

61. Erin Brockovich


best biography movies
Director – Steven Soderbergh
Cast – Julia Roberts, Aaron Eckhart, Albert Finney
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 84%
Release Date – 14 March 2000
Box Office – $256.3 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

60. Girl, Interrupted


best biography movies
Director – James Mangold
Cast – Clea DuVall, Angelina Jolie, Winona Ryder, Elisabeth Moss, Jared Leto, Brittany Murphy, Jeffrey Tambor
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 54%
Release Date – 8 December 1999
Box Office – $48.3 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

59. Invictus


best biography movies
Director – Clint Eastwood
Cast – Matt Damon, Morgan Freeman
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 76%
Release Date – 3 December 2009
Box Office – $122.2 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – None
Plot –

58. October Sky


best biography movies
Director – Joe Johnston
Cast – Laura Dern, Chris Owen, Chris Cooper, Jake Gyllenhaal
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 19 February 1999
Box Office – $34.7 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Family
Awards – None
Plot –

57. Capote


best biography movies
Director – Bennett Miller
Cast – Bruce Greenwood, Catherine Keener, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Mark Pellegrino, Clifton Collins Jr., Amy Ryan
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 90%
Release Date – 30 September 2005
Box Office – $50 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

56. Ray


best biography movies
Director – Taylor Hackford
Cast – Kerry Washington, Jamie Foxx, Clifton Powell, Larenz Tate, Harry Lennix, Terrence Howard, Richard Schiff
Kerry Washington
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 80%
Release Date – 29 October 2004
Box Office – $124.7 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Music
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

55. Remember the Titans


best biography movies
Director – Boaz Yakin
Cast – Denzel Washington, Nicole Ari Parker, Donald Faison, Will Patton
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes –73%
Release Date – 23 September 2000
Box Office – $136.7 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Sport
Awards – None
Plot –

54. Captain Phillips


best biography movies
Director – Paul Greengrass
Cast – Barkhad Abdi, Tom Hanks
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 93%
Release Date – 18 October 2013
Box Office – $218.8 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

53. Public Enemies


best biography movies
Director – Michael Mann
Cast – Stephen Dorff Billy Crudup, Johnny Depp, Marion Cotillard, Christian Bale, Stephen Lang
IMDB Rating – 7
Rotten Tomatoes – 68%
Release Date – 7 August 2009
Box Office – $214.1 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

52. Ed Wood


best biography movies
Director – Tim Burton
Cast – Bill Murray, Johnny Depp, Martin Landau, Sarah Jessica Parker, Patricia Arquette, Jeffrey Jones
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 92%
Release Date – 28 September 1994
Box Office – $5.9 million
Genre – Biography, Comedy, Drama
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

51. Blow


best biography movies
Director – Ted Demme
Cast – Johnny Depp, Jordi Mollà, Ray Liotta, Penélope Cruz, Emma Roberts, Paul Reubens, Rachel Griffiths
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 55%
Release Date – 29 March 2001
Box Office – $83.3 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

50. Donnie Brasco


best biography movies
Director – Mike Newell
Cast – James Russo, Johnny Depp, Al Pacino, Anne Heche, Michael Madsen, Bruno Kirby
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 88%
Release Date – 28 February 1997
Box Office – $124.9 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

49. The Sea Inside


best biography movies
Director – Alejandro Amenábar
Cast – Lola Dueñas, Javier Bardem, Belén Rueda, Celso Bugallo, Mabel Rivera
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 84%
Release Date – 3 September 2004
Box Office – $38,535,221
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

48. The Straight Story


best biography movies
Director – David Lynch
Cast – Richard Farnsworth, Harry Dean Stanton, Sissy Spacek
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – 11 October 1999
Box Office – $6.2 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

47. Patton


best biography movies
Director – Franklin J. Schaffner
Cast – Karl Malden, George C. Scott
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – 18 February 1970
Box Office – $61.8 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, War
Awards – Won 7 Oscars
Plot –

46. Man on the Moon


best biography movies
Director – Miloš Forman
Cast – Paul Giamatti, Jim Carrey, Danny DeVito, Courtney Love
IMDB Rating – 7.4
Rotten Tomatoes – 63%
Release Date – 7 December 1999
Box Office – $47.4 million
Genre – Biography, Comedy, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

45. Rescue Dawn


best biography movies
Director – Werner Herzog
Cast – Jeremy Davies, Steve Zahn, Christian Bale, François Chau, Pat Healy, Toby Huss
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 90%
Release Date – 28 June 2007
Box Office – $7.2 million
Genre – Action, Adventure, Biography
Awards – None
Plot –

44. My Left Foot


best biography movies
Director – Jim Sheridan
Cast – Fiona Shaw, Ray McAnally, Daniel Day-Lewis, Brenda Fricker, Cyril Cusack, Hugh O’Conor, Ruth McCabe
IMDB Rating – 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 97%
Release Date – 24 February 1989
Box Office – $14.7 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

43. Monster


best biography movies
Director – Patty Jenkins
Cast – Charlize Theron, Lee Tergesen, Christina Ricci, Bruce Dern
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 81%
Release Date – 17 December 2003
Box Office – $60.4 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

42. The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford


best biography movies
Director – Andrew Dominik
Cast – Brad Pitt, Mary-Louise Parker, Sam Shepard, Casey Affleck, Sam Rockwell, Jeremy Renner, Paul Schneider
IMDB Rating – 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 77%
Release Date – 21 September 2007
Box Office – $15 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

41. Moneyball


best biography movies
Director – Bennett Miller
Cast – Jonah Hill, Brad Pitt, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Stephen Bishop, Reed Diamond, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 94%
Release Date – 24 February 2012
Box Office – $110.2 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Sport
Awards – None
Plot –

40. 127 Hours


best biography movies
Director – Danny Boyle
Cast – Kate Mara, James Franco, Amber Tamblyn
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 93%
Release Date – 28 January 2011
Box Office – $60.7 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

39. The Insider


best biography movies
Director – Michael Mann
Cast – Russell Crowe, Al Pacino, Christopher Plummer, Philip Baker Hall, Diane Venora, Debi Maza, Diane Venora
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – 28 October 1999
Box Office – $60.2 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Thriller
Awards – None
Plot –

38. In the Name of the Father


best biography movies
Director – Jim Sheridan
Cast – Pete Postlethwaite, Emma Thompson, Daniel Day-Lewis
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 94%
Release Date – 12 December 1993
Box Office – $65.8 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

37. The Diving Bell and the Butterfly


best biography movies
Director – Julian Schnabel
Cast – Anne Consigny, Marie-Josée Croze, Mathieu Amalric, Emmanuelle Seigner, Max von Sydow
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 94%
Release Date – 22 May 2007
Box Office – $19.8 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

36. The Last King of Scotland


best biography movies
Director – Kevin Macdonald
Cast – Forest Whitaker, Kerry Washington, Gillian Anderson, Simon McBurney, James McAvoy
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 87%
Release Date – 27 September 2006
Box Office – $48.4 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

35. Lincoln


best biography movies
Director – Steven Spielberg
Cast – David Strathairn, Daniel Day-Lewis, Sally Field, James Spader, Hal Holbrook, Joseph Gordon-Levitt
IMDB Rating – 7.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 89%
Release Date – 8 February 2013
Box Office – $275.3 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

34. The Fighter


best biography movies
Director – David O. Russell
Cast – Christian Bale, Mark Wahlberg, Jack McGee, Amy Adams, Melissa Leo
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 6 December 2010
Box Office – $129.2 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Sport
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

33. Papillon


best biography movies
Director – Franklin J. Schaffner
Cast – Don Gordon, Steve McQueen, Dustin Hoffman, Anthony Zerbe, Victor Jory
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 83%
Release Date – 16 December 1973
Box Office – $53,267,000
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

32. Bonnie and Clyde


best biography movies
Director – Arthur Penn
Cast – Gene Hackman, Warren Beatty, Michael J. Pollard, Estelle Parsons, Faye Dunaway
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 88%
Release Date – 13 August 1967
Box Office – $70 million
Genre – Action, Biography, Crime
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

31. Spartacus


best biography movies
Director – Stanley Kubrick
Cast – Laurence Olivier, Kirk Douglas, Charles Laughton, Tony Curtis, Jean Simmons, Peter Ustinov, John Gavin
IMDB Rating – 7.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 95%
Release Date – 6 October 1960
Box Office – $60 million
Genre – Adventure, Biography, Drama
Awards – Won 4 Oscars
Plot –

30. Ip Man


best biography movies
Director – Wilson Yip
Cast – Tenma Shibuya, Hiroyuki Ikeuchi , Donnie Yen, Lynn Hung, Simon Yam, Gordon Lam, Xing Yu, Fan Siu-wong
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 85%
Release Date – 12 December 2008
Box Office – $21,888,598
Genre – Action, Biography, Drama
Awards –
Plot –

29. The Sound of Music


best biography movies
Director – Robert Wise
Cast – Christopher Plummer, Julie Andrews
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 84%
Release Date – 2 March 1965
Box Office – $286.2 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Family
Awards – None
Plot –

28. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid


best biography movies
Director – George Roy Hill
Cast – Robert Redford, Paul Newman, Katharine Ross, Henry Jones, Strother Martin, Jeff Corey
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 90%
Release Date – 23 September 1969
Box Office – $102.3 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – Won 4 Oscars
Plot –

27. Cindrella Man


best biography movies
Director – Ron Howard
Cast – Renée Zellweger, Russell Crowe, Craig Bierko, Paul Giamatti, Paddy Considine, Ron Canada, Bruce McGill
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 80%
Release Date – 3 June 2005
Box Office – $108.5 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Sport
Awards – None
Plot –

26. Finding Neverland


best biography movies
Director – Marc Forster
Cast – Johnny Depp, Dustin Hoffman, Julie Christie, Kate Winslet, Radha Mitchell
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 82%
Release Date – 28 January 2005
Box Office – $116.8 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Family
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

25. The Blind Side


best biography movies
Director – John Lee Hancock
Cast – Sandra Bullock, Jae Head, Tim McGraw, Quinton Aaron, Lily Collins, Kathy Bates, Ray McKinnon
IMDB Rating – 7.6
Rotten Tomatoes – 66%
Release Date – 17 November 2009
Box Office – $309.2 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Sport
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

24. Casin0


best biography movies
Director – Martin Scorsese
Cast – Don Rickles, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, Sharon Stone, James Woods, Kevin Pollak
IMDB Rating – 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 79%
Release Date – 22 November 1995
Box Office – $116.1 million
Genre – Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

23. Serpico


best biography movies
Director – Sidney Lumet
Cast – Al Pacino
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 90%
Release Date – 5 December 1973
Box Office – $23.4 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

22. Into the Wild


best biography movies
Director – Sean Penn
Cast – Emile Hirsch, Marcia Gay Harden, Jena Malone, William Hurt, Brian Dierker, Catherine Keener, Vince Vaughn
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 83%
Release Date – 21 September 2007
Box Office – $56,822,960
Genre – Adventure, Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

21. The Intouchables


best biography movies
Director – Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano
Cast – Omar Sy, François Cluzet
IMDB Rating – 8.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 75%
Release Date – 13 July 2012
Box Office – $426.6 million
Genre – Biography, Comedy, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

20. American Gangster


best biography movies
Director – Ridley Scott
Cast – Denzel Washington, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Russell Crowe, Cuba Gooding Jr., Ted Levine, Josh Brolin
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 80%
Release Date – 19 October 2007
Box Office – $266.5 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

19. The Aviator


best biography movies
Director – Martin Scorsese
Cast – Kate Beckinsale, Cate Blanchett, Alec Baldwin, John C. Reilly, Leonardo DiCaprio, Alec Baldwin
IMDB Rating – 7.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 86%
Release Date – 18 February 2005
Box Office – $213.7 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – Won 5 Oscars
Plot –

18. Braveheart


best biography movies
Director – Mel Gibson
Cast – Patrick McGoohan, Mel Gibson, Catherine McCormack, Sophie Marceau
IMDB Rating – 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 77%
Release Date – 19 May 1995
Box Office – $210.4 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – Won 5 Oscars
Plot –

17. Gandhi


best biography movies
Director – Richard Attenborough
Cast – Trevor Howard, John Gielgud, Candice Bergen, John Mills, Edward Fox
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 86%
Release Date – 30 November 1982
Box Office – $127.8 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – Won 8 Oscars
Plot –

16. Catch Me If You Can


best biography movies
Director – Steven Spielberg
Cast – Tom Hanks, Martin Sheen, Leonardo DiCaprio, Christopher Walken
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 95%
Release Date – 25 December 2002
Box Office – $352.1 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

15. Raging Bull


best biography movies
Director – Martin Scorsese
Cast – Robert De Niro
IMDB Rating – 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – 14 November 1980
Box Office – $23.4 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Sport
Awards – Won 2 Oscars
Plot –

14. The Elephant Man


best biography movies
Director – David Lynch
Cast – Anthony Hopkins, John Hurt, John Gielgud, Anne Bancroft
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 2 October 1980
Box Office – $26 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

13. Lawrence of Arabia


best biography movies
Director – David Lean
Cast – Anthony Quayle, Arthur Kennedy, Anthony Quinn, Alec Guinness, José Ferrer, Jack Hawkins
IMDB Rating – 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 98%
Release Date – 10 December 1962
Box Office – $70 million
Genre – Adventure, Biography, Drama
Awards – Won 7 Oscars
Plot –

12. Walk the Line


best biography movies
Director – James Mangold
Cast – Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, Joaquin Phoenix, Robert Patrick
IMDB Rating – 7.8
Rotten Tomatoes – 83%
Release Date – 18 November 2005
Box Office – $186.4 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Music
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

11. Downfall


best biography movies
Director – Oliver Hirschbiegel
Cast – Alexandra Maria Lara, Juliane Köhler, Bruno Ganz, Heino Ferch, Corinna Harfouch, Ulrich Matthes
IMDB Rating – 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 90%
Release Date – 8 September 2004
Box Office – $92.2 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – None
Plot –

10. The Pursuit of Happyness


best biography movies
Director – Gabriele Muccino
Cast – Thandie Newton, Jaden Smith, Will Smith
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 67%
Release Date – December 15, 2006
Box Office – $307.1 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – None
Plot –

9. Hotel Rwanda


best biography movies
Director – Terry George
Cast – Sophie Okonedo, Joaquin Phoenix, Nick Nolte, Don Cheadle
IMDB Rating – 8.1
Rotten Tomatoes – 91%
Release Date – 22 December 2004
Box Office – $33.9 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – None
Plot –

8. Amadeus


best biography movies
Director – Miloš Forman
Cast – Tom Hulce, Roy Dotrice, F. Murray Abraham, Simon Callow, Elizabeth Berridge
IMDB Rating – 8.3
Rotten Tomatoes – 93%
Release Date – 6 September 1984
Box Office – $52 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – Won 8 Oscars
Plot –

7. Argo


best biography movies
Director – Ben Affleck
Cast – Alan Arkin, Bryan Cranston, Ben Affleck, John Goodman
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – October 12, 2012
Box Office – $232.3 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Thriller
Awards – Won 3 Oscars
Plot –

6. The King’s Speech


best biography movies
Director – Tom Hooper
Cast – Geoffrey Rush, Guy Pearce, Timothy Spall, Colin Firth, Helena Bonham Carter
IMDB Rating – 8
Rotten Tomatoes – 95%
Release Date – 26 November 2010
Box Office – $414.2 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – Won 4 Oscars
Plot –

5. Goodfellas


best biography movies
Director – Martin Scorsese
Cast – Joe Pesci, Robert De Niro, Lorraine Bracco, Ray Liotta
IMDB Rating – 8.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – 12 September 1990
Box Office – $46.8 million
Genre – Biography, Crime, Drama
Awards – Won 1 Oscar
Plot –

4. The Pianist


best biography movies
Director – Roman Polanski
Cast – Thomas Kretschmann, Maureen Lipman, Adrien Brody, Emilia Fox, Frank Finlay
IMDB Rating – 8.5
Rotten Tomatoes – 95%
Release Date – 6 September 2002
Box Office – $120.1 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, Music
Awards – Won 3 Oscars
Plot –

3. The Social Network


best biography movies
Director – David Fincher
Cast – Justin Timberlake, Armie Hammer, Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield
IMDB Rating – 7.7
Rotten Tomatoes – 96%
Release Date – October 1, 2010
Box Office – $224.9 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – Won 3 Oscars
Plot –

2. A Beautiful Mind


best biography movies
Director – Ron Howard
Cast – Paul Bettany, Ed Harris, Adam Goldberg, Russell Crowe, Judd Hirsch, Jennifer Connelly
IMDB Rating – 8.2
Rotten Tomatoes – 74%
Release Date – 13 December 2001
Box Office – $313 million
Genre – Biography, Drama
Awards – Won 4 Oscars
Plot –

1. Schindler’s List


best biography movies
Director – Steven Spielberg
Cast – Ralph Fiennes, Liam Neeson, Caroline Goodall, Ben Kingsley, Embeth Davidtz
IMDB Rating – 8.9
Rotten Tomatoes – 97%
Release Date – 30 November 1993
Box Office – $322.1 million
Genre – Biography, Drama, History
Awards – Won 7 Oscars
Plot –

So this is our list of most popular biopic of all times. Which one you think would have (or would have not) made to you list of biographical films? Share your views in the comment section.