best biography movies on youtube

The 15 Best Biopics of All Time

Meryl Streep, Denzel Washington, and Robert De Niro star in some of the most enduring and enjoyable biopics.

That’s largely because the genre has gone through some pains to get here. For years, biopics were paint-by-numbers affairs, drawn up to make a quick buck and maybe score an Oscar nomination or two.

Now, most filmmakers have figured out that there are better, more cinematic ways to tell these stories. Some of the best biopics on our list still tell a person’s story from birth to death (or close to it) but do so with a grandness that reflects the way their life was lived. Others focus on a specific period, moment, or event in a person’s life and demonstrate its importance, which encourages reflection on how that particular story still resonates in the present.

This biopic renaissance didn’t happen overnight. Throughout film history, directors have taken risks that paid off in the form of timeless biopics that pushed the genre forward. These are 15 of our favorites.

Related: The Real People Leonardo DiCaprio and Robert De Niro Portray in Killers of the Flower Moon • The Tragic True Story of the Ferrari Movie • Why Michael Oher Doesn’t Like The Blind Side

Director Spike Lee takes the approach of sharing a large percentage of the life of one of America’s most well-known and impactful civil rights leaders : Malcolm X . It’s an approach that has failed more often than not, but over three hours, Lee and star Denzel Washington are able to give Malcolm’s life the richness and attention to detail it deserves in this 1992 film. The result is a fully three-dimensional portrait that follows the man from childhood to his 1965 assassination and many places in between.

Tick, Tick…Boom!

The layers in the feature film debut of director Lin-Manuel Miranda are truly one of a kind. The 2021 movie introduces us to Jonathan Larson (played by Andrew Garfield), who became best known for writing the broadway musical Rent . But in Tick, Tick…Boom! , he’s both struggling to break into the musical industry and, in a parallel but future-looking story, acting in the musical he wrote before Rent . That musical? Tick, Tick…Boom! about a writer struggling to break into the musical industry. It all makes sense—somehow—on the screen, and it’s both wildly entertaining and tinged with tragedy for people who know Larson’s fate. (He’d never get to see Rent premiere.)

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I’m Not There

Most biopics feature one primary actor depicting the portions of an individual’s life that are best known to the general public. Many others might feature a younger or older actor showing the subject at a different phase of their life. I’m Not There , meanwhile, tells the story of Bob Dylan using six very distinct actors to portray the iconic singer-songwriter in various eras of his life. Among the six in this 2007 release are Christian Bale , Richard Gere , the late Heath Ledger , and, improbably, an Oscar-nominated Cate Blanchett .

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Here, the biopic turns into a horror movie (with one of the most uncomfortable but appropriate musical scores of the last decade), as we follow former first lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis (played by a never better Natalie Portman ) in the immediate aftermath of her husband’s assassination in 1963. In this 2017 film, Chilean director Pablo Larraín takes you deep into what was a national tragedy, but he does so in a uniquely personal way. In one of the film’s most devastating scenes, we see Kennedy trying to wash her husband’s blood off her body . From there, it flips, and we see her put in painstaking work to shape the way history will remember the 35th U.S. president .

The Wind Rises

A rare animated biopic, this 2013 stunner from Japanese legend Hayao Miyazaki (of Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke fame) is an interesting companion piece to this summer’s hottest biopic, Oppenheimer . It depicts the life and career of Jiro Horikoshi, an engineer whose aircraft designs were eventually adopted and used by Japan during World War II. While his work advanced his field tremendously, the film shows him wracked with guilt over the way it was used, while he also deals with personal tragedy. It’s a tremendous achievement that takes advantage of its presentation to become arguably the most fanciful biopic ever.

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Martin Luther King Jr. is one of the most well-known figures in American history, but books and speeches can only do so much to show the person behind the ideas. Director Ava DuVernay ’s 2014 film centers around the 1965 civil rights march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, explicitly showing it wasn't the act of one man but so many, including people killed in acts of racial violence. Still, where it stands out is in its portrayal of King, who carries the hopes, fears, and memories of all these individuals on his shoulders at all times, whether he’s sitting at home with his family, in an Alabama jail cell, or in the Oval Office. The result is a portrait of an icon who’s flawed, overwhelmed, and occasionally unsure of himself.

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Similar to DuVernay’s work on Selma , director Marielle Heller peels back the veil on a person famous for their goodness in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood . Her focus is Fred Rogers , the famous children’s television star, but what’s especially interesting about Tom Hanks ’ portrayal of him in the film is that his on- and off-screen personas aren’t dramatically different. The film is centered on a journalist profiling Rogers who assumes someone presenting as this kind must have another side. But in this 2019 film, we learn that while Rogers might have had feelings of sadness, anger, and anxiousness, he actively chose kindness every day, which in turn made everything else feel insignificant.

One of the more fictionalized biopics on the list, this 1984 Oscar-winning epic, adapted from a Tony Award–winning play, takes the unique approach of showing the life, work, and peculiarities (that laugh!) of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart through the eyes of one of his lesser-known contemporaries, Antonio Salieri. As played by F. Murray Abraham, Salieri is consumed by jealousy, revulsion, and deep, deep admiration for his rival composer. As he gets closer to Mozart, he sees a similarly tortured soul, and for viewers, Mozart’s layers of caricature fade away.

Another biopic out of the tumult that was the United States in the 1960s, this 2001 masterpiece from director Michael Mann crosses between sports and politics with a hand as deft as its subject’s left. We see Muhammad Ali , played with remarkable complexity by Will Smith , from his first title fight to his famous knockout of George Foreman in the “Rumble in the Jungle.” All the while, we’re shown the unforgettable details that made him one of the greatest icons of the 20th century—notably, the grace with which he moved around the ring and the acid on his tongue in a pre-fight interview—as well as the almost unbearable heaviness he carried on his shoulders that came with being Muhammad Ali.

Raging Bull

Staying in the boxing ring, this is arguably the quintessential biopic and one of the most admired films by one of cinema’s most admired directors, Martin Scorsese . In it, Robert De Niro plays Jake LaMotta , the world middleweight champion from June 1949 to February 1951. The 1980 film explores the ups and downs of his fighting career, his mob connections (including an infamously thrown fight in 1947), and the always tumultuous, often rage-filled, and violent relationships he had with his wife, Vikie, and his brother and manager, Joey. De Niro won his second Oscar for playing LaMotta—a performance for which he gained 60 pounds to play an older version of the fighter.

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In the 1960s, big, booming historical epics were all the rage. Lawrence of Arabia , Dr. Zhivago —if it had a musical overture and an intermission, people were there and all about it. (It was kind of weird.) But one biographical film that came a little later (in 1981) stands out as an especially successful epic with a number of historical figures criss-crossing at a monumentally important historical event: the start of the Russian Revolution. Among the figures profiled in the underrated Reds are Jack Reed ( Warren Beatty , who also directed the film), a journalist and activist who wrote one of the defining portraits of this period; Louise Bryant ( Diane Keaton ), his counterpart and on/off romantic partner; famous American playwright Eugene O’Neill ( Jack Nicholson ); and feminist and anarchist Emma Goldman (Maureen Stapleton). And throughout, all of the individuals featured and events chronicled are given color through real-life interviews with men and women who were actually there.

Marie Antoinette

This 2006 biopic is straight vibes. Set in pre-Revolutionary France, it features Kirsten Dunst as Marie Antoinette not even pretending to have an accent. Converse sneakers are famously seen in the background of a shot. And the soundtrack, featuring The Strokes and The Cure among others, couldn’t sound less appropriate for the period. But by severing the connection with the time period as harshly as—well, nevermind—director Sofia Coppola crafts something that’s able to gently remind viewers this movie is a relatively simple story about a young girl who embraces the luxury around her because she’s in an otherwise impossible situation.

Julie & Julia

This 2009 Nora Ephron –directed biopic earns inclusion on this list first and foremost thanks to a truly iconic performance from the great Meryl Streep as the beloved chef, author, and television personality Julia Child . She injects tremendous heart into the role without losing some of the quirky gestures that made so many people fall in love with Child, among them blogger Julie Powell ( Amy Adams ), whose journey with Child’s cooking elevates the film further into the pantheon of best biopics. It’s a unique approach that demystifies its subject by both showing us her life and showing someone else wrestling with it.

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An Angel at My Table

Janet Frame might not be a household name in America like other biopic subjects on this list, but hers was a life so full that a young New Zealand director named Jane Campion turned it into a true cinematic effort in 1990 in just her second feature film. Frame eventually became a renowned literary figure, and the film is based on three separate autobiographies she wrote covering different periods in her life, from childhood to adulthood. She suffered a number of personal tragedies early in her life and was later diagnosed (inaccurately) with schizophrenia. In the film’s most dramatic and pivotal scene, she learns that her first collection of short stories will be published just days before she’s scheduled to undergo a lobotomy.

Director Danny Boyle and screenwriter Aaron Sorkin dissect one of the most influential individuals of the past century (you’re quite possibly reading this article on one of his devices) in this 2015 biopic. When you picture Steve Jobs in your head, you probably imagine him in black on a stage introducing a product, and this film takes place on three such days across a roughly 15-year span. But while he looks the part, Michael Fassbender’s Jobs is instead shown as vain, short-tempered, and vindictive. It’s a harsh juxtaposition, but as a biopic, it’s a fascinating experiment that is also very well-acted and relentlessly paced.

John Gilpatrick is a freelance writer and film critic from the Lehigh Valley, PA. He loves movies about space and movies about oil drillers (especially when they go together). He also thinks the Star Wars prequels are mostly OK and that Ivan Reitman's Draft Day is a low-key masterpiece. He is a member of the Online Film Critics Society (OFCS). You can read more of his reviews and columns at JohnLikesMovies.com .

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38 Best Documentaries to Watch on YouTube [2024 Update]

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In this age, information has become so accessible. It’s a challenge to sift what’s real from what’s false. Thus, it’s more crucial than ever that we get our information from reliable sources. And in this regard, documentaries are the perfect tool.

Well-made documentaries captivate us and promote discussion of the topics that they feature. They are a great resource for educating ourselves on topics and issues that matter.

Watching documentaries benefits you in the following ways:

• You are introduced to a new topic and provided a deeper understanding of it.
• It gives you a glimpse into new cultures and lifestyles.
• It inspires you to action or change in beliefs.
• They provide great conversation starters.

Simon Kilmurry, Executive Director of the International Documentary Association, sums up the social importance of documentary films:

“ Documentary film is a form that allows us to walk in another’s shoes, to build a sense of shared humanity, that gives voice to the marginalized and scorned, that strives to hold those in power to account. In these challenging times… it is all the more important to support the ever-risky endeavor that documentary filmmaking is becoming. ”

And YouTube provides one of the best venues for watching documentaries for free. So we’ve chosen 38 of the best documentaries on YouTube and collected them for today’s post.

These films are selected for their ability to promote a new way of thinking. All these let you learn something new about social issues, notable personalities, and the world we live in.

Table of Contents

Best Crime Documentaries on YouTube

WARNING: Some films featured in this post are extremely disturbing.

1. The Crime of Josef Fritzl

Discover how a family has been torn apart because of the evil actions of the father.

In 2008, the world was horrified to learn that a woman has been kept prisoner in a basement for 24 years. But what truly shocked the world was the identity of the perpetrator. Elizabeth Fritzl’s own father, Josef, kept her locked in a basement, raped her, and fathered 7 children by her.

How this man concealed his abominable actions and how it affected the members of the family, their community, and the world is the subject of this 53-minute documentary that features interviews from family members, psychology experts, lawyers, and journalists who followed the case of Josef Fritzl.

2. The Iceman Tapes: Conversations With a Killer

Do you want to know what goes on in the mind of a killer?

This documentary allows you a glimpse into the mind of hitman Richard Kulinski. He is known for the calm, detached way he dealt with his victims, thus earning him the nickname “The Iceman.”

The most unbelievable aspect of the documentary is that despite the hundreds of murders Kulinski committed, his family did not have an inkling of his double life and he appeared to be a loving, devoted family man.

3. The Hacker Wars

This film features the US government’s targeting of hacktivists and several journalists who are critical of the country’s administrative body. The story revolves around 3 hacktivists who battled against the government over the control of information in the age of the Internet.

4. Meet the Scammers Breaking Hearts and Stealing Billions Online

In this documentary, you’ll meet teenagers who establish online romantic relationships with people and scam them out of thousands of dollars.

Reporter Sean Rubinsztein-Dunlop uncovers that what the teenagers are doing is merely small-timer crime compared to the drug trafficking and money laundering he uncovers while doing this film.

Best YouTube History Documentaries

5. finding atlantis.

Over the years, a lot of scientists have gone on a quest in an effort to find the ancient city of Atlantis. This documentary follows a group of scientists as they search for Atlantis using state-of-the-art equipment.

Their search brings them to Spain, where some scientists and scholars believed that Atlantis was located.

6. Why the Romans Were so Effective in Battle

The ancient Roman army was known to be highly effective system in battle. It was this ability that allowed Rome to become a superpower in historic times.

This documentary showcases the genius of the Roman army in battle. It shows how its strategies and equipment were used to great effect in defeating enemies and conquering new and larger territories.

7. The Extraordinary Genius of Albert Einstein

Do you want to know how geniuses arrive at a breakthrough that deepens our understanding of our world and of life?

Produced by History.com, this 1 ½-hour documentary centers on Einstein’s Theory of Special Relativity, not for viewers to comprehend the theory itself, but to serve as a case study for demonstrating how humans think.

The film attempts to show how the real thought processes of human beings happen beyond opinions and perceptions.

8. Picasso’s Last Stand

Do you love art? This documentary features one of the greatest artists of all time.

The film reveals the life of Picasso a decade before his death. At that time, he was faced with criticism for his output and for his lifestyle. However, in the midst of this turmoil, he found impetus to bring forth his wittiest, most profound work.

9. The First Human

In this evolution documentary, we travel through time to uncover a new theory about the approximate time, the reason, and the way human beings began walking upright.

This film presents the story of scientists’ new discovery of a fossil much older than “Lucy” who was initially thought to be humans’ ancestors. This discovery challenges a lot of set ideas about how human beings have evolved.

10. Hidden Killers of the Victorian Home

What is the price of increased wealth and consumerism? For many Victorians, they paid for the luxury of their homes with their lives. In this film, Suzannah Lipscomb takes viewers on a tour of Victorian houses and reveals killers hiding in plain sight in the place where we are supposed to feel safe.

11. Human Zoos

This documentary tells the heartbreaking story of how indigenous people were put on display in 20 th century America. The human zoos had the backing of prominent scientist. The film reveals how some people still channel Social Darwinism for them to oppress others.

This film also features eugenics and the tragedy it caused as some people attempted to breed humans using Darwinian principles.

12. The Real Jesus Christ

After Jesus’ death, there was a power struggle among his followers. This resulted into a split between Paul’s group and those of Jesus’ family and closest disciples. This latter group left no written references that could point to their version of the Christ’s message.

This documentary explores what could have happened if Jesus’ story was told by those who actually knew him: his family and closest followers.

Interesting Things to Watch on YouTube

13. laos wonderland.

This documentary is about the glorious natural wonders of Laos, a country in Southeast Asia. It shows many of the unexplored spots in the country, as well as the wildlife that flourish there.

The film also features some festivals and traditions observed in Laos, which are strongly tied to the surroundings where they are celebrated. This film is treat for those who are interested in world cultures.

14. All Is Self

This documentary shows us that we are one with the whole creation. It proposes that the state of our thoughts and emotions is reflected in the state of our society. The film shows the concept of unity of all creation through different belief systems all over the world.

15. The Human Brain

If you’re interested to learn about the human brain, this documentary can supply you with the information you need. The creators of this film show viewers the physical features and structure of our brain. It explores the different areas of our own gray matter, and identifies the function of each.

16. The Truth About Sugar

Thinking about quitting sugar ?

Many nations have an obesity crisis among its citizens. In this documentary, BBC pinpoints sugar as a major culprit. The film also reveals the amount of sugar in our meals and drinks. It also reports on the reasons for our sugar addiction .

17. Food Choices

This film by Michal Siewierski is an exposé on the impact of our food choices on our health, our planet, and the lives of other species.

The documentary was three years in the making, and features interviews with 28 of the world’s leading experts in various fields. Misconceptions about diets and food are discussed in the film, too.

18. Mat Fraser: Making a Champion

Ever wondered how top athletes go about their day?

In this documentary, Mat Fraser – winner of the CrossFit Games in 2016, 2017, 2018, and 2019 – shares a day in the life of a CrossFit champ. He also shares his personal backstory. This serves as an inspiration for those who aspire for greatness in the realm of sports.

19. SEALFIT 20X SLTC

SEALFIT 20X is a documentary about the challenges that members of the Southeast Lineman Training Center encountered when they volunteered for the 20X program of SEALFIT. The goal of the program is to train apprentice lineworkers to become better qualified, physically, for the job.

The film shows the grit and determination of these lineworkers as they struggled to overcome the challenges of the grueling training to become the best at what they do.

20. The Cola Wars

This film showcases the intense marketing campaigns of the two leading soft drink companies, PepsiCo and The Coca-Cola Company. The competition between these two companies reached a peak in intensity during the late 1970s to the mid-1980s, and this period was dubbed as the “cola wars”.

In recent times, the rivalry between the two companies is still strong, with no sign of letting up as consumers are still almost equally divided in their soft drink preference.

21. Where Dreams Go to Die

People are saying that this is a magnificent running documentary.

This inspirational documentary is about Canadian ultrarunner Gary Robbins and his attempts to complete the Barkley Marathons. The Barkley Marathons has a full course of a hundred miles and is considered one of the toughest ultramarathon races in the world.

Learn about the sacrifices Robbins made to participate in this grueling test of strength, stamina, and spirit.

22. Self-Medicated: A Film About Art

While we’re on the topic of art, here is another documentary featuring art and artists.

In 2000, several artists who got fed up from getting excluded from the fine art scene formed a movement in defiance to this exclusivity. They called themselves The Antagonists, and they preferred to express their art through physical media – walls and the outdoors. The movement has spread throughout the globe.

This documentary tracks several Antagonists. We get to know them through their stories often of loneliness and depression and how art helps them cope.

23. The Next Black – A Film About the Future of Clothing

Do you want to know what clothes will look like in the future?

In this film, sustainability advocates, clothing companies, and a bio firm all give their opinions and forecasts about the clothes we’ll be wearing in the future. One interesting thing to see in this documentary is the way living organisms are being made to grow wearables.

24. The Reality of Truth

This film was created by spiritual guru Deepak Chopra and entrepreneur Mike Zappolin. It introduces viewers to the ways by which people throughout history have transcended into an alternate reality, such as through meditation, music, and the use of psychotropics.

The content it features makes this film controversial. Top scientists, spiritual gurus, and thought leaders discuss the common understanding of reality, as well as the methods for transcending that and reaching an alternate reality.

25. Organic Food – Hype or Hope?

These days, we are made to believe that eating organic food is healthier, so people are willing to pay a higher amount to get these products on their tables.

In this DW documentary, viewers are taken behind the scenes of the organic food industry. The lack of consistent testing, quality control, and monitoring of organic food products makes the consumers vulnerable to labeling fraud.

26. Four Horsemen

This documentary, produced by Renegade Inc. and directed by Ross Ashcroft, explains how the world works and what could be done to create a better society.

The title refers to what the film creators identify as American-led ills: financial misconducts, violence, appalling poverty, and the environmental crisis. The film hopes to inspire the audience to take action for change.

27. The Power of Meditation

If you’re not new to this blog, you’ve probably come across several articles about meditation and mindfulness . We believe that these practices have a positive effect on health and well-being.

The Power of Meditation features various practices of meditation for achieving relaxation, healing, and happiness, as well as developing positive emotions. The film is a good starting point for those who want to gain a deeper understanding about meditation

28. Enlightenment

This film, produced by Anthony Chene, attempts to find answers to the question, “Who are we really?”

If you are looking for ways to develop self-awareness , this movie is a good jump-off point to find answers. The film contains insightful interviews that create modern-day interpretations of our true purpose here on earth.

29. A Simpler Way: Crisis as Opportunity

More and more people are waking up to find solutions to global crises. Some of these individuals formed an off-the-grid community in Australia, living a simpler lifestyle to help save the planet.

This documentary was made by several members while they stayed in the community for a year. During that period, they built tiny houses, planted vegetable gardens, and experienced what it’s like to live in a sustainable community.

30. Without Bound – Perspectives on Mobile Living

This film features people who made a choice to trade the comforts of living in a house for the freedom of living on the road. In this documentary, you’ll get to know a group of people who live in trailers, RVs, and other vehicles of their choice to experience freedom through mobile and minimalistic living .

Without Bound attempts to answer the question: “How much do we need?” The documentary focuses on people who live in mobile homes by choice, and not on people rendered homeless by various social and economic circumstances.

The subjects have significantly scaled down their possessions, living day to day with the most basic essentials.

31. Real Value

These days, the demand for business enterprises that give back to society is rising. This inspiring documentary explores the concept of social enterprise.

Various notable personalities are interviewed in this film, to give the viewers a better understanding of what happens when businesses truly consider the welfare of the people and the planet.

32. Poor Kids of America

Poverty is on the rise in the United States. Many families are affected, the children more so.

This award-winning documentary shows the negative effects of a flagging economy, widespread unemployment, and poverty through the perspective of the most vulnerable members of society: the children.

33. New Money

In this documentary, former stock broker and hedge fund manager Dr. Steve Sjuggerud reveals a great money-making opportunity in a very unlikely place in the world: China.

The documentary reveals how people’s perception of China and what is actually happening there right now are completely different. In the film, Dr. Sjuggerud shows a China that is far more sophisticated than most business districts in the US.

34. Modern Day Miracles

This documentary follows 3 children with correctable disabilities who were treated by CURE International medical team in the countries of Niger, Philippines, and the Dominican Republic.

The documentary features the work of non-profit and Christian organization CURE. It is inspirational in the sense that we get to see people investing their time and effort to reach out and help others who are in need of healing and hope.

35. The Science of Acupuncture

Produced by BBC, this documentary features the traditional Chinese treatment of acupuncture.

There are many who are skeptical about this alternative treatment. The documentary explores how acupuncture is used to cure a host of ailments. Moreover, in the film, acupuncture is used on a patient in lieu of general anesthetic during open-heart surgery.

Scariest & Disturbing YouTube Documentaries

WARNING : Again, some of the films featured in this section can be extremely disturbing.

36. Child of Rage

In this CBS documentary, we see the far-reaching and destructive impact of sexual abuse. The film is based on the life of Beth Thomas who, as a young child suffered from sexual abuse. She was diagnosed with Reactive Attachment Disorder as a result of what she had experienced.

One bone-chilling scene shows her calmly telling the interviewer that she’d like to kill her new adoptive family.

37. The Great Plague (Black Death Documentary)

This documentary paints a grim and disturbing portrait about the Great Plague as it happened in London in 1665.

Through reenactments and a riveting narration, this film brings to live the terror lived by the residents of Cock and Alley parish as they fought for survival against a pandemic that eventually claimed more than 100,000 lives in their parish.

38. Beware the Slenderman

This documentary is about the 2014 attempted murder of a 12-year-old girl by two of her best friends. When the two suspects were apprehended and interrogated, they insisted that the death of best friend had to happen in order to appease the Slenderman.

The Slenderman was a character developed for an online Photoshop contest in 2009. Its gained popularity as a character in online horror stories, creepy art features, in forums, and social media.

The film shows just how unclear the line is between reality and fiction for children. And this is often exacerbated by other factors (e.g., neurological, social, etc.).

Final Thoughts on the Best Documentaries on YouTube

Are you ready to binge-watch these films soon?

Self-education can be enhanced by watching quality documentaries. As your knowledge about topics that interest you increases, so does your potential for personal success.

Can’t get enough of learning new things? Here are some articles you might want to check out:

• 21 Best Tools To Learn Something New Every Day
• CuriosityStream Review: Is it Worth the Price?
• 7 Best TED Talks on Procrastination: Tim Urban and Others

The top 25 most compelling Hollywood autobiographies – ranked!

Inspiring, indiscreet and occasionally gasp-worthy – to mark the publication of Woody Allen’s Apropos of Nothing, we arrange the best Tinseltown memoirs in order of excellence

25. A Story Lately Told (2013) and Watch Me (2014) by Anjelica Huston

The two volumes of Anjelica Huston’s autobiography are a shrewd account of her life with wry comments on the alpha-males in it, including her father John Huston and longtime boyfriend Jack Nicholson.

24. Little Girl Lost (1990) by Drew Barrymore

She published this at 15 years old and like so many movie autobiographies, the title is a pre-emptive ironic twist on whatever the author is most famous for – in Drew Barrymore’s case, a child-acting star turn in Steven Spielberg’s classic ET, and then falling prey to substance abuse. As she says: “I had my first drink at age nine, began smoking marijuana at 10, and at 12 took up cocaine.”

23. The Lonely Life: An Autobiography (1962) and This ’n That (1987) by Bette Davis

Bette Davis published this autobiography in the 60s, at the end of her great period, and updated it in the 1980s – after her daughter BD Hyman published a Mommie Dearest-type memoir of her – detailing her life and times, with true leading-lady hauteur rising above the general awfulness and the fallout from four fraught marriages.

22. My Story (1959) by Mary Astor

This bestseller from the golden-age legend Mary Astor recounted one of Hollywood’s most scandalised lives. In 1936, she was divorced, after an affair with the dramatist George S Kaufman, and the press coverage became obsessed with her diary, which supposedly chronicled her sexual adventures. Much argued about in court, the diary was impounded in a bank vault and finally burnt.

21. What Just Happened? Bitter Hollywood Tales from the Front Line (2002) by Art Linson

Art Linson (the producer of Fight Club) gives an amusing account of the unendingly humiliating business of a life spent trying to get movies made – there is a wince-inducing anecdote of trying to persuade Alec Baldwin to go back into his trailer and shave off the inappropriate straggly beard he had grown just before filming. Linson describes the process of sucking up to powerful people as “bog snorkelling” and “grabbing the knee pads”.

20. Veronica: The Autobiography of Veronica Lake (1970)

The fatale screen-goddess’s autobiography was written towards the end of her life, hitting back at her reputation for being difficult and recounting her professional partnerships with Joel McCrea and Alan Ladd – and with her legendary, lustrous hair, which she had to cut during the second world war to deter female factory workers from copying it.

19. What Falls Away (1997) by Mia Farrow

Mia Farrow’s autobiography was widely praised for her eloquent memoirs, recounting her troubled family life and her relationships with Frank Sinatra, André Previn and most dramatically of all, Woody Allen. The book was published five years after she first made public allegations that he had sexually molested seven-year-old Dylan, which he has consistently denied, which were investigated by the authorities and for which no charges were brought.

18. Memoirs of a Professional Cad (1960) by George Sanders

The suave and mellifluous actor’s memoir sported jovially with his onscreen reputation, recounting his remarkable early life in Russia, his character-acting adventures in Hollywood and his marriage to Zsa Zsa Gabor. Written before his slide into ill-health and depression, it maintains a dapper jauntiness.

17. Brave (2018) by Rose McGowan

It was the courage and uncompromising commitment of Rose McGowan that formed the arrowhead of the #MeToo movement and the campaign to bring Harvey Weinstein to book. Part of what this memoir does is tell us what lies beneath a lot of Hollywood’s racy anecdotes and gossip: a world of abuse and bad faith.

16. You’ll Never Eat Lunch in this Town Again (1990) by Julia Phillips

The producer Julia Phillips became the first woman to get a best picture Oscar with The Sting in 1973 and she was a driving force behind Taxi Driver in 1976 – but it was this tell-all book about the cocaine-fuelled, vanity-charged horror of Hollywood that made her a legend. (Cocaine use bankrupted Phillips.) David Geffen, Steven Spielberg and Richard Dreyfuss came off as ego-addled narcissists and the book so infuriated the industry that she really was banned from Morton’s, the A-listers’ restaurant.

15. What’s It All About (1993), The Elephant to Hollywood (2010) and Blowing the Bloody Doors Off (2018) by Michael Caine

Michael Caine’s three books of autobiography and his meandering thoughts on the acting craft give us his life from his beginnings as Maurice Micklewhite from a working-class family to his success in Swinging London and his breakthrough roles in Alfie, Zulu and The Italian Job. He recounts a legendary meeting with John Wayne in the lobby of a Hollywood hotel who advised him: “Talk low, talk slow, and don’t say much”. Perhaps Caine’s legendary delivery really is the Brit version of Wayne.

14. Tab Hunter Confidential: The Making of a Movie Star (2005)

In the 50s, Tab Hunter was an impossibly gorgeous slice of B-movie beefcake, a sexy actor and singer for whom Jack Warner created Warner Bros Records. Hunter tells us how, despite being intensively marketed to swooning women, he in fact preferred men, in an era in which homophobic paranoia went hand-in-hand with red-baiting – and had affairs with Anthony Perkins and the figure-skater Ronnie Robertson.

13. Me: Stories of My Life (1991) by Katharine Hepburn

Katharine Hepburn’s garrulous, wayward memoir is a fluent and engaging but scattershot performance (in which you can clearly imagine the famous quavering Bryn Mawr voice) perhaps designed to keep at bay those who would take too close an interest in her private life. She handles tactfully her relationships with Howard Hughes and her legendary co-star Spencer Tracy, and gives nothing to those readers who believed that she was gay.

12. Yes I Can (1965) by Sammy Davis Jr

A massive bestseller in its day, with an aspirational title that is sometimes mockingly extended with “… if Frank Sinatra says it’s OK” in honour of the line from This Is Spinal Tap about his perceived subservient position to Ol’ Blue Eyes in the Las Vegas Rat Pack. Despite the conservatism of his later years, when he endorsed the presidency of Richard Nixon, his battle against racism is stirring. There is an extraordinary, Ballardian description of how he lost his eye in a car accident – it fell prey to the bullet-shaped horn button on the steering wheel of his 1954 Cadillac. Davis gallantly helped the other driver out of her car with the eye still dangling out of its socket.

11. My Autobiography (1964) by Charles Chaplin

Chaplin brought a richly Dickensian flair to this autobiography: with the same mix of sadness, sentimentality, humour and warmth that formed the bedrock of the Hollywood storytelling style he pioneered. He gave it to us in three acts: the grinding poverty in London; the staggering success in Hollywood; and then the chilly anti-communist cold shoulder and final retreat to that well-known leftwing enclave, Switzerland. Chaplin name-checks grand acquaintances such as the Prince of Wales, but he isn’t big on acknowledging other silent-movie greats and is reticent about his love life.

10. Adventures of a Suburban Boy (2003) and Conclusions (2020) by John Boorman

Boorman, one of many movie directors who turn out to be beautiful writers as well, vividly and disarmingly describes his childhood in south London and then in Ireland with the kind of engagement that he would show in his great personal film Hope and Glory . He gets his start making documentaries at the BBC, and then there are his experiences in Hollywood dealing with the fragile egos of Burt Reynolds, Richard Burton and Marlon Brando, who pointedly told Boorman what Michael Winner had said to him: “You are a great actor, I am not a great director, please do whatever you like.”

9. American Prince: A Memoir (2008) and The Making of Some Like it Hot: My Memories of Marilyn Monroe and the Classic American Movie (2009) by Tony Curtis

The impossibly handsome Tony Curtis matured from being a B-movie swashbuckler into a brilliant dramatic and comic actor. After a depiction of his tough upbringing in the Bronx, New York, he gives a seductive view of the Hollywood playground, and his meetings with Laurence Olivier, Frank Sinatra and Billy Wilder. His subsequent book detailed the making of Some Like It Hot and his complex relationship with Monroe, with whom he had had a relationship that flowered again during filming (he was married to Janet Leigh, she to Arthur Miller). This resulted in a pregnancy that miscarried.

8. Lulu in Hollywood (1982) by Louise Brooks

Towards the end of her life, Louise Brooks revealed herself to be a great writer about the film business and this memoir, published when she was 78, cemented her reputation. Like so many stories of early Hollywood, it is the story of an inventor and a pioneer, someone who helped create a whole language now taken for granted. After her dull Kansas childhood, Brooks came to New York in the 1920s as a dancer and made the acquaintance of Walter Wanger, Herman Mankiewicz and Charlie Chaplin , but found greatness in Europe with the Austrian director GW Pabst. Her glossy bob hairstyle became a daring sexual brand identity, but this strong, vital woman found herself frozen out of Hollywood by its tetchy menfolk.

7. The Ragman’s Son: An Autobiography (1988) by Kirk Douglas

Kirk Douglas ’s story of his rise to greatness in the Hollywood golden age with movies including Champion, Spartacus, Paths of Glory and Ace in the Hole is a compelling read, for the blistering energy (reproduced in his prose) with which he strove to get away from his former poverty, and his rage at himself for not having confronted the antisemites earlier in his life. Despite his 65-year marriage, Douglas was serially unfaithful, and the book is naive about sexual politics, but there are some ripe stories about his relationships with Rita Hayworth, Marlene Dietrich and Joan Crawford. While lovemaking on her rug, Crawford disconcertingly murmured to him: “You’re so clean. It’s wonderful that you shaved your armpits when you made Champion.”

6. By Myself (1978) by Lauren Bacall

Lauren Bacall describes her career on Broadway and in Hollywood, her marriages to Humphrey Bogart and Jason Robards, and her affair with Frank Sinatra (who features as anecdote fodder in so many of the books about this period). She was a Jewish girl dreaming of being like Bette Davis, and made her mark first as a fashion model who caught the attention of Howard Hawks who cast her in To Have And Have Not, where she began an affair with Bogart, her married co-star, who was 25 years older – although their subsequent marriage was very happy. This was the love of Bacall’s life.

5. Everything and Nothing: The Dorothy Dandridge Tragedy (1965) by Dorothy Dandridge

Co-written with the seasoned Hollywood ghostwriter Earl Conrad , this book was completed just before the death of the singing and acting star Dandridge, the first African-American to receive a best actress Oscar nomination (for Carmen Jones in 1954). She was a pioneering activist who had to contend with sexism and racism, and her career – after the sensational Carmen Jones – was hampered by her lover and director Otto Preminger, who told her to accept only leading roles. This was well-meaning but ill-judged advice. She was a campaigner with the NAACP and introduced Martin Luther King Jr at one event.

4. A Life in Movies (1986) and Million Dollar Movie (1992) by Michael Powell

These two parts of Michael Powell’s autobiography – he was the legendary director who worked with Emeric Pressburger – are an essential account of cinephilia and movie creativity. His is a compelling story of his early career in silent movies, working with Rex Ingram and then Alfred Hitchcock, his later collaboration with Pressburger and then the passionate admiration of Martin Scorsese, which effectively relaunched his reputation in the 1970s. Powell writes simply but rather movingly about falling in love with Thelma Schoonmaker , Scorsese’s brilliant editor, and their subsequent marriage.

3. The Kid Stays in the Picture (1994) by Robert Evans

Made into a movie in 2002, this memoir from the legendary actor-turned-Paramount producer is a great Hollywood insider tell-all, with a title quoting Darryl Zanuck’s remark when some of Evans’s erstwhile acting colleagues demanded he be fired from the 1957 film The Sun Also Rises. He was married many times, including to the Love Story star Ali MacGraw, and as a producer, he was the driving force behind Love Story, Rosemary’s Baby, Chinatown and The Godfather – but also the notorious flop, The Cotton Club . To make it, he associated with a shady financial backer called Roy Radin, whose drug connections and contract-killing murder resulted in a trial in which Evans scandalised the business by refusing to testify. He was himself convicted of cocaine trafficking in 1980, but always claimed he was only a user.

2. Mommie Dearest (1978) by Christina Crawford

For many, this memoir is the primal scene of Hollywood family dysfunction, with a title that has become ironic shorthand for bad parenting. Christina Crawford was the adopted daughter of Joan Crawford. Her book alleged that Joan was a controlling, boozing tyrant who would beat Christina and who was more interested in her (flagging) career and many affairs with men and women than in being a mother. And then in later life, when Christina had an acting career, she insisted on temporarily taking over Christina’s role in a TV soap called The Secret Storm, as Christina was in hospital for a cyst removal: at the time, Christina was 24 and Joan was 60. Perhaps this extraordinary fact alone would be enough to damn Joan Crawford, but many of her friends and her first husband Douglas Fairbanks Jr denounced the stories as untrue.

1. The Moon’s a Balloon (1971) by David Niven

This is the unchallenged champ of the Hollywood memoirs: glamorous, louche, exciting, amusing, name-dropping, ridiculous, outrageously sexual but seasoned with real tenderness and piquancy as Niven describes his unhappy childhood, the heartbreaking loss of his first wife, and also his military service in the second world war, which involved an encounter with Winston Churchill, who congratulated him on quitting the movies to volunteer, but added: “Young man, you did a fine thing to give up your film career to fight for your country. Mark you, had you not done so it would have been despicable.” Unlike most movie memoirs, there is no tough upbringing in the slums: Niven’s childhood was comfortable (though unhappy); he was the public schoolboy who went from Stowe to Sandhurst and, unlike so many Brit actors who had learned to fabricate a posh voice in rep, Niven’s was the real thing, and his authentic light charm entranced Samuel Goldwyn at the high point of Hollywood’s golden age. His book is packed with anecdotes about Hollywood pals, including the notorious Errol Flynn, but the most extraordinary anecdote is about losing his virginity at 14 to a Piccadilly sex worker. Before they went to bed, she told him to “wash” in a kidney-shaped metal bowl by the bed. “Not yer hands!” she then rasped. Since the book’s publication, its mythology has been debunked, Niven was subsequently found to have concealed the extent of his compulsive infidelities and created the fiction of a happy second marriage, and even exaggerated a little his commitment to serving in the British Army during the war. But this book is addictive and unmissable.

• Film industry
• Autobiography and memoir
• Lauren Bacall
• Charlie Chaplin
• Kirk Douglas
• Tony Curtis

Most viewed

10 Best Biographical Movies of All Time, According to IMDb

From 'Malcolm X' to 'Braveheart', these figures have certainly left us with quite an impression.

It's in our nature to show interest in prominent figures who have shaped the world we live in today. Whether those people are world leaders, musical prodigies, boxers, or activists, they have influenced and shaped our world in some way, shape, or form.

RELATED: 10 Best Biopic Movies of the 21st Century (So Far)

Over the years, filmmakers have taken a particular interest in retelling the stories of widely-known public figures to those who might not have known about their incredible impact and the stories that lie behind these legends or simply as a tribute to honor them.

‘Amadeus’ (1984) — 8.4/10

Released in 1984, Amadeus is a biographical film loosely based on the life of the Austrian musical prodigy , Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart . The film focuses on the personal struggles Mozart ( Tom Hulce ) faced in alcoholism, and his marriage, while simultaneously dealing with an envious rival, Antonio Salieri ( F. Murray Abraham ), who wants to destroy him at all costs.

Though there were many dramatized and fictionalized aspects of the film, the rivalry between Mozart and Salieri is loosely based on rumors dating back to the 1770s . Throughout the years, however, many published works suggest that historians have not been able to find any evidence of any signs of rivalry. The film was nominated for eleven Academy Awards, of which it won eight, including the highly regarded Best Picture. It also won an additional 32 awards from other associations.

‘Gandhi’ (1982) — 8.1/10

Gandhi is a biographical film based on the events that occurred in the life of the adored Indian leader, Mohandas Gandhi (more commonly known as Mahatma Gandhi). After spending most of his life experiencing India under British rule, Gandhi ( Ben Kingsley ) tries to stand up for his country. Owing to his extensive accomplishments for India and the world, it's no wonder the film has a longer than average running time of 191 minutes (3 hours and 11 minutes).

His non-violent approach through civil disobedience and efforts against the British eventually led to India’s long-awaited independence and earned him an international reputation as one of the most beloved world leaders today. The film was nominated for numerous awards and won many, including eight wins from the Academy Awards.

‘Lawrence of Arabia’ (1962) — 8.3/10

Lawrence of Arabia tells the story of a British Lieutenant T. E. Lawrence ( Peter O’Toole ), who, with extensive knowledge of Bedouin tribes (nomadic Arab tribes), is sent to Arabia to serve as the link between the Arabs and the British in their battle against the Turks. Against the order of his superior officer, Lawrence, along with Sherif Ali ( Omar Sharif ), commences on a long desert journey with the plan of attacking a Turkish port.

With a running time of nearly four hours (3 hours 42 minutes to be exact), most of the general audience would likely not want to commit to watching the film, but the film's commercial success has that proven wrong. Renowned film critic Roger Ebert noted that despite the lengthy running time, Lawrence of Arabia “is not dense with plot details. It is a spare movie in clean, uncluttered lines, and there is never a moment when we doubt the logistical details of the various campaigns.” The film won many accolades, including seven Academy Awards, five Golden Globe Awards, three British Academy Film Awards, and more.

RELATED: Elvis: 6 Best Music Biopics To Watch After Baz Luhrmann’s New Film

‘Schindler’s List’ (1993) — 9.0/10

Steven Spielberg ’s epic historical drama Schindler’s List is set in the Polish city of Kraków during World War II. The film is based on the heroic acts of a German industrialist, Oskar Schindler ( Liam Neeson ), and his vigorous attempts to save more than a thousand Polish-Jewish refugees from the Holocaust. When he sees how many refugees are ruthlessly killed by the heartless SS Amon Göth ( Ralph Fiennes ) in Kraków, Schindler begins to employ the Polish-Jewish refugees to work in his factories.

In 2018, The Los Angeles Times published an article titled “Why ‘Schindler’s List’ remains brilliant and troubling 25 years after its release”, noting that despite its brilliance, some were concerned about “whether it’s morally defensible to dramatize unspeakable horror and trauma via the language of mass entertainment.” Many stories, however, are asked to be told in a dramatized way movies are a more approachable and exciting medium for the general population to learn about history.

‘Malcolm X’ (1992) — 7.7/10

Spike Lee ’s self-titled biographical film, Malcolm X , is a tribute to the African-American activist Malcolm X (or Malcolm Little). The film explores X’s ( Denzel Washington ) whole life , from growing up in a poor household in rural Michigan to being arrested for performing robberies alongside his friend Shorty (Spike Lee) and a woman named Peg ( Debi Mazar ). While imprisoned, he meets another convict Baines ( Albert Hall ), who becomes a mentor to him and eventually converts him to Islam and consequentially as a member of the religious and political organization, the Nation of Islam.

Malcolm becomes highly invested in the group and idolizes its lifestyle teachings, such as resenting White people for mistreating his race. After being paroled from prison, Malcolm begins preaching and, years later, becomes the spokesperson of the Nation of Islam. However, after speaking out controversial statements and finding out that the group leader Elijah Muhammad ( Al Freeman Jr. ) is somewhat a hypocrite and has numerous children out of wedlock, he announces his loss of faith in Islam. Malcolm becomes the founder of the Organization of Afro-American Unity, which is an organization that focuses on tolerance instead of racial separation.

‘Raging Bull’ (1980) — 8.2/10

The Hollywood biographical classic Raging Bull follows the story of an Italian-American middleweight boxer, Jake LaMotta ( Robert De Niro ). LaMotta's struggles were reflected in his career as a middleweight boxer. At age nineteen in 1941, he fell in love with a fifteen-year-old girl named Vickie ( Cathy Moriarty ), whom he married four years later in 1945.

LaMotta was always worried that Vickie was sleeping with other men, and this anxiety sent him into a downward spiral because that was the start of his uncontrollable rage. Ultimately, his life crumbles, leaving him with nothing but despair. Raging Bull has often been described as one of director Martin Scorsese ’s best directorial works , and the same goes for Robert DeNiro — one of his best performances as an actor.

RELATED: 10 Best Lookalike Actors In Biopics

‘The King’s Speech’ (2010) — 8.0/10

The King’s Speech is a historical drama film about Prince Albert and his journey to becoming King George VI ( Colin Firth ), who wanted to improve his speech impediment, a stammer. His wife, Queen Elizabeth I ( Helena Bonham Carter ), resorts to an Australian speech and language therapist, Lionel Logue ( Geoffrey Rush ), who she believed was the best person to help her husband.

Throughout the process, many doubted whether anyone would take his throne seriously, but with persistence and trust from the future King and Logue, they defied all odds. The future King finally gave his first radio wartime broadcast speech flawlessly. A first-class script, followed by the strong performances by Firth and Rush, led The King’s Speech to win 70 out of a staggering 185 nominations, including four Academy Awards, seven BAFTAs, and a Golden Globe Award.

‘GoodFellas’ (1990) — 8.7/10

GoodFellas follows the story of a mob associate named Henry Hill ( Ray Liotta ), who, having grown up in an environment amongst the mobs, becomes one himself. He begins working for a member of the Mafia, Paul Cicero ( Paul Sorvino ), along with his associates, Jimmy “the Gent” Conway ( Robert DeNiro ) and Tommy DeVito ( Joe Pesci ). Hill’s upbringing and those around him perhaps blur his moral values, and despite being a man who enjoys his money and the luxuries that come with it, he chooses to ignore the affliction he has caused others.

His morality worsens after struggling with drug addiction, and his carelessness causes him to lose everything he ever knew and had; money, luxury, self-respect, identity, and family. Master filmmaker Martin Scorsese’s GoodFellas has stood the test of time and earned the reputation of being one of the best gangster films ever made.

‘Braveheart’ (1995) — 8.4/10

The 1995 biographical film, Braveheart , is based on the history behind the late 13th-century Scottish warrior Sir William Wallace ( Mel Gibson ), who led his fellow Scots in the First War of Scottish Independence against England’s King Edward I ( Patrick McGoohan ). Wallace’s motivation started from a young age when King Edward I conquered Scotland and treated the Scottish disrespectfully. The English King later also executed Wallace's newly-married wife, Murron MacClannough ( Catherine McCormack ), after threatening to expose his soldiers who raped her.

Wallace’s long-pursued battle for Scottish independence led him to become the historic legend he is today. Braveheart went on to win many prestigious awards, including four Academy Awards and a Golden Globe Award.

RELATED: 10 Best Award-Winning Historical Movies of All Time (in Chronological Order)

‘Patton’ (1970) — 7.9/10

Patton focuses on the life of the controversial American General, George S. Patton ( George C. Scott ). The film explores his accomplishments, starting from his first glory in the Battle of El Guettar in Tunisia and subsequently gaining the respect of the army officials and generals. It was his outspokenness and the controversial statements he made, however, which determined the consequential end to his career. He was removed from command for criticizing the US post-war military strategy and further comparing American politics to Nazism.

The epic historical drama became a cinema classic and was selected for preservation in the National Film Registry in the United States and the Academy Film Archive. Patton was nominated for ten Academy Awards, of which it won an impressive seven, and many more awards from other respected accolade associations.

KEEP READING: 7 Critically-Acclaimed Movies That People Might Not Realize Are Autobiographical

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The 100+ Best Biographical Documentary Series, Ranked

The best television documentary biographies are as engaging as a scripted series, while also sharing real lives. The best biography documentary series ever shown on television tell the tales of people - from celebrities to average folks who led extraordinary lives. If you’ve been looking for the best biography documentaries to add some enjoyable education to your TV nights, this list of the best art and art history documentary series of all time will help you figure out what needs to go into your queue.

Some documentary biography series follow individuals for the full run of the show, such as The Defiant Ones , or any documentary series that follows the life of historical figures such as Churchill or Napoleon. Many other documentary biography series use an anthology format and tell the story of different people each episode. 30 for 30 , Behind the Music , and even E! True Hollywood Story tell peoples' stories with a mix of reenactment, file footage, and information from experts in the field.

Which shows do the best job sharing information about the lives of famous people? Vote up the best biography documentary shows and add any biographical documentary series that are missing.

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15 Best Biopics on Netflix Right Now

Biopics have now become a hot genre because there’s something about real-life stories of certain individuals that lure filmmakers. It may be an entire lifetime of a person or just a few crucial years that act as an amazing storyline for a film. It’s no surprise why biopics are able to do so well. Extraordinary stories of successful people or people who had a deeper cause to serve society, all of these inspire us to live a better life. But these stories become more impactful when they are based on the lives of real individuals. Some make us believe in ourselves and our goals while some restore our faith in humanity. The good news is that a great number of these movies are already available on Netflix. So all you have to do is scroll down and choose one of the few biopic movies that we have listed. Here’s the list of really good biopic movies on Netflix that are available to stream right now.

15. Roxanne Roxanne (2017)

Directed and written by Michael Larnell, ‘Roxanne Roxanne’ is an autobiographical musical drama film that stars Chanté Adams, Mahershala Ali, Nia Long, and Elvis Nolasco. Roxanne Shante, a young rapper from New York, has already made her reputation as one of the most feared battle emcees in the 80s. Whoever had seen her perform knew that she was all set to become a hip-hop legend. ‘Roxanne Roxanne’ recounts Shante’s inspiring story as she worked tirelessly to provide for her family and achieved musical success in the process.

14. Come Sunday (2018)

This film is based on an episode of the public radio series called ‘This American Life’. The biopic is about an internationally renowned pastor who went by the name Carton Pearson. When Carton defied the morals of the church and started preaching that there is no hell, he found himself being ostracized by his own church and the Christian community who labeled him as an unorthodox non-conformist. The film has a lot of mixed opinions when it comes to the reviews because it goes against the religious values of a lot of people. But don’t let the reviews fool you, this film is great and has some amazing cinematography with acting.

13. Milk (2008)

Starring Sean Penn and James Franco, ‘Milk’ tells the life story of Harvey Milk starting from his 40th birthday all the way up to his death. The film traces his journey as he struggles to fight for gay rights in the country as an activist and later becomes California’s first gay elected official. The biopic also highlights his relationships with two men along the way and how the death of one really moves him. ‘Milk’ is an extremely moving film and will make you truly feel the struggles of Harvey Milk and all the gay activists of that era.

12. First They Killed My Father (2017)

Directed by Angeline Jolie , this one is the true story of a 5-year-old girl named Loung Ung and her struggles with her family when the Khmer Rouge had taken over Cambodia in the year 1975. Their terrorizing rule led to the death of over 2 million Cambodians. The film shows how Ung and her siblings were sent to Labor Camps and were trained to become soldiers at such a young and delicate age. This film holds a great amount of historical accuracy and clearly, a lot of effort has been into portraying Loung Ung’s story. It does not focus too much on showing the violence and gore prevailing at that time and instead shows the underlying terror and chaos during the time which makes this one a great watch.

11. Christine (2016)

Christine Chubbuck was a TV reporter back in the 70s. This film tells her story by narrating her struggles as a working woman, pressures from her home and also her own depression . This film has been quite under the radar but deserves more appreciation. It tends to get inside your head with its depressing characters and storyline with uncomfortable slow burn throughout. Note that this movie can be triggering for those who are already going through something but overall, it’s a very good movie with some brilliant acting.

10. Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021)

Featuring Bob Ross, Steve Ross, Vicky Ross, and John Thamm, ‘Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed’ is a biographical documentary film directed by Joshua Rofé. As the name suggests, the movie revolves around the rise of the titular protagonist, a brilliant painter and television host, who spread love, joy, and happiness to the millions of viewers glued to his programs on their television screens from around the world. With great success came significant financial burdens. While offering a touching overview of Bob’s inspiring life, the film immediately turns its attention towards the battle for his business empire that saddened and infuriated a lot of his fans.

9. Baggio: The Divine Ponytail (2021)

Written by Ludovica Rampoldi and Stefano Sardo, ‘Baggio: The Divine Ponytail’ is a biographical sports film that stars Andrea Arcangeli, Valentina Bellè, and Thomas Trabacch. The Letizia Lamartire directorial recounts the inspiring life story of Roberto Baggio, a former footballer who dedicated 22 years of his life to the sport. From successes to his failures and regretful mistakes, the movie captures everything. It also introduces viewers to the man behind closed doors and his relationship with his loved ones. Roberto’s affinity to Nichiren Buddhism and his adherence to its philosophy is also deeply discussed.

8. Sergio (2020)

Greg Barker’s ‘Sergio’ is a biographical drama movie produced by Wagner Moura, Brent Travers, and Daniel Dreifuss. The film focuses on Sérgio Vieira de Mello, a United Nations diplomat who, after working tirelessly on several international political programs for more than three decades, decides to do something about the American invasion of Iraq in 2003. Despite warnings not to visit Baghdad in the middle of conflict, Sérgio tries to negotiate the withdrawal of American troops so that the country can achieve freedom. However, his attempts do not go as planned as he gets trapped in the basement of a hotel after a terrorist attack.

7. Mank (2020)

Directed by David Fincher, ‘Mank’ is a black-and-white biographical drama film that revolves around the development of the popular 40s film ‘Citizen Kane’ and its screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz. It is set in the 1930s and offers an exciting insight into the Hollywood of the time. However, the films’ focus remains on the development of the iconic movie and challenges faced by Herman along the way.

6. The Dirt (2019)

Written by Rich Wilkes and Amanda Adelson, ‘The Dirt’ is a biographical comedy-drama film that is based on Neil Strauss’s book ‘The Dirt: Confessions of the World’s Most Notorious Rock Band.’ After spending several crucial years of his early life with his abusive mother, Frank Carlton Feranna Jr. ventures into the outside world in search of his father and eventually stumbles upon the purpose of his life. When he met Tommy Lee in 1980, the musician shared his plan to form a new band, and the two joined hands to include other members in the team. After the inclusion of Mick Mars and Vince Neil, the Mötley Crüe was formed and, in just a few years’ time, became one of the most popular rock bands on the planet.

5. Dolemite Is My Name (2019)

Featuring stand-out performances by Eddie Murphy, Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Keegan-Michael Key, Mike Epps, and Craig Robinson, ‘Dolemite Is My Name’ is a biographical comedy film written by Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski. It revolves around a struggling artist named Rudy Ray Moore, who is desperately trying to get his music on the air in the 1970s. Unfortunately, he has had little success, and his future is still clouded in uncertainty. However, on one ordinary night, an unexpected encounter with a homeless man changes Rudy’s life as he discovers his true calling and ends up entertaining the world, albeit in his own humble and small way.

4. A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018)

Inspired by Josh Karp’s 2006 non-fiction book of the same name, ‘A Futile and Stupid Gesture’ is a biographical comedy-drama film written by John Aboud and Michael Colton. The David Wain directorial follows Douglas Kenney, who, along with his classmate Henry Beard lays the foundations of a monthly magazine named the National Lampoon. The duo leaves the life-transforming opportunity of attending law school for their ambitious goal and, with Douglas’ big vision, manages to change the American comedy scene in innovative ways.

Read More: Best Christian Movies on Netflix

3. Schumacher (2021)

Directed by Hanns-Bruno Kammertöns, Vanessa Nöcker, and Michael Wech, ‘Schumacher’ is a German sports documentary film that focuses on the inspiring career of the titular protagonist and features Corinna Schumacher, Sebastian Vettel, Mika Häkkinen, Jean Todt among many others. The movie offers an intimate understanding of German Formula One racing driver Michael’s personal and professional life using unseen videos, archive footage, and interviews. From his early go-kart career to the struggle with the death of Ayrton Senna, ‘Schumacher’ paints a moving portrait of the legendary racer with an accurate depiction of his failures, successes, and fears.

Read More: Best Horror Movies on Netflix

2. Barry (2016)

Directed by Vikram Gandhi, ‘Barry’ is a drama movie that centers upon Barack Obama’s college days and gives viewers a unique perspective on his life. In the early 1980s, the 44th President of the United States reached New York as a 21-year-old exchange student to Columbia University, where he made friends with his roommate, Will. Barack participated in debates about philosophy and American society and took an active interest in political affairs. ‘Barry’ gives viewers an intimate understanding of what Obama was like during his early 20s and offers a closer look at the interests that eventually made him the leader he is today.

Read More: Best Black Movies on Netflix

1. The Most Hated Woman in America (2017)

Tommy O’Haver’s ‘The Most Hated Woman in America’ is a biographical drama film that stars Melissa Leo, Peter Fonda, Sally Kirkland, and Rory Cochrane. The film centers upon Madalyn Murray O’Hair, an activist, atheist, and proponent for the separation of church from the state who fiercely advocated for his beliefs despite the challenges in her path. Unfortunately, she gets kidnapped in the mid-90s along with her son Garth and granddaughter Robin by people who detest her ideas which eventually ends tragically.

Read More: Best Suicide Movies on Netflix

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The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time. The life and music of Amy Winehouse, through the journey of adolescence to adulthood and the creation of one of the best-selling albums of our time.

• Sam Taylor-Johnson
• Matt Greenhalgh
• Marisa Abela
• Eddie Marsan
• Jack O'Connell
• 76 User reviews
• 95 Critic reviews
• 49 Metascore

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• Trivia Marisa Abela had done most of the singing in this film herself. She trained extensively to mimic Amy Winehouse 's vocals.

Technical specs

• Runtime 2 hours 2 minutes

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