Last updated March 2024
Want to watch extraordinarily awesome Best Biography Movies 2013 ? Check out our compilation of 30 marvelous, critic- and user-adored Best Biography Movies 2013 ready for your viewing pleasure. Hailed as sensationally great by IMDB reviewers and our own legion of discerning users, these world-class titles represent the absolute best of the best. Help fellow fans uncover buried treasures by voting for your top picks. We value members who contribute stellar recommendations!
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Plot Summary:
A New York stockbroker refuses to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration. Based on Jordan Belfort's autobiography
Duration: 180 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 15000000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: money, business, corruption, wall street, rise and fall, greed, stock market, addiction, success, stock broker, wealth, rags to riches, drug addict, american dream, cons and scams, ambition, dark humor, entrepreneur, deception, fbi, nudity, corporate world, ambitious, hotshot hero, drug
Run Milkha Run (2013)
Plot Summary:
The true story of the "Flying Sikh" world champion runner and Olympian Milkha Singh who overcame the massacre of his family, civil war during the India-Pakistan partition, and homelessness to become one of India's most iconic athletes
Duration: 186 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 71000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: India
Plot tags: rise to the top, olympics, biopic, talented, running, life, athlete's life, indians, lifestyle, rising to stardom, follow your dream, ambition, overcoming, rivalry, fame, determination, contests and competitions, championship, fight, training, loss of family member, patriot, motivation, hindu, love
Rush (2013)
Plot Summary:
A biographical drama centered on the rivalry between Formula 1 drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 Formula One motor-racing season
Duration: 123 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 504000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: racing, race, car race, race car, racecar driver, rise to the top, motor sport, success, formula 1, car racing, world champion, rivalry, auto racing, obsession, biopic, sports car, fame, justice, human spirit, professional rivalry, speed, car, catastrophe, friendship, mentor
12 Years a Slave (2013)
Plot Summary:
In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life
Duration: 134 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 731000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: slavery, racism, survival, civil rights, torture, african american, interracial relations, freedom, american history, life is a bitch, black history, kidnapping, storytelling, separation from family, slave trade, nudity, master and servant, rape, slave, human trafficking, biopic, confined, captivity, injustice, interracial rape
Dallas Buyers Club (2013)
Plot Summary:
Loosely based on the true-life tale of Ron Woodroof, a drug-taking, women-loving, homophobic man who in 1986 was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and given thirty days to live
Duration: 117 min
IMDB Rating: 7.9/10
IMDB Votes: 511000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: aids, transsexual, fighting the system, hiv, transgender, human spirit, life is a bitch, drug, casual sex, treatment, gay, gay slur, hiv positive, biopic, terminal illness, society, dying, death, lgbt, alternative medicine, illness, hospital, transvestite, gays and lesbians, trial
Captain Phillips (2013)
Plot Summary:
The true story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years
Duration: 134 min
IMDB Rating: 7.8/10
IMDB Votes: 485000
Genere: Action, Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: hostage, ship, kidnapping, terrorism, survival, rescue, ocean, pirate, u.s. navy, ship captain, piracy, ransom, brutality, terrorist, captain, money, escapades, courage, lifeboat, navy, hijacking, risk, bloodbath, negotiator, merchant marine
The Butterfly's Dream (2013)
Plot Summary:
In a small Turkish town, two young tuberculous poets try to survive while publishing their poems. As they both fall in love, their life would never be the same
Duration: 138 min
IMDB Rating: 7.7/10
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: poet, world war two, poetry, love and romance, friendship, bet, hopes, teachers and students, poverty, follow your dream, lifestyle, competition, writers, literature, kurd, turk, tuberculosis, teacher, friends, young lovers, artists and showbiz, twentysomething life, health situation, power relations, love
Philomena (2013)
Plot Summary:
A woman searches for her adult son, who was taken away from her decades ago when she was forced to live in a convent
Duration: 98 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 103000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Country: UK, France, USA
Plot tags: adoption, convent, catholic church, journalist, catholic, journalism, self discovery, religious intolerance, faith, nun, elderly, illegitimate son, writers, reporter, secret, destiny, redemption, hidden truth, haunted by the past, forceful separation, religion, forgiveness, life is a bitch, atheist, mother son relationship
Lone Survivor (2013)
Plot Summary:
Four Navy SEALs on a covert mission to neutralize a high-level al-Qaeda operative must make an impossible moral decision in the mountains of Afghanistan that leads them into an enemy ambush. As they confront unthinkable odds, the SEALs must find reserves of strength and resilience to fight to the finish
Duration: 121 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 303000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, War
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: military, survival, soldier, war, terrorism, gunfight, courage, military life, war on terror, selflessness, squad, army, enemy, navy seal, battles, swat team, special forces, taliban, covert operation, combat, conflict, mountain, shooting, peril, sniper
Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
Plot Summary:
Author P.L. Travers travels from London to Hollywood as Walt Disney Pictures adapts her novel Mary Poppins for the big screen
Duration: 125 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 168000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Country: UK, Australia, USA
Plot tags: childhood, filmmaking, biopic, hollywood, writer's life, love, family drama, family relations, showbiz, success, parents and children, writers, haunted by the past, father daughter relationship, friendship, celebrity, disneyland, winter, character study, dancing, nanny, death, alcoholic, book, wife
42 (2013)
Plot Summary:
The powerful story of Jackie Robinson, the legendary baseball player who broke Major League Baseball’s color barrier when he joined the roster of the Brooklyn Dodgers. The film follows the innovative Dodgers’ general manager Branch Rickey, the MLB executive who first signed Robinson to the minors and then helped to bring him up to the show
Duration: 128 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 101000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: racism, baseball, african american, athlete and trainer, civil rights, human spirit, rise to the top, hopes, racial segregation, athlete's life, against the odds, biopic, justice, rivalry, black, segregation, black history, discrimination, motivation, social commentary, prejudice, racial slur, american history, athlete, racial prejudice
Fruitvale Station (2013)
Plot Summary:
The true story of Oscar, a 22-year-old Bay Area resident, who crosses paths with friends, enemies, family, and strangers on the last day of 2008
Duration: 85 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 85000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Plot tags: racism, african american, police brutality, black, introspection, civil rights, black lives matter, new year's eve, character study, haunted by the past, tragic hero, murder, urban, encounter, couple relations, black history, goodhearted, social commentary, true crime, gang, adultery, marriage, discrimination, social justice, blaxploitation
Belle (2013)
Plot Summary:
BELLE is inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle, the illegitimate mixed race daughter of a Royal Navy Admiral. Raised by her aristocratic great-uncle Lord Mansfield and his wife, Belle's lineage affords her certain privileges, yet the color of her skin prevents her from fully participating in the traditions of her social standing. Left to wonder if she will ever find love, Belle falls for an idealistic young vicar's son bent on change who, with her help, shapes Lord Mansfield's role as Lord Chief Justice to end slavery in England
Duration: 100 min
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
IMDB Votes: 33000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Plot tags: slavery, racism, interracial relations, society, aristocracy, social differences, high society, interracial romance, white male black female relationship, love and romance, interracial couple, biracial, forbidden love, estate, victorian england, women, culture clash, abolitionist, heir, hopes, acceptance, biopic, love story, slave, feminist
The Butler (2013)
Plot Summary:
A look at the life of Cecil Gaines who served eight presidents as the White House's head butler from 1952 to 1986, and had a unique front-row seat as political and racial history was made
Duration: 132 min
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
IMDB Votes: 119000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: racism, civil rights, president, u.s. president, black history, butler, african american, injustice, father son relationship, white house, biopic, segregation, civil rights movement, historical character, racial discrimination, politics, blacks and whites, domestic servant, marriage, prejudice, discrimination, slavery, interracial relations, social activist, black
The Railway Man (2013)
Plot Summary:
A victim from World War II's "Death Railway" sets out to find those responsible for his torture. A true story
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 42000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance, War
Country: Switzerland, UK, Australia
Plot tags: world war two, war, torture, autobiography, biopic, prison, human spirit, life is a bitch, wartime life, haunted by the past, revenge, captivity, introspection, japanese soldier, japanese occupation, physical torture, survival, politics, wartime, train, redemption, twists and turns, nazi, prisoner, illness
Tracks (2013)
Plot Summary:
Accompanied only by her faithful dog and four camels, an Australian satisfies her craving for solitude by embarking on a solo trip across the desert from Alice Springs to the Indian Ocean
Duration: 112 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 31000
Genere: Adventure, Biography, Drama
Country: Australia
Plot tags: wilderness, desert, travel, solitude, camel, survival, human spirit, photographer, explorer, beautiful scenery, obsessive quest, dog, aborigine, independent woman, traveler, journey, life philosophy, on the road, loneliness, wanderlust, freedom, outback, photography, jungle, coming of age
Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom (2013)
Plot Summary:
A chronicle of Nelson Mandela's life journey from his childhood in a rural village through to his inauguration as the first democratically elected president of South Africa
Duration: 141 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: UK, France, South Africa
Plot tags: prison, civil rights, rebellion, apartheid, biopic, human spirit, racism, prison life, oppression, politics, courage, brutality, heroes, survival, historical figure, fighting the system, political unrest, black, social problems, marital problem, violent content, black history, african american, international relations, resistance
Behind the Candelabra (2013)
Plot Summary:
Based on the autobiographical novel, the tempestuous 6-year relationship between Liberace and his (much younger) lover, Scott Thorson, is recounted
Duration: 118 min
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
IMDB Votes: 45000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Plot tags: gay, aids, pianist, biopic, gays and lesbians, showbiz, celebrity, couples, piano, music, gay sex, gay couple, lgbt, art, character study, foster parent, destructive relationship, drug, musician, age difference, lifestyle, glamour, plastic surgery, older man younger man relationship, lgbtq
One Chance (2013)
Plot Summary:
This film follows the remarkable and inspirational true story of Paul Potts, a shy, bullied shop assistant by day and an amateur opera singer by night
Duration: 103 min
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: bullying, biopic, follow your dream, opera, self fulfillment, ambition, lifestyle, musician's life, against the odds, opera singer, talent show, couples, audition, wannabe, underdog, hopes, boyfriend girlfriend relationship, art, entrepreneur, jazz, philosophy, truth, life changing, based on real people, wedding
The Grandmaster (2013)
Plot Summary:
Ip Man's peaceful life in Foshan changes after Gong Yutian seeks an heir for his family in Southern China. Ip Man then meets Gong Er who challenges him for the sake of regaining her family's honor. After the Second Sino-Japanese War, Ip Man moves to Hong Kong and struggles to provide for his family. In the mean time, Gong Er chooses the path of vengeance after her father was killed by Ma San
Duration: 130 min
IMDB Rating: 6.5/10
IMDB Votes: 36000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, Romance, War
Country: Hong Kong, China
Plot tags: martial arts, kung fu master, kung fu, wing chun, vengeance, heroes, fight, instructor, heir, rivalry, contests and competitions, opponent, tai chi, medieval, wuxia, asian, biopic, revenge, brutality, martial artist, drinking, love, boxing, combat, psychology
3096 Days (2013)
Plot Summary:
A young Austrian girl is kidnapped and held in captivity for eight years. Based on the real-life case of Natascha Kampusch
Duration: 111 min
IMDB Rating: 6.5/10
IMDB Votes: 16000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Germany
Plot tags: kidnapping, child abuse, rape, psychological torture, life is a bitch, abduction, pedophile, basement, survivor, violence against women, missing child, confinement indoors, hostage, woman in danger, rape victim, captivity, true crime, mental illness, kidnapped, teenage girl, escape, confined, sadistic rape, prison escape, age difference
Pain & Gain (2013)
Plot Summary:
Daniel Lugo, manager of the Sun Gym in 1990s Miami, decides that there is only one way to achieve his version of the American dream: extortion. To achieve his goal, he recruits musclemen Paul and Adrian as accomplices. After several failed attempts, they abduct rich businessman Victor Kershaw and convince him to sign over all his assets to them. But when Kershaw makes it out alive, authorities are reluctant to believe his story
Duration: 129 min
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
IMDB Votes: 227000
Genere: Action, Biography, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Plot tags: american dream, kidnapping, buddies, athlete's life, money, friends, hot and sexy, stupidity, bodybuilding, group of criminals, ambition, bodybuilder, dark humor, scam, crime gone awry, fight, torture, masked man, brawl, sex toy, blackmail, partner, violence, fight scenes, greed
Kill Your Darlings (2013)
Plot Summary:
A murder in 1944 draws together the great poets of the beat generation: Allen Ginsberg, Jack Kerouac and William Burroughs
Duration: 104 min
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
IMDB Votes: 41000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: poet, writers, gay, obsession, youth, friendship, coming of age, sexual tension, mental illness, murder, friends, lifestyle, writer's life, poetry, student life, lgbt teen, gay teenager, beat generation, university, confession, lgbtqi, gay sex, bohemian life, gay interest, art
The Frozen Ground (2013)
Plot Summary:
An Alaska State Trooper partners with a young woman who escaped the clutches of serial killer Robert Hansen to bring the murderer to justice. Based on actual events
Duration: 105 min
IMDB Rating: 6.4/10
IMDB Votes: 66000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: serial killer, psychopath, police investigation, winter, kidnapping, murder investigation, manhunt, sexual predator, drug overdose, rape and murder, rape, murder mystery, investigation, rapist, psychology, hitman, snow, runaway, murder, prostitute, confession, escape, crime investigation, justice, chase
The Fifth Estate (2013)
Plot Summary:
A look at the relationship between WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and his early supporter and eventual colleague Daniel Domscheit-Berg, and how the website's growth and influence led to an irreparable rift between the two friends
Duration: 128 min
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
IMDB Votes: 42000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA, India, Belgium
Plot tags: journalism, internet, whistleblower, computers and web, politics, international relations, computer hacker, spy, hacking, biopic, hacker, journalist, technology, conspiracy, uncover truth, surveillance, rebelliousness, against the rules, propaganda, war crime, human rights, computer, corruption, revolution, activist
Lovelace (2013)
Plot Summary:
Story of Linda Lovelace, who is used and abused by the porn industry at the behest of her coercive husband, before taking control of her life
Duration: 93 min
IMDB Rating: 6.2/10
IMDB Votes: 42000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: nudity, porn actress, sexual abuse, porn star, sex, rough sex, porn industry, female nudity, orgasm, sex toy, rape, husband wife relationship, prostitution, manipulation, redemption, adult filmmaking, prostitute, skinny dipping, women, strong sexual content, biopic, porn, filmmaking, notoriety, artists and showbiz
Devil's Knot (2013)
Plot Summary:
The savage murders of three young children sparks a controversial trial of three teenagers accused of killing the kids as part of a satanic ritual
Duration: 114 min
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Plot tags: police investigation, satanism, courtroom drama, teenager, courtroom, jury, court, murder, legal, investigation, police interrogation, life is a bitch, legal investigation, family drama, serial killer, murder investigation, twists and turns, brutality, private detective, law enforcement, juvenile delinquency, false arrest, uncover truth, righting the wronged, loss of son
The Invisible Woman (2013)
Plot Summary:
In 1857, at the height of his fame and fortune, novelist and social critic Charles Dickens meets and falls in love with teenage stage actress Nelly Ternan. As she becomes the focus of his heart and mind, as well as his muse, painful secrecy is the price both must pay
Duration: 111 min
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: love affair, writer's life, biopic, charles dickens, writers, forbidden love, celebrity, secret, scandal, marital discord, introspection, father son relationship, actress, couples, infidelity, couple relations, older man younger woman relationship, age difference, poet, publisher, literary, women, art, ancient, parents
Ip Man: The Final Fight (2013)
Plot Summary:
In postwar Hong Kong, legendary Wing Chun grandmaster Ip Man is reluctantly called into action once more, when what begin as simple challenges from rival kung fu styles soon draw him into the dark and dangerous underworld of the Triads. Now, to defend life and honor, he has no choice but to fight one last time
Duration: 100 min
IMDB Rating: 6.1/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama
Country: Hong Kong
Plot tags: wing chun, martial arts, master warrior, ambition, heroes, teachers and students, instructor, rivalry, medieval, kung fu, biopic, fight, inspiration, folklore, martial artist, wuxia, kickass, contests and competitions, power relations, violent content, hand to hand combat, tiger, graphic violence, fistfight, cantonese
Jobs (2013)
Plot Summary:
The story of Steve Jobs' ascension from college dropout into one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century
Duration: 128 min
IMDB Rating: 6.0/10
IMDB Votes: 102000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, Switzerland
Plot tags: entrepreneur, business, creativity, rise to the top, inventor, computer, entrepreneurship, inventions and discoveries, prodigy, believe in yourself, biopic, business venture, corporate america, programmer, technology, workplace situations, ambition, internet, lifestyle, perfectionist, computer genius, coldhearted, obsession, greed, life philosophy