Last updated March 2024
Want to watch Best Biography Movies 2017 that make an impression? We assembled 30 marvelous Best Biography Movies 2017 adored by IMDB and our own exacting user community. Available for instant viewing, these rave-worthy titles qualify as downright sensational. Lend a hand to fellow viewers by voting up the Best Biography Movies 2017 you feel are keepers. We appreciate members who take the extra time to highlight elite content!
Ayla: The Daughter of War (2017)
Plot Summary:
In 1950, amidst the ravages of the Korean War, Sergeant Süleyman stumbles upon a a half-frozen little girl, with no parents and no help in sight. Frantic, scared and on the verge of death, this little girl captures the heart of Süleyman, who risks his own life to save her, smuggling her into his Army base and out of harms way. Not knowing her name and unable to communicate with her, Süleyman names her Ayla, in reminiscence of the moon on the fateful night during which they met. The two form an instantaneous and inseparable bond, and Ayla, almost effortlessly, brings an uncanny joy to the Turkish brigade in the grip of war. As the war comes to a close however, Süleyman's brigade is told that they will be returning home. Süleyman cannot bear abandoning Ayla, and does everything within his power to take her with him. After repeated failure, he is forced to give Ayla to an orphanage, but doesn't give up on the hope of one day reuniting with her. Will the two ever get back together?
Duration: 125 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 43000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: korean war, little girl, orphan, turk, soldier, care, child custody, school, rescue, military base, military, family relations, mother daughter relationship, military life, war, muslim, airplane, foster parent, foster home, turkish army, heroes, journalist, death, battles, cold war
Only the Brave (2017)
Plot Summary:
Members of the Granite Mountain Hotshots battle deadly wildfires to save an Arizona town
Duration: 134 min
IMDB Rating: 7.6/10
IMDB Votes: 75000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: natural disaster, firefighter, forest fire, heroism, tragedy, danger, friends, rescue, firefighting, friendship between men, male camaraderie, bravery, disaster, fire, fire department, loss of loved one, wildfire, baby, survival, evacuation, mentor, firefight, partner, apocalypse, catastrophe
The Greatest Showman (2017)
Plot Summary:
The story of American showman P.T. Barnum, founder of the circus that became the famous traveling Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus
Duration: 105 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 303000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Musical
Country: USA
Plot tags: circus, social outcast, giant, singing, dancing, romantic relationship, children, success, taboo, father daughter relationship, love, outcast, friendship, infidelity, protest, racial slur, interracial love, fight, party, singer, fire, dwarf, dancer, ambition, elephant
I, Tonya (2017)
Plot Summary:
Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U. S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the sport is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes
Duration: 119 min
IMDB Rating: 7.5/10
IMDB Votes: 237000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Sport
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: competition, abusive mother, figure skating, ice skater, female protagonist, mother daughter relationship, violence, abuse, domestic violence, sex scene, winter olympics, skating, female athlete, olympics, emotional abuse, biopic, sport competition, fbi investigation, media frenzy, poor white trash, strong female lead, abusive relationship, contest, historical event, rivalry
Molly's Game (2017)
Plot Summary:
Molly Bloom, a young skier and former Olympic hopeful becomes a successful entrepreneur (and a target of an FBI investigation) when she establishes a high-stakes, international poker game
Duration: 140 min
IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
IMDB Votes: 184000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Sport
Country: USA, Canada, China
Plot tags: poker, gambling, trial, female protagonist, lawyer, father daughter relationship, court, card playing, fbi, woman, strong female lead, mafia, club, illegal gambling, autobiography, gangster, biopic, business, women, poker player, secret, spy, mind game, con artists, investigation
Darkest Hour (2017)
Plot Summary:
A thrilling and inspiring true story begins on the eve of World War II as, within days of becoming Prime Minister of Great Britain, Winston Churchill must face one of his most turbulent and defining trials: exploring a negotiated peace treaty with Nazi Germany, or standing firm to fight for the ideals, liberty and freedom of a nation. As the unstoppable Nazi forces roll across Western Europe and the threat of invasion is imminent, and with an unprepared public, a skeptical King, and his own party plotting against him, Churchill must withstand his darkest hour, rally a nation, and attempt to change the course of world history
Duration: 125 min
IMDB Rating: 7.4/10
IMDB Votes: 216000
Genere: Biography, Drama, War
Country: UK, USA, China
Plot tags: world war two, british history, prime minister, politics, winston churchill, british politics, british prime minister, leadership, choice, decision, biopic, wartime, leader, british empire, bunker, moral dilemma, world war, secretary, war, military, old man, danger, dictator, historical character, smoking
Marshall (2017)
Plot Summary:
Thurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, battles through one of his career-defining cases
Duration: 118 min
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, History
Country: USA, China, Hong Kong
Plot tags: lawyer, court, racism, courtroom, injustice, african american, racial segregation, trial, jury, african american protagonist, courtroom drama, civil rights, black history, racial discrimination, justice, interracial sex, black, racial issues, doubt, attorney, judge, racial prejudice, law, rape accusation, lie
The Disaster Artist (2017)
Plot Summary:
An aspiring actor in Hollywood meets an enigmatic stranger by the name of Tommy Wiseau, the meeting leads the actor down a path nobody could have predicted; creating the worst movie ever made
Duration: 104 min
IMDB Rating: 7.3/10
IMDB Votes: 162000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: friendship, filmmaking, hollywood, bromance, strange person, ambition, aspiring actor, actor, friendship between men, love, biopic, promise, behind the scenes, director, nothing goes right, adaptation, loneliness, sex scene, film industry, artist, success, relationships, art, experiment, hippie
Papillon (2017)
Plot Summary:
Henri "Papillon" Charrière is convicted in Paris for a murder he did not commit. Sentenced to life imprisonment in the penal colony of French Guiana, he becomes obsessed with escaping. After planning and executing a series of treacherous yet failed attempts, he's sent to the notorious prison Devil's Island, a place from which no one has ever escaped
Duration: 133 min
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
IMDB Votes: 83000
Genere: Adventure, Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA, Czech Republic, Spain
Plot tags: prison, prison escape, island prison, friendship, life sentence, escape, thief, solitary, survival, wrongful conviction, human spirit, jungle, prison life, friendship between men, escape plan, false accusation, threat, robbery, safecracker, jail, biopic, male bonding, tattoo, criminal, corruption
First They Killed My Father (2017)
Plot Summary:
A 5-year-old girl embarks on a harrowing quest for survival amid the sudden rise and terrifying reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia
Duration: 136 min
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
IMDB Votes: 20000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Cambodia, USA
Plot tags: genocide, forced labor, communism, war, mass murder, little girl, crime against humanity, khmer rouge, wartime, imperialism, murder, anti war, vietnam war, life is a bitch, revolution, family problems, drastic change of life, changing lives, female writer, death of father, writer's life, lifestyle change, murder of father, loss of father, tragic event
The Post (2017)
Plot Summary:
A cover-up that spanned four U.S. Presidents pushed the country's first female newspaper publisher and a hard-driving editor to join an unprecedented battle between journalist and government. Inspired by true events
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 7.2/10
IMDB Votes: 160000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: USA, UK, India
Plot tags: journalism, journalist, truth, expose, newspaper office, whistleblower, newspaper, lie, cover up, wartime, u.s. government, freedom of the press, vietnam war, protest, controversy, supreme court, biopic, publisher, national security, newspaper reporter, politics, lawyer, businesswoman, elevator, widow
Megan Leavey (2017)
Plot Summary:
The true story of Marine Corporal Megan Leavey, who forms a powerful bond with an aggressive combat dog, Rex. While deployed in Iraq, the two complete more than 100 missions and save countless lives, until an IED explosion puts their faithfulness to the test
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Plot tags: dog, human animal relationship, female soldier, iraq war, strong female lead, military, u.s. marine, american soldier, soldier, u.s. military, boot camp, dog training, animal, german shepherd, woman, women, strong female character, military base, endurance, army, animal human communication, iraq veteran, war, world war two, 9/11
Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017)
Plot Summary:
The behind the scenes story of the life of A.A. Milne and the creation of the Winnie the Pooh stories inspired by his son Christopher Robin
Duration: 107 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 29000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Family
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: childhood, father son relationship, winnie the pooh, traumatic childhood, writers, biopic, fame, husband wife relationship, marital problem, playwright, nanny, toys, little boy, bullying, mother son relationship, child's point of view, overnight success, poet, writer's life, teasing, world war two, youth, betrayal, summer, illness
The Glass Castle (2017)
Plot Summary:
A young girl is raised in a dysfunctional family constantly on the run from the FBI. Living in poverty, she comes of age guided by her drunkard, ingenious father who distracts her with magical stories to keep her mind off the family's dire state, and her selfish, nonconformist mother who has no intention of raising a family, along with her younger brother and sister, and her other older sister. Together, they fend for each other as they mature in an unorthodox journey that is their family life
Duration: 127 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: dysfunctional family, father daughter relationship, alcoholic, restaurant, hospital, funeral, painting, pride, family conflict, writers, female protagonist, husband wife relationship, biopic, school, journalist, promise, delusion, grudge, social criticism, mistrust, mountain, boy, family relations, travel, psychology
Breathe (2017)
Plot Summary:
Based on the true story of Robin, a handsome, brilliant and adventurous man whose life takes a dramatic turn when polio leaves him paralyzed
Duration: 118 min
IMDB Rating: 7.1/10
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Plot tags: disability, illness, supportive spouse, paralysis, marriage, love, husband wife relationship, euthanasia, hospital, biopic, adaptation, quadriplegic, human spirit, polio, depression, christmas, friends, quarantine, faith, post war, real life, disease, strong female character, disabled, disabled character
The Man Who Invented Christmas (2017)
Plot Summary:
In 1843, Dickens was a literary rock star, but struggling financially after the slow sales of his previous novel, Martin Chuzzlewit. Seized with the vision of a story that would fire the hearts of humanity, Dickens pitched his publishers A Christmas Carol, but they passed. Desperate, Dickens declared he would publish it himself. Slipping into the world of his novel, he spent the next six weeks laughing and arguing with his characters, acting out scenes like a madman on the streets of London for hours on end. With a powerful performance from Dan Stevens, THE MAN WHO INVENTED CHRISTMAS is a film for all ages about the most iconic Christmas story ever written and the genius behind it. The film also stars Christopher Plummer (The Sound of Music) as Ebenezer Scrooge and Jonathan Pryce (Game of Thrones) as John Dickens
Duration: 104 min
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Country: Ireland, Canada
Plot tags: christmas, writers, charles dickens, book, publisher, victorian england, father son relationship, debt, holiday, inspiration, poverty, new year, christmas carol, snow, sleeping, friend, writer's block, child labor, winter, poet, christmas season, magical, mermaid, batman, afterlife
The Zookeeper's Wife (2017)
Plot Summary:
The account of keepers of the Warsaw Zoo, Jan and Antonina Zabinski, who helped save hundreds of people and animals during the Nazi invasion
Duration: 127 min
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
IMDB Votes: 46000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Czech Republic, UK, USA
Plot tags: holocaust, zoo, nazi, world war two, hiding place, marriage, women, zookeeper, nazi occupied poland, world war, biopic, husband wife relationship, war, genocide, animal, christmas, travel, children, world war one, wild animal, nazi germany, wartime, feminist, strength, girl
Professor Marston & the Wonder Women (2017)
Plot Summary:
The unconventional life of Dr. William Marston, the Harvard psychologist and inventor who helped invent the modern lie detector test and created Wonder Woman in 1941
Duration: 108 min
IMDB Rating: 7.0/10
IMDB Votes: 28000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Plot tags: polyamory, lgbt, lesbian, psychologist, bdsm, lesbianism, husband wife relationship, lesbian love, comic book, harvard, superheroine, sadomasochism, orgasm, college professor, marriage, lgbtq, submission, secretary, perversity, bisexual, taboo, threesome, friendship, seduction, justice
Stronger (2017)
Plot Summary:
A victim of the Boston Marathon bombing in 2013 helps the police track down the killers while struggling to recover from devastating trauma
Duration: 119 min
IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
IMDB Votes: 49000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: physical therapy, rehabilitation, hospital, terrorist bombing, disability, conspiracy, terrorism, investigation, friendship, husband wife relationship, brother brother relationship, saving a life, running, medication, true crime, illness, real life, sex scene, christmas, terrorist, motivation, depression, 9/11, choice, healing
Borg vs. McEnroe (2017)
Plot Summary:
The story of the world's greatest tennis icons – Björn Borg and his biggest rival, the young and talented John McEnroe – and their legendary duel during the 1980 Wimbledon tournament
Duration: 107 min
IMDB Rating: 6.9/10
IMDB Votes: 34000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Czech Republic
Plot tags: tennis player, tennis, rivalry, coach, father son relationship, biopic, professional sports, arrogance, male objectification, nightclub, american abroad, fiance fiancee relationship, cigarette smoking, professional athlete, sports history, childhood memory, press conference, mother son relationship, athlete, teenager, motivation, design, inspiration, endurance, informant
Victoria & Abdul (2017)
Plot Summary:
Queen Victoria strikes up an unlikely friendship with a young Indian clerk named Abdul Karim
Duration: 111 min
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, History
Country: UK, USA, China
Plot tags: servant, british history, queen of england, queen victoria, royalty, muslim, biopic, british empire, friendship, hindu, royal court, british monarchy, racism, royal family, death of protagonist, women, interracial friendship, british royal family, intrigue, old age, mother son relationship, loneliness, queen, politics, rich man
All the Money in the World (2017)
Plot Summary:
The story of the kidnapping of 16-year-old John Paul Getty III and the desperate attempt by his devoted mother to convince his billionaire grandfather Jean Paul Getty to pay the ransom
Duration: 132 min
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
IMDB Votes: 90000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA, Italy, UK, China
Plot tags: kidnapping, ransom demand, billionaire, rich, mafia, kidnapped boy, violence, escape attempt, money, greed, death, wealth, rich man, escape, cruelty, abduction, true crime, strong female lead, child custody, telephone call, flashback, oil tycoon, emotionless, ransom, parents
The Wizard of Lies (2017)
Plot Summary:
A look behind the scenes at Bernie Madoff's massive Ponzi scheme, how it was perpetrated on the public and the trail of destruction it left in its wake, both for the victims and Madoff's family
Duration: 133 min
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
IMDB Votes: 28000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: fraud, wall street, scam, financier, finance, money, business, investor, stock exchange, success, businessman, entrepreneurship, real life, workplace, corporate world, corporate crime, lawyer, millionaire, ambition, distopia, loneliness, hunter, business and finance, rich man, economics
A Prayer Before Dawn (2017)
Plot Summary:
Based on the true life experience of Billy Moore who survived his Thai prison ordeal by becoming a Muay Thai boxing champion
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 6.8/10
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Action, Biography, Crime, Drama, Sport
Country: UK, France, China, Cambodia, USA, Germany
Plot tags: prison, boxing, male rape, prison rape, male nudity, brutality, friendship, violence, suicide, tattoo, boxing match, transgender woman, martial arts, survival, freedom, promise, money, murder, lie, fear, anger, arrest, drug, muay thai, boxer
Jungle (2017)
Plot Summary:
A mysterious guide escorts an enthusiastic adventurer and his friend into the Amazon jungle, but their journey turns into a terrifying ordeal as the darkest elements of human nature and the deadliest threats of the wild force them to fight for survival
Duration: 115 min
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
IMDB Votes: 62000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, Thriller
Country: Australia, UK
Plot tags: survival, jungle, wilderness, nature, alone, adventurer, rescue, amazon rainforest, raft, river, hallucination, lost, survivor, missing person, lone hero, friendship between men, travel, biopic, wilderness survival, friendship, dream, swamp, israeli, survivalist, cross country trip
Battle of the Sexes (2017)
Plot Summary:
The true story of the 1973 tennis match between World number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs
Duration: 121 min
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
IMDB Votes: 59000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, History, Sport
Country: UK, USA
Plot tags: tennis, battle of the sexes, sexism, tennis player, gender equality, woman, lesbianism, lgbtq, hotel, winning, lgbt, wager, feminism, friendship, homosexuality, equality, sponsor, man with glasses, lesbian lead character, lesbian love, women, strong female character, strong female lead, competition, feminist
The Pirates of Somalia (2017)
Plot Summary:
After an inspiring chance encounter with his idol, rookie journalist Jay Bahadur uproots his life and moves to Somalia looking for the story of a lifetime. Hooking up with a local fixer, he attempts to get embedded with the local Somali pirates, only to quickly find himself in over his head
Duration: 116 min
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: South Africa, USA
Plot tags: pirate, drug, journalist, journalism, journey, danger, point of view, village, escapades, culture clash, news report, writers, spy, islam, 9/11, historical event, reporter, african, black, war zone, photojournalist, international law, biopic, weapons, gun
Rebel in the Rye (2017)
Plot Summary:
The life of celebrated but reclusive author, J.D. Salinger, who gained worldwide fame with the publication of his novel, The Catcher in the Rye
Duration: 106 min
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance, War
Country: USA
Plot tags: writers, world war two, recluse, name calling, writer's life, obsession, friendship, father son relationship, teenage boy, spirituality, father daughter relationship, isolation, friend, real life, novelist, motivation, art, spirit, poet, fall in love, literature, poetry, marriage, communication, biopic
Film Stars Don't Die in Liverpool (2017)
Plot Summary:
Liverpool, 1978: What starts as a vibrant affair between a legendary femme-fatale, the eccentric Academy Award-winning actress Gloria Grahame, and her young lover, British actor Peter Turner, quickly grows into a deeper relationship, with Turner being the person Gloria turns to for comfort
Duration: 105 min
IMDB Rating: 6.7/10
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Plot tags: older woman younger man relationship, doctor, terminal illness, femme fatale, promise, breast cancer, dying, lie, mother daughter relationship, love, life is a bitch, actress, actor's life, cancer, post war, showbiz, mission, aspiration, truth, entertainment industry, love hurts, sex, female nudity, bare breasts, nudity
Thank You for Your Service (2017)
Plot Summary:
A group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life, while living with the memory of a war that threatens to destroy them long after they've left the battlefield
Duration: 109 min
IMDB Rating: 6.6/10
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Biography, Drama, War
Country: USA, India
Plot tags: post traumatic stress disorder, military, iraq war, soldier, rage, ptsd, homecoming, sex scene, haunted by the past, war on terror, war, war in afghanistan, 9/11, historical event, jihad, aftermath, patriot, war zone, photojournalist, military operation, profanity, biopic, dog, airplane, killer