Last updated March 2024
Looking for top-notch Best Biography Movies? See our list of 30 Best Biography Movies worth watching right now, carefully selected based on IMDB rankings and community feedback. Vote up the Best Biography Movies you love so others can share in the viewing pleasure. We value our users' input in helping to spotlight stellar Best Biography Movies.
Schindler's List (1993)
Plot Summary:
The true story of how businessman Oskar Schindler saved over a thousand Jewish lives from the Nazis while they worked as slaves in his factory during World War II
Duration: 195 min
IMDB Rating: 9.0/10
IMDB Votes: 14000000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA
Plot tags: holocaust, world war two, genocide, nazi, war, wartime, storytelling, concentration camp, brutality, nazism, against humanity, racism, survival, anti semitism, violence, auschwitz, holocaust survivor, life changing, ghetto, rescue, german soldier, nazi concentration camp, accountant, list, good versus evil
The Message (1976)
Plot Summary:
The story of prophet "Muhammad" and the delivery of the message of God "Allah"
Duration: 207 min
IMDB Rating: 8.9/10
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Action, Adventure, Biography, Drama, History, Thriller, War
Country: Libya, Morocco, Egypt, Saudi Arabia
Plot tags: camel, arabic history, prophet, muslim, islam, muslim woman, medieval, religion, ancient, arab, horse, historical event, historical character, dancing, travel, spy, combat, revenge, women, army, desert, hunter, water, death, torture
Rocketry: The Nambi Effect (2022)
Plot Summary:
Based by the life of ISRO Scientist Nambi Narayanan who was falsely accused of being a spy and arrested in 1994. Though free, he is still fighting for justice, with those police officials alleged to have falsely implicated him, still free
Duration: 157 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 57000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: spy, police, espionage, rocket, angry, scientist, injustice, industrial espionage, fight for justice, accusation, guilty verdict, framed for a crime, space probe, investigation, violence, torture, university, engineer, brutality, frame up, anger, nasa, telephone call, interview, husband wife relationship
Toma (2021)
Plot Summary:
Biopic about Toma Zdravkovic, the man who is remembered not only for his songs and unique way he was singing them, but also as a bohemian, both in his behavior and his soul
Duration: 140 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: Serbia
Plot tags: musician, musician's life, price of fame, rising to stardom, relationship vs career, music, friends, celebrity, historical figure, family problems, lifestyle, historical character, gambling, female nudity, sex scene, addiction, hitchhiking, star, convertible
Goodfellas (1990)
Plot Summary:
The true story of Henry Hill, a half-Irish, half-Sicilian Brooklyn kid who is adopted by neighbourhood gangsters at an early age and climbs the ranks of a Mafia family under the guidance of Jimmy Conway
Duration: 145 min
IMDB Rating: 8.7/10
IMDB Votes: 12000000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: organized crime, mafia, gangster, rise and fall, cosa nostra, criminal, mentor, badass, friends, italian mafia, biopic, mobster, violence, mob hit, betrayal, robbery, infidelity, dialogue, fbi, drug, criminal heroes, corruption, greed, gang violence, drug addiction
The Pianist (2002)
Plot Summary:
The true story of pianist Wladyslaw Szpilman's experiences in Warsaw during the Nazi occupation. When the Jews of the city find themselves forced into a ghetto, Szpilman finds work playing in a café; and when his family is deported in 1942, he stays behind, works for a while as a laborer, and eventually goes into hiding in the ruins of the war-torn city
Duration: 150 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 890000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music, War
Country: France, Poland, Germany, UK, USA
Plot tags: holocaust, world war two, survival, genocide, nazi, classical music, wartime, war, nazism, pianist, nazi occupation, hunger, anti semitism, concentration camp, against humanity, ghetto, biopic, atrocity, music, starvation, world war, life & death, judaism, ss, secret hideout
The Intouchables (2011)
Plot Summary:
A true story of two men who should never have met – a quadriplegic aristocrat who was injured in a paragliding accident and a young man from the projects
Duration: 112 min
IMDB Rating: 8.5/10
IMDB Votes: 909000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama
Country: France
Plot tags: disability, friendship, friendship between men, unlikely friendships, life philosophy, disabled person, lifestyle change, handicapped, human relationship, culture clash, friends, interracial friendship, class differences, redemption, loneliness, caregiver, starting over, odd couple, paralysis, bonding, social differences, quadriplegic, blacks and whites, millionaire, hopes
Oppenheimer (2023)
Plot Summary:
The story of J. Robert Oppenheimer’s role in the development of the atomic bomb during World War II
Duration: 180 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 548000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: nuclear, american politics, world war two, atomic bomb, physics, quantum physics, historical event, moral dilemma, guilt, sex scene, based on real people, betrayal, husband wife relationship, top secret, scientist, politics, male protagonist, jewish american, female nudity, desert, president, secret laboratory, communist, brother brother relationship, mastermind
Mahanati (2018)
Plot Summary:
Mahanati depicts the life and career of one of Telugu cinema's greatest and most iconic starlets, the first Indian female super star, Savitri
Duration: 177 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: tragedy, biopic, celebrity, movie star, friendship, career, historical figure, rivalry, ambition, fame, sensuality, lifestyle, actor's life, love story, bittersweet, female objectification, couple relations, secret marriage, women, film industry, actress, director, autobiography, tragic event, feminist
Amadeus (1984)
Plot Summary:
The incredible story of genius musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told in flashback by his peer and secret rival Antonio Salieri – now confined to an insane asylum
Duration: 160 min
IMDB Rating: 8.4/10
IMDB Votes: 421000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music
Country: USA, France
Plot tags: music, classical music, composer, genius, mozart, envy, opera, musician, musician's life, rivalry, mentor, obsession, bohemian life, character study, prodigy, desire for fame, artist, piano, nobility, biopic, jealousy, classical composer, father son relationship, art, success
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
Plot Summary:
The story of British officer T.E. Lawrence's mission to aid the Arab tribes in their revolt against the Ottoman Empire during the First World War. Lawrence becomes a flamboyant, messianic figure in the cause of Arab unity but his psychological instability threatens to undermine his achievements
Duration: 218 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 309000
Genere: Adventure, Biography, Drama, War
Country: UK
Plot tags: desert, world war one, war, military, british empire, camel, imperialism, historical character, battles, islam, politics, great war, train, wartime, culture clash, rebel, quicksand, bedouin, storytelling, arab, medieval, rape, officer, leader, diplomacy
Dangal (2016)
Plot Summary:
Dangal is an extraordinary true story based on the life of Mahavir Singh and his two daughters, Geeta and Babita Phogat. The film traces the inspirational journey of a father who trains his daughters to become world class wrestlers
Duration: 161 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 205000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: India, USA
Plot tags: wrestler, small town, female empowerment, father daughter relationship, parent child relationship, olympics, biopic, indians, women, mentor, life philosophy, determination, training, autobiography, wrestling, great ending, coach, strong female lead, sister sister relationship, female friendship, motivation, patriot, teenager, martial arts, combat
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
Hamilton (2020)
Plot Summary:
Presenting the tale of American founding father Alexander Hamilton, this filmed version of the original Broadway smash hit is the story of America then, told by America now
Duration: 160 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 109000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Musical
Country: USA
Plot tags: hip hop, friendship, american history, death, murder, father son relationship, george washington, violence, biopic, revolutionary war, broadway, dancing, revenge, distopia, music, writers, experiment, friends, president, orphan, theater, adoption, british empire, revolution, election
Braveheart (1995)
Plot Summary:
Enraged at the slaughter of Murron, his new bride and childhood love, Scottish warrior William Wallace slays a platoon of the local English lord's soldiers. This leads the village to revolt and, eventually, the entire country to rise up against English rule
Duration: 178 min
IMDB Rating: 8.3/10
IMDB Votes: 11000000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA
Plot tags: freedom, courage, sword fight, war, vengeance, medieval, battles, tragic hero, love story, leadership, beautiful scenery, military, warrior, sword and shield, idealism, battlefield, life changing, knight, revenge, folk hero, biopic, pride and honor, army, death of protagonist, honor
Green Book (2018)
Plot Summary:
Tony Lip, a bouncer in 1962, is hired to drive pianist Don Shirley on a tour through the Deep South in the days when African Americans forced to find alternate accommodations and services due to segregation laws below the Mason-Dixon Line relied on a guide called The Negro Motorist Green Book
Duration: 130 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 546000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA, China
Plot tags: racism, road trip, travel, musician, interracial friendship, driver, friendship, racial prejudice, journey, on the road, black american, friend, dignity, african american, piano, blacks and whites, loneliness, pianist, prejudice, racial slur, chauffeur, deep south, trip, american south, talent
Downfall (2004)
Plot Summary:
In April of 1945, Germany stands at the brink of defeat with the Russian Army closing in from the east and the Allied Expeditionary Force attacking from the west. In Berlin, capital of the Third Reich, Adolf Hitler proclaims that Germany will still achieve victory and orders his generals and advisers to fight to the last man. When the end finally does come, and Hitler lies dead by his own hand, what is left of his military must find a way to end the killing that is the Battle of Berlin, and lay down their arms in surrender
Duration: 156 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 370000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: Germany, Austria, Italy
Plot tags: world war two, hitler, nazism, suicide, nazi, war, holocaust, fascism, third reich, national socialism, dictatorship, nazi germany, courage, politics, bunker, paranoia, war crime, confined, ss officer, hitler youth, ss, corruption, last will and testament, siege, dictator
Pocket Hercules: Naim Suleymanoglu (2019)
Plot Summary:
From defecting to the Olympics, an underdog weightlifter powers through adversity to raise up his community in this biopic of Naim Süleymanoğlu
Duration: 141 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 14000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, Sport
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: weightlifting, migration, olympics, real life, assimilation, tournament, muslim, communism, athlete, rivalry, contests and competitions, athlete's life, athlete and trainer, olympic athlete, lifestyle, olympian, professional rivalry, olympic gold medalist, magic, biopic, turk, life, gold, legend, journey
Shahid (2012)
Plot Summary:
This compelling drama tells the remarkable true story of slain human rights activist Shahid Azmi, who became a powerful voice against the intercommunal violence that has engulfed Mumbai since the early 1990s
Duration: 129 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: India
Plot tags: human rights, muslim, legal, terrorist, lawyer, courtroom, false arrest, life is a bitch, society, civil rights, injustice, social activist, hopes, religions or cults, indians, motivation, islam, justice, death of protagonist, hindu, activist, prejudice, dying, judgment, law
Temple Grandin (2010)
Plot Summary:
A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of top scientists in humane livestock handling
Duration: 107 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 32000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Plot tags: autism, human spirit, teacher, disability, genius, female protagonist, scientist, against the odds, biopic, inventor, asperger's syndrome, psychology, ambition, slaughterhouse, mental illness, mentally challenged, mentor, women, prejudice, education, panic attack, transformation, science, childhood, mother daughter relationship
The Elephant Man (1980)
Plot Summary:
A Victorian surgeon rescues a heavily disfigured man being mistreated by his "owner" as a side-show freak. Behind his monstrous façade, there is revealed a person of great intelligence and sensitivity. Based on the true story of Joseph Merrick (called John Merrick in the film), a severely deformed man in 19th century London
Duration: 124 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 254000
Genere: Biography, Drama
Country: USA, UK
Plot tags: disability, hospital, freak, dignity, melancholy, disfigurement, social misfits, biopic, cruelty, isolation, life is a bitch, exploitation, humanism, human exploitation, curiosity, human nature, sideshow, freak show, suffering, hopes, tragic event, loneliness, psychological torture, brutality, doctor patient relationship
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
A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Plot Summary:
At Princeton University, John Nash struggles to make a worthwhile contribution to serve as his legacy to the world of mathematics. He finally makes a revolutionary breakthrough that will eventually earn him the Nobel Prize. After graduate school he turns to teaching, becoming romantically involved with his student Alicia. Meanwhile the government asks his help with breaking Soviet codes, which soon gets him involved in a terrifying conspiracy plot. Nash grows more and more paranoid until a discovery that turns his entire world upside down. Now it is only with Alicia's help that he will be able to recover his mental strength and regain his status as the great mathematician we know him as today
Duration: 135 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 972000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Mystery
Country: USA
Plot tags: mathematics, mental illness, schizophrenia, genius, paranoia, insanity, scientist, mathematician, imaginary friend, nobel prize, obsession, prodigy, psychiatry, imagination, mental disorder, intelligence, psychiatrist, professor, existentialism, paranoid schizophrenia, biopic, mentally unstable, conspiracy, economics, talented
Dersu Uzala (1975)
Plot Summary:
A military explorer meets and befriends a Goldi man in Russia’s unmapped forests. A deep and abiding bond evolves between the two men, one civilized in the usual sense, the other at home in the glacial Siberian woods
Duration: 142 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 33000
Genere: Adventure, Biography, Drama
Country: Soviet Union, Japan
Plot tags: wilderness, friendship, wilderness survival, human spirit, explorer, cold weather, forest, hunter, survival, nature, environment, tiger, winter, culture clash, loneliness, old age, isolation, environmental, travel, village, world war two, time travel, shaman, spirituality, landscape
Close-Up (1990)
Plot Summary:
This fiction-documentary hybrid uses a sensational real-life event—the arrest of a young man on charges that he fraudulently impersonated the well-known filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf—as the basis for a stunning, multilayered investigation into movies, identity, artistic creation, and existence, in which the real people from the case play themselves
Duration: 98 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Biography, Crime, Drama
Country: Iran
Plot tags: filmmaking, filmmaker, hidden identity, uncover truth, cons and scams, fighting the system, legal, courtroom, iranian, reporter, mistaken identity, killer, lawyer, artist, friendship, religion, court, past, muslim, underground, dream, destiny, lsd, changing lives, entertainment
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
One Love (2018)
Plot Summary:
The mid 90’s. Turkey’s political instability, inflation and hopelesness on people were increased. In those years when all hope was lost, people deeply bond with Bold Pilot and Halis Karataş who win every race coming from the last place. People see themselves at the point where this horse and jockey are: at the back. This duo make people to believe that everybody can win. The race ends at the finish line and the first to cross this line are Bold Pilot and Halis riding it
Duration: 130 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Romance, Sport
Country: Turkey
Plot tags: horse race, racehorse, horse, jockey, race, hopes, love and romance, friendship, rise to the top, follow your dream, rivalry, ambition, contests and competitions, couple relations, racing, coach, underdog, love, success, death, cancer, hospital, bet, competition, anger
Lion of the Desert (1980)
Plot Summary:
This movie tells the story of Omar Mukhtar, an Arab Muslim rebel who fought against the Italian conquest of Libya in WWII. It gives western viewers a glimpse into this little-known region and chapter of history, and exposes the savage means by which the conquering army attempted to subdue the natives
Duration: 173 min
IMDB Rating: 8.2/10
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Biography, Drama, History, War
Country: USA, Libya
Plot tags: muslim, desert, arab, bedouin, resistance, islam, revolution, rebel, military, battles, world war two, medieval, struggle, great war, imperialism, tank, fascism, italian history, camel, combat, time travel, nazi, world war one, wartime, freedom
Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Plot Summary:
American car designer Carroll Shelby and the British-born driver Ken Miles work together to battle corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966
Duration: 152 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 447000
Genere: Action, Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: racing, car, racecar driver, car racing, car race, talented, ambition, auto mechanic, race, rise to the top, friendship, race car, desire for fame, auto racing, driving, driver, friendship between men, fight, biopic, rivalry, contests and competitions, male bonding, husband wife relationship, father son relationship, friend
Raging Bull (1980)
Plot Summary:
When Jake LaMotta steps into a boxing ring and obliterates his opponent, he's a prizefighter. But when he treats his family and friends the same way, he's a ticking time bomb, ready to go off at any moment. Though LaMotta wants his family's love, something always seems to come between them. Perhaps it's his violent bouts of paranoia and jealousy. This kind of rage helped make him a champ, but in real life, he winds up in the ring alone
Duration: 129 min
IMDB Rating: 8.1/10
IMDB Votes: 373000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Sport
Country: USA
Plot tags: character study, boxing, rise and fall, violent, boxer, biopic, bad temper, tragedy, redemption, jealousy, gangster, paranoia, fight, rage, dysfunctional family, hot temper, marriage crisis, competition, storytelling, self destructing, depression, mentor, fight scenes, champion, boxing match