Are you looking for the best Hollywood biography movies ever? A biopic is a type of motion picture that tells the life story of a non-fictional, real person. Biopic films typically revolve around a historical figure or a famous person, though they can be about anyone as long as the person actually exists or existed in real life.
With so many biography movies out there, it’s difficult to select some of the best Hollywood biography movies. For this, we have gone through many movie critics to get this list of the best Hollywood biography movies ever.
Best Hollywood Biography Movies
1. Schindler’s List (1993)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Genres: Biography/Drama/History
Star Cast: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall
Schindler’s List is a 1993 American epic historical drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg and written by Steven Zaillian. It is based on the 1982 novel Schindler’s Ark by Australian novelist Thomas Keneally.
Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist and member of the Nazi party, tries to save his Jewish employees after witnessing the persecution of Jews in Poland.
2. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
Director: Steven Spielberg
Genres: Biography/Drama/Crime
Star Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen
Catch Me If You Can is a 2002 American biographical crime comedy-drama film directed and produced by Steven Spielberg. Notorious con artist Frank Abagnale has duped people worth millions of dollars with his masterful art of deception. With his scams getting bolder, he is soon pursued by FBI agent Carl Hanratty.
3. Goodfellas (1990)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Genres: Biography/Crime/Drama
Star Cast: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Goodfellas is a 1990 American biographical crime film directed by Martin Scorsese, written by Nicholas Pileggi and Scorsese, and produced by Irwin Winkler. It is a film adaptation of the 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy by Pileggi.
Young Henry Hill, with his friends Jimmy and Tommy, begins the climb from being a petty criminal to a gangster on the mean streets of New York.
4. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
Director: Martin Scorsese
Genres: Biography/Crime/Comedy
Star Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey
The Wolf of Wall Street is a 2013 American biographical black comedy crime film directed by Martin Scorsese and written by Terence Winter, based on Jordan Belfort’s 2007 memoir of the same name.
Introduced to life in the fast lane through stockbroking, Jordan Belfort takes a hit after a Wall Street crash. He teams up with Donnie Azoff, cheating his way to the top as his relationships slide.
5. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
Director: Mel Gibson
Genres: Biography/Drama/History
Star Cast: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer
Hacksaw Ridge is a 2016 biographical war film directed by Mel Gibson and written by Andrew Knight and Robert Schenkkan, based on the 2004 documentary The Conscientious Objector directed by Terry Benedict.
The true story of Pfc. Desmond T. Doss (Andrew Garfield), who won the Congressional Medal of Honor despite refusing to bear arms during WWII on religious grounds. Doss was drafted and ostracized by fellow soldiers for his pacifist stance but went on to earn respect and adoration for his bravery, selflessness and compassion after he risked his life – without firing a shot – to save 75 men in the Battle of Okinawa.
6. Ford v Ferrari (2019)
Director: James Mangold
Genres: Action/Biography/Drama
Star Cast: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, CaitrÃona Balfe
Ford v Ferrari is a 2019 American sports drama film directed by James Mangold and written by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller. Carroll Shelby, an automotive designer, and Ken Miles, a race car driver, join hands to build a trailblazing vehicle and compete against the Ferrari race cars.
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7. 12 Years a Slave (2013)
Director: Steve McQueen
Genres: Biography/Drama/History
Star Cast: Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Kenneth Williams, Michael Fassbender, Brad Pitt
12 Years a Slave is a 2013 biographical drama film directed by Steve McQueen from a screenplay by John Ridley. Solomon Northup, a free African-American, is promised a fortnightly job by Brown and Hamilton. However, after arriving in Washington DC, he realizes that he has been sold into slavery.
8. Hidden Figures (2016)
Director: Theodore Melfi
Genres: Biography/Drama/History
Star Cast: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner
Hidden Figures is a 2016 American biographical drama film directed by Theodore Melfi and written by Melfi and Allison Schroeder. Three female African-American mathematicians play a pivotal role in astronaut John Glenn’s launch into orbit. Meanwhile, they also have to deal with racial and gender discrimination at work.
9. The Greatest Showman (2017)
Director: Michael Gracey
Genres: Biography/Drama/Musical
Star Cast: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya
The Greatest Showman is a 2017 American biographical musical drama film directed by Michael Gracey in his directorial debut, written by Jenny Bicks and Bill Condon. P T Barnum becomes a worldwide sensation in the show business. His imagination and innovative ideas take him to the top of his game.
10. Elvis (2022)
Director: Baz Luhrmann
Genres: Biography/Drama/Music
Star Cast: Tom Hanks, Austin Butler, Olivia DeJonge, Helen Thomson
Elvis is a 2022 biographical drama film directed by Baz Luhrmann from a screenplay he co-wrote with Sam Bromell, Craig Pearce, and Jeremy Doner. It chronicles the life of the American rock and roll singer and actor Elvis Presley under the management of Colonel Tom Parker.
Whilst on a mission to transform the mainstream rock and roll culture of the USA, singer Elvis Presley uses his fame to highlight racism within the country.
11. Braveheart (1995)
Director: Mel Gibson
Genres: Biography/Drama/History
Star Cast: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen
Braveheart is a 1995 American epic historical drama film directed by, produced by, and starring Mel Gibson. William Wallace, a Scottish rebel, along with his clan, sets out to battle King Edward I of England, who killed his bride a day after their marriage.
12. A Beautiful Mind (2001)
Director: Ron Howard
Genres: Biography/Drama
Star Cast: Russell Crowe, Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Christopher Plummer
A Beautiful Mind is a 2001 American biographical drama film directed by Ron Howard. Written by Akiva Goldsman, its screenplay was inspired by Sylvia Nasar’s 1998 biography of the mathematician John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics.
John Nash, a brilliant but asocial mathematical genius, finds his life-changing for the worse after he accepts an assignment from William Parcher.
