What is biopic? 7 foolproof examples to see on platforms

A biopic is not just any historical film. Nor are all those who previously feel they are inspired by real events. A biopic is a film whose main feature is the cinematic dramatization of the experiences of one or more real people.

Every biopic is an arbitrary snippet that brings together events, important or otherwise, from a figure’s life. There are some full of “adventures”, like Oppenheimer, and others where at first sight “nothing happens”, like Maurice Pialat’s Van Gogh.

Just as there are biopics (bio: biography / pics: film) there are also series that meet these requirements. But let’s leave them aside for a moment.

Hollywood biopics are all the rage. They abound. And everyone repeats the formula. Thanks to a few goldfish who always manage to rise above the average, for several years it has practically been a given that there will be a biopic at the Oscars. They are the workhorse of the American audiovisual industry.

The downside of there being more and more is that there is starting to exist a majority that viewers pass by. They become, with a few exceptions, ordinary films that defame the category and are lost among memories.

Below, a list of seven biopics (great ones) that make the subgenre look good and are available on the platforms.

Oppenheimer

The 2024 Oscar-winning film is, ultimately, a biopic. It also has a biographical title. Christopher Nolan tells the most important moments in the life of the physicist who invented the atomic bomb, Robert Oppenheimer.

For his leading role, Cillian Murphy won the Oscar for Best Actor.

In to flow (To rent).

The first man on the moon (First Man)

The penultimate film of the Oscar winner Damien Chazelle tells how Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the Moon. Unlike other productions on the subject, the director of La La Land focuses on the character’s internal demons.

In Star+.

The Wolf of Wall Street

Even if it doesn’t seem like it, the delirious film by Martin Scorsese with Leonardo Dicaprio is the biopic of the famous New York stockbroker Giordano Belfort. The director of The Irishman, Raging Bull and The Aviator (other magnificent biopics) tells, as usual, the rise and fall of a man full of ambiguity.

In Maximum AND Amazon Prime Video.

Priscilla

Just as Elvis arrived in theaters in 2022, last year it was Priscilla’s turn. Sofia Coppola directs this biopic based on the memoirs of the singer’s ex-boyfriend published in 1985 under the title “Elvis and Me”. The ten-year-old daughter imprints her distinguishable vision of the world in the story of a woman who lived in the shadow of the figure of her partner.

In Mubi.

Social network

You must enter the social network without prejudice. David Fincher turns everything he touches into a thriller and into the life of Marco Zuckerberg, the creator of Facebook, is no exception. A very solid script makes a topic interesting that probably 99% of the readers of this article are not familiar with.

In Maximum AND Netflix.

Ed Wood

Many say that Ed Wood is Tim Burton’s best film. However, time was against him. This 1994 black-and-white film is about Ed Wood Jr., “the worst director in the history of cinema.” An irreverent and creative personality who was able to raise the bar of the bizarre.

In Star+.

Brave heart

Even biopics can be masterpieces. If not, look at the case of Braveheart. Mel Gibson stars in and directs this hit production about Scottish revolutionary William Wallace. He has absolutely everything a blockbuster should have: blood, sweat, love and tears.

In Star+.