Music biographical films have been extremely popular in recent years and many of them have been well-received. Most seem to have a good balance between humor, music, and dramatic events throughout the band's life, whether it's a real-life band or fictional band.
The biopics about real-life bands work as a good jumping-off point to introduce an audience to the band and musicians behind their popular music and prompt the audience to research more after the film if they're interested. Biopics about fictional bands and musicians are intriguing as the story is completely untold and can be told in its entirety within the run time of the film.
10 Real: Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Bohemian Rhapsody isn't the most accurate biopic, but it captures a vast history of the band Queen and in particular lead singer Freddie Mercury. The film begins with Mercury's early life as he meets guitarist Brian May and drummer Roger Taylor and the three find bassist John Deacon to form the legendary band.
The main four actors, particularly Rami Malek as Freddie Mercury, portray their real-life counterparts very well and their music plays throughout leading to their iconic performance at Live Aid.
9 Fictional: That Thing You Do! (1996)
That Thing You Do! follows a group of teenagers forming a band and quickly becoming popular in the 1960s. They go from winning a local competition to having their song played on the radio to signing with a major music producer.
Tom Hanks wrote and directed the film while also co-starring as the band's supportive but tough manager. The film captures the vibe of 1960s music and has a great soundtrack that makes the one-hit-wonder band believable.
8 Real: Rocketman (2019)
Rocketman tells musician Elton John's story from his childhood to meeting lyricist and best friend Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell) to his struggle with various addictions and romantic woes as he becomes more and more famous.
Taron Egerton portrays Elton John and sings his iconic songs without trying to mimic Elton's real voice. The film drifts into the fantastical with beautiful visual interludes representing emotion and lyrics throughout.
7 Fictional: Once (2007)
Once follows the fictional story of two struggling musicians who meet and begin to have a friendship and relationship that begins with music. The two become a pair who write, sing and perform their own songs that tell the story of their blossoming relationship as the two fall in love.
The film feels incredibly intimate as it has more of a handheld camera approach and intimate songs sang between the main characters.
6 Real: Love & Mercy (2014)
Love & Mercy focuses on The Beach Boys' frontman Brian Wilson that looks at his life and The Beach Boys' creative music process.
The movie switches back and forth between the 1960s as The Beach Boys rise in popularity and Brian Wilson decides to stop touring in the late 1960s as he begins to struggle with his own mental health and the 1980s as Wilson is being treated in a 24-hour therapy program. Paul Dano portrays Wilson in the 1960s and John Cusack portrays him in the 1980s.
5 Fictional: This Is Spinal Tap (1984)
The hilarious cult classic This Is Spinal Tap is a mockumentary about the fake band Spinal Tap trying to make a comeback.
The heavy metal English band is struggling to bring up their ticket sales as their new music hasn't been well-received but they go on tour anyway with hilarious and disastrous results including an ill-conceived Stonehenge replica and several mysterious deaths of their drummers.
4 Real: Nowhere Boy (2009)
Nowhere Boy mostly follows the early life of rebellious teen John Lennon living with his aunt and going to school before the formation of The Beatles. Lennon reaches out to his mother, despite his aunt's warnings, and begins to have a bond with her as she introduces him to different types of music including the most popular music of the time and how to play the banjo.
This inspires Lennon to look for other kindred spirits and create a band that would eventually become The Beatles.
3 Fictional: Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
Although there are some similarities between fictional musician Llewyn Davis and musician Dave Van Ronk, the film itself isn't exactly based on the real-life musician. The film follows struggling folk singer Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac) as he tries to make it big in the 1960s in this Coen brothers film.
The film delves into Llewyn's backstory with his old singing partner and how he has struggled to make it on his own as a solo act. It's filled with fantastic folk music, interesting characters, and an intense premise that shows the difficult side of the music industry.
2 Real: Straight Outta Compton (2015)
Straight Outta Compton tells the story of the formation of the iconic hip hop group N.W.A. and all of the details of their rise to notoriety through their real music and lyrics about crime, police brutality, and gang violence.
The film follows the group in the 1980s as they become one of the most famous groups in the genre, their break-up, and eventual reunion amongst the music industry and record studio drama.
1 Fictional: A Star Is Born (2018)
A Star Is Born was directed by Bradley Cooper in his directorial debut and stars him and Lady Gaga in the lead musician roles. Bradley Cooper portrays a fictional famous musician, Jackson Maine, who discovers a befriends a struggling musician, Ally, portrayed by Lady Gaga.
The two begin a relationship that begins to falter as Jackson struggles with his inner demons and Ally becomes a famous musician in her own right.
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