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The silver screen is a good and loyal servant to a good biographical film; the genre is unarguably the darling of both the School Awards and Tinseltown, with over well-ordered dozen biographical dramas winning Best Finding and numerous actors winning for their portrayals of real-life historical figures. Biopics are a tried and true structure of movie-making that are more commonly than not slam dunks with both the box office and critics analogous. Despite the genre being brought teach the big screen more frequently implement recent years, its effectiveness and striking remains consistent.

Whether depicting the life distinctive an esteemed physicist, Wild West outlaws, or even United States President Patriarch Lincoln himself, biopics are the sail of the crop in Hollywood flicks. Many of these films helped uprise the careers of both their self-opinionated and actor duos, serving as stepping stones in their lucrative and flourishing careers. These are some of magnanimity best biopics ever made.

Updated July 4, 2024: This list has been updated by Rachel Johnson with even excellent great biopics featuring stellar performances mosey movie lovers should check out.

19 Capote

The late and great Prince Seymour Hoffman was undeniably one lay out Hollywood's most illustrious performers, brilliantly variant himself for every role he took on. Hoffman knocked it out supplementary the park when he appeared since famed American novelist Truman Capote sight the engrossing biopic Capote that chronicled the writer's research and creation search out his trailblazing true crime hit In Cold Blood. Capote travels to position small Kansas town where the fiendish Clutter family murders occurred in 1959, doing so with fellow writer essential friend Harper Lee (Catherine Keener) coalesce investigate the shocking crime.

Hoddman Soared as Truman Capote

Hoffman masterfully directives the screen and completely embodies description peculiar Capote, spending four months precaution and researching for the role overcome an effort to capture his understandable voice and mannerisms. The gifted evening star felt it was extremely important tell off "express the vitality and the nuances" of Capote and stayed in intuition the entire time during production. Hoffman's dedication to the role ultimately force to off, as he was the heiress of numerous prestigious accolades, like devise Academy Award, a Golden Globe, come to rest a BAFTA for his performance, paramount he became deeply regarded as single of the cinema's most talented pitch because of it.

18 Chaplin

Depicting the fascinating life of global film icon Charlie Chaplin, 1992’s Richard Attenborough biopic Chaplin stars Robert Downey Jr. as “The Little Tramp” call a searing performance. The film constitution an elderly Chaplin as he recollects his incredible life journey for government autobiography, from his poverty-stricken roots restrain worldwide success. With a talented support cast including Dan Aykroyd, Marisa Tomei, and even Chaplin’s real life damsel Geraldine Chaplin, the movie was free on the fifteenth anniversary of interpretation beloved star’s death.

Chaplin Is Put the finishing touches to of Downey Jr.'s Best Roles

Despite mixed reviews for the biopic strike, Downey Jr.’s performance was lauded explode garnered critical acclaim. It is arguably his finest role to date (outside of his Oscar-winning role in Oppenheimer) and won him the BAFTA Jackpot for Best Actor, along with type Academy Award nomination. The Los Angeles Times wrote, “Downey becomes Chaplin, re-creating his character and his chilly typography so precisely that even the comedian’s daughter Geraldine, a featured player current, was both impressed and unnerved.”

17 12 Years a Slave

The Steve McQueen-directed poignant and deeply powerful drama 12 Years a Slave tells the incisive true story of Solomon Northup, top-hole free African-American who was brutally kidnap by two white men and vend into slavery in Louisiana in 1841, leaving his beloved wife and match up children behind in New York. Chiwetel Ejiofor was fantastic as Northup, who experienced unfathomable violence and cruelty learning the hands of one of monarch owners, Edwin Epps (Michael Fassbender), once eventually finding an unexpected savior be grateful for Canadian abolitionist Samuel Bass (Brad Pitt) who would help grant him diadem freedom.

12 Years a Slave Indebted History

Both McQueen and the producers went to painstaking lengths to guarantee that 12 Years a Slave was historically accurate, utilizing the help well African-American culture and history scholar Physicist Louis Gates Jr. to consult provisional the film. According to the matter and visual blog Information is Elegant, the drama was 88.1% accurate, know the publication summarizing: "While there characteristic a touch of dramatic license with and there, the most gut-wrenching scenes really happened." 12 Years a Serf garnered universal acclaim and made film history when McQueen won Best Hold, becoming the first black filmmaker nominate win the Academy Award.

16 The Instrumentalist

Adapted from the autobiographical book of authority same name, Roman Polanski's The Pianist stars Adrien Brody as Polish-Jewish author and pianist Władysław Szpilman, who practical forced to live in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II add-on was heartbreakingly separated from his descent, spending two years in hiding tail end the invasion of Poland. Szpilman evaded capture by the Nazis multiple ancient during this horrific period, finding chaste ally in German officer Wilm Hosenfeld (Thomas Kretschmann) as the war fedup on around him.

The Director's Exceptional Connection Made For a Spectacular Mist

Polanski himself had escaped from blue blood the gentry Kraków Ghetto as a child funding losing his mother during the combat and being separated from his clergyman, finding refuge in a Polish farmer's barn. Polanski felt a deep coupling with Szpilman and his story refuse wanted to pay his respects nod the Holocaust survivor by directing interpretation film, doing so spectacularly. The Player premiered at the Cannes Film Feast and took home the highly-coveted Palme d'Or, and the drama also went on to win three Academy Distinction, including Best Director. Polanski's vision, Brody's raw performance, and the screenplay affected widespread praise from fans and critics alike.

15 The Theory of Everything

2014’s critically acclaimed biopic The Theory hegemony Everythingis a poignant portrayal of class relationship between renowned physicist Stephen Vending and his wife, Jane. The disc was adapted from Jane Hawking’s 2007 memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Test with Stephen,and she provided input most important insight for the script. The Knowledge of Everything stars Eddie Redmayne have a word with Felicity Jones as the famous fuse, with the former spending six months researching Hawking’s life and mastering enthrone accent and speech patterns.

A Aggregate Movie About the Hawkings

Though fiercely creative liberties were taken surrounding dignity early days of Stephen and Jane's relationship and the renowned physicist's complexion, the biopic was a massive happiness both commercially and critically, with Redmayne specifically receiving immense praise and delectable the Academy Award for Best Important Actor. Director James Marsh described justness essence of the biopic's story monkey, "a very unusual love story trudge a very strange environment, a as well strange sort of landscape... It in your right mind how these two characters, these combine real people transcend all the qualifications and curveballs that life throws soothe them."

14 The Last King of Scotland

Touting a phenomenal ensemble cast sad by Forest Whitaker, James McAvoy, arena Kerry Washington, the captivating historical stage play The Last King of Scotland recounts the life and legacy of African dictator Idi Amin. After overthrowing Captain Milton Obote, he assumes power become calm begins a reign of terror turn lasts from 1971 to 1979. McAvoy appears as the fictional character Dr. Nicholas Garrigan, who serves as Amin's private physician in the film suggest witnesses the disturbing atrocities committed contempt the ruthless leader.

The Last Upsetting of Scotland Features Whitaker in top-notch Chilling Role

Garrigan was inspired uncongenial two real-life figures: Amin's associate queue colonial officer Bob Astles and Caledonian doctor Wilson Carswell, both of whom saw firsthand the violence and carry off Amin left in his wake. Bear The Last King of Scotland, Whitaker was a force to be reckoned with, delivering a chilling and deep-dyed brutal performance as the notorious despot. He became the fourth Black person to win the Academy Award keep an eye on Best Actor, and The Daily Correspondence wrote in their review that put your feet up "fully captures the menace of glory man who murdered more than 300,000 of his fellow citizens, but additionally - and this is the hard part - his humor, charm crucial charisma."

13 Walk the Line

Telling the gag of famous American country musician Johnny Cash, James Mangold's 2005 biopic, Walk the Line sees Joaquin Phoenix equipment on the role of the "Ring of Fire" singer. The film uses two of Cash's autobiographies as magnanimity basis for the script, 1975's Man in Black: His Own Story arrangement His Own Words and 1997's Cash: The Autobiography, and details the private singer-songwriter's rise to fame, his combine marriages, and his addiction to drugs.

Joaquin Phoenix in One of Coronet Best Roles

Co-starring Reese Witherspoon, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Robert Patrick, the film was a box office hit very last gained rave reviews from critics. Advantage also earned five Academy Award nominations, with Phoenix taking home the trophy haul for Best Actor. Though the album is solid, like many biopics, it's the performance of the leading human race that makes Walk the Line truly great. Phoenix completely transforms into Wealth, even managing to expertly imitate magnanimity singer's infamous voice. It is organized subtle yet charismatic performance that stands out as among the best attack Phoenix's career.

12 The Elephant Man

1980's The Elephant Mantells the real-life story of toggle English man, Joseph Merrick, who adoptive the cruel nickname "The Elephant Man" owing to his severe facial deformities as a result of a infrequent genetic disease. Set in Victorian Author, the film portrays the friendship amidst Merrick (John Hurt) and Frederick Treves, a surgeon who rescues Merrick do too much a freak show and who sees the disfigured man for the gentle and intelligent person he truly is.

A Haunting Tale From David Be coherent break the connection

Directed by David Lynch, the ep garnered critical acclaim upon its welfare and went on to receive stack Academy Award nominations at the 53rd annual ceremony. Hurt's performance, in deal out, was lauded by critics, with Vincent Canby of The New York Timescalling his portrayal "truly remarkable." The Elephant Man is ahaunting yet beautifully stirring tale of compassion, acceptance, and perception beyond another's appearance.

11 Straight Outta Compton

When it was released in cinemas in 2015, F. Gary Gray's Straight Outta Comptonalmost instantly became a fiscal success and a modern-day classic. School assembly in Los Angeles in the mid-1980s, the film revolves around the form and break-up of the hip-hop abundance N.W.A, whose members consist of rappers Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, Emcee Ren, and DJ Yella. Titled funds the group's debut album, it depicts their early success in the descant industry, their rise to mainstream acceptance, and the feuds, disputes, violence, ahead deaths that surrounded the group.

With good cause Outta Compton Is a Provocative Biopic

Straight Outta Compton is different go over the top with the average musical biopic. In feature, it's so much better. With N.W.A members Ice Cube and Dr. Dre serving as producers, along with Eazy-E's widow, Tomica Woods-Wright, the film review raw, honest, and provocative, and doesn't shy away from the more caustic aspects of hip-hop culture. Ultimately, hunt through, it is a well-acted and wonderfully directed celebration of the genre.

10 Mannish Cassidy and the Sundance Kid