Biographical films have been around since the inception of cinema. In fact, the first full-length feature film was a biopic. 1906's The Story Of The Kelly Gang chronicled the exploits of Australian outlaw/bushranger Ned Kelly and his crew. Since then, it's seemingly become commonplace for actors to star in on-screen adaptations of beloved or important figures from history.Both audiences and filmmakers share a fascination for recreating the past and exploring those who lived an interesting life. Whether their central characters are vilified or lionized, biopics are a tried-and-true style of cinema that provide a means of revisiting and rediscovering society's past – celebrating and/or consecrating history in the form of filmmaking. Some of the best biopics are rated highly on IMDb.
10 Raging Bull (1980), Biographical Sports Drama - 8.2
Robert De Niro stars as Jake LaMotta in Martin Scorsese's Raging Bull, which follows the life of an Italian-American middleweight boxer whose self-destructive rage and violence destroy his relationship with his wife and family. Joe Pesci stars as Joey, LaMotta's well-intentioned brother/manager, who aids Jake as he battles his inner demons. Cathy Moriarty, Nicholas Colasanto, Theresa Saldana, and Frank Vincent star in supporting roles.
Raging Bull currently sits at a weighted average vote of 8.2/10 on IMDb with 345K user ratings. The film's critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads, "Arguably Martin Scorsese's and Robert De Niro's finest film, Raging Bull is often painful to watch, but it's a searing, powerful work about an unsympathetic hero."
9 Casino (1995), Biographical Crime Epic - 8.2
Martin Scorsese's fourth biographical film, Casino, stars Robert De Niro as Sam "Ace" Rothstein, a Jewish-American gambling expert. He's tasked by the Chicago Outfit to oversee the day-to-day operations of the Tangiers Casino in Las Vegas. Joe Pesci and Sharon Stone co-star as Nicky Santoro and Ginger McKenna, a "made man" friend of Ace and a streetwise chip hustler, respectively.
Casino currently sits at a weighted average vote of 8.2/10 on IMDb with 504K user ratings. Rotten Tomatoes' critical consensus for the film reads, "Impressive ambition and bravura performances from an outstanding cast help Casino pay off in spite of a familiar narrative that may strike some viewers as a safe bet for director Martin Scorsese."
8 A Beautiful Mind (2001), Biographical Romance Drama - 8.2
A Beautiful Mind is based on the life of American mathematician, John Nash, a Nobel Laureate in Economics and Abel Prize winner. Russell Crowe leads in Ron Howard's biographical romance drama, which follows the life of Nash as he develops schizophrenia and the effect it has on his friends and wife Alicia (Jennifer Connelly). Ed Harris, Christopher Plummer, and Paul Bettany star in supporting roles.
A Beautiful Mind currently sits at a weighted average vote of 8.2/10 on IMDb with 908K user ratings. Rotten Tomatoes' critical consensus for the film reads, "The well-acted A Beautiful Mind is both a moving love story and a revealing look at mental illness."
7 The Wolf Of Wall Street (2013), Biographical Black Comedy/Crime Drama - 8.2
Based on the 2007 memoir by Jordan Belfort, The Wolf Of Wall Street is Martin Scorsese's seventh-directed biopic. Starring Leonardo DiCaprio as Belfort, a stockbroker who made millions by defrauding wealthy investors during the 1990s, the film also stars Jonah Hill as Belfort's business partner and friend, Donnie Azoff. Margot Robbie, Kyle Chandler, Rob Reiner, Jon Bernthal, Matthew McConaughey, Jean Dujardin, and Jon Favreau round out the cast in supporting roles.
The Wolf Of Wall Street currently sits at a weighted average vote of 8.2/10 on IMDb with 1.3M user ratings. Rotten Tomatoes' critical consensus for the film reads, "Funny, self-referential, and irreverent to a fault, The Wolf of Wall Street finds Martin Scorsese and Leonardo DiCaprio at their most infectiously dynamic."
6 Lawrence Of Arabia (1962), Biographical Historical Epic - 8.3
Based on the life of T. E. Lawrence from his 1926 book Seven Pillars Of Wisdom, Lawrence Of Arabia stars Peter O'Toole in the titular role, opposite a performance from Alec Guinness as Prince Faisal. The film recounts Lawrence’s time in the Ottoman Empire during the First World War, depicting his attacks on Aqaba and Damascus, and his involvement in the Arab National Council. Jack Hawkins, Anthony Quinn, and Omar Sharif star in supporting roles.
Lawrence of Arabia currently sits at a weighted average vote of 8.3/10 on IMDb with 287K user ratings. Rotten Tomatoes' critical consensus for the film reads, "The epic of all epics, Lawrence of Arabia cements director David Lean's status in the filmmaking pantheon with nearly four hours of grand scope, brilliant performances, and beautiful cinematography.”
5 Amadeus (1984), Biographical Period Drama - 8.4
Directed by Miloš Forman, Amadeus recounts the life, success, and troubles of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart from the perspective of Antonio Salieri – the contemporaneous composer whose jealousy of Mozart's talent led him to become an apparent murderer. Starring Tom Hulce as Mozart and F. Murray Abraham as Salieri, Amadeus is commonly cited as one of the greatest films of all time.
Amadeus currently sits at a weighted average vote of 8.4/10 on IMDb with 392K user ratings. The film's critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads, "A lavish, entertaining, powerful film about the life and influence, both positive and negative, of one of Western culture's great artists."
4 Braveheart (1995), Biographical War Epic - 8.4
Directed by Mel Gibson who stars in the leading role of Sir William Wallace, a late-13th century Scottish warrior, Braveheart depicts his life during the First War of Scottish Independence against King Edward I of England. The film also stars Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, and Catherine McCormack in supporting roles.
Braveheart currently sits at a weighted average vote of 8.4/10 on IMBd with 1M user ratings. Rotten Tomatoes' critical consensus for the film reads, "Mel Gibson's Braveheart justifies its epic length by delivering enough sweeping action, drama, and romance to match its ambition."
3 The Pianist (2002), Biographical War Drama - 8.5
Based on the 1946 autobiographical book of the same name, The Pianist stars Adrian Brody as Władysław Szpilman, a Polish-Jewish Holocaust survivor and pianist/composer. Szpilman is forced into the Warsaw Ghetto and later separated from his family during Operation Reinhard. From this time until the liberation of Nazi concentration camps, Szpilman hides in the ruins of Poland.
The Pianist currently sits at a weighted average vote of 8.5/10 on IMDb with 802K user ratings. The film’s critical consensus on Rotten Tomatoes reads, "Well-acted and dramatically moving, The Pianist is Polanski's best work in years."
2 GoodFellas (1997), Biographical Crime Drama - 8.7
Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Martin Scorsese make for a cinematic trifecta. GoodFellas, adapted from Nicholas Pileggi's 1985 nonfiction book Wiseguy, stars De Niro, Pesci, Ray Liotta, Lorraine Bracco, and Paul Sorvino. The film follows the rise and fall of mob associate Henry Hill and his friends and family between the 1950s and 1970s.
GoodFellas currently sits at a weighted average vote of 8.7/10 on IMDb with 1.1M user ratings. Rotten Tomatoes' critical consensus for the film reads, "Hard-hitting and stylish, GoodFellas is a gangster classic - and arguably the high point of Martin Scorsese's career."
1 Schindler's List (1993), Biographical Historical War Epic - 9.0
Directed by Steven Spielberg and based on the 1982 non-fiction novel, Schindler's Ark by Thomas Keneally, Schindler's List stars Liam Neeson as Oskar Schindler, a German industrialist credited with saving the lives of over one thousand Polish-Jewish refugees during the Holocaust. He did this by employing them in his (covertly) anti-productive factories. The film also stars Ben Kingsley as Schindler's Jewish accountant, Itzhak Stern, and Ralph Fiennes as SS officer, Amon Göth.
Schindler's List currently has an IMDb rating of 9.0/10 with 1.3M user ratings. This makes it the highest-rated biographical film of all time and the sixth highest-rated movie on IMDb behind The Godfather: Part II (9.0/1.2M), The Lord Of The Rings: The Return Of The King (9.0/1.7M), The Dark Knight (9.0/2.5M), The Godfather (9.2/1.7M), and The Shawshank Redemption (9.3/2.5M).