4 of the All-Time Best Biopics About Famous Musicians

Producing the perfect biopic is no easy task, especially when it comes to documenting and dramatizing the life of a famous musician. Many films try and fail, but these four movies are some of the best biopics about famous musicians out there. Let’s take a look, shall we?

1. ‘I’m Not There’

This film about Bob Dylan is incredibly unique. Director Todd Haynes put a new spin on the biopic by casting different actors as Dylan throughout different eras of his life, including Heath Ledger, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, and more. The film does an excellent job of romanticizing and artistically exploring the life of one of music’s most interesting shapeshifting singer/songwriters.

I’m Not There is available on Tubi and Amazon Prime.

[Get Tickets To See Bob Dylan Live On Tour In 2024]

2. ‘Sid And Nancy’

This is one of the best biopics out there, namely because of how little it tries to sweeten up a particularly uncomfortable, sad, and dark story. Sid And Nancy follows the life of Sex Pistols’ Sid Vicious, played beautifully by Gary Oldman, and Nancy Spungen, played by Chloe Webb. It’s not an easy watch, but it’s worth it.

Sid And Nancy is available on PLEX.

3. ‘The Buddy Holly Story’

The incomparable Buddy Holly lived a full but short life, and this 1978 biopic did an excellent job of respectfully recounting his life and rise to fame. It won several Academy Awards and reintroduced a new generation of listeners to Holly’s music.

The Buddy Holly Story is available on Amazon Prime and Apple TV.

4. ‘Walk The Line’

Joaquin Phoenix did a stellar job at portraying Johnny Cash in this 2005 biopic about the country star’s rise to fame and relationship with June Carter. It’s a bit of a controversial film and some fans of Cash doubt how accurate it is, especially when it comes to the film’s depiction of Cash’s first wife, Vivian. Inaccuracies aside, it’s a well-made film made even better by Phoenix’s next-level portrayal of an otherwise mysterious country music star.

Walk The Line is available on Hulu and Apple TV.

Photo by Pascal Le Segretain

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