In the past decade, the film industry has become utterly fascinated by the idea of depicting a rockstar’s life in a two-and-a-half-hour movie. I can name at least five artists and bands off the top of my head whose highs and lows have been recently exposed to the world, including Bob Dylan, Queen, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, and Elvis. These artists inspire high-budget, long, star-studded movies, which are praised for honoring the artists’ legacies.
So, why have these movies become so popular?
Unfortunately, the rock era of the ’60s, ’70s, and ’80s is coming to a close in a more permanent way. Rock stars are officially retiring and, depressingly, passing away. These movies seem to act as a way to commemorate that era of music that has been so influential on our music and culture.
This era of music has become “cool”. It represents a sort of feeling that we have lost in our age of social media, which is filled with the ‘”clean girl aesthetic” and pop music. People are bored and reverting back to when music had more substance, but was also mainstream enough for a movie inspired by said music to become successful at the box office.
One possibly pessimistic viewpoint of why biopics have become so popular is that film writers aren’t coming up with any new, interesting ideas. They probably have the creative skill to, but film companies are worried about placing a ton of money into original ideas. Biopics are a safe choice. No matter what, they know that Elton John fans will spend $15 at the movie theater to watch a movie about their favorite artist. When ideas aren’t flowing or are too risky, it’s natural to choose a film topic that is already laid out before you. In biopics, you just have to do the correct research and story organization.
With that being said, my top 3 favorite biopics of the last decade include:
- Elvis
This movie is quite long, but it’s worth sitting through at least once. Austin Butler’s accuracy in portraying Elvis is remarkable. And for any fans of Moulin Rouge, this one’s for you! The films have the same director and contain many similarities.
- Bohemian Rhapsody (Queen)
Again, the acting is fantastic for every member of the band, but Rami Malek’s portrayal of Freddie Mercury particularly stands out. The biopic perfectly captures the fame and genius of the band, while also revealing Mercury’s struggle with his identity and defiance of stereotypes.
- A Complete Unknown (Bob Dylan)
With Timothée Chalamet playing Bob Dylan, this film effectively places an artist’s songwriting into the context of the times. Dylan’s music evolved from folk to rock and roll in his career, and this biopic explains the controversy and details behind this stylistic change that I wouldn’t have learned on my own.
Keep a lookout for The Beatles’ biopic coming in 2028! The cast was announced a few months ago: Paul Mescal as McCartney, Harris Dickinson as Lennon, Joseph Quinn as Harrison, and Barry Keoghan as Starr, all of whom seem to be controversial picks. However, this star-studded cast is bound to draw people in, and Beatles fans from around the world will no doubt be flocking to the theaters once the movie is released.