A biographical film or Biopic is a film where the story is told based on the real-life experiences of an Individual. This particular genre of film making has become a popular one, and over the years, we have seen many directors try out their hand at biopic films, and while many have succeeded in doing, others have failed, as making a biopic can be a jarring task for the director.
It has to be historically accurate and must stay true to the real-life experience of the individual, but must have enough drama so that the viewers are engaged. It’s a fine art of balancing the drama and the historical accuracy, and very few seem to have mastered it. In this article, we will be taking a look at the Best Biopics You can watch on Amazon Prime right now.
Best Biographies On Amazon Prime
Into The Wild
An adaptation of the 1996 non-fiction book of the same name written by Jon Krakauer, Into the wild is a biographical adventure drama film written, and directed by Sean Penn. The film tells the story of Christopher McCandless, a young man who embarks on a journey to hitchhike across America. During his journey, he encounters several situations that change him. Into the Wild benefits from stunning cinematography, and beautiful storytelling. The film manages to stay true to the source material and showcases an incredible journey that will change your outlook on life. As often the case with adaptations, they are either hit or miss, But Into The Wild knocks it out of the park and delivers one of the best biopics in recent times, and one that everyone should watch.
Based on the 2007 memoir of the same name by Jordan Belfort, The Wolf of Wall Street stars Leonardo DiCaprio, along with Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie and Kyle Chandler, as the film tells the story of Jordan Belfort, as he recounts his career as a stockbroker in New York City, his rise to the top, and his fall by getting engaged in rampant corruption and fraud on Wall Street. Wolf of Wallstreet is the director’s fifth collaboration with DiCaprio, and the film knocks it out of the park, thanks to the fantastic storytelling ability of Scorsese, mixed with phenomenal acting from DiCaprio. The film keeps interesting and engaging throughout its 3-hour long runtime and is extremely fast-paced, full of visual information and beautiful cinematography. The film has some of the most memorable dialogues in recent times, and its funny black humour is a joy to watch.
An adaptation of the 2007 memoir Travelling to Infinity: My Life with Stephen by Jane Hawking. The Theory of Everything is a biographical romantic drama film directed by James Marsh. The film stars Eddie Redmayne and Felicity Jones in the lead roles, as the film depicts the life of the theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and his relationship with his wife Jane Hawking. The main focus of the film is on the relationship between Stephen and his wife, Jane and the hardships they had to deal with due to the various health problems that he developed throughout his life. Both the lead characters do a phenomenal job and are extremely likeable and adorable. The film is well scripted and paced throughout, and delivers an emotional and thought-provoking story, on that will stay with you a long time after the credits roll.
An adaptation of the 1853 slave memoir Twelve Years a Slave by Solomon Northup, 12 Years a Slave tells the story of a young African-American man who gets kidnapped in Washington in 1841 and is sold into slavery. Directed by Steve McQueen, the film was released to critical acclaim in 2013 and went on to win several accolades including 3 Academy Awards and the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture in Drama. The film was praised for its brutal and honest look at American slavery, and its take on several heavy topics such as racism, inequality and sexual and physical abuse. The film went on to earn over $187 million worldwide and was named as the 44th greatest film since 2000 in a BBC poll.
Based on the life of the American mathematician John Nash, Beautiful Mind is a biographical drama film directed by Ron Howard. Inspired by the bestselling book of the same name. The film stars Russell Crowe, along with Ed Harris, Jennifer Connelly, Paul Bettany, Adam Goldberg, and Judd Hirsch, as the film depicts the life of John Nash and his days as a graduate student at Princeton University. Things However take a drastic turn, when he accepts secret work in cryptography. The movie does a good job of providing an insight into the mind of John Nash, and present an exceptional story that will keep you on the edge of your seat throughout. The script is original and unique and features brilliant acting from the cast. If you are looking for a film that touches upon sheer brilliance and mental illness, then you should definitely watch A Beautiful Mind.
Loving Vincent is an animated Biographical film written and directed by Dorota Kobiela and Hugh Welchman, the film tells about the life of the Vincent van Gogh, and, about the circumstances of his death. Funded by Polish Film Institute, the film was a Polish-UK co-production. What sets the film apart from other animated films is that it is the first fully painted animated feature film, the film is made of 65,000 frames, and each one of them was an oil painting on canvas, the paintings were created using the same techniques as Van Gogh by a team of 125 artists drawn from all over the world, the film was a recipient to many awards, including Best Animated Feature Film Award at the 30th European Film Awards in Berlin and was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the 90th Academy Awards.
