The 6 Best Musician Biopics To Watch While Waiting For The ‘Elvis’ Premiere

The music industry boasts some of the most compelling stories that have been brought to the big screen and have taken Hollywood by storm . Musician feature films have served as a gateway for new fans as well as connoisseurs of the artists and have allowed their stories depicting successes, struggles and constant struggles with fame to have a universal reach. This year, the great promise of the genre is “Elvis” , by the proclaimed King of Rock directed by Baz Luhrmann and starring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks. It is necessary to remember other great films that have narrated the lives of musical artists who have conquered the box office. Here we present the best biopics of musicians.

Walk The Line (2005)

With Joaquín Phoenix in the starring role, portraying the history of the country music icon, Johnny Cash, the biographical film has been one of the most applauded in the history of this genre. Directed and written by James Mangold, the film uniquely captures the romance between Johnny Cash and singer June Carter with Reese Witherspoon in the role, who even won the Oscar for best actress while Phoenix was nominated for best actor. In addition, the film won the award for best soundtrack that included tracks by Cash and Carter performed by both actors.

The film charts Cash's rise in the industry, his struggle with addiction, and his redemption while presenting a romantic relationship with June Carter that exquisitely encapsulates the chemistry between Phoenix and Witherspoon.

The Dirt (2019)

A story that presents the extravagances of the world of rock 'n' roll at its best was released by Netflix in 2019 and tells the story of the successful American band Mötley Crüe. Directed by Jeff Tremaine and based on the events related in the autobiographical book of the same name with Douglas Booth, Iwan Rheon, Machine Gun Kelly and Daniel Webber in the starring roles as Nikki Sixx, Mick Mars, Tommy Lee and Vince Neil, respectively.

The film narrates in an energetic and striking way the multiple excesses that the members of the “hair-metal” genre have experienced during their years of greatest popularity, leading lives plagued by drugs, sex and scandals. An excellent presentation of the music scene in the eighties and that reaches the years of decline of the band in the nineties. A strong and fitting representation of Mötley Crüe's chaotic glory years.

La Vie En Rose (2007)

In a plausible job of the actress Marion Cotillard for playing the role of Édith Piaf, the French singer recognized throughout the world for the song that bears the same name of the film, one of the most recognized romantic songs in history and that made her in a global musical icon as well as the song "Non, je ne regrette rien".

Cotillard's performance was impressive, as the actress achieved an incredibly similar appearance to the singer and thanks to her work in the feature film, she managed to win the Oscar for best actress for a foreign language film, as the film takes place entirely in French. . An achievement that had only previously been  done by the Italian Sophia Loren for the film "La Ciociara" in 1961.

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Get On Up (2014)

The reason why this biopic was highly praised by critics, in addition to the unforgettable performance of the late Boseman, is because of the presentation of Brown's life, which is shown in a more humanized way and explores the tragedies experienced by the artist,  from his youth to becoming a charismatic music phenomenon who charmed audiences throughout his active years and captivates moviegoers with the same energy that characterized James Brown.

Selena (1997)

The biopic of the singer Selena Quintanilla, of Mexican descent, charmed American and Mexican audiences with the great performance of Jennifer López. Directed by Gregory Nava, the film focuses on the life and musical career of the Tejano music singer from her beginnings until her tragic death in 1995, although not much emphasis is placed on this fact.

Jennifer López puts on a charming performance as the singer, demonstrating a charisma similar to the one that catapulted Quintanilla to stardom, which she enjoyed for a short time despite having songs that were notoriously successful in the US and Latin markets. The film reviews crucial moments in Selena's career, including her romances and family problems linked to religion.

Straight Outta Compton (2015)

The story of the gangsta-rap group that exploded at the end of the eighties and caused enormous controversy due to its lyrics full of violence, was brought to theaters thanks to the direction of F. Gary Gray. With O'Shea Jackson Jr., Corey Hawkins, Jason Mitchell, Neil Brown Jr., and Aldis Hodge as Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, Eazy-E, DJ Yella, and MC Ren, respectively as the rappers that marked an era in the rap of the West Coast of the United States.

With a brief review of the beginnings of the six members of the group, the film focuses on the creation of the group NWA and their rise to fame thanks to their explicit lyrics that put them in the crosshairs of the media and the police. In addition, it explores the friction and tragedies that separated the group, as well as the sociocultural climate that existed in the United States in the nineties when rap began to reach its boiling point in the commercial field.