Top 50 Biography Movies and TV Shows
1. The Crown (2016– )
TV-MA | 58 min | Biography, Drama, History
Follows the political rivalries and romance of Queen Elizabeth II's reign and the events that shaped the second half of the twentieth century.
Stars: Claire Foy, Olivia Colman, Imelda Staunton, Matt Smith
Votes: 142,725
2. The Great (2020– )
TV-MA | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A royal woman living in rural Russia during the 18th century is forced to choose between her own personal happiness and the future of Russia, when she marries an Emperor.
Stars: Elle Fanning, Nicholas Hoult, Phoebe Fox, Sacha Dhawan
Votes: 15,838
3. Manhunt (II) (2017– )
TV-14 | 60 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An in-depth look at how an FBI profiler helped track down the terrorist Ted Kaczynski, the Unabomber.
Stars: Gethin Anthony, Arliss Howard, Kelly Jenrette, Cameron Britton
Votes: 50,511
4. The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
R | 180 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Based on the true story of Jordan Belfort, from his rise to a wealthy stock-broker living the high life to his fall involving crime, corruption and the federal government.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Jonah Hill, Margot Robbie, Matthew McConaughey
Votes: 1,178,182 | Gross: $116.90M
5. Mank (2020)
R | 131 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
1930's Hollywood is reevaluated through the eyes of scathing social critic and alcoholic screenwriter Herman J. Mankiewicz as he races to finish the screenplay of Citizen Kane (1941).
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Gary Oldman, Amanda Seyfried, Lily Collins, Tom Pelphrey
Votes: 31,539
6. Narcos (2015–2017)
TV-MA | 49 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
A chronicled look at the criminal exploits of Colombian drug lord Pablo Escobar, as well as the many other drug kingpins who plagued the country through the years.
Stars: Pedro Pascal, Wagner Moura, Boyd Holbrook, Alberto Ammann
Votes: 353,451
7. Goodfellas (1990)
R | 146 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The story of Henry Hill and his life in the mob, covering his relationship with his wife Karen Hill and his mob partners Jimmy Conway and Tommy DeVito in the Italian-American crime syndicate.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco
Votes: 1,015,986 | Gross: $46.84M
8. Catch Me If You Can (2002)
PG-13 | 141 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Barely 21 yet, Frank is a skilled forger who has passed as a doctor, lawyer and pilot. FBI agent Carl becomes obsessed with tracking down the con man, who only revels in the pursuit.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen
Votes: 826,141 | Gross: $164.62M
9. Hamilton (2020)
PG-13 | 160 min | Biography, Drama, History
The real life of one of America's foremost founding fathers and first Secretary of the Treasury, Alexander Hamilton. Captured live on Broadway from the Richard Rodgers Theater with the original Broadway cast.
Director: Thomas Kail | Stars: Lin-Manuel Miranda, Phillipa Soo, Leslie Odom Jr., Renée Elise Goldsberry
Votes: 53,133
10. Bombshell (I) (2019)
R | 109 min | Biography, Drama
A group of women take on Fox News head Roger Ailes and the toxic atmosphere he presided over at the network.
Director: Jay Roach | Stars: Charlize Theron, Nicole Kidman, Margot Robbie, John Lithgow
Votes: 86,921
11. Dickinson (2019– )
TV-14 | 30 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
An inside look at the world of writer Emily Dickinson.
Stars: Hailee Steinfeld, Adrian Enscoe, Anna Baryshnikov, Jane Krakowski
Votes: 5,351
12. Scam 1992: The Harshad Mehta Story (2020)
TV-14 | 54 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Set in 1980's and 90's Bombay, it follows the life of Harshad Mehta, a stockbroker who took the stock market to dizzying heights and his catastrophic downfall.
Stars: Pratik Gandhi, Shreya Dhanwanthary, Hemant Kher, Anjali Barot
Votes: 82,140
13. Green Book (2018)
PG-13 | 130 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A working-class Italian-American bouncer becomes the driver of an African-American classical pianist on a tour of venues through the 1960s American South.
Director: Peter Farrelly | Stars: Viggo Mortensen, Mahershala Ali, Linda Cardellini, Sebastian Maniscalco
Votes: 371,885 | Gross: $85.08M
14. Dark Waters (2019)
PG-13 | 126 min | Biography, Drama, History
A corporate defense attorney takes on an environmental lawsuit against a chemical company that exposes a lengthy history of pollution.
Director: Todd Haynes | Stars: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, Tim Robbins, Bill Pullman
Votes: 58,278
15. The Greatest Showman (2017)
PG | 105 min | Biography, Drama, Musical
Celebrates the birth of show business and tells of a visionary who rose from nothing to create a spectacle that became a worldwide sensation.
Director: Michael Gracey | Stars: Hugh Jackman, Michelle Williams, Zac Efron, Zendaya
Votes: 237,602 | Gross: $174.34M
16. Ford v Ferrari (2019)
PG-13 | 152 min | Action, Biography, Drama
American car designer Carroll Shelby and driver Ken Miles battle corporate interference and the laws of physics to build a revolutionary race car for Ford in order to defeat Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966.
Director: James Mangold | Stars: Matt Damon, Christian Bale, Jon Bernthal, Caitriona Balfe
Votes: 286,375 | Gross: $117.62M
17. The Professor and the Madman (2019)
Not Rated | 124 min | Biography, Drama
Professor James Murray begins work compiling words for the first edition of the Oxford English Dictionary in the mid-19th century, and receives over 10,000 entries from a patient at Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylum, Dr. William Minor.
Director: Farhad Safinia | Stars: Mel Gibson, Sean Penn, Eddie Marsan, Natalie Dormer
Votes: 34,601
18. Spartacus (2010–2013)
TV-MA | 55 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
The life of Spartacus, the gladiator who lead a rebellion against the Romans. From his time as an ally of the Romans, to his betrayal and becoming a gladiator, to the rebellion he leads and its ultimate outcome.
Stars: Andy Whitfield, Lucy Lawless, Manu Bennett, Daniel Feuerriegel
Votes: 222,120
19. Jungle (I) (2017)
R | 115 min | Action, Adventure, Biography
A group of friends join a guide for a trek into the Bolivian jungle, searching for an Indian village. The men soon realize that the jungle is a difficult place to be.
Director: Greg McLean | Stars: Daniel Radcliffe, Thomas Kretschmann, Joel Jackson, Yasmin Kassim
Votes: 47,577
20. Richard Jewell (2019)
R | 131 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Security guard Richard Jewell is an instant hero after foiling a bomb attack at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, but his life becomes a nightmare when the FBI leaks to the media that he is a suspect in the case.
Director: Clint Eastwood | Stars: Paul Walter Hauser, Sam Rockwell, Brandon Stanley, Ryan Boz
Votes: 59,974
21. The Sound of Music (1965)
G | 172 min | Biography, Drama, Family
A woman leaves an Austrian convent to become a governess to the children of a Naval officer widower.
Director: Robert Wise | Stars: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker, Richard Haydn
Votes: 204,609 | Gross: $163.21M
22. The Irishman (2019)
R | 209 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An old man recalls his time painting houses for his friend, Jimmy Hoffa, through the 1950-70s.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Robert De Niro, Al Pacino, Joe Pesci, Harvey Keitel
Votes: 321,463 | Gross: $7.00M
23. Into the Wild (2007)
R | 148 min | Adventure, Biography, Drama
After graduating from Emory University, top student and athlete Christopher McCandless abandons his possessions, gives his entire $24,000 savings account to charity and hitchhikes to Alaska to live in the wilderness. Along the way, Christopher encounters a series of characters that shape his life.
Director: Sean Penn | Stars: Emile Hirsch, Vince Vaughn, Catherine Keener, Marcia Gay Harden
Votes: 570,701 | Gross: $18.35M
24. Tombstone (1993)
R | 130 min | Action, Biography, Drama
A successful lawman's plans to retire anonymously in Tombstone, Arizona are disrupted by the kind of outlaws he was famous for eliminating.
Directors: George P. Cosmatos, Kevin Jarre | Stars: Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, Sam Elliott, Bill Paxton
Votes: 126,420 | Gross: $56.51M
25. Shirley (2020)
R | 107 min | Biography, Drama, Mystery
A famous horror writer finds inspiration for her next book after she and her husband take in a young couple.
Director: Josephine Decker | Stars: Elisabeth Moss, Odessa Young, Michael Stuhlbarg, Logan Lerman
Votes: 7,173
26. Braveheart (1995)
R | 178 min | Biography, Drama, History
Scottish warrior William Wallace leads his countrymen in a rebellion to free his homeland from the tyranny of King Edward I of England.
Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Mel Gibson, Sophie Marceau, Patrick McGoohan, Angus Macfadyen
Votes: 956,421 | Gross: $75.60M
27. Schindler's List (1993)
R | 195 min | Biography, Drama, History
In German-occupied Poland during World War II, industrialist Oskar Schindler gradually becomes concerned for his Jewish workforce after witnessing their persecution by the Nazis.
Director: Steven Spielberg | Stars: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Kingsley, Caroline Goodall
Votes: 1,208,998 | Gross: $96.90M
28. The King (I) (2019)
R | 140 min | Biography, Drama, History
Hal, wayward prince and heir to the English throne, is crowned King Henry V after his tyrannical father dies. Now the young king must navigate palace politics, the war his father left behind, and the emotional strings of his past life.
Director: David Michôd | Stars: Tom Glynn-Carney, Gábor Czap, Tom Fisher, Edward Ashley
Votes: 87,742
29. Rocketman (I) (2019)
R | 121 min | Biography, Drama, Music
A musical fantasy about the fantastical human story of Elton John's breakthrough years.
Director: Dexter Fletcher | Stars: Taron Egerton, Jamie Bell, Richard Madden, Bryce Dallas Howard
Votes: 134,818 | Gross: $96.37M
30. First Man (2018)
PG-13 | 141 min | Biography, Drama, History
A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.
Director: Damien Chazelle | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Claire Foy, Jason Clarke, Kyle Chandler
Votes: 167,403 | Gross: $44.94M
31. The Act (2019– )
TV-MA | 60 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
Dee Dee Blanchard is overprotective of her daughter, Gypsy, who is trying to escape the toxic relationship she has with her mother. Gypsy's quest for independence opens up a Pandora's box of secrets, which ultimately leads to murder.
Stars: Patricia Arquette, Joey King, AnnaSophia Robb, Chloë Sevigny
Votes: 18,966
32. Saving Mr. Banks (2013)
PG-13 | 125 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Author P.L. Travers reflects on her childhood after reluctantly meeting with Walt Disney, who seeks to adapt her Mary Poppins books for the big screen.
Director: John Lee Hancock | Stars: Emma Thompson, Tom Hanks, Annie Rose Buckley, Colin Farrell
Votes: 151,582 | Gross: $83.30M
33. Kaagaz (2021)
109 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
A satirical comedy about a common man and the struggle he goes through to prove his existence after being falsely being declared dead on government records.
Director: Satish Kaushik | Stars: Pankaj Tripathi, Satish Kaushik, Monal Gajjar, Neha Chauhan
Votes: 3,247
34. Ammonite (2020)
R | 120 min | Biography, Drama, Romance
1840s England, acclaimed but overlooked fossil hunter Mary Anning and a young woman sent to convalesce by the sea develop an intense relationship, altering both of their lives forever.
Director: Francis Lee | Stars: Kate Winslet, Saoirse Ronan, Gemma Jones, James McArdle
Votes: 4,812
35. Hidden Figures (2016)
PG | 127 min | Biography, Drama, History
The story of a team of female African-American mathematicians who served a vital role in NASA during the early years of the U.S. space program.
Director: Theodore Melfi | Stars: Taraji P. Henson, Octavia Spencer, Janelle Monáe, Kevin Costner
Votes: 199,720 | Gross: $169.61M
36. The Intouchables (2011)
R | 112 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
After he becomes a quadriplegic from a paragliding accident, an aristocrat hires a young man from the projects to be his caregiver.
Directors: Olivier Nakache, Éric Toledano | Stars: François Cluzet, Omar Sy, Anne Le Ny, Audrey Fleurot
Votes: 755,635 | Gross: $13.18M
37. Searching for Bobby Fischer (1993)
PG | 109 min | Biography, Drama
A prepubescent chess prodigy refuses to harden himself in order to become a champion like the famous but unlikable Bobby Fischer.
Director: Steven Zaillian | Stars: Joe Mantegna, Ben Kingsley, Max Pomeranc, Joan Allen
Votes: 31,345 | Gross: $7.27M
38. I, Tonya (2017)
R | 119 min | Biography, Comedy, Drama
Competitive ice skater Tonya Harding rises amongst the ranks at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, but her future in the activity is thrown into doubt when her ex-husband intervenes.
Director: Craig Gillespie | Stars: Margot Robbie, Sebastian Stan, Allison Janney, Julianne Nicholson
Votes: 180,776 | Gross: $30.01M
39. Molly's Game (2017)
R | 140 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The true story of Molly Bloom, an Olympic-class skier who ran the world's most exclusive high-stakes poker game and became an FBI target.
Director: Aaron Sorkin | Stars: Jessica Chastain, Idris Elba, Kevin Costner, Michael Cera
Votes: 141,457 | Gross: $28.78M
40. Hacksaw Ridge (2016)
R | 139 min | Biography, Drama, History
World War II American Army Medic Desmond T. Doss, who served during the Battle of Okinawa, refuses to kill people, and becomes the first man in American history to receive the Medal of Honor without firing a shot.
Director: Mel Gibson | Stars: Andrew Garfield, Sam Worthington, Luke Bracey, Teresa Palmer
Votes: 432,848 | Gross: $67.21M
41. The Imitation Game (2014)
PG-13 | 114 min | Biography, Drama, Thriller
During World War II, the English mathematical genius Alan Turing tries to crack the German Enigma code with help from fellow mathematicians.
Director: Morten Tyldum | Stars: Benedict Cumberbatch, Keira Knightley, Matthew Goode, Allen Leech
Votes: 682,494 | Gross: $91.13M
42. Safety (2020)
PG | 122 min | Biography, Drama, Sport
The story of Ray-Ray McElrathbey, a freshman football player for Clemson University, who secretly raised his younger brother on campus after his home life became too unsteady.
Director: Reginald Hudlin | Stars: Jay Reeves, Javien Jackson, Thaddeus J. Mixson, Corinne Foxx
Votes: 2,000
43. American Crime Story (2016– )
TV-MA | 42 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
An anthology series centered around America's most notorious crimes and criminals.
Stars: Sarah Paulson, Annaleigh Ashford, Sterling K. Brown, Kenneth Choi
Votes: 79,360
44. Bohemian Rhapsody (2018)
PG-13 | 134 min | Biography, Drama, Music
The story of the legendary British rock band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury, leading up to their famous performance at Live Aid (1985).
Director: Bryan Singer | Stars: Rami Malek, Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy
Votes: 447,641 | Gross: $216.43M
45. Spotlight (I) (2015)
R | 129 min | Biography, Crime, Drama
The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.
Director: Tom McCarthy | Stars: Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton, Rachel McAdams, Liev Schreiber
Votes: 418,309 | Gross: $45.06M
46. For Life (2020– )
TV-14 | Biography, Crime, Drama
A prisoner becomes a lawyer and fights to overturn his life sentence for a crime he didn't commit.
Stars: Nicholas Pinnock, Indira Varma, Joy Bryant, Dorian Missick
Votes: 3,074
47. Mary Queen of Scots (2018)
R | 124 min | Biography, Drama, History
Mary Stuart's (Saoirse Ronan's) attempt to overthrow her cousin Elizabeth I (Margot Robbie), Queen of England, finds her condemned to years of imprisonment before facing execution.
Director: Josie Rourke | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Margot Robbie, Jack Lowden, Joe Alwyn
Votes: 40,874 | Gross: $16.47M
48. The Social Network (2010)
PG-13 | 120 min | Biography, Drama
As Harvard student Mark Zuckerberg creates the social networking site that would become known as Facebook, he is sued by the twins who claimed he stole their idea, and by the co-founder who was later squeezed out of the business.
Director: David Fincher | Stars: Jesse Eisenberg, Andrew Garfield, Justin Timberlake, Rooney Mara
Votes: 622,389 | Gross: $96.96M
49. BlacKkKlansman (2018)
R | 135 min | Biography, Comedy, Crime
Ron Stallworth, an African American police officer from Colorado Springs, CO, successfully manages to infiltrate the local Ku Klux Klan branch with the help of a Jewish surrogate who eventually becomes its leader. Based on actual events.
Director: Spike Lee | Stars: John David Washington, Adam Driver, Laura Harrier, Topher Grace
Votes: 221,082 | Gross: $49.28M
50. Medici (2016–2019)
TV-14 | 60 min | Biography, Drama, History
A political family drama set in Florence in the early fifteenth century. Cosimo de Medici finds himself at the helm of his banking dynasty when his father, Giovanni, dies suddenly.
Stars: Daniel Sharman, Alessandra Mastronardi, Synnove Karlsen, Sebastian De Souza
Votes: 15,411