The 8 Best Biopics on movie.guru, Ranked

Ranked by movie.guru score. True stories, mostly. A couple take liberties, and the top of the list deserves your full attention.

Number one is Spielberg at his most serious. Clear your schedule.

1. 8
   Amadeus (1984)9.4

   A biopic told by the guy who can't stand its hero.

   8.4 on IMDb from 474,678 votes, made for $18 million. As history, it's mostly gossip. As drama, it's perfect, and the wigs deserve their own credit.
2. 7
   The Irishman (2019)9.3

   The true story is disputed. The acting is not.

   Built on Frank Sheeran's own story, which plenty of historians doubt. Critics still rank it above 97% of notable movies, and Al Pacino's Hoffa rants about fish like he's running for office.
3. 6
   The King's Speech (2010)9.5

   Secretly the best buddy comedy on this list.

   Colin Firth's King George VI and Geoffrey Rush's Lionel Logue bicker like old roommates. 8.0 on IMDb from 737,899 votes. The stakes are one microphone.
4. 5
   Lawrence of Arabia (1962)9.5

   A hero biopic that slowly admits its hero is a mess.

   Audiences rank it above 99% of notable movies. Made for $15 million, and it looks like it cost the whole desert. Alec Guinness and Anthony Quinn are along for the ride.
5. 4
   The Pianist (2002)9.5

   Adrien Brody disappears into the role so fully it hurts.

   As Władysław Szpilman, a pianist trapped in occupied Warsaw, he says very little and carries everything. 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, made for $35 million.
6. 3
   Goodfellas (1990)9.6

   Henry Hill was a mid-level crook. Scorsese made him unforgettable.

   Ray Liotta plays him like a kid in a candy store who never checks the prices. 8.7 on IMDb from 1.42 million votes, made for $25 million.
7. 2
   Spotlight (2015)9.6

   An ensemble so good that nobody tries to steal a scene.

   Mark Ruffalo, Michael Keaton and Rachel McAdams do slow, careful reporting on a real abuse scandal, and nobody gets a hero moment. 8.1 on IMDb from 542,322 votes.
8. 1
   Schindler's List (1993)9.7

   Everyone should see it once, phone in another room.

   Made for $22 million, 98% on Rotten Tomatoes, 196 minutes. Liam Neeson plays charm as a tool for saving lives, and Ben Kingsley's Itzhak Stern anchors every scene.

$772.04 says you put on Mozart tomorrow and claim it's for focus.

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