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Tag: Im-not-there

Best Rock and Roll Biopics of All Time Ranked

Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in ‘Michael’. Photo Credit: Kevin Mazur.

Rock and Roll musicians always make interesting subjects for biopics, and often win Oscars like in the case of ‘Ray‘ or Bohemian Rhapsody.’

In recent years, we’ve seen the release of biopics about Bob Marley (‘Bob Marley: One Love‘), Amy Winehouse (‘Back to Black‘), Bob Dylan (‘A Complete Unknown‘), and Bruce Springsteen (‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere‘), and now we have ‘Michael‘ opening in theaters on April 24th, which stars Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson.
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In honor of the new film, Moviefone is counting down the top 20 Rock and Roll biopics of all time.

NOTE: Since the term “Rock and Roll” can cover several different genres of music, we are only including movies about musical artists who were known for performing popular music within the rock genre, including jazz, blues, country, rap, etc.

Without further ado, let’s begin!

Related Article: Edward Norton and Monica Barbaro Talk Dylan Biopic ‘A Complete Unknown’

20. ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere‘ (2025)

Jeremy Allen White as Bruce Springsteen in 20th Century Studios’ ‘Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere’. Photo courtesy of 20th Century Studios. © 2025 20th Century Studios. All Rights Reserved.

Bruce Springsteen (Jeremy Allen White), a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past.
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19. ‘Bob Marley: One Love‘ (2024)

Kingsley Ben-Adir as “Bob Marley” in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’ from Paramount Pictures.

Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley (Kingsley Ben-Adir) overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.
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18. ‘Control‘ (2007)

(Left) Sam Riley as Ian Curtis in ‘Control’. Photo: The Weinstein Company.

The story of Joy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis (Sam Riley), from his schoolboy days in 1973 to his suicide on the eve of the band’s first American tour in 1980.
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17. ‘Miles Ahead‘ (2016)

Don Cheadle as Miles Davis in ‘Miles Ahead’. Photo: Sony Pictures Classics.

An exploration of the life and music of Miles Davis (Don Cheadle).
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16. ‘Jimi: All Is by My Side‘ (2014)

André 3000 as Jimi Hendrix in ‘Jimi: All Is by My Side’. Photo: Darko Entertainment.

A drama based on Jimi Hendrix‘s (André 3000) life as he left New York City for London, where his career took off.
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15. ‘ Michael‘ (2026)

Jaafar Jackson as Michael Jackson in ‘Michael’. Photo Credit: Glen Wilson.

Discover the story of Michael Jackson (Jaafar Jackson), one of the most influential artists the world has ever known, and his life beyond the music, tracing his journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world, highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career.
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14. ‘The Runaways‘ (2010)

(L to R) Alia Shawkat as Robin Robins, Riley Keough as Marie Currie, Scout Taylor-Compton as Lita Ford, Kristen Stewart as Joan Jett, and Dakota Fanning as Cherie Currie in ‘The Runaways’. Photo: Summit Entertainment.

Joan Jett (Kristen Stewart) and Cherie Currie (Dakota Fanning), two rebellious teenagers from Southern California, become the frontwomen for the Runaways — the now-legendary group that paved the way for future generations of female rockers. Under the Svengali-like influence of impresario Kim Fowley (Michael Shannon), the band becomes a huge success.
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13. ‘La Bamba‘ (1987)

Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie Valens in ‘La Bamba’. Photo: Columbia Pictures.

Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens (Lou Diamond Phillips) becomes an overnight rock ‘n’ roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called “Donna” that he wrote for his girlfriend. But as his star rises, Valens has conflicts with his jealous brother, Bob (Esai Morales), and becomes haunted by a recurring nightmare of a plane crash just as he begins his first national tour alongside Buddy Holly (Marshall Crenshaw).
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12. ‘Get on Up‘ (2014)

Chadwick Boseman as James Brown in ‘Get On Up’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

A chronicle of James Brown‘s (Chadwick Boseman) rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
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11. ‘Ray‘ (2004)

Jamie Foxx as Ray Charles in ‘Ray’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles (Jamie Foxx) went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together.
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10. ‘Sid and Nancy‘ (1986)

(L to R) Gary Oldman as Sid Vicious and Chloe Webb as Nancy Spungen in ‘SId and Nancy’. Photo: Palace Pictures.

January 1978. After their success in England, the punk rock band Sex Pistols venture out on their tour of the southern United States. Temperamental bassist Sid Vicious (Gary Oldman) is forced by his band mates to travel without his troubled girlfriend, Nancy Spungen (Chloe Webb), who will meet him in New York. When the band breaks up and Sid begins his solo career in a hostile city, the turbulent couple definitely falls into the depths of drug addiction.
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9. ‘Love & Mercy‘ (2015)

Paul Dano as Brian Wilson in ‘Love & Mercy’. Photo: Lionsgate.

In the late 1960s, the Beach Boys’ Brian Wilson (Paul Dano and John Cusack) stops touring, produces “Pet Sounds” and begins to lose his grip on reality. By the 1980s, Wilson, under the sway of a controlling therapist, finds a savior in Melinda Ledbetter (Elizabeth Banks).
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8. ‘Rocketman‘ (2019)

Taron Egerton as Elton John in ‘Rocketman’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.

The story of Elton John‘s (Taron Egerton) life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin (Jamie Bell).
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7. ‘Elvis‘ (2022)

Austin Butler as Elvis in Warner Bros. Pictures’ drama ‘Elvis,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2022 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

The life story of Elvis Presley (Austin Butler) as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker (Tom Hanks).
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6. ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It‘ (1993)

Angela Bassett as Tina Turner in ‘What’s Love Got to Do with It’. Photo: Touchstone Pictures.

Singer Tina Turner (Angela Bassett) rises to stardom while mustering the courage to break free from her abusive husband Ike (Laurence Fishburne).
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5. ‘I’m Not There‘ (2007)

Cate Blanchett as Jude Quinn in ‘I’m Not There’. Photo: The Weinstein Company.

Six actors (Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, Heath Ledger, and Ben Whishaw) portray six personas of music legend Bob Dylan in scenes depicting various stages of his life, chronicling his rise from unknown folksinger to international icon and revealing how Dylan constantly reinvented himself.
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4. ‘Walk the Line‘ (2005)

(L to R) Reese Witherspoon as June Carter and Joaquin Phoenix as Johnny Cash in ‘Walk the Line’.

A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash‘s (Joaquin Phoenix) life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.
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3. ‘The Doors‘ (1991)

Val Kilmer as Jim Morrison in ‘The Doors’. Photo: Tri-Star Pictures.

The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison (Val Kilmer).
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2. ‘Straight Outta Compton‘ (2015)

O’Shea Jackson Jr. as O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson Sr. in ‘Straight Outta Compton’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

In 1987, five young men, using brutally honest rhymes and hardcore beats, put their frustration and anger about life in the most dangerous place in America into the most powerful weapon they had: their music. Starring O’Shea Jackson Jr. as O’Shea “Ice Cube” Jackson, Corey Hawkins as Andre “Dr. Dre” Young, and Jason Mitchell as Eric “Eazy-E” Wright.
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1. ‘A Complete Unknown‘ (2024)

Timothée Chalamet in ‘A Complete Unkown’. Photo by Macall Polay, Courtesy of Searchlight Pictures. © 2024 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.

Set in the influential New York music scene of the early 60s, ‘A Complete Unknown’ follows 19-year-old Minnesota musician Bob Dylan‘s (Timothée Chalamet) meteoric rise as a folk singer to concert halls and the top of the charts – his songs and mystique becoming a worldwide sensation – culminating in his groundbreaking electric rock and roll performance at the Newport Folk Festival in 1965.
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April 24, 2026
Every Todd Haynes Movie, Ranked

Director Todd Haynes attends Netflix’s ‘May December’ Los Angeles premiere at Academy Museum of Motion Pictures on November 16, 2023 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Natasha Campos/Getty Images for Netflix.

Filmmaker Todd Haynes is one of the most acclaimed directors of his generation.

In addition to making critically acclaimed movies like ‘Velvet Goldmine,’ ‘Carol‘ and ‘Dark Waters,’ Haynes has also made several movies with Oscar-winning actress Julianne Moore including ‘Safe,’ ‘Far from Heaven,’ ‘I’m Not There,’ and ‘Wonderstruck.’

Their new movie together, ‘May December,‘ which also stars Natalie Portman, will be released in theaters on November 17th before premiering on Netflix December 1st.

In honor of his latest film, Moviefone is ranking every feature film that Todd Haynes has ever directed, including his documentaries and ‘May December.’

Let’s begin!

10. ‘Poison‘ (1991)

Three intercut stories about outsiders, sex and violence. In “Hero,” Richie, at age 7, kills his father and flies away. After the event, a documentary in cheesy lurid colors asks what Richie was like and what led up to the shooting. In the black and white “Horror,” a scientist isolates the elixir of human sexuality, drinks it, and becomes a festering, contagious murderer; a female colleague who loves him tries to help, to her peril. In “Homo,” a prisoner in Fontenal prison is drawn to an inmate whom he knew some years before, at Baton juvenile institute, and whose humiliations he witnessed. This story is told in dim light, except for the bright flashbacks.
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9. ‘Wonderstruck‘ (2017)

The story of a young boy (Oakes Fegley) in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl (Millicent Simmonds) in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection.
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8. ‘Dark Waters‘ (2019)

A tenacious attorney (Mark Ruffalo) uncovers a dark secret that connects a growing number of unexplained deaths to one of the world’s largest corporations. In the process, he risks everything — his future, his family, and his own life — to expose the truth.
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7. ‘The Velvet Underground‘ (2021)

Experience the iconic rock band’s legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.
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6. ‘Carol‘ (2015)

In 1950s New York, a department-store clerk (Rooney Mara) who dreams of a better life falls for an older, married woman (Cate Blanchett).
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5. ‘May December‘ (2023)

(L to R) Natalie Portman as Elizabeth, Julianne Moore as Gracie, Todd Haynes (Director) on the set of ‘May December.’ Photo: François Duhamel / Courtesy of Netflix.

Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple (Julianne Moore and Charles Melton) buckles under pressure when an actress (Natalie Portman) arrives to do research for a film about their past.
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4. ‘Safe‘ (1995)

Carol (Julianne Moore), a typical upper middle-class housewife, begins to complain of vague symptoms of illness. She “doesn’t feel right,” has unexplained headaches, congestion, a dry cough, nosebleeds, vomiting, and trouble breathing. Her family doctor treats her concerns dismissively and suggests a psychiatrist. Eventually, an allergist tells her that she has Environmental Illness.
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3. ‘Velvet Goldmine‘ (1998)

Almost a decade has elapsed since Bowiesque glam-rock superstar Brian Slade (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) escaped the spotlight of the London scene. Now, investigative journalist Arthur Stuart (Christian Bale) is on assignment to uncover the truth behind the enigmatic Slade. Stuart, himself forged by the music of the 1970s, explores the larger-than-life stars who were once his idols and what has become of them since the turn of the new decade.
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2. ‘Far from Heaven‘ (2002)

In 1950s Connecticut, a housewife (Julianne Moore) faces a marital crisis and mounting racial tensions in the outside world.
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1. ‘I’m Not There‘ (2007)

Six actors (Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Marcus Carl Franklin, Richard Gere, and Heath Ledger) portray six personas of music legend Bob Dylan in scenes depicting various stages of his life, chronicling his rise from unknown folksinger to international icon and revealing how Dylan constantly reinvented himself.
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December 9, 2023