The Year of the Biopic
When audiences see the words “based on a true story” at the beginning of the film, they immediately know that the film they’re about to watch will encapsulate real life yet transform it through the prism of cinema magic into a singular experience. In 2022, cinema lovers with a penchant for the genre are spoiled for choice amid a barrage of biopics reviving historical legends and musical icons on the big screen.
Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis was one of the summer’s biggest hits. With a budget of $85 million, the musical biopic reaped box office earnings exceeding $230 million worldwide. Telling the life story of the Grammy-award-winning singer Elvis Presley, Luhrmann cast Austin Butler in the lead role. Butler’s extensive training and magnetic charisma brought an undeniable authenticity to the character, marking the biopic as a glamorous, enjoyable musical ride.
With the success of musical biopics on the rise, cinephiles are in for a double treat this winter. In November, the Roku Channel will release Weird: The Al Yankovic Story. Starring Daniel Radcliffe as the iconic Yankovic, the film chronicles the singer’s rise to fame and his unique lifestyle and love stories.
Wrapping the year on a high note is Naomi Mackie in the Whitney Houston biopic I Wanna Dance with Somebody. Considered the best R&B vocalist in Audiences will witness Houston’s one-of-a-kind journey towards superstardom while revealing the price of her fame.
War dramas often attract biopic fans interested in living immersive battlefield experiences. In May, Terence Davies’ Benediction centered on war poet Siegfried Sassoon whose anti-war stance led him to mandatory psychiatric admission. Set during World War II, the biographical drama sheds light on the brutality of war and its toll on Sassoon’s psyche and legacy.
But not all wars are fought with guns. She Said is an upcoming biographical drama telling the story of the two reporters who ushered in the Me Too movement in 2017. Megan Twohey and Jodi Kantor’s investigation of Harvey Weinstein’s sexual crimes exposed Hollywood’s toxic world of power. Starring Carey Mulligan and Zoe Kazan, the high-profile film is slated for a November release.
Another fight for justice is coming to cinemas in October. Till focuses on a woman’s battle against American racism and violence. Mamie Till-Mobley lost her 14-year-old son after he was kidnapped and lynched. Despite his cruel death, Mamie was determined to show her son’s suffering to the world. Organizing an open casket funeral and allowing press photographers to document and publish their work, she ensured people knew the insidious racism infecting and fatally ending innocent Black lives.
While biopics hold power to tell grueling stories to enlighten and empower, they can also highlight delightful human experiences. Released earlier in March, the British sports comedy The Phantom of the Open is a prime example of such heartwarming biopics. Dubbed the world’s worst golfer, Maurice Flitcroft entered the British Open Golf Championship without prior training or experience. Yet, armed with nothing but optimism and passion, he became a folk hero after he shot the worst golf round in the tournament’s history.
