Control (2007): Punctuating Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis’ short and chaotic life with ill-advised trips to the pub, Control charts the turbulent rise to fame of the Manchester band. This pairs excellently with an uncanny Curtis in lead actor Sam Riley, who gives an all-time great performance as the tortured (as label-owner Tony Wilson remarked) ’romantic hero’. The film is black and white, appropriately monochrome for both the band and the subject matter as Curtis’ life becomes more suffocating. Having said this, Curtis’ actions are portrayed refreshingly unsympathetically, a far cry from some modern biopics, where the subject is very much alive and controlling the production process. Well worth a watch for any film or Joy Division fan, and for one happy customer’s opinion on hot dogs.
Love & Mercy (2014): Far from the streets of Manchester, Brian Wilson biopic Love & Mercy depicts the artist’s struggle with schizoaffective disorder at the height of The Beach Boys’ fame, all whilst creating his masterpiece Pet Sounds. The role of Wilson is shared between John Cusack and internet darling Paul Dano, playing the 80’s and 60’s version of Wilson respectively. Although the chasm between the two can seem quite large (it being hard to see the two actors as the same character), the non-linear storytelling that bridges the narratives culminates in a needle-drop that is unequivocally beautiful.
Walk The Line (2005): In perhaps one of the most captivating performances in a biopic, Joaquin Phoenix becomes Johnny Cash in Walk The Line. The chemistry between Phoenix as Cash and Reece Witherspoon as June Carter is electrifying, an energy which soars all the way through to the enactment of the infamous Folsom Prison concert. The performances are a triumph, letting the film stand alone as an outstanding romance even if it was to be divorced from its real world inspiration. If not for the direction of Logan’s James Mangold, Walk The Line is a must-watch in the wake of both the biopic and the country music renaissance.
perhaps one of the most captivating performances in a biopic
Honourable Mentions: It would be wrong to cover biopics of famous musicians without mentioning some other heavy hitters. 2019’s Rocketman was a smash hit, in no small part thanks to Taron Egerton’s performance as Elton John in this beautifully bombastic display of debauchery. Although perhaps running the risk of Sir Elton’s very much still alive hand rewriting history, the film is still an honest bare-all to the artist’s struggle with drugs, fame, and his own sexuality. Similarly, Baz Luhrmann’s typically dazzling affair in 2022’s Elvis is a brutal look into the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s ensnarement by his manager Colonel Tom Parker, and the turbulent spiral that led to Elvis’ untimely death. It also has a Doja Cat needle-drop, if that’s your sort of thing.
