Biopics, or biographic pictures, have become an increasingly popular genre in modern cinema. From musicians and athletes, to political figures and entrepreneurs, Hollywood has been turning real lives into box office spectacles. The compelling stories of fame, tragedy, and occasional controversy have had audiences flocking to view these movies— but as more begin to enter the film scene, are biopics starting to lose their touch?
Biopics like the recently released Michael, a story following the early years of Michael Jackson’s life and career, draw in audiences for their familiarity. Rather than creating an entirely original story, producers can rely on already-established nostalgia and hype, making marketing even easier. Similarly, the film company A24’s latest project on creating a biopic in honor of Anthony Bourdain— Tony — reflects Hollywood’s ongoing focus on recognizing already popular figures in modern culture.
But one issue begins to arise when this genre of storytelling becomes overplayed— critics start to note that not every icon needs a dramatic retelling of their life. The planned Anthony Bourdain film has been just one topic of discussion. Bourdain’s own television series, Parts Unknown, was a culmination of his life experience and career as a chef, and was as authentic to his beliefs as practically possible.
Through his trips to Iran to the Lower East Side of New York, audiences got a taste of his worldview and humor. On the other hand, Tony aims to focus on Bourdain’s early life as a chef. In trying to turn that life into a 130-minute film, biopics like Tony risk oversimplifying Bourdain’s character, and what is arguably one of the more compelling eras of his life. But admittedly, it’s not like there would ever be enough time to portray the entirety of anyone’s life.
So then, what are other issues beyond time constraints? One question is whether it’s necessary to even be pushing this many biopics in the first place. Oversaturation in the film industry is real— and can lead to more consequences than expected. “I’m tired of seeing the same, formulaic type of movie hit the theaters every few years. I hope the industry can get creative with its ideas again,” senior Elva Aghajanyan said.
During awards season— the Oscars, The Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild (SAG) Awards— biopics like Elvis and Oppenheimer have been nominated and even won prestigious awards. This success triggered a new trend. If biopics can lead to this amount of success, then studios should continue to produce them. But in doing so, the playing field became overly repetitive and recycled. Rather than creating original material, production focuses on overly reliable films that don’t take risks.
Yet there are ways to combat the “biopic” effect. Movies like Ryan Coogler’s Sinners, although not a biopic, followed similar patterns. Sinners took a well-played archetype, a vampire story, and twisted it into an original commentary about race, music, and culture that allowed for its star actor, Michael B. Jordan, to win his first Oscar for Best Actor. Biopics achieve this on occasion, too, like with Oppenheimer, where Christopher Nolan explored larger themes about morality and power in a movie following the life of an iconic scientific figure.
Ultimately, biopics are not losing their charm because audiences are tired of hearing real stories. Instead, they lose their meaning when studios solely prioritize familiarity and profit over creative storytelling. If the trend can shift, then so will the intention and industry behind the genre.
