Best biographical movies

Q: What are the top three spots?

The top three spots are held, in order, by GoodFellas , 12 Years a Slave , Catch Me If You Can . The ranking can change as votes are added.

191 items • 9396 views • 137 votes • updated Nov 8, 2026

Discover the best biographical movies, ranked from best to worst.

Based on 137 votes, the movie GoodFellas, starring Robert De Niro and Ray Liotta, came in first as the best biographical movie ever made, followed by 12 Years a Slave and Catch Me If You Can from 2002. Scroll down for the top 10 biographical movies, recommended by movie fans in 2026.

Recommend the best biographical movies

60.965696639150416%

GoodFellas

1990 - Robert De Niro, Ray Liotta, Joe Pesci, Lorraine Bracco, Paul Sorvino

What do you think?Do you agree?

Inspired by a real case, the film centers on Henry, a mobster who watches his friends climb the criminal hierarchy. It is a classic gangster story about childhood friends who must grow up •••

🙏 Help us out and share this list with your friends on Whatsapp or Facebook.

56.5508505247919%

12 Years a Slave

2013 - Chiwetel Ejiofor, Michael Fassbender, Lupita Nyong'o, Benedict Cumberbatch, Paul Dano

What do you think?Do you agree?

The film 12 Years a Slave is inspired by the true story of a man fighting for survival and freedom in a time when skin color determines a person's worth. Before the outbreak of the •••

🙏 Help us out and share this list with your friends on Whatsapp or Facebook.

56.5508505247919%

Catch Me If You Can

2002 - Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks, Christopher Walken, Martin Sheen, Nathalie Baye

What do you think?Do you agree?

Frank W. Abagnale (Leonardo DiCaprio) worked as a doctor, lawyer and co-pilot at a well-known airline - all before he was 21 years old. Master of deception, he was also a very good •••

🙏 Help us out and share this list with your friends on Whatsapp or Facebook.

56.5508505247919%

Concussion

2015 - Will Smith, Alec Baldwin, Albert Brooks, Gugu Mbatha-Raw, David Morse

What do you think?Do you agree?

Will Smith stars in Concussion, a dramatic thriller based on the incredible but true story of immigrant Bennet Omalu, a brilliant neuropathologist whose important medical discovery led •••

🙏 Help us out and share this list with your friends on Whatsapp or Facebook.

56.5508505247919%

Men of Honor

2000 - Robert De Niro, Cuba Gooding Jr., Charlize Theron, Aunjanue Ellis, Hal Holbrook

What do you think?Do you agree?

Against formidable odds -- and an old-school diving instructor embittered by the U.S. Navy's new, less prejudicial policies -- Carl Brashear sets his sights on becoming the Navy's first •••

🙏 Help us out and share this list with your friends on Whatsapp or Facebook.

51.009997959600085%

Ali

2001 - Will Smith, Jamie Foxx, Jon Voight, Mario Van Peebles, Ron Silver

What do you think?Do you agree?

Originally known as Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali won Olympic gold in Rome in 1960. The film follows the boxer’s rise and the challenges he faces in his personal and professional life.

🙏 Help us out and share this list with your friends on Whatsapp or Facebook.

51.009997959600085%

Captain Phillips

2013 - Tom Hanks, Catherine Keener, Max Martini, Chris Mulkey, Yul Vazquez

What do you think?Do you agree?

Tom Hanks plays Captain Richard Phillips, whose cargo ship, the MV Maersk Alabama, was hijacked by Somali pirates in 2009, becoming the first American cargo ship captured by pirates in two •••

🙏 Help us out and share this list with your friends on Whatsapp or Facebook.

51.009997959600085%

Chaplin

1992 - Robert Downey Jr., Geraldine Chaplin, Paul Rhys, John Thaw, Moira Kelly

What do you think?Do you agree?

An elderly Charlie Chaplin discusses his autobiography with his editor, while the film depicts his amazing journey from his poverty-stricken childhood to world-wide success after the •••

🙏 Help us out and share this list with your friends on Whatsapp or Facebook.

51.009997959600085%

Rush

2013 - Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Brühl, Olivia Wilde, Alexandra Maria Lara, Pierfrancesco Favino

What do you think?Do you agree?

A biographical drama centered on the rivalry between Formula 1 drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda during the 1976 Formula One motor-racing season.

🙏 Help us out and share this list with your friends on Whatsapp or Facebook.

43.84939193227452%

American Gangster

2007 - Denzel Washington, Russell Crowe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Josh Brolin, Lymari Nadal, Ted...

What do you think?Do you agree?

Following the death of his employer and mentor, Bumpy Johnson, Frank Lucas establishes himself as the number one importer of heroin in the Harlem district of Manhattan. He does so by •••

🙏 Help us out and share this list with your friends on Whatsapp or Facebook.

Any suggestions for this list?

We read every suggestion and add it if it fits the list.

How do the rankings work?

If you liked the list Best biographical movies, discover more below:

Best movies of all time

Best Crime Movies

Best Sports Movies

Best War Movies

Best movies based on books

Best Comedy Movies

Best movies with Mafia, gangsters and mobsters

Best Picture Oscar winners

Best movies of 2023

Best movies with Robert De Niro

Best movies with musicians

Frequently asked questions

Which movie is in first place?

GoodFellas is currently ranked first on TopFaves, with 6 votes for and 0 votes against in this list.

What are the top three spots?

The top three spots are held, in order, by GoodFellas, 12 Years a Slave, Catch Me If You Can. The ranking can change as votes are added.

What are the most recent movies in this list?

Among the titles with a known release year, the most recent are: De Gaulle: Liberté (2026), De Gaulle: Résistance (2026), Tenzing (2026).

Which movies from 2010–2019 are included?

Titles released in this period include A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019), Bombshell (2019), Dolemite Is My Name (2019).

How many votes have been recorded?

In total, 137 votes have been recorded. The total refers to the whole list and is not the number of different people who voted.

How do I vote and how is the ranking decided?

Press the up arrow if you recommend an option or the down arrow if you do not. You can use the search box in the list to quickly find a name and vote directly. The order takes into account both positive and negative votes and how many there are, and positions can change as votes are added.