10 Best Obscure Biopics To Check Out

The biopic (or biographical picture) has been a staple of cinema since its inception. As much as audiences love to escape reality and be whisked away into fictional worlds and fantastical adventures, there’s something to be said for movies that draw from incredible real-life stories. Creating a unique form of escapism, biopics have the ability to immerse viewers in the lives of remarkable individuals who have experienced triumphs and struggles of their own, allowing audiences to connect with them on a deeper level.

With so many biopics out there, dating back to early films like The Story of the Kelly Gang (1906) and Cecil B. DeMille’s The Sign of the Cross (1932) to more recent hits like King Richard (2021) and Oppenheimer (2023), it’s not surprising that some fly under the radar or fade into obscurity.

From absurdist musicals to heavy dramas about heavy metal, here are 10 biopics that, for one reason or another, failed to leave their mark on mainstream cinema.

10

‘Auto Focus’ (2002)

Auto Focus

Release Date

October 18, 2002

Runtime

104 minutes

Director

Paul Schrader

Writers

Michael Gerbosi

Producers

James Schamus, Larry Karaszewski, Rick Hess, Scott Alexander, Todd Rosken, Trevor Macy, Alicia Allain

Auto Focus revolves around actor Bob Crane, who found fame with the ’60s war drama Hogan’s Heroes. After the show was canceled, his life spiraled out of control, descending into a wild world of sex addiction and excess. This lifestyle was fueled by his troubled friendship with videographer John Henry Carpenter, who recorded many of their sexual encounters. In 1978, Crane was found bludgeoned to death, and Carpenter was tried for the murder but was later acquitted in 1994 due to insufficient evidence.

A Real-Life Mystery

Director Paul Schrader, known for exploring dark psychological themes in Taxi Driver, Hardcore, and American Gigolo, brought a stylized yet haunting approach to Crane’s real-life mystery in America’s seedy underbelly. Failing to recoup its costs at the box office, Auto Focus went relatively unnoticed at the time of its release but was praised by critics for its unflinching look at addiction and self-destruction, as well as its strong lead performances from Greg Kinnear and Willem Dafoe as Bob Crane and John Henry Carpenter, respectively.

9

‘Cobb’ (1994)

Cobb

Release Date

December 2, 1994

Runtime

128 minutes

Director

Ron Shelton

Producers

Arnon Milchan

Cobb is a sports drama film starring Tommy Lee Jones as record-breaking baseball player Ty Cobb, one of the sport’s biggest success stories in the early 1900s. Exploring the complexities of the player, it focuses on his later years as he collaborates with writer Al Stump on his autobiography.

‘Cobb’ Offers a Raw and Unfiltered Look at the Man Behind the Legend

Cobb was a complicated man of extremes and contradictions. An undeniable master of his craft, he was also arrogant, racist, and aggressive. The film doesn’t shy away from exploring these flaws. Lacking the typical feel-good nature of traditional sports films and portraying an American hero as a deeply flawed, somewhat unlikeable character made it a tough sell to the American public. The movie was a flop at the box office and has since slipped into obscurity. That said, those looking for a thought-provoking character study carried by an intense and gripping lead performance might appreciate Cobb.

8

‘I Shot Andy Warhol’ (1996)

I Shot Andy Warhol

Release Date

May 1, 1996

Runtime

103 minutes

Director

Mary Harron

Writers

Daniel Minahan

Producers

Anthony Wall, Christine Vachon, Lindsay Law

As the name suggests, I Shot Andy Warhol revolves around the attempted assassination of visual artist Andy Warhol. It tells the story of Valerie Solanas, the radical feminist and writer who created the SCUM Manifesto, as she gradually descended into paranoia and obsession, ultimately leading to her assassination attempt on Warhol in 1968.

An Indie Classic

Lacking the major funding of many of its counterparts, I Shot Andy Warhol is more indie darling than summer blockbuster, with its avant-garde style and focus on unconventional storytelling. It delves into the fringe elements of both feminist ideology and the 1960s art scene. With strong performances from Lili Taylor as Valerie Solanas and Stephen Dorff as the transgender Warhol Superstar Candy Darling, along with a hypnotic score composed by John Cale of the Velvet Underground, I Shot Andy Warhol remains a classic for those interested in 1960s counterculture.

7

‘Lords of Chaos’ (2018)

Lords of Chaos

Release Date

September 20, 2018

Runtime

92

Director

Jonas Åkerlund

Writers

Dennis Magnusson, Jonas Åkerlund, Michael Moynihan, Didrik Søderlind

Told from the perspective of Mayhem co-founder Euronymous, Lords of Chaos explores the ’90s Norwegian black metal scene. For those unfamiliar with this era, it was marked by horrific events that often overshadowed the music, including murder, suicide, and the occasional church burning.

‘Lords of Chaos’ Verisimilitude Has Been Brought into Question

Many fans of the Norwegian black metal scene, as well as some of the band members depicted in the film, have been vocal about the verisimilitude of Lords of Chaos, disputing how accurately it portrays the horrific true events on which it’s based.

Allowing for some artistic license, Lords of Chaos is, in itself, a well-made and well-performed, gritty, and compelling story of isolation, nihilism, and depravity, with a few hints of humor (albeit as dark as the metal music it’s based on). Much like Euronymous’ music, however, Lords of Chaos is targeted at a niche market, making it unsurprising that the film remains somewhat obscure compared to other music biopics.

6

‘Control’ (2007)

Based on the life of Joy Division frontman Ian Curtis, Control was released to little fanfare from the general public, making just $8.9 million at the box office. However, it received widespread recognition from critics, being named Best Film at the 2007 Evening Standard British Film Awards and earning an 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes.

‘Control’ Was a Critical Hit

Presented in black and white, director Anton Corbijn perfectly captures the essence of a deeply complex character and his struggles with mental health and epilepsy. Serving as both a tribute to Curtis’ musical legacy and a poignant portrayal of his life, Control may not have reached the same levels of commercial success as other music biopics, but it certainly stands among the best of them.

5

‘Joy’ (2015)

Joy

Release Date

December 25, 2015

Runtime

124minutes

Director

Ben Taylor

Based on entrepreneur and self-made millionaire Joy Mangano, Joy stars Jennifer Lawrence in the titular role, telling a story of resilience and determination as she fights her way to the top of the male-dominated business world. Lawrence shines in her powerful and authentic portrayal of a woman driven by ambition and passion. Robert De Niro is also a highlight as Joy’s father—the source of both frustration and motivation for her.

‘Joy’ Has Been Overshadowed by Bigger Biopics

The 2010s saw the release of some of the biggest and best biopics in the genre’s history, with films like Bohemian Rhapsody, Rocketman, The Wolf of Wall Street, and The Greatest Showman dominating the box office. While Joy was a hit with both critics and audiences at the time, it failed to match the success of these films and has since been overshadowed, unfortunately fading into the background of movie history.

4

‘Basquiat’ (1996)

Basquiat

Release Date

August 9, 1996

Runtime

108 minutes

Director

Julian Schnabel

Jean-Michel Basquiat was an American postmodernist/neo-expressionist artist. Mentored by Andy Warhol, he used his graffiti roots as a foundation to create collage-style paintings on canvases. A rags-to-riches story, Basquiat was a man of many talents; a groundbreaking artist by profession, he was also plagued by addiction and psychological struggles as he tried to navigate the world of high art as a young Black man.

‘Basquiat’ Is a Movie About a Painter Made by Another Painter

Basquiat was written and directed by Julian Schnabel, who first gained international attention for his “plate paintings” in the 1980s. The film marked his feature film debut. Now known for his bold and expressive arthouse film style, Schnabel has since gone on to direct Before Night Falls and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly—the latter earning him an Oscar nomination for Best Director.

3

‘Kafka’ (1991)

Kafka

Release Date

November 15, 1991

Runtime

98 minutes

Writers

Lem Dobbs

Steven Soderbergh’s second motion picture is ostensibly a biopic based on the life of writer Franz Kafka, but in reality, it’s so much more. Blurring the lines between fact and Kafka’s own works of fiction, Kafka is an experimental piece of cinema that revels in its absurdism and claustrophobic tension.

‘Kafka’ Is an Uncompromising Piece of Work That Split Critical Opinion

Shot in black and white, Soderbergh makes no attempt to pander to mainstream expectations, instead choosing to lean into Kafka’s trademark sense of absurdism and surrealism. Disorienting and uncompromising, Kafka flopped at the box office and divided critics—some appreciated its unique approach to the biopic genre, while others felt it failed to match the artistic success of its subject.

2

‘Talk to Me’ (1996)

Talk to Me

Release Date

October 20, 1996

Directors

Graeme Campbell

Writers

Dan Bronson

Cast

• Yasmine Bleeth

  Diane Shepherd

Don Cheadle stars as Ralph “Petey” Greene, an ex-con who became a popular talk show host and community activist in Washington, D.C. The movie focuses on his relationship with his friend and manager Dewey Hughes, as well as his personal struggles, political activism, and his lasting impact on radio.

From the Streets to the Airwaves

Talk to Me is an inspirational underdog story about a man who overcomes adversity, puts his past behind him, and finds the courage to speak his mind, ultimately becoming a groundbreaking figure in both radio and the Civil Rights Movement. Despite positive feedback from critics, the movie faced stiff competition. Released in the same month as 300, Live Free or Die Hard, and Ocean’s 13 (also starring Don Cheadle), it failed to recoup its costs at the box office and unfortunately remains relatively unheard of.

1

‘Lisztomania’ (1975)

Lisztomania

Release Date

October 10, 1975

Runtime

103 Minutes

Director

Ken Russell

• Roger Daltrey

  Franz Liszt

• Sara Kestelman

  Princess Carolyn

• Paul Nicholas

  Richard Wagner

Lisztomania is a 1975 British surreal biographical musical comedy film written and directed by Ken Russell about the 19th-century composer Franz Liszt. Capturing the counter-culture zeitgeist of the ’60s and ’70s, Russell continued his trend of pushing the boundaries of filmmaking by telling the story of Liszt’s life through surrealistic episodes blending fact, fantasy, and anachronistic elements.

Ken Russell’s Unique and Risky Approach Cost Him

Ever uncompromising and truly unique, Ken Russell’s unorthodox approach to filmmaking is what makes him so beloved. However, here it cost him. Lisztomania’s manic energy, outlandish sexual imagery, and arthouse leanings failed to resonate with mainstream audiences, leading to the cancellation of plans for Goodtimes Enterprises to make more films with Russell.

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