Words: Lydia Dronsfield

Once again the weekend is nearly upon us & if you’re wanting to spend it chilling on your sofa or in your room watching TV; we’ve got 5 great Musician Biopics for you to sit back and enjoy. So grab your popcorn & let’s get into them!

STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON

If you haven’t already seen Straight Outta Compton what are you playing at? The film documents the rise and fall of the legendary rap group N.W.A. In the poverty-stricken streets of Compton, Dr Dre bands together a bunch of talented rappers and they release their first track. It’s a success and soon, with help from music manager Jerry Heller, they land themselves a record deal. Their first album ‘Straight Outta Compton’ is revolutionary. The track ‘F*ck The Police’ becomes an anthem for the fight against police brutality and causes such a stir that livid white people take to the streets, burning piles of their records. Despite the controversy, N.W.A are a hit – cue the obligatory male musician montage of orgies and drugged-up parties, which births Ice Cube’s iconic line ‘Bye Felicia.’ But it can’t stay all sunshine and groupies forever, tensions run high when Cube realises he’s been taken advantage of by Heller and leaves, leading to the steady demise of N.W.A. The rest of the film follows each of their individual journeys, including the tragic death of Easy-E from HIV. Straight Outta Compton is a truly impactful film and should be at the front of everyone’s Netflix watch-list.

Where to watch: Netflix & Amazon Prime

FUNNY GIRL

Barbra Streisand – need I say more? Funny Girl is the musical extraordinaire that bagged Streisand her first Oscar and thrust her firmly into the limelight. It follows the story of Fanny Brice – comedienne, singer and stage show legend – documenting her rise to fame and the sad disintegration of her ‘fairy-tale’ marriage. With her delightful New York twang and a head full of chutzpah, Brice defies prejudices about her ‘unconventional’ appearance (though I use quotation marks because have you seen Streisand? She’s mesmerising) and becomes a Broadway star. Cue a flurry of glamorous outfits and stunning eye makeup looks – honestly, you’re going to want to save them all to your Pinterest – and Brice being an absolute boss. However, her triumphs are dampened when her handsome husband leaves, unable to cope with having a more successful wife. This causes the light-hearted comedy to end in tragedy as we part ways with Brice while she’s struggling to cope with the rejection, apologetic for being the powerful woman that she is. The film’s conclusion is an unwittingly feminist statement and one that everyone should see.

Where to watch: Netflix & Amazon Prime

ROXANNE ROXANNE

“Roxanne, Roxanne, I wanna be your man.” Lolita Shanté Gooden, or Roxanne Shante as she’s better known, is the Rap Battle Champion of Queens NYC at the age of 9. It’s clear that this spunky little girl, who can spout a perfect stream of gutsy rhymes at the drop of a hat, is a star. However, her road to rap royalty is derailed when her Mother, crushed by a bitter betrayal, turns to drink and Shante is forced to care for her younger sisters. Unable to cope with such pressure, Shante leaves home at 13. However, her talents haven’t gone unnoticed and, after her rhymes become a hit on Indie radio, Shante embarks on a tour. Unfortunately, though, sharks surround her. James Cross, a much older man, fixes his eyes on Shante, making it his mission to groom her, and her ‘manager’ deceives her, cheating her out of her wages. Disheartened, Shante steps away from the music scene and focuses on Cross. She gives birth to his baby at 16 and finds herself trapped in an abusive, toxic relationship. Thankfully, she manages to escape with her son, freeing her to become the rap icon she was destined to be.

Where to watch: Netflix

MA RAINEY’S BLACK BOTTOM

Chicago, 1927: Ma Rainey is a Black, queer woman and she’s not afraid to own it. Viola Davis shines (like we all knew she would) as this absolute powerhouse of a jazz singer, perfectly portraying Rainey’s complex character. At first, it seems as if Rainey is a tad brutish; it’s refreshing to see such a bull-headed woman for once but still, she’s kind of mean. However, as the film unfolds, we learn that she behaves that way because she must. Rainey is painfully aware of the prejudices she faces, and that the all-white, all-male music industry is only using her for her money-making voice. She’s had to build her hard exterior to survive. Laced alongside the story of Ma Rainey is that of Levee Green, one of Rainey’s impressively ambitious band members, played brilliantly by the late Chadwick Boseman. We soon learn that Green’s swaggering nature is an act and inside he’s a broken man, shattered by abhorrently racist treatment. As the film progresses, he spirals further and further into manic madness. This all comes to a head when the studio owner breaks his word and swindles Green out of the songs he’s written, causing him to snap.

Where to watch: Netflix

THE DIRT

‘Misogyny, drugs and rock and roll’ is certainly the mantra that Mötley Crüe lived by. This phase of the film makes for rather uncomfortable viewing. At its simplest, it’s a bunch of white men donning mullets and leather tights, running around causing chaos and destruction whilst using both women and hardcore drugs, simply because they can. There’s even a scene where an out-of-it Ozzy Osbourne laps up his own piss from the floor, much to the band’s delight – to put it bluntly, they’re absolute twats. However, they can only sustain this lifestyle for so long before the consequences of their actions catch up with them, shattering their glamorous rock and roll facades and shining a cold, hard light on just how messed up they really are. The film takes a rather heart-warming turn when, after almost dying from a heroin overdose, Nikki Sixx has an epiphany; the egos, the fame, the drugs, the groupies – none of it matters. What matters is the band and the fact that they’re really the only family he’s ever had. It’s a rocky road to recovery but they all manage to sober up, settle down and focus on what they do best – make music. 

Where to watch: Netflix

There’s no denying that professional musicians lead very interesting lives. From having legions of adoring fans and amassing large fortunes, to coping with being hounded by the press and resisting (or not) the ever-present temptation of debauchery, being a musical star certainly isn’t boring. It’s no wonder that such characters have so often enamored the film industry and inspired people to create spectacular pieces of cinema.