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30 must-watch biopics based on real lives and stories.

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Daniel Day-Lewis, center, earned Best Actor Oscar for "Lincoln," one of the best biopics.

Biopic movies offer the perfect combination of escape and enrichment. Watching biopics invites you into the life of a historical figure, highlighting the most important parts of their unique journey to show you the story behind the headlines. Biopics, or biographical movies, dramatize the life of a real person, but they’re different from documentaries because they use some dramatic license. Different types of biopics include sports, politics, military, music, recent history and drama movies . The greatest ones, included on this list of best biopics, make you care about the character beyond the accomplishments they’re best known for, adding depth and gravitas to their story.

Top Biopic Movies

Popular themes in biopics include overcoming challenges, finding new ways to do things, doing something no one has done before, and breaking historical barriers. The highest-grossing biopic of all time is the 2023 film Oppenheimer , which earned $912 million worldwide. Movies on this list are ranked by box office, critical reaction, awards and enduring popularity.

Julia earned an Oscar for her work in "Erin Brockovich," one of the best biopics.

30. Erin Brockovich (2000, R)

Erin Brockovich (Oscar winner Julia Roberts) takes a new job at a law firm where she sniffs out a cover-up of contaminated water that has been poisoning nearby residents. The film earned five Academy Award nominations, including one for director Steven Soderbergh, and has an 85% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

You can watch Erin Brockovich on YouTube , Hulu , Sling TV , The Roku Channel , Amazon Prime Video , Philo , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

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Best 5% interest savings accounts of 2024, 29. patton (1970, pg).

George C. Scott gives a career-defining performance as the World War II general, who was first beloved and later reviled for his criticism of U.S. post-war policy. The film, directed by Franklin J. Schaffner and written by Francis Ford Coppola, earned seven Academy Awards. It has an impressive 92% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

You can watch Patton on YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV , and Fandango at Home .

28. Gorillas in the Mist (1988, PG-13)

Adapted from Dian Fossey’s autobiography, the film follows the researcher (played by Sigourney Weaver) as she studies the gorillas of Uganda and Rwanda. She becomes worried about poachers, putting herself in danger as she fights them. Directed by Michael Apted, the film earned Weaver a Golden Globe.

You can watch Gorillas in the Mist on YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV , and Fandango at Home .

27. Man on the Moon (1999, R)

Jim Carrey perfectly captures the eccentricities of comic Andy Kaufman, tracing his rise from comedy clubs to Saturday Night Live to Taxi . Carrey earned a Golden Globe for the film, directed by Miloš Forman and also starring Paul Giamatti, Courtney Love and Danny DeVito. It’s some of Carrey’s best work.

You can watch Man on the Moon on YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV , and Fandango at Home .

26. Harriet (2019, PG-13)

Directed by Kasi Lemmons, Harriet stars Cynthia Erivo as Harriet Tubman, the heroic 19th-century Black woman who escaped slavery and later led thousands of enslaved people to freedom via the Underground Railroad. Erivo earned Oscar, Golden Globe and Screen Actors Guild nods for the film, also starring Leslie Odom Jr. and Janelle Monáe.

You can watch Harriet on Netflix , YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

25. Ali (2001, R)

Promising to “float like a butterfly and sting like a bee,” a young, cocky Muhammad Ali (Will Smith) faces all comers, whether in the ring or in political circles. Director Michael Mann’s movie explores his many highs and lows as a champion. Smith and Jon Voight earned Oscar nominations for the film.

You can watch Ali on Netflix , YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

Will Smith portrayed boxing legend Muhammad Ali, shown at the Miami Art Basel Taschen book premiere ... [+] of Ali's book, "GOAT - Greatest Of All Time" in 2003.

24. Wild (2014, R)

When writer Cheryl Strayed’s marriage ends and her mother dies, she hits the Pacific Crest Trail for outdoor therapy—despite her lack of hiking experience. While through-hiking the tough terrain, she learns more about herself and her goals. Reese Witherspoon (Strayed) and Laura Dern (her mom) earned Oscar nods in Jean-Marc Vallée’s film.

You can watch Wild on YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

23. Braveheart (1995, R)

“They may take our lives, but they’ll never take our freedom!” Scottish freedom fighter William Wallace utters those famous words in the biopic directed by and starring Mel Gibson. The Best Picture Oscar winner traces Wallace’s transformation after losing the love of his life and becoming a leader in the medieval revolt against England.

You can watch Braveheart on Paramount+ , The Roku Channel , YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

22. Introducing Dorothy Dandridge (1999, R)

Halle Berry gives a standout performance as Dorothy Dandridge, the first Black woman ever to receive an Oscar nomination. She went from nightclub singer to star but encountered lots of racism in early 20 th century America. Berry won Golden Globe and Emmy awards for the film, directed by Martha Coolidge. Shonda Rhimes co-wrote the screenplay.

You can watch Introducing Dorothy Dandridge on Max , Hulu , YouTube and Amazon Prime Video .

21. Hotel Rwanda (2004, PG-13)

When a bloody civil war breaks out in Rwanda, hotel manager and Hutu Paul Rusesabagina agrees to take in more than a thousand Tutsi refugees to protect them from genocide. Don Cheadle gives a career-defining performance, earning an Oscar nod, in Terry George’s film that also stars Sophie Okonedo and Joaquin Phoenix.

You can watch Hotel Rwanda on Tubi , Pluto TV , The Roku Channel , YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

20. Selena (1997, PG)

Starring a young Jennifer Lopez in a star-making turn, Selena chronicles the rise of the popular Tejano singer, who was murdered by a fan just as her career began taking off. Gregory Nava’s film also stars Edward James Olmos. Lopez earned her first Golden Globe nomination for the movie.

You can watch Selena on Tubi , YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

Actress Jennifer Lopez, who played Selena in the movie "Selena," performs with her band in one of ... [+] the scenes from the movie.

19. Remember the Titans (2000, PG)

When an all-Black school integrated with an all-white school in Virginia in the early 1970s, the frustrations and misunderstandings surrounding the decision spilled onto the football field, where a legendary coach brought the boys together. Boaz Yakin’s well-reviewed, best sports film featured a strong performance by Denzel Washington, plus a young Ryan Gosling.

You can watch Remember the Titans on Disney+ , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

18. Capote (2005, R)

Philip Seymour Hoffman expertly portrays gifted writer Truman Capote as he’s writing his magnum opus, In Cold Blood , a portrait of two young accused murderers. The Bennett Miller film earned five Oscar nominations, including a Best Actor win for Hoffman, and it has an 89% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

You can watch Capote on Tubi , Pluto TV , The Roku Channel , Sling TV , Amazon Prime Video , Philo , YouTube , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

17. Nyad (2023, PG-13)

Directors Jimmy Chin and Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi dramatize Diana Nyad’s attempt, at age 64, to become the first person to swim from Cuba to Florida. Annette Bening earned an Oscar nod for playing Nyad, and Jodie Foster earned one for playing her partner. Nyad scored an 85% on Rotten Tomatoes.

You can watch Nyad on Netflix .

16. Malcolm X (1992, PG-13)

Washington gives one of his best performances as activist Malcolm X, who became a Muslim while in prison and later arose to lead the Nation of Islam. Spike Lee ’s portrait follows his rise and assassination in 1965. Washington earned an Oscar nod for the film, which has an 89% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

You can watch Malcolm X on Tubi , YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

Malcolm X (L) and actor Denzel Washington. who portrayed the Nation of Islam leader in one of the ... [+] best biopics.

15. Coal Miner's Daughter (1980, PG)

Loretta Lynn (Sissy Spacek) was married at 15 and a country star by the time she reached her late 20s. Coal Miner’s Daughter traces her rise from humble roots. It was one of the top 10 grossing films of 1980, and Spacek earned an Oscar and a Golden Globe for starring in Michael Apted’s film.

You can watch Coal Miner’s Daughter on YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

14. The King’s Speech (2010, R)

One of the best biographies about royalty, The King’s Speech follows efforts by King George VI (Colin Firth) to overcome his lifelong stutter after he unexpectedly gains the British throne. Helena Bonham Carter and Geoffrey Rush also star in the Tom Hooper film, which won both the Best Picture and Best Actor Oscars.

You can watch The King’s Speech on Max , Hulu , Sling , YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

13. 42 (2013, PG-13)

Another sports biopic, 42 tells the story of how Jackie Robinson (Chadwick Boseman) broke the color barrier by becoming the first Black player in Major League Baseball when he joined the Brooklyn Dodgers. It illustrates the pervasive nastiness of racism. Boseman’s bravura performance alongside Harrison Ford earned the movie positive reviews.

You can watch 42 on Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

12. Frida (2002, R)

Salma Hayek portrays gifted Mexican artist Frida Kahlo in director Julie Taymor’s warts-and-all biopic, which highlights the many relationships in her life, including with her mother and male and female lovers. Hayek earned an Oscar nod, and the film made the American Film Institute’s top movies of 2002.

You can watch Frida on Sling TV , The Roku Channel , Philo , YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

11. Ray (2004, PG-13)

Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for his portrayal of Ray Charles, the soulful singer who went blind at age 9 and overcame drug addiction and prejudice to become one of the most successful voices of his generation. Kerry Washington co-stars as Ray’s wife in the Taylor Hackford film, released months after Charles’ death.

You can watch Ray on Hulu , Sling , Philo , The Roku Channel , YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

Jamie Foxx won Best Actor in a Leading Role for "Ray," one of the best biopics.

10. Nixon (1995, R)

Richard Nixon may not have been a great president, but he was a great character, rich with neuroses and quirks brought to life by Anthony Hopkins in Oliver Stone’s well-regarded film. It shows how his early failures helped shape him. Hopkins and Joan Allen (playing his wife) both earned Oscar nods.

You can watch Nixon on YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

9. A Beautiful Mind (2001, PG-13)

Genius mathematician John Nash Jr. (Russell Crowe) is so brilliant he’s recruited by the military for code-breaking, but he also has serious mental illness that threatens his relationship with his wife (Jennifer Connelly). Director Ron Howard’s film won four Oscars, including Best Picture, Best Director and Best Supporting Actress.

You can watch A Beautiful Mind on Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

8. Hidden Figures (2016, PG)

Brilliant Black women Katherine Johnson (Taraji P. Henson), Dorothy Vaughan (Octavia Spencer) and Mary Jackson (Janelle Monáe) prove instrumental in helping NASA launch John Glenn into space—at a time when racism impacted their career paths and obscured their accomplishments. Theodore Melfi’s film earned $236 million and was nominated for a Best Picture Oscar.

You can watch Hidden Figures on Peacock , YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

7. Boys Don’t Cry (1999, R)

Brandon Teena (Hilary Swank) is a trans man who flees his hometown after threats when people discover his gender identity. He tries to make a fresh start in Nebraska, but soon he’s threatened again. Swank won an Oscar for her performance in the Kimberly Pierce film, and Chloë Sevigny received a Best Supporting Actress nomination.

You can watch Boys Don’t Cry on Apple TV and Amazon Prime Video .

6. My Left Foot (1989, R)

Christy Brown (Daniel Day-Lewis) is born with cerebral palsy that causes spasticity, but he can control his left foot. He overcomes the odds to become a gifted painter. The film, directed by Jim Sheridan, has an astounding 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Day-Lewis and Brenda Fricker, who played his mom, won Oscars.

You can watch My Left Foot on Sling TV , The Roku Channel , Amazon Prime Video , YouTube , Philo , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV , and Fandango at Home .

5. Selma (2014, PG-13)

Director Ava DuVernay reveals the violent voter suppression in Selma, Alabama, in the 1960s in her Martin Luther King Jr. biopic. It follows King (David Oyelowo) and others who marched from Selma to Montgomery to demand Black voter rights. It earned a Best Picture nod and has an amazing 99% Rotten Tomatoes rating.

You can watch Selma on Netflix , Paramount+ , Pluto TV , The Roku Channel , Amazon Prime Video , YouTube , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

Oprah Winfrey, actor David Oyelowo, and director and executive producer Ava Duvernay attend the ... [+] "Selma" New York Premiere at Ziegfeld Theater on December 14, 2014 in New York City.

4. On the Basis of Sex (2018, PG-13)

Newly minted lawyer and new mother Ruth Bader Ginsberg (Felicity Jones) takes on a potentially breakthrough tax case that could change gender discrimination laws. Director Mimi Leader drew praise for the good pacing and insights of the movie, released two years before RGB’s death.

You can watch On the Basis of Sex on Netflix , YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

3. The Iron Lady (2011, PG-13)

Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep), who rose from working class roots to become prime minister of Britain, reflects on her career after the passing of her husband, Denis (Jim Broadbent). Phyllida Lloyd’s box office success grossed $115 million, and Streep earned an Oscar for her performance.

You can watch The Iron Lady on Tubi , The Roku Channel , Amazon Prime Video , PLEX , Google Play Movies & TV , YouTube and Fandango at Home .

2. Oppenheimer (2023, R)

Christopher Nolan’s instant classic about Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, merited a well-deserved Oscar for Cillian Murphy. He stars with Emily Blunt and Florence Pugh in a portrait of a man later tortured by what he did. It is the top-grossing biopic of all time.

You can watch Oppenheimer on YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

1. Lincoln (2012, PG-13)

Day-Lewis earned another Oscar for portraying President Abraham Lincoln at a pivotal time in the Civil War, as he weighed abolishing slavery with the 13 th Amendment. Director Steven Spielberg had a commercial and critical hit, with $182 million at the box office and 12 Oscar nominations.

You can watch Lincoln on YouTube , Amazon Prime Video , Google Play Movies & TV , Apple TV and Fandango at Home .

Bottom Line

Biopics offer a way to learn something while also being entertained. Everything on this list features outstanding performances, too, to keep you engaged. Whether you choose a subject you already know a bit about or something entirely new, watching a biopic will inform and excite you.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

What is a biopic.

A biopic is a movie that tells the story of an important historical figure. Biopics aren’t made to glorify the person but rather present the true wonder behind their accomplishments, shedding light on difficult circumstances they faced along the way.

A biopic movie generally focuses on one person, though sometimes a duo or trio takes center stage. A combination of the words “biography” and “picture,” biopics are dramatizations, so they are rarely 100% true to life, but they do provide reliable facts and are often based on books.

What Are Good Biopics About Music?

Good biopics about music give a glimpse of the often-troubled personalities behind the beautiful chords we hear through our AirPods. They include:

Tina Turner biopic What’s Love Got to Do With It (1993), directed by Brian Gibson, tells the story of the singer’s meteoric rise juxtaposed with the abuse she suffered at the hands of her husband, Ike Turner.

Freddie Mercury biopic Bohemian Rhapsody (2018), directed by Bryan Singer and Dexter Fletcher, shows Mercury’s success with Queen as he struggles with his sexuality.

Jim Morrison biopic The Doors (1991), directed by Oliver Stone, depicts the dangers of addictions as Morrison’s demons threaten his hard-earned success with the group.

What Are Good Biopics About Sports?

Good biopics about sports tell the inspiring story of underdogs overcoming steep challenges. They include:

Daniel "Rudy" Ruettiger biopic Rudy (1993), directed by David Anspaugh, follows an unlikely Notre Dame walk-on as he struggles to qualify academically and athletically for the school.

Vince Papale biopic Invincible (2006), directed by Ericson Core, chronicles a 30-year-old high school teacher’s unlikely opportunity to join the Philadelphia Eagles despite never playing college ball.

Richard Williams biopic King Richard (2021), directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, shows how a father from Compton, California, helped produce two of tennis’s all-time greats, Venus and Serena Williams.

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10 Biopics To Watch Immediately

TAGGED AS: Best and Worst , Biopics

Einar Wegener is not exactly a household name, but if you happen upon The Danish Girl , the Eddie Redmayne-starring biopic based on Wegener’s life, you’ll come away knowing a little bit more about what it was like to be transgender in the early part of the 20th century. A thoughtful, well-considered biopic can do what your history textbook never could: make the past come alive and comment on our present moment. Here’s a batch of fresh-rated biopics of people famous — Jackie Robinson, Queen Elizabeth II — and not-quite-so. That’s the other secret power of films about real people: immortalizing nearly-forgotten institutionalized female artists and recovering drug addicts who go on very long hikes.

42 (2013) 80%

This underappreciated film should have made Chadwick Boseman a movie star. He’s that good as baseball legend Jackie Robinson. Of course, Get On Up also should have made Chadwick Boseman a movie star. He played James Brown in that one and nobody went to see it, either. But back to 42: Boseman all but resurrects the patient, determined, no-nonsense athlete who broke the color barrier in professional baseball way back in 1947 during his rookie season with the Brooklyn Dodgers. It was, as you might imagine, not an easy task. Hate from fans and his own teammates tested the man every time he took the field, but Robinson never gave anyone the satisfaction of clapping back. Director Brian Helgeland, along with his extremely talented lead, creates a sobering look back at the historical realties of American sports and American racism. As for Boseman, he’s about to enter the Marvel universe as Black Panther. Movie star achievement coming soon.

Watch Trailer

Belle (2013) 84%

Maybe you thought this was just another period British costume drama, the kind that country creates with impeccable precision, all for your mom to enjoy. But Belle glides along in its own lane, taking on the ugliest truths about the English aristocracy, and inspired by the true story of Dido Elizabeth Belle (Gugu Mbatha-Raw). She was the mixed race child of Admiral John Lindsay, raised by her great-uncle Lord Mansfield in a world of privilege, one punctured by the restrictions of her race. It was the time of slavery in England, after all, which meant Belle was unable to participate fully in the world in which she lived. Solution: fight the power and work as an abolitionist, of course. Amma Assante’s direction is clear-cut and modern, necessarily imposing today’s wisdom on historical horror, while Mbatha-Raw (who was also excellent in the same year’s underrated Beyond The Lights) moves slyly through a story that demands her character’s allegiance to strict codes and the disobedient nerve to break them.

Bright Star (2009) 82%

So it’s the early part of the 19th century and you are a passionately-in-love couple of young people. But you have to keep it secret. That’s the problem faced by English poet John Keats (Ben Whishaw) and headstrong, fashion-minded Fanny Brawne (Abbie Cornish). They don’t even like each other much, at first, which is romantic-drama-speak for “gotta have it,” and no one approves, of course, which makes it that much hotter. But if you think you know how this all goes, then you should also know that it’s a film by Jane Campion (The Piano), one of the world’s great directors. Campion understands the clichés inherent in this kind of story and she navigates around them with skill and intensity, delivering instead a truthful film about living a real life in a time that required a crushing denial of that same reality.

Camille Claudel, 1915 (2013) 80%

If you’re here for demanding, difficult director Bruno Dumont, then you’ve already seen this one. But chances are you’re here because Juliette Binoche is one of best actors on the planet and you never even knew this film existed. Well, get ready to work, because Camille Claudel, 1915 is an exacting drama of the long-take school, featuring a deeply felt, and highly specific performance from Binoche as an artist whose life was marked by slow, inexorable tragedy. Claudel, once the mistress of sculptor Auguste Rodin, is committed to an asylum in southern France and left to waste away. Binoche, burrowing deeply into the emptiness, speaks very little, but says everything. A tough but rewarding feel-bad experience for people who don’t need happy endings.

Fruitvale Station (2013) 94%

At the moment, Michael B. Jordan is impressing audiences in Creed, but his promise was announced with this earlier film by Creed’s director Ryan Coogler. It’s a true story, one that could have been taken from any headline of the past few years, and stars Jordan as Oscar Grant, a 22-year-old black man in Oakland, California, who lost his life on New Year’s Day, 2009, when he was murdered by a police officer at an Oakland BART station. It begins with cellphone video of the real killing. But instead of delving into documentary-style drama about the event itself, Coogler shows you Grant moving through his last day, dealing with work and family and friends. This approach heightens the despair and sense of wasted life by forcing the audience to live with the everyday humanity of the crime’s victim, rather than a just-the-facts approach resulting in one more numbing statistic created by institutional racism.

Philomena (2013) 91%

This tear-jerker is based on the harrowing story of Philomena Lee (Judi Dench), an Irish woman whose youthful unplanned pregnancy resulted in her confinement to a cruel, prison-like convent, her child put up for adoption against her will. In her later years, she joins a journalist (Steve Coogan) in the hunt for her now-adult lost child, unprepared for what she’ll find. Now, when the deck is this stacked with tragedy, a strong center is required to avoid overselling the pain. That means you go get Judi Dench. Audiences have placed massive amounts of goodwill in her, and for good reason. She’s a walking empathy machine, gently and intelligently tugging at your heart when lesser actors would mercilessly wrestle it to the ground. Her soft-spoken, perhaps needlessly naïve and devout truth-seeker (compared to the real life woman, whose relationship with the Church that abused her involves no love lost) is all goodness, all forgiveness. This is how she earns your tears. And you will shed them.

The Queen (2006) 97%

Is this really how Queen Elizabeth II behaved behind closed doors in the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death? Did she have a genuine crisis of manners and standards? Was she forced to contend with the changes taking place outside the confines of royal life, where contemporary public expectations of figureheads shifted, altered by that public’s relationship with Diana herself? We’ll probably never really know for sure, but as portrayed by Helen Mirren, we now want to believe that the stoic monarch in the pastel-colored hats had a dormant heart that grew three sizes the moment Elton John re-recorded “Candle in The Wind.” Mirren carries the film like it all rests on her shoulders – it does, by the way – and she does so gracefully, balancing regulation and feeling like a proper queen. She won a well-deserved Oscar for it, too.

Selma (2014) 99%

One of the most critically acclaimed movies of 2014 was, strangely, ignored at the box office and by award-giving organizations. Perhaps it all felt like it might be the moviegoing equivalent of homework, but Ava DuVernay’s Selma is a huge achievement, both in re-examining the past through fresh eyes, as well as in sheer entertainment. This is not a saintly MLK. David Oyelowo portrays the legendary civil rights leader as a real, flawed, sometimes frightened, sometimes furious man, and you can’y take your eyes off him. Maybe people stayed away because the story of King’s campaign to secure the Voting Rights Act of 1965 might have felt too real in a moment when politicians are still trying to figure out ways to keep non-white Americans from voting. Whatever your reasons for avoiding it were, you were wrong. Go watch this one today.

Violette (2013) 86%

You’ve heard about the famous French writer Simone de Beauvoir. Well, this is not about her. Instead, it’s the story of Violette Leduc, a French author who was deeply involved with de Beauvoir for years. As played by Emmanuelle Devos, this lesser-known literary figure is a fascinatingly complex cauldron of conflicting feelings, a woman filled with unhappiness who was stoutly determined to get what she wanted, grasping for life and personal connection anywhere she could find it. She had an iron will and a prickly personality that you won’t like, but also won’t soon forget. Sometimes it’s the unlikeliest people who make the most interesting subjects.

Wild (2014) 88%

This is not Reese Witherspoon’s 127 Hours, her Incredible Journey, or anything else you think it is. It’s a much more subtle story about a woman’s determination to finish what she starts and heal herself along the way. Based on Cheryl Strayed’s memoir, Wild tells the story of the troubled author’s 1,100 mile hike on the Pacific Crest Trail. She encounters danger and despair, but not the kind you expect. In fact, very little of this movie relies on the usual prestige picture story beats and cathartic uplifts, the kind that secure nominations and awards. Meanwhile, Witherspoon’s performance rivals her Oscar-winning turn as June Carter in Walk The Line. She’s that good, as is Laura Dern as her mother.

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5 new to Paramount Plus movies with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes

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Paramount Plus is serving up a smorgasbord of new movies for November 2024, and while the streamer doesn't quite make our cut for the best streaming services , you'll still find plenty of must-watches on the list.

Several of the latest movies new to Paramount Plus scored a 90% or higher critics rating on Rotten Tomatoes. This month, some of the best critically acclaimed flicks on Paramount Plus include the movie that put Ben Affleck and Matt Damon on the map, a heart-warming family adventure about everyone's favorite bear from Peru, a Denzel Washington-led, Oscar-winning drama, Eddie Murphy's genre-defining buddy cop comedy, and one of the most defining films of the 21st century thus far.

It's a stacked list to choose from this month, so you better grab some popcorn and get watching. Here are the five best movies with 90% or higher on Rotten Tomatoes that are new to Paramount Plus this November.

'Good Will Hunting' (1997)

Who hasn't heard of "Good Will Hunting," the powerful exploration of human potential and self-discovery that helped launch Ben Affleck and Matt Damon into stardom? Directed by Gus Van Sant and co-written by Damon and Affleck, it follows Will Hunting (Damon), a self-taught math genius from South Boston working as a janitor at MIT while on parole.

His life changes forever after he stuns Professor Gerald Lambeau (Stellan Skarsgård) by anonymously solving a difficult math problem left on the board for his graduate students. When Lambeau learns that Will is facing jail time over a fight, he strikes a deal to keep him out of prison on the condition that he studies mathematics and sees a psychotherapist, Lambeau's old friend Dr. Sean Maguire (Robin Williams). The sessions between Maguire and Will undeniably form the heart of the story, with Williams' masterful performance bringing a warmth and authenticity to the film.

Genre: Drama Rotten Tomatoes score: 97% Stream it now on Paramount Plus

'Fences' (2016)

In "Fences," Denzel Washington reprises the role that won him his first Tony, bringing both his acting and directing talents to this adaptation of August Wilson’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play. With such celebrated source material and a Hollywood titan on both sides of the camera, it’s no surprise the film chalked up a slew of Oscar nominations across all major categories, including Best Picture.

Washington stars as Troy Maxson, a disillusioned sanitation worker in 1950s Pittsburgh with a chip on his shoulder from being denied a shot at becoming a pro baseball player due to the racial discrimination of the era. Tensions build at home with his wife (played by the exceptional Viola Davis in an Oscar-winning supporting role), reaching a boiling point when his son (Jovan Adepo) is offered the opportunity Troy never had.

Genre: Drama Rotten Tomatoes score: 92% Stream it now on Paramount Plus

'48 Hrs.' (1982)

Eddie Murphy’s big-screen debut more or less created the template for the modern buddy-cop comedy. His character, the wisecracking criminal Reggie Hammond, joins up with Nick Nolte’s hard-nosed police inspector Jack Cates to track down one of his old associates, Albert Ganz (James Remar), who escaped custody after killing several guards.

While Reggie and Cates butt heads at first, over time they build a tentative respect for one another. Murphy’s charisma and sharp wit elevate what might otherwise be a straightforward crime thriller, and he steals the show at several points, including one particularly memorable honky-tonk bar scene where he poses as a cop and schools the redneck patrons.

Genre: Action/Comedy Rotten Tomatoes score: 92% Stream it now on Paramount Plus

'Paddington' (2014)

We've still got a few months left to go before "Paddington in Peru" hits theaters, so why not revisit Paddington Bear's first adventure while you wait? Based on the beloved character created by English author Michael Bond, the original “Paddington” follows the eponymous bear (voiced by Ben Whishaw) as he travels to England after an earthquake devastates his home in the Peruvian rainforest.

There, he's taken in by Henry (Hugh Bonneville) and Mary Brown (Sally Hawkins), a couple that names him Paddington after the London train station. With their help, he embarks on a quest to reconnect with the explorer responsible for the iconic red hat he wears while evading a vengeful taxidermist (Nicole Kidman) hellbent on putting him on display in the Natural History Museum.

Genre: Kids & Family/Comedy/Adventure Rotten Tomatoes score: 97% Stream it now on Paramount Plus

'The Social Network' (2010)

Often celebrated as one of the most defining films of the 21st century thus far, "The Social Network" is a biographical drama that chronicles the inception of Facebook and the subsequent fallout between its co-founders, Mark Zuckerberg (Jesse Eisenberg) and Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield).

Directed by "Fight Club's" David Fincher, the movie opens at Harvard University in 2003 and follows the story of how a couple of sophomores created a website that would grow into the leading social network for millions throughout the 2010s. Through a non-linear narrative that interweaves multiple timelines, "The Social Network" delves into the complexities of mixing business with friendship, shining a light on just how cutthroat the development of what would become the world’s largest social media platform really was.

Genre: Drama/Biography Rotten Tomatoes score: 96% Stream it now on Paramount Plus