The Wolf of Wall Street and 4 Other Best Biopics About Bad Guys
These biopics are about people you shouldn't emulate.
When producers and directors decide to make a biopic, they typically select an inspiring and heroic story about an extraordinary person. However, this is not always the case, as many excellent biopics have been made about shady and questionable characters.
1. Monster, 2003
In 2017, director Patty Jenkins made a splash at the box office with Wonder Woman. She got the job because, 15 years earlier, she had made a strong debut with a biopic about Aileen Wuornos, a rare woman in American history who became a serial killer without the help of a man.
Charlize Theron played the lead role in Monster and was awarded an Oscar for her performance.
2. The Wolf of Wall Street, 2013
Manipulating the stock market isn't that hard. The key is finding gullible investors to fleece.
Jordan Belfort, a broker, mastered the dirty art of the stock market and made millions until the FBI caught up with him. A quarter of a century later, Martin Scorsese wrote Belfort into Hollywood history.
The director adapted the swindler's memoirs and created a film that was particularly popular among Wall Street brokers.
3. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, 1969
Westerns usually tell fictional stories. However, George Roy Hill decided to tell the true story of a gang of train robbers who first roamed the Wild West and then moved to South America.
The excellent film grossed over $100 million at the box office. Adjusted for inflation, it remains one of Hollywood's highest-grossing masterpieces. It won four Oscars, including Best Original Screenplay.
4. Catch Me If You Can, 2002
How can you master all professions? It's very simple. Pretend to be an expert, and do so convincingly enough that no one will doubt your experience or education. Frank Abagnale fooled people for years by pretending to be a pilot or a doctor.
Steven Spielberg was so impressed by this story that he personally adapted it for the screen, although initially he was only going to produce the film. Catch Me If You Can was a box office hit and received two Oscar nominations.
5. Raging Bull, 1980
Boxer Jake LaMotta was strong against opponents in the ring, but weak against his inner demons: jealousy, rage, and malice. Ultimately, these traits destroyed his family and his career.
In 1980, Martin Scorsese brilliantly told the story of LaMotta's rise and fall. Now, Raging Bull is considered one of the greatest films in Hollywood history.
Robert De Niro received his second Oscar for his stunning transformation into LaMotta. More precisely, he won the award for his ability to play LaMotta at different periods of his life.