With a new wave of nostalgia-driven musical biopics—A Complete Unknown, Better Man, Maria—flooding theaters, hosts Laura Gommans and Hugo Emmerzael ask: what does it take to make a great musical biopic these days? A genre weighed down by formulaic storytelling and its own well-worn bingo card of narrative beats, the musical biopic too often settles for a greatest-hits retelling rather than embracing the radical possibilities of cinema. In this episode, we revisit the films that transcend mere homage, interrogate why audiences remain captivated by these glossy reenactments, and consider how the genre might break free from its own nostalgic loop.

Book tickets to ⁠CC Film Club: Velvet Goldmine⁠ @ LAB111

Book tickets to⁠ A Complete Unknown⁠ @ LAB111

Show notes

• The Broken Formula of Musical Biopics | Patrick (H) Willems
• Elvis (2022) and the Utter Mediocrity of Biopics | Broey Deschanel
• Walk Hard: The Movie That’s Remade Every Year | Isenhart Productions
• The Unfortunate Problem With Biopics | Nerdstalgic

Films mentioned

• Better Man (Michael Gracey, 2024)
• Maria (Pablo Larraín, 2025)
• A Complete Unknown (James Mangold, 2024)
• Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (Christian Gudegast, 2025)
• Knock at the Cabin (M. Night Shyamalan, 2023)
• I’m Not There (Todd Haynes, 2007)
• Bohemian Rhapsody (Bryan Singer, 2018)
• Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story (Jake Kasdan, 2007)
• Ali (Michael Mann, 2001)
• Velvet Goldmine (Todd Haynes, 1998)
• Ray (Taylor Hackford, 2004)
• Kneecap (Rich Peppiatt, 2024)
• The Doors (Oliver Stone, 1991)
• Last Days (Gus Van Sant, 2005)
• Elvis (Baz Luhrmann, 2022)
• Priscilla (Sofia Coppola, 2024)
• Almost Famous (Cameron Crowe, 2000)
• Backbeat (Iain Softley, 1994)

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