2025–2024 Biographical & Historical Films You Need to
Know
This spotlight collects some of the most notable recent and upcoming biographical, historical, and true‑story films, perfect for awards‑season followers and cinema history fans. Use this as a quick guide for your Cinema Awards Archive coverage, from Kristen Stewart’s Cannes‑premiering drama to war stories, political biographies, and sports legends.
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This 2025 guide works best alongside my earlier yearly lists, where I track how true‑story cinema has evolved:- 2023 list: https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/2023s-greatest-true-story-movies-you.html
- 2024 list: https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/2024-release-top-36-most-inspiring-true.html
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1. The Chronology of Water (2025)
Synopsis
2. A Magnificent Life (2025)
Pagnol is generally regarded as one of France's greatest
20th‑century writers and is notable for the fact that he excelled in almost
every medium—memoir, novel, drama and film.
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3. The Alto Knights (2025)
It was released in the United States on March 21st 2025 by
Warner Bros Pictures to mixed reviews from critics.
It was also a box‑office bomb, grossing $9 million worldwide
against its estimated $45–50 million budget.
Frank Costello (January 26, 1891 – February 18, 1973) was an
Italian‑American crime boss of the Luciano crime family.
4. Antes de Nós (2025)
It is a 2025 Spanish biographical drama film directed by
Ángeles Huerta, exploring the early years of Galician pater patriae Castelao.
The plot explores two periods in the life of Castelao in
1918 when he left his post as a civil servant to work as a doctor in Rianxo
during the flu pandemic and 1929, when he travelled to Brittany with his wife
Virxinia after they lost their son.
Alfonso Daniel Manuel Rodríguez Castelao (30 January 1886 – 7 January 1950), commonly known as Castelao, was a Galician politician, writer, painter and doctor.
He is one of the fathers of Galician nationalism, promoting Galician identity
and culture and was one of the main names behind the cultural movement Xeración
Nós.
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5. Binodiini (2025)
It is a 2025 Indian Bengali‑language epic biographical drama film co‑written and directed by Ram Kamal Mukherjee in his directorial debut in Bengali cinema.
The film narrates the life of the renowned theatre artist Binodini Dasi,
celebrated for defying societal norms and conventions and chronicles her
journey from a courtesan to the queen of Bengali theatre, highlighting her
struggles, passions, betrayals and triumphs.
Received Best Director, Best Actress and Audience Choice
Best Film at the South Asian International Film Festival of Florida (SAIFF) in
2025.
Binodini Dasi (1863–1941) widely known by her stage name Noti Binodini, was a pioneering Indian Bengali actress, writer and theatre personality of the 19th century.
Despite her immense popularity and critical acclaim, Binodini retired from the
stage by the age of twenty‑three.
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6. Blue Moon (2025)
The film had its world premiere at the main competition of
the 75th Berlin International Film Festival on February 18th 2025 where it won
the Silver Bear for Best Supporting Performance for Scott.
Lorenz Milton Hart (May 2nd 1895 – November 22nd 1943) was
an American lyricist and half of the Broadway song writing team Rodgers and
Hart.
Some of his more famous lyrics include "Blue
Moon", "The Lady Is a Tramp", "Manhattan",
"Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered" and "My Funny
Valentine".
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7. Den of Thieves 2: Pantera (2025)
Inspired by the 2003 Antwerp diamond heist, the plot follows
an LASD sheriff who follows a suspected thief to Europe in an attempt to team‑up
with him for a robbery.
Lionsgate theatrically released Den of Thieves 2 in the
United States on January 10th 2025. Like its predecessor, the film received
mixed reviews from critics and grossed $58.4 million worldwide against a $40
million budget.
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8. The Disappearance of Josef Mengele (2025)
The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Premiere section of the 2025
Cannes Film Festival on 20 May 2025.
The film follows Nazi physician Josef Mengele in the years following the end of the Second World War, detailing his later life in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.
The film explores his relationships with his second wife Martha and his
estranged son Rolf as he justifies his actions at Auschwitz concentration camp.
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9. Emergency (2025)
It is a 2025 Indian Hindi‑language historical biographical drama film directed and co‑produced by Kangana Ranaut.
Based on the Indian Emergency, it stars Ranaut as former Prime Minister of
India, Indira Gandhi.
Indira Priyadarshini Gandhi (19 November 1917 – 31 October 1984) was an Indian politician and stateswoman who served as the prime minister of India from 1966 to 1977 and again from 1980 until her assassination in 1984.
She was India's first and till today, the only female prime minister and a
central figure in Indian politics as the leader of the Indian National Congress
(INC).
She was the daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru, the first prime minister of India and the mother of Rajiv Gandhi, who succeeded her as prime minister.
Her cumulative tenure of 15 years and 350 days makes her the second‑longest‑serving
Indian prime minister after her father.
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10. Homem com H / Latin Blood: The Ballad of Ney
Matogrosso (2025)
Latin Blood: The Ballad of Ney Matogrosso is a 2025 Brazilian biographical musical drama film written for the screen and directed by Esmir Filho.
Based on the book Ney Matogrosso: A Biografia by Julio Maria, starring Jesuíta
Barbosa as Ney Matogrosso, the film portrays the singer's rise to fame, his
career and personal life, with a special highlight to his relationship with his
late father and the bygone friendships and love affairs he made along the way.
The film follows the different stages of singer Ney Matogrosso's career, from his childhood, through adolescence and into adulthood.
It is a journey through time that shows a young man from humble origins who
faces prejudice and becomes one of the most influential artists in Brazilian
music.
Ney de Souza Pereira (born 1 August 1941) known professionally as Ney Matogrosso is a Brazilian singer who is distinguished for his uncommon countertenor voice.
He was ranked by Rolling Stone as the third greatest Latin American singer of all time.
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11. Kesari Chapter 2: The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh (2025)
The Untold Story of Jallianwala Bagh is a 2025 Indian Hindi‑language historical courtroom drama film directed by Karan Singh Tyagi.
A spiritual sequel to the historical action film Kesari (2019), the plot is
based on the book The Case That Shook The Empire by Raghu Palat and Pushpa
Palat, which is centered around C Sankaran Nair and the 1919 Jallianwala Bagh
massacre.
The film stars Akshay Kumar as Nair alongside R Madhavan and
Ananya Panday.
The Case that Shook the Empire is a book by Raghu and Pushpa
Palat about the O'Dwyer v Nair Libel Case held in London in English law against
the Indian politician and lawyer Sir C Sankaran Nair by former Lieutenant
Governor of the Punjab, Sir Michael O'Dwyer.
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12. Last Breath (2025)
It is a 2025 survival thriller film directed by Alex Parkinson.
It is a feature film remake of the 2019 documentary that Parkinson co‑directed
with Richard da Costa and follows a group of deep‑sea divers who race to rescue
a stranded teammate after an accident.
13. Last Days (2025)
John Allen Chau (December 18th 1991 – November 17th 2018)
was an American evangelical Christian missionary who was killed by the
Sentinelese, a tribe in voluntary isolation, after traveling to North Sentinel
Island in an attempt to introduce the tribe to Christianity.
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14. The Last Supper (2025)
It is a 2025 American biblical drama film about the last days of Jesus Christ.
It is co‑written and directed by Mauro Borrelli and stars James Oliver Wheatley, Jamie Ward, Charlie MacGechan, Nathalie Rapti Gomez, Robert Knepper and James Faulkner. Chris Tomlin is one of the executive producers.
The film was released on March 14th 2025 by Pinnacle Peak Pictures.
15. Lucca's World (2025)
16. The Luckiest Man in America (2024)
The Press Your Luck scandal was contestant Michael Larson's
1984 record‑breaking win of $110,237 (equivalent to $333,642 in 2024) on the
American game show Press Your Luck.
After the network paid, Larson moved on to other endeavours.
In 1995, he fled a law‑enforcement investigation of a fraudulent multi‑level
marketing scheme and died in hiding in 1999 in Apopka Florida.
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17. The Match (2025)
It is a 2025 South Korean biographical sports drama film
directed and written by Kim Hyung‑joo, based on two real‑life notable Go
players Cho Hun‑hyun and Lee Chang‑ho.
18. McVeigh (2024 / 2025 release)
19. Mr Burton (2025)
It is a 2025 British biographical drama film about the early life of Welsh actor Richard Burton and his relationship with his mentor Philip Burton. It is directed by Marc Evans.
It was released in British cinemas on 4 April 2025.
Richard Walter Burton (10 November 1925 – 5 August 1984) was a Welsh actor.
Noted for his mellifluous baritone voice, Burton established himself as a formidable Shakespearean actor in the 1950s and gave a memorable performance as Hamlet in 1964.
Burton was nominated for an Academy Award seven times but never won.
He received numerous accolades, including a BAFTA Award, a Golden Globe Award and a Grammy Award.
By the late 1960s, he was one of the highest‑paid actors in the world, receiving fees of $1 million or more plus a share of the gross receipts.
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20. Nonnas (2025)
It is a 2025 American biographical comedy‑drama film directed by Stephen Chbosky.
The film is based on the life of Joe Scaravella, the owner of Staten Island (New York City) restaurant Enoteca Maria, who risks everything to honor his recently deceased, beloved mother by opening an Italian restaurant with actual grandmothers as chefs.
As the film was released during Mother's Day weekend in the United States, the
film hit No 1 in the country.
Jody "Joe" Scaravella is an American restaurateur best known as the founder of Enoteca Maria, a restaurant named for his mother and located on Staten Island, New York.
Established in 2007, the restaurant is known for its concept of featuring
grandmothers ("nonnas") from around the world as rotating chefs, each
preparing traditional homestyle meals from their native cuisines.
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21. The Poet (2025)
It is a 2025 Russian musical period drama film directed by
Felix Umarov, with the script by Andrey Kurganov and Vasily Zorky, telling the
life story of the great Russian poet Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin.
Alexander Sergeyevich Pushkin (6 June 1799 – 10 February 1837) was a Russian poet, playwright and novelist of the Romantic era.
He is considered by many to be the greatest Russian poet, as well as the
founder of modern Russian literature.
22. Putin (2024 / 2025 release)
It is a 2024 English‑language Polish biographical film directed by Patryk Vega.
The film, depicting the rise to power of Russian president Vladimir Putin,
debuted at a festival on 3 November 2024 and was released to cinemas on 10
January 2025.
23. Queen of the Ring (2024)
It is a 2024 American biographical sports drama about the
life of revolutionary female professional wrestler Mildred Burke. The film is written and directed by Ash Avildsen.
24. The Unbreakable Boy (2025)
It is a 2025 American biographical drama film directed and written by Jon Gunn.
It is based on the book The Unbreakable Boy: A Father's Fear, a Son's Courage
and a Story of Unconditional Love, authored by Scott Michael LeRette and Susy
Flory, which is based on a true story.
Austin is a boy on the autism spectrum who has brittle bone
disease. His father, Scott, seeks to keep Austin happy.
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25. Warfare (2025)
It is a 2025 war film written and directed by Ray Mendoza and Alex Garland.
Based on Mendoza's experiences during the Iraq War as a US Navy SEAL, the film depicts an encounter on 19 November 2006 after the Battle of Ramadi.
The script is drawn from the testimonies of the platoon members and is
presented in real time.
The film is dedicated to platoon member Elliott Miller (portrayed by Jarvis in the film), who lost his leg and ability to speak in the incident.
The film received positive reviews and has grossed $33.6 million worldwide.
26. The Wonderers (2025)
It is a 2025 French drama film directed by Joséphine Japy in her directorial debut, from a screenplay she co‑wrote with Olivier Torres based on the true story of her younger sister, Bertille, who has a severe disability that leads to autistic behavior.
The film had its world premiere at the Special Screenings section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 15th May.
It will be released theatrically in France by Apollo Distribution on 31
December.
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27. Words of War (2025)
It is a 2025 biographical drama film about the late Russian
journalist Anna Politkovskaya, directed by James Strong.
Anna Stepanovna Politkovskaya (30 August 1958 – 7 October 2006) was a Russian investigative journalist who reported on political and social events in Russia, in particular, the Second Chechen War (1999–2005).
She was found murdered in the elevator of her apartment block in Moscow on 7
October 2006, Vladimir Putin's birthday.
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28. The World Will Tremble (2025)
It is a 2025 historical drama film written and directed by Lior Geller and starring Oliver Jackson‑Cohen and Jeremy Neumark Jones.
It tells the true story of an attempt to escape the Chełmno extermination camp
during World War II by Michael Podchlebnik and Szlama Ber Winer.
Mordechaï Podchlebnik or Michał Podchlebnik (1907 – 1985) was a Polish Jew and Holocaust survivor.
He was a member of the Sonderkommando work detail for nearly two weeks at the Chełmno extermination camp in occupied Poland.
Podchlebnik was one of three who escaped into the surrounding forest from the
mass burial zone out of a population of 400,000 prisoners.
Szlama Ber Winer (23 September 1911 – 10 April 1942), was a
Polish Jew from Izbica Kujawska, who escaped from the Chełmno extermination
camp during the Holocaust in German‑occupied Poland.
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- 2023: https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/2023s-greatest-true-story-movies-you.html
- 2024: https://www.cinemaawardsarchive.com/2025/12/2024-release-top-36-most-inspiring-true.html
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