Why Can’t Music Biopics Be Good?

The latest in pop-culture news, recaps, and reviews, plus close reads, profiles, interviews, and more from Vulture.com. [Brand Logo]( rankings [Why Can’t Music Biopics Be Good?]( The worst of the genre, ranked. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Nick Delaney/Twentieth Century Fox/Everett Collection, Jason McDonald/Netflix, Dean Rogers/Focus Features Music biopics tend to follow the same beats: A sensitive and singular talent too pure for this world wants to create but falls prey to the lure of fame and drugs and a culture of exploitation that the movie usually perpetuates but is uninterested in examining. Still, since 2018, when the definitive bad music biopic of our time, Bohemian Rhapsody, won multiple Oscars, Hollywood has appeared obsessed with them. (Movies about [Bob Dylan](, [Bruce Springsteen](, and [Linda Ronstadt]( are in the works.) The latest entry in this vexing category is the questionable new Amy Winehouse biopic, Back to Black. To “celebrate,” we’re ranking the recent musical-biopic canon from the best of the worst to the even worser. [read more]( Devour pop culture with us. [Subscribe now]( to save over 40% on unlimited access to Vulture and everything New York. The Latest TV Recaps • Vanderpump Rules: [Fool’s Gold]( • The Valley: [Twit for Tat]( • Palm Royale: [Is That All There Is?]( • Dark Matter: [Man and Superposition]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Stories We Think You’ll Like [Tim, Just Crush Me If you’re going to make ads that are depressing, you should go even harder.]( [The Idea of You Is a Brutal Watch, Actually Anne Hathaway and Nicholas Galitzine live life on the edge (of tears) in this movie.]( [Tell Your Friends That John Sugar Is an Alien Apple TV+’s Sugar would be 40 percent better if we knew the twist from the start.]( By Kathryn VanArendonk [Steve Albini, Underground Rock Legend, Dead at 61 His band Shellac was preparing to release a new album next week.]( By Justin Curto [The Contestant Turns Away From Reality After raising approximately 1 million messy, fascinating questions about reality TV’s impact, the documentary opts for tidiness.]( By Nicholas Quah [Lenny Kravitz on the Most Rejuvenating and Indulgent Music of His Career “I’m not following what people think you should follow, and I’m not even following what I think I should follow.”]( By Devon Ivie [Lady Gaga Pauses Pharma Commercials to Release Chromatica Ball Film Little monsters are being fed.]( By Jason P. Frank [The Europeans Are Having Their Sing-Off Again Eurovision 2024 is underway.]( By Justin Curto [Every Laura Dern Role, Ranked Often volatile and warped onscreen, immensely likable off-screen.]( By Matthew Jacobs [Mary Todd Lincoln Makes Late Night Debut, Heals Broken Nation Her children were not mentioned.]( By Jason P. Frank [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Vulture Games [Today’s Crossword]( 1-Across, Four Letters: “Please ___!” (plea from Jeb Bush) Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Sean Zanni/Patrick McMullan via Getty Images, Bryan Bedder/Variety via Getty Images, DreamWorks [Today’s Cinematrix]( Can you name a Christina Ricci movie with a character name in the title? Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Ethan Miller/Getty Images, Steve Granitz/FilmMagic, Jean-Baptiste Lacroix/AFP via Getty Images A newsletter about the perpetual Hollywood awards race, for subscribers only. [Sign up]( to get it every week. [Get the Newsletter]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1701 Rhode Island Ave NW, Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2024, All rights reserved