10 Great Music Biopics To Watch After Bob Marley: One Love

The life and music of reggae singer Bob Marley was powerfully depicted in the captivating biopic Bob Marley: One Love, and over the years there have been plenty of other great biopics that captured the lives and work of acclaimed artists. The story of Marley, who was expertly portrayed by Kingsley Ben-Adir, took him from the poverty and political conflict of his home country of Jamaica, all over the world as one of the biggest music stars on the planet. Marley’s story of music, protest, and resistance was a compelling and sadly short life that was comparable to some of the very best biopics ever produced.

Kingsley Ben-Adir & Lashana Lynch captivated audiences in the grounded biopic Bob Marley: One Love and their performances can be compared to other acclaimed portrayals of famous figures such as Joaquin Phoenix in Walk the Line or Jamie Foxx in Ray. The life of Marley was one characterized by the pursuit of social change, which was also seen in other biopics like I’m Not There which made unique narrative decisions to portray the complex and layered persona of Bob Dylan. There’s plenty of great biopics for audiences to enjoy after they see Bob Marley: One Love.

10 Sid And Nancy (1986)

Sid Vicious and Bob Marley both became icons of rebellion

Gary Oldman delivered one of his best performances in his early role of Sid Vicious in the biopic of the Sex Pistols bassist, Sid and Nancy. Much like Bob Marley, as seen in Bob Marley: One Love, Vicious found himself at the center of 1970s countercultural and became an icon for rebellion and individuality. However, while Vicious’ troubled life and reputation were based on the nihilism of punk rock, Marley’s purpose was rooted in the power that music had to change the world, take a stand, and highlight the world’s ills.

9 Miles Ahead (2015)

Miles Davis and Bob Marley were defining figure of jazz and reggae respectively

Miles Ahead was the directional debut of Don Cheadle, who also starred as the jazz musician Miles Davis, in a non-linear biopic that tracked the acclaimed and troubled career of the legendary trumpet player. Both Miles Davis, as seen in Miles Ahead, and Bob Marley, in Bob Marley: One Love, were trailblazers in their respective genres with complex and politically charged life stories. Miles Ahead was a passion project for Cheadle, who also co-wrote the screenplay, and Miles Ahead stood as a criminally underrated forgotten biopic.

8 Ray (2004)

Ray Charles and Bob Marley overcame adversity to become cultural icons

Much in the way that Bob Marley was the first person that came to people’s mind when they thought of reggae music, Ray Charles held this honor when it came to soul. In the same way that actor Kingsley Ben-Adir channeled the legacy of Marley in Bob Marley: One Love, Jamie Foxx portrayed Charles with compelling accuracy in the biopic Ray. An insightful and powerful portrait of an extraordinary life, Ray was worth seeing for its incredible music alone but became essential when considering its narrative of overcoming adversity in the face of countless obstacles.

7 Walk The Line (2005)

Johnny Cash and Bob Marley each overcame childhood difficulties and went onto greatness

Much like the reggae sensation Bob Marley in Bob Marley:One Love, the story of singer-songwriter Johnny Cash told in Walk the Line explored an artist who became synonymous with the genre that they worked in, but this time with country music. Directed by James Mangold, Walk the Line explored Cash, who, similar to Marley, was affected by his difficult childhood and used that pain to create some of the most memorable music ever produced. An expertly captured portrait, Walk the Line set the standard for every biopic that came after it.

6 I’m Not There (2007)

Bob Dylan and Bob Marley were both leading figures in the pursuit for social justice

One of the most difficult things to achieve with a biopic was to capture the many complex facets of an artist’s life and this was achieved uniquely for Bob Dylan with I’m Not There. With six different actors portraying different versions of Dylan, I’m Not There explored the singer’s legacy in ways that other biopics could only dream of and felt as inspired and insightful as Dylan’s actual music. Much like Bob Marley, Dylan made a name for himself as a tireless campaigner for social change and his music came to represent the pursuit of social justice.

5 What’s Love Got To Do With It (1993)

Tina Turner and Bob Marley both endured tumultuous lives both from personal and political viewpoints

While the struggles seen in Bob Marley: One Love were often political, the difficult life of singer Tina Turner had more to do with her personal life as shown in What’s Love Got to Do with It. A heartbreaking portrayal of Turner’s marriage to her abusive husband Ike Turner, What’s Love Got to Do with It was a powerful and raw biopic that showcased the often-hidden domestic lives of iconic figures and revealed the difficulties people experience behind the scenes. With an incredible performance by Angela Bassett, What’s Love Got to Do with It highlighted Turner’s untouchable talent.

4 Control (2007)

Ian Curtis and Bob Marley were both influential figures within the genres they were known for

Bob Marley stood as a definitive figure in the world of reggae music, and the same can be said for Ian Curtis of Joy Division for post-punk and new wave. Much like Marley as seen in Bob Marley: One Love, Curtis had a short but influential life as he struggled to overcome his demons as seen in the 2007 biopic Control. A bleak and moving portrait of Curtis, Control did not shy away from the torment of Curtis’ mental anguish and, much like Bob Marley: One Love, was a heart-wrenching portrayal of a man whose life ended far too soon.

3 Straight Outta Compton (2015)

N.W.A and Bob Marley were both catalytic figures in the pursuit of social change

The revolutionary spirit of reggae music explored in Bob Marley: One Love has a lot in common with the countercultural appeal of the hip-hop group N.W.A. and their dramatic rise and fall depicted in Straight Outta Compton. A dramatization of the lives of Eazy-E, Ice Cube, Dr. Dre, MC Ren, and DJ Yella, Straight Outta Compton was a powerful biopic that encapsulated the cultural importance of this iconic rap group. Much like the untimely death of Marley due to cancer seen in One Love, Eazy-E’s life was also cut short due to an AIDS-related illness at the age of 30.

2 Love And Mercy (2014)

Brian Wilson and Bob Marley both struggled with their newfound fame

The dual story of two versions of the Beach Boys singer Brian Wilson was told in the incredible biopic Love and Mercy. Wilson during the 1960s was portrayed by Paul Dano and an older 1980s version was powerfully depicted by John Cusack. An insightful journey through the experiences of a troubled genius, Love and Mercy, much like Bob Marley: One Love, acted as a powerful tribute to the legacy of a mammoth figure in the cultural zeitgeist. While Marley and Wilson differed in many ways, their struggles to find stability and complex relationships with fame made them comparable figures.

1 Get On Up (2014)

James Brown and Bob Marley were both trailblazers for civil rights

Soul legend James Brown’s rise from poverty and capitulation into the stratosphere of popular culture depicted in the biopic Get On Up has a lot in common with the story of Bob Marley showcased in Bob Marley: One Love. As two important cultural figures, both James Brown and Bob Marley helped shape the social and political consciousness of the modern world and produced music that was deeply progressive and timely. The message of power, resistance, and solidarity in the face of oppression seen in Get On Up was repeated through the story of Marley in Bob Marley: One Love.

Bob Marley: One Love

Directed by Reinaldo Marcus Green, Bob Marley: One Love is a biographical music-drama that explores the life of Bob Marley, as portrayed by Kingsley Ben-Adir. The film highlights the ups and downs of Marley’s life and career until his untimely death in 1981.

Release Date

February 14, 2024

Director

Reinaldo Marcus Green

Cast

Kingsley Ben-Adir

Writers

Zach Baylin , Frank E. Flowers , Terence Winter

Studio(s)

Tuff Gong

Distributor(s)

Paramount Pictures