There are few things as flattering as having your personal story made into a movie. And even though biopics have been conquering audiences and earning themselves a bigger spot in the industry for some time now, they have been around for decades and have managed to fit into all sorts of genres. In recent years, biopics rose to be wildly popular, and many of them even got rave reviews, like The Theory of Everything and Bohemian Rhapsody, to name just a few. Biopics are still taking over movie theaters, introducing audiences to the lives of artists, legendary actors of the past, sports figures, and even successful musicians, among many others. As a matter of fact, this past June marked the release of Elvis, the movie inspired by the eponymous rock and roll idol, featuring Austin Butler and Tom Hanks, which has earned glowing reviews and, per Variety, Oscar buzz for Butler.

Yet, it should not be forgotten that such biopics, as much as they try to capture the essence of the person that inspired them, are just movies recounted from their filmmakers’ perspective, and many times, they are not as accurate as they should be. Whether it’s due to time constraints, or the cast’s performance, over the course of history, many biopics have failed to deliver, or, worse, they were harshly criticized by the real-life people that inspired them. Check out some of these biopics in this article.

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8 Winnie Mandela

     Ironwood Films

The 2011 film Winnie Mandela recounts the life of the eponymous South African leader, activist, and politician, starring Jennifer Hudson as the lead role and Terrence Howard as Nelson Mandela. This production met with poor reviews from critics, audiences, and even from Winnie Mandela herself. This was largely due to the fact that Mandela’s second wife was not invited to take part in the project, nor was she even consulted about her story. While Mandela did not criticize Hudson’s performance, she strongly disapproved the film, since she felt it was disrespectful to not be approached, and most of all, she was insulted by the way her struggles and her story with Nelson were romanticized.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

7 Catch Me If You Can

     DreamWorks Pictures

Catch Me If You Can is one of Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster films, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Tom Hanks. This 2002 production is inspired by the life and cons of Frank Abagnale as a young man. Abagnale’s attitude towards the film has changed over time. Initially, he seemed flattered with the production, and he was even happy about some of the changes they made. However, as years went by, his opinion changed, stating publicly that he regretted the things he had done in his youth and hated to see them immortalized on film.

6 What’s Love Got to Do With It

     Touchstone Pictures

Brian Gibson’s film What’s Love Got to Do With It was based on Tina Turner’s 1986 autobiography, but that was not enough to obtain the singer and her family’s blessing. Starring Angela Bassett and Laurence Fishburne as Tina and Ike Turner, the movie chronicles the life story of this music icon and her troubled marriage. Although the film was a huge hit, it was heavily criticized by one of the people that inspired it. Both Ike and his daughter Mia strongly criticized the way he was portrayed, particularly a scene in which his character sexually assaulted Tina, something that both of them and the singer stated that never happened.

5 Nina

     Ealing Studios

The 2016 biopic Nina is among Zoe Saldana’s worst reviewed films. Scoring only 2% on Rotten Tomatoes, this production focuses on the life of musician and civil rights activist Nina Simone, delving into some dark aspects of her life. In order to undertake the role, Saldana was required to use a prosthetic nose and makeup to darken her skin, something that disappointed Simone’s family. They were also critical of the plot and the misrepresentation of the artist in the movie. While Simone’s daughter Lisa attempted to stand up for the actress, claiming that she was not responsible for the lies depicted in the film, Saldana eventually admitted that she regrets accepting the part.

4 The Blind Side

     Alcon Entertainment

The Blind Side earned many accolades, among them an Academy Award for its leading actress Sandra Bullock. This production was inspired by the life of sportsman Michael Oher, from his origins to his adoption by Sean and Leigh Anne Tuohy and his career in sports. Even though the movie was a hit, Oher criticized his portrayal, claiming that he was shown as a fool who didn’t know anything about sports when in fact he did. In 2011, the athlete published a book called I Beat the Odds: From Homelessness to the Blind Side in which he unfolded more of his personal story.

3 Black Mass

     Cross Creek Pictures

Johnny Depp starred in the 2015 film Black Mass as the organized crime boss James “Whitey” Bulger. He is joined by an all-star cast, and among them, Jesse Plemons playing Kevin Weeks, Bulger’s friend and associate. Yet, none of the people who inspired the biopic gave Scott Cooper’s film favorable reviews. In a statement conveyed by his attorney, Bulger expressed that he was not happy about being blamed for all the crimes he was involved in, although he had not seen the movie. Meanwhile, Weeks held a similar opinion, but he also criticized the way Plemons portrayed him, and said that the film was totally fictionalized.

2 The Social Network

     Columbia Pictures

The Social Network is a film by David Fincher that recounts Facebook’s origin and the subsequent lawsuits. In it, Jesse Eisenberg plays Mark Zuckerberg, and for this role he earned a number of nominations and awards. This 2010 production was highly acclaimed and well-received by the audience, but not by Zuckerberg. On several occasions, this media magnate expressed his disagreement regarding his representation in the film, saying that he had not created Facebook to get girls or get into clubs, as it is portrayed in the production. Despite criticizing the film’s accuracy, Zuckerberg stated that the only thing he felt was right were the character’s outfits.

1 Patch Adams

     Universal Pictures

The 1998 film Patch Adams is one of Robin Williams’ most memorable films, and despite its poor reviews, it became a box office hit. Directed by Tom Shadyac, the film is based on the life of Dr. Hunter “Patch” Adams, the world’s first clown doctor and a social activist who devoted his life to reshaping the American health care system. Sadly, the film was not appreciated by Adams, who found it superficial and oversimplified for the sole purpose of achieving commercial success. Patch also expressed his disappointment at being portrayed merely as a funny doctor, ignoring all of his work as an activist.