{"id":325131,"date":"2026-04-27T05:48:05","date_gmt":"2026-04-27T00:18:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/?p=325131"},"modified":"2026-04-27T05:48:06","modified_gmt":"2026-04-27T00:18:06","slug":"back-to-black-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/2026\/04\/27\/back-to-black-and-more\/","title":{"rendered":"Back to Black and More"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The reviews are in for the <strong>Michael Jackson<\/strong> biopic,\u00a0<em>Michael\u00a0<\/em>\u2014 and it\u2019s total carnage on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.rottentomatoes.com\/m\/michael\">Rotten Tomatoes<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>With over 100 reviews, the movie has a disappointing 38 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating, with critics negatively comparing the biopic to a \u201cbiggest hits\u201d album.<\/p>\n<p>Despite music biopic genre tropes being torn to shreds by <em>Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story,<\/em> Hollywood can\u2019t get enough of music biopics, especially once they make as much money as <em>Michael<\/em> is projected to make.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why the Watch With Us team has compiled an inventory of the 4 worst music biopics ever made. From Queen to Amy Winehouse, these movies did a cruel disservice to the musicians they were speculated to have fun.<\/p>\n<div class=\"link-related article link-related__with-thumb\">\n<figure class=\"article__figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<h3 class=\"article__title\">\n<p>    <span class=\"related-badge\">Related: <\/span><span class=\"related-title\">The Best Music Biopics of All Time: From \u2018Selena\u2019 to \u2018Elvis\u2019<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tFrom Jeremy Allen White\u2019s upcoming Bruce Springsteen film, to Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet showing off his Bob Dylan-like vocals in A Complete Unknown, music biopics appear to be all over the place. Yet, these flicks aren\u2019t a brand new phenomenon. Movies centered across the lives of music icons have been charming audiences for a long time, from 1980\u2019s Coal Miner\u2019s Daughter, concerning the [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2>4. \u2018Bohemian Rhapsody\u2019 (2018)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Bohemian Rhapsody | Official Trailer [HD] | 20th Century FOX\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mP0VHJYFOAU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Don\u2019t let those Oscar nominations idiot you \u2014\u00a0<em>Bohemian Rhapsody<\/em> has gone more the way in which of <em>Crash<\/em> than\u00a0<em>Moonlight<\/em> in relation to post-Oscars cultural cache. Still, on the time, many were confused, particularly by <em>Bohemian Rhapsody\u2019s<\/em> Best Picture nomination, for a movie that generally divided critics by way of quality. Starring <strong>Rami Malek<\/strong> as <strong>Freddie Mercury<\/strong>,\u00a0<em>Bohemian Rhapsody<\/em> charts the formation of the pop-rock band Queen up through their legendary Live Aid performance, specializing in Mercury\u2019s life and the way in which he bucked conventions to develop into a bona fide rock star.<\/p>\n<p>Ultimately,\u00a0<em>Bohemian Rhapsody<\/em> is as much a biggest hits movie as\u00a0<em>Michael,<\/em> a superficial and sanitized have a look at a posh and engaging person corresponding to Mercury, with a script that doesn\u2019t give his life and profession what it deserves. Though the movie clinched Malek an Academy Award for Best Actor, and his performance is superb, it\u2019s still way more of an impression of Mercury than an embodiment of him. The formulaic rise-and-fall story, significant inaccuracies and shallow depiction of Mercury\u2019s sexuality are only a number of of the film\u2019s biggest sins.<\/p>\n<h2>3. \u2018Back to Black\u2019 (2024)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"BACK TO BLACK - Official Trailer [HD] - Only In Theaters May 17\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/rYzIOBwyhIU?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>15 years after directing a music biopic a few controversial musician who died tragically too young, director <strong>Sam Taylor-Johnson<\/strong> returns to this particular genre with <em>Back to Black,<\/em> concerning the life and death of pop singer <strong>Amy Winehouse<\/strong>.\u00a0<em>Back to Black<\/em> already needed to contend with the wonderful 2015 documentary <em>Amy, which<\/em> provides a nuanced and comprehensive have a look at Winehouse as a lady, an addict, a victim of exploitation and an immensely talented singer taken from the world far too soon. And Taylor-Johnson\u2019s movie was dinged before it even hit theaters as a consequence of the casting of <em>Industry <\/em>actress <strong>Marisa Abela<\/strong>, who was given a prosthetic nose to play Winehouse.<\/p>\n<p>The movie is widely considered to be unworthy of the star at the middle of its story, covering Winehouse\u2019s personal demons with skin-deep nuance and featuring nearly every music biopic clich\u00e9 within the book. Despite admittedly strong performances from Abela and <strong>Jack O\u2019Connell<\/strong>, <em>Back to Black<\/em> skirts a critical eye towards anyone who isn\u2019t the paparazzi, despite Winehouse\u2019s father and boyfriend each playing a vital hand in her downfall. Plus, the sensationalist nature of the movie\u2019s final scene will likely leave a nasty taste in your mouth. <em>Back to Black\u00a0<\/em>is nothing greater than vague and misguided.<\/p>\n<h2>2. \u2018Stardust\u2019 (2020)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Stardust \u2013 Official Trailer I HD I IFC Films\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/U82heDabn5k?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>Imagine, for those who will, a biographical film about <strong>David Bowie <\/strong>(played by <strong>Johnny Flynn<\/strong>) but with none of Bowie\u2019s iconic music. No \u201cMoonage Daydream,\u201d no \u201cStarman\u201d and no \u201cLife on Mars.\u201d Without the music that defined Bowie as a legendary figure on the planet of rock, how do you even go about tackling his life story? Well, 2020\u2019s <em>Stardust<\/em> definitely gave it a shot and failed miserably. <em>Stardust<\/em> was famously unable to afford the licenses needed to acquire access to Bowie\u2019s music catalogue, and thus, director <strong>Gabriel Range<\/strong>\u2018s film attempts to capture the nascent rocker with none of the work that made him a star.<\/p>\n<p>Despite the fact that\u00a0<em>Stardust<\/em> attempts to capture Bowie\u2019s earlier life, it still depicts him happening tour for his third album,\u00a0<em>The Man Who Sold the World,<\/em> so at this point, Bowie had already written tracks like \u201cSpace Oddity.\u201d But even apart from the film\u2019s attempt at working around its inability to feature any of its subjects\u2019 famous songs, <em>Stardust<\/em> is incredibly bland, inauthentic and doesn\u2019t nearly do Bowie any justice. The by-the-numbers movie is ultimately a real letdown by blandly depicting an artist who was so singular and unique.<\/p>\n<div id=\"news-block\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form  \">\n\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/themes\/us-weekly\/assets\/img\/newsletter-bg-narrow.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"newsletter-form__background background-narrow\" loading=\"lazy\"><br \/>\n\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/themes\/us-weekly\/assets\/img\/newsletter-bg-wide.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"newsletter-form__background background-wide\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"newsletter-signup__success\" aria-live=\"polite\">\n<h3>Thank You!<\/h3>\n<p>You might have successfully subscribed.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<h2>1. \u2018Nina\u2019 (2016)<\/h2>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Nina Official Trailer #1 (2016) -  Zoe Saldana, David Oyelowo Movie HD\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/W3EWygLE_No?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p><strong>Zoe Salda\u00f1a<\/strong> would likely prefer\u00a0<em>Nina<\/em> and its incredible 2 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating to be lost to the annals of history, if not only for the poor quality of a movie a few music titan but in addition for the controversy it generated from casting the admittedly talented Saldana within the role of <strong>Nina Simone<\/strong>. Salda\u00f1a, a lady of Dominican and Puerto Rican descent, was forged to play Simone, a Black woman, and what resulted was an exceedingly eyebrow-raising use of nose prosthetics and makeup to make Salda\u00f1a\u2019s skin closer to the colour of her subject. Salda\u00f1a eventually <a href=\"https:\/\/www.thewrap.com\/zoe-saldana-regrets-playing-nina-simone-in-biopic-she-deserved-better\/\">expressed public regret<\/a> for taking the role.<\/p>\n<div class=\"link-related article link-related__with-thumb\">\n<figure class=\"article__figure\">\n<div style=\"padding-bottom:56.25%;\" class=\"ratio-based-placeholder\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.usmagazine.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Stars-Playing-Real-People-Evan-Rachel-Wood-as-Madonna-Feature.jpg?crop=0px%2C21px%2C1420px%2C803px&#038;resize=400%2C225&#038;quality=86&#038;strip=all\" srcset=\"\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 480px) 400px, (max-width: 770px) calc(100vw - 6em), 200px\" alt=\"Stars Playing Real People Evan Rachel Wood as Madonna Feature\" width=\"400\" height=\"225\" data-fallback-img=\"\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/07\/Stars-Playing-Real-People-Evan-Rachel-Wood-as-Madonna-Feature.jpg?quality=86&#038;strip=all\"><\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<div class=\"article__content\">\n<h3 class=\"article__title\">\n<p>    <span class=\"related-badge\">Related: <\/span><span class=\"related-title\">Actors Who Portrayed Real People in Movies and TV Shows<\/span><br \/>\n\t\t<\/h3>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p>\n\t\t\tArt imitating life. Leonardo DiCaprio, Meryl Streep, Sarah Paulson and more stars made their marks playing real people in movies and TV shows. Many won awards for his or her onscreen depictions of each beloved and controversial figures throughout history. The American Horror Story actress earned an Emmy for her portrayal of famous prosecutor Marcia Clark in [\u2026]\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>But beyond this major casting snafu, the movie just isn\u2019t any good in any respect. Dull direction, editing and writing flatten the depiction of the chaotic period of Simone\u2019s profession that the movie attempts to cover, and you may\u2019t help but watch <em>Nina<\/em> and get the sensation that the people behind it didn\u2019t even understand their subject. Fans of Simone\u2019s work \u2014 or those wanting to learn more about her \u2014 could be higher off watching a documentary or simply reading a biography about her life. You&#8217;ll likely come away from <em>Nina<\/em> knowing even less about her.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The reviews are in for the Michael Jackson biopic,\u00a0Michael\u00a0\u2014 and it\u2019s total carnage on Rotten Tomatoes. With over 100 reviews, the movie has a disappointing 38 percent Rotten Tomatoes rating, with critics negatively comparing the biopic to a \u201cbiggest hits\u201d album. Despite music biopic genre tropes being torn to shreds by Walk Hard: The Dewey [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":325132,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[337],"tags":[1305],"class_list":["post-325131","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-black"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325131","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=325131"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325131\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":325134,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/325131\/revisions\/325134"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/325132"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=325131"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=325131"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ebiztoday.news\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=325131"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}