Top 20 Autobiographical Films

Filmmakers can find the basis for their films in just about anything. Books, other movies, real life events, or sometimes a purely original idea. And sometimes they find the basis within themself. Wow. Introspective. On this list we’re going to look at 20 films that are either autobiographical or at least semi autobiographical. For context, I’m not looking at movies based on autobiographies, rather movies that are autobiographies themselves, with one of the filmmakers serving as the subject of the film.

Superbad - Written by the legendary duo of Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, this film follows best friends Seth (Jonah Hill) & Evan (Michael Cera) as they prepare to graduate high school and plan to expand their sexual exploits before that happens. The script was written by Rogen & Goldberg while they were in high school themselves, loosely based on their real experiences. Now considered one of the best comedies of all-time, Rogen was originally planned to play Seth, but due to age Jonah Hill stepped in and Rogen played one of the police officers who hangs out with McLovin for the majority of the film.

The Fabelmans - This 2022 film that received 7 Oscar nominations centers on a young aspiring filmmaker (Gabriel LaBelle) from a Jewish family who struggles when his family makes two cross country moves during his youth. Written, directed, and produced by Steven Spielberg, the film is partially based on Spielberg’s childhood and is the director’s ‘most personal film,’ at least according to the man himself.

Aftersun - The directorial debut of Charlotte Wells, this semi autobiographical film focuses on a girl who has a strained relationship with her young father and the two taking a trip for the latter’s birthday. Frankie Corio stars as Sophia, partially based on Wells, while Paul Mescal plays her father in an Oscar-nominated performance.

Born on the Fourth of July - The first of Tom Cruise’s Oscar nomination came from this 1989 film where he plays Ron Kovic, a man paralyzed during the Vietnam War who becomes a major anti-war advocate. The film was co-written by Oliver Stone and Kovic himself, with the two earning an Oscar nomination for their writing, with the film earning a total of 8 nominations. Interestingly enough, the 1978 film ‘Coming Home’ was partially based on Kovic as well, with his real life friendship with Jane Fonda bringing about the original concept for the film. 

Platoon - Most of these I knew were autobiographical in some capacity, but this one was news to me.  Before making ‘Born on the Fourth of July,’ Oliver Stone made this film which follows a US Army volunteer (Charlie Sheen) serving in Vietnam. The experiences were based on Stone’s experiences in the war and won Stone the Oscars for Best Picture & Director.

Sing Sing - This 2023 prison drama is incredibly emotional and featured two of the best performances of the year from Colman Domingo and Clarence Maclin. The film was written by Greg Kwedar & Clint Bentley, with the two teaming up with Maclin & John Whitfield for the story. Domingo plays Whitfield, while Maclin plays himself in the film about a group of incarcerated men creating a theatrical stage production. The supporting cast of the film features many other former inmates as themselves and Whitfield & Maclin were a part of the ticket nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.

Adaptation - This film is described as a metafiction, meaning that it has self awareness about it’s fictional nature, often reminding the audience of this. The credited writers of the film are Charlie & Donald Kaufman, with Nicolas Cage playing both Kaufman brothers in the film. The fictitious part comes from the fact that Donald isn’t a real person, even though he is a credited writer on the film. While trying to write a script based on the book, ‘The Orchid Thief,’ Charlie Kaufman encountered writer’s block and instead wrote a film about him struggling to write a script for ‘The Orchid Thief.’ Confused? Me too.

Persepolis - This 2007 animated film, written and directed by Marjane Satrapi & Vincent Paronnaud, is based on a series of graphic novels, written by Satrapi. The basis for both the graphic novels and the film are found in Satrapi’s real life experience as a young woman during the Iranian Revolution. The film was nominated for Best Animated Feature at the Oscars, making Satrapi the first woman nominated in that category.

This is England - A British coming of age drama, this 2006 film is based on a group of skinheads in 1980s England, showing how they came to believe what they believe. The film centers on a young man named Shaun Fields, while the film was written & directed by Shane Meadows. Get it. Shaun Fields. Shane Meadows. That’s pretty good.

Almost Famous - Another that is not fully autobiographical, but rather semi autobiographical, the roots of this film come from Cameron Crowe’s time working as a teenage writer for Rolling Stone. The lead is William Miller (Patrick Fugit) a young man who goes on the road as a writer covering a rock band in the ‘70s. The film garnered four Oscar nominations, with Crowe winning for Best Original Screenplay.

Belfast - Similar to ‘The Fabelmans,’ this film was said to be the most personal from writer, director, and producer Kenneth Branagh. It follows a young boy in ‘70s Northern Ireland, based on Branagh himself. Branagh won an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, earning 6 other nominations. It shows how Buddy (Jude Hill) is affected by The Troubles, a conflict in Northern Ireland.

Dìdi - One of the hidden gem films of 2024, this film was written, directed, and produced by Sean Wang, in his directorial debut. The film is about a young man, Chris Wang (Izaac Wang), who is a Taiwanese-American middle schooler during the early days of YouTube and social media. It shows how Chris struggles with racial stereotypes and identity, while also balancing the struggles of being a young teenage boy. 

Fanny and Alexander - A 1982 Swedish period drama, ‘Fanny and Alexander’ is based in the early 20th century. The character of Alexander is based on writer/director Ingmar Bergman and Bergman originally intended for it to be his final film. There was a 188-minute cinematic release, as well as a 312-minute cut released as a TV miniseries. The film is the highest rated film of the 1980s on Rotten Tomatoes, is considered by many the best Swedish film of all-time, and was nominated for 4 Oscars, winning Best Foreign Language Film.

The King of Staten Island - This 2020 dramedy centers on a 20-something year old who decides to get his life together when his mom starts dating a new man, who is a firefighter like his deceased father. Pete Davidson stars in the Judd Apatow directed film, with the two teaming up with David Sirius to write the script. It’s considered semi autobiographical for Davidson, a real Staten Island native whose father died in service as a firefighter during 9/11.

Minari - A six-time Oscar nominee released in 2020, this film is set in 1980s Arkansas and follows a family of South Korean immigrants who move with the hopes of growing Korean produce. Written & directed (gosh I’ve typed that a lot in this article) by Lee Isaac Chung, who himself was mostly raised on an Arkansan farm, born to Korean immigrants.

Past Lives - The directorial debut of Celine Song, who also penned the script, the plot is based on some real events from Song’s life. It follows two childhood friends who reconnect after two decades and how they navigate their relationship after years of growing apart. It earned nominations for both Best Picture & Original Screenplay. My favorite fun fact is that Song’s follow up film is also a love triangle movie, ‘Materialists,’ and her husband wrote another love triangle movie, ‘Challengers.’ Do with that what you will. 

Roma - A take on legendary filmmaker Alfonso Cuarón’s childhood in Mexico City, this Mexican film won Best Director, Best Cinematography, and Best Foreign Language Film at the 91st Academy Awards, receiving a total of ten nominations. And if you’re tired of me saying a movie was written, produced, and directed by someone, then let me say that Cuarón did all that plus serving as the cinematographer and co-editor.

Warfare - A 2025 release that was snubbed at the Oscars (for Best Sound), this film was co-directed & co-written by Alex Garland & Ray Mendoza. Garland is a seasoned filmmaker, while Mendoza made his debut with this film, based on his real experiences during the Iraq War. The script is drawn from the recollection of several of the platoon members and is meant to play in real time. It features an ensemble cast, with D’Pharaoh Woon-A-Tai as Mendoza.

8 Mile - This is the only film on the list where the subject didn’t write or direct the film, but since Eminem plays the lead role and it is partially based on his real background, I felt it was apt to include it. The name comes from the real road near where Eminem grew up and his character, B-Rabbit, is very similar to the real life rapper.

Snack Shack - And finally, one of my most beloved films, the 2024 release ‘Snack Shack.’ Focused on two teenage boys who want to make some money in their small Nebraska town, the film was written & directed by Adam Carter Rehmeier who loosely based the film on his own childhood experiences in Nebraska City. 

If you read this whole thing, I’d love to know, so shoot me a message of what the title of YOUR autobiographical would be!