Every couple of months, film Twitter and TikTok restart the same tired conversations around biopics. People ask: Why are there so many of them? Why can't we have original, creative stories? And to that, I expose my biggest toxic film trait — I love biopics.
A good biopic can be invigorating and leave you feeling a little more connected to the world. Unfortunately, a bad one can leave you feeling slimy as credits roll in the theater. There are some key things every good biographical film needs to have — ethics and intent.
Automatically, I'm inclined to trust a biopic more when the people it depicts have a say in the creative process. This is similar to the way an authorized biography is treated with more trust than an unauthorized one that relies on third-party research.
A recent biopic that seemed very involved with its star subject is "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere." The film chronicles a specific time in Bruce Springsteen's life as he wrote and recorded the 1982 album "Nebraska." The movie isn't perfect, but it features great performances and I enjoyed its introspective take on the rock legend.
While Springsteen was heavily involved with its production, it still, like most biopics, isn't 100% accurate. Springsteen's main love interest in the film is a fictionalized character, but at the end of the day, the movie still garners a bit more respect from me for including and recognizing the person it depicts.
A recent biographical story that did the complete opposite of "Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere" is the divisive and extremely popular "Love Story," the 2026 TV show that depicts the highly publicized relationship between John F. Kennedy, Jr. and Carolyn Bessette.
Like many others, I indulged and watched a few episodes, but the entire time I felt a little eerie. Kennedy, Jr. and Bessette are no longer here, and they cannot comment on or interject into the narrative this show is conjuring. People portrayed in the show have also come out against it.
Daryl Hannah, who once dated Kennedy, Jr. and is depicted in the show, wrote a scathing op-ed for The New York Times, defending herself against the show's portrayal. Jack Schlossberg, the nephew of Kennedy, Jr. and the son of Caroline Kennedy, has also strongly criticized the show, calling it "a capital F for fiction."
To give the show a little credit, there is a notice at the beginning of every episode that acknowledges it is based on the lives of real people but is highly fictionalized. But again, there are multiple nuances that contribute to how the show's portrayal can be received as insensitive by the families of those involved, and ultimately by viewers as well.
One such instance is the show's decision to depict the couple's final moments before their unexpected death during a plane crash, a moment in time no one can attest to.
It's important to have these conversations and recognize how biographical films can damage or reinvent the lives of those involved.
READ MORE: Opinion: We need to read more fiction
For the past six years, at least one film based on a true story has been nominated for Best Picture. So it's pretty clear people are watching biopics, and they aren't going away anytime soon. This month, we are going to see the highly anticipated "Michael," a biopic about Michael Jackson.
When you are depicting someone's life, you move with humanity first; it doesn't matter who it is about. Because the whole reason anyone wants to explore it, depict it or watch it on the silver screen is the lived experience of whoever's portrayed.
We can never know anyone's real truth, especially when it's neatly packaged in the form of a two-hour film or a limited series, but it's important to move with good intent as audience members and storytellers, recognizing that your entertainment is someone's memories. And if you find a story at all moving, do yourself a favor and research it; there's always more to learn.
Editor's note: The opinions presented in this letter are the author's and do not imply any endorsement from The State Press or its editors.
Edited by Jack McCarthy, Senna James and Pippa Fung.
Reach the reporter at jagon128@asu.edu.
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Jazlyn Gonzales is a senior studying Journalism and Mass Communication. This is her fourth semester with The State Press. She has also interned at KJZZ and worked for Blaze Radio
