10 Great Music Film Biopics You Have To See

Control (2007) is a British drama about Ian Curtis, singer of the post-punk band Joy Division. The film focuses on Curtis (Sam Riley), his wife Deborah (Samantha Morton), the formation of his band, his failing mental health, his extramarital affair and his struggles with epilepsy, leading to his suicide at only 23 in 1980.

The film is based on Deborah Curtis' memoir Touching From A Distance, which details the pairs' relationship between 1973 and 1980, and how Curtis dealt with the things that went wrong in his life. Control can be bleak and emotional, but also allows Riley to portray the songwriter as a clever and funny young man, offering a reminder that Curtis was a soul lost far too early.

The most remarkable aspect of the film is the fact that it is completely in black-and-white, which allows it to be more evocative and rich than if it were filmed in colour, and also perfectly suits the tone of the story that is playing out. If that's not enough, it also manages to be both a music biopic and a compelling story easy to identify with on an emotional level - much like the music that Curtis left behind.