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Bohemian Rhapsody

Bohemian Rhapsody

Fearless lives forever.

2018134 minPG-13Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films
Director
Bryan Singer
Starring
Rami Malek, Gwilym Lee, Ben Hardy, Joseph Mazzello

Singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bass guitarist John Deacon take the music world by storm when they form the rock 'n' roll band Queen in 1970. Hit songs become instant classics. When Mercury's increasingly wild lifestyle starts to spiral out of control, Queen soon faces its greatest challenge yet – finding a way to keep the band together amid the success and excess.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Bohemian Rhapsody?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Bohemian Rhapsody streaming on Disney+ and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

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Highlights

What stands out about Bohemian Rhapsody?

Bohemian Rhapsody earns 13 badges, led by Oscar Winner and Top 5% of films.

Show 5 more
  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office
  • Cast

Reception

Is Bohemian Rhapsody worth watching?

Bohemian Rhapsody's Midcredits score is the 95th percentile of all films, from 2.7M ratings across 6 sources. 87% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

95th percentile

Better received than 95% of films

93rd percentile among Biography96th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)91st
Approval (how many liked it)96th

75 /100

91st percentile of all films

90th percentile among Biography90th percentile among 2010s

Critics 49 · Audience 77

Audiences liked it more than critics did.

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

87% liked it

96th percentile of all films

94th percentile among Biography97th percentile among 2010s
87% rated it 7–1013% rated it 1–6

Critics 60% · Audience 85%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of audiences approved than critics.

Awards

4 Oscars won · 1 Oscar noms · 33 wins / 65 noms overall

  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Film Editing
  • WonAcademy Awards· Best Achievement in Sound Editing

99th percentile

2.7M ratings across platforms

99th percentile among Biography99th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 28% in 30 days

Box office

Budget$52M
Opening weekend$51M
Domestic gross$217M
Worldwide gross$911M

Returned 17.5× its budget — 99th percentile earner in its genre.

What reviewers say

Common ground

Both camps agree the film is a crowd-pleasing, entertaining spectacle anchored by Malek's magnetic performance and the enduring power of Queen's music, but detractors find the storytelling shallow and historically compromised.

Fans praised

  • Rami Malek's transformative, Oscar-worthy performance as Freddie Mercury
  • Live Aid recreation as one of the greatest concert scenes ever put on film
  • Emotional rollercoaster that made audiences laugh, cry, and sing along

Detractors panned

  • Heavy fictionalization and factual distortion of Mercury's life and band history
  • Rushed, disjointed pacing with gimmicky editing and underdeveloped supporting cast
  • Fails to capture Mercury's inner person, reducing him to a showman stereotype

What stands out

Acting85

Malek's uncanny embodiment of Mercury; supporting cast convincing but underused

Sound and music85

Queen's soundtrack and needle drops are infectious and crowd-pleasing

Ending80

Live Aid climax delivers cathartic, uplifting satisfaction

Emotional impactDivisive75

Deeply moving for Queen fans; critics find it surface-level

Atmosphere70

Energetic, theatrical tone that captures the band's live appeal

CharactersDivisive55

Mercury's inner turmoil explored but bandmates reduced to ciphers; whitewashed

Plot and storyDivisive50

Formulaic biopic structure with invented events and distorted chronology

Pacing45

Frantic, rushed transitions and gimmicky editing in places

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 3 points apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 5 points apart
  • Critics vs users even
  • US vs non-US 2 points apart

Watch experience

What is Bohemian Rhapsody like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Fun ride: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want a fun ride.

It is intense, has a few laughs and leaves you fired up.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Nothing out of the ordinary.

What it feels like

Fun ride.

The answer rests on this: Moods
TriumphantMelancholicJoyful
Heaviest: late
Warm humor
Register
WarmSentimental · 8% of films
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneThe film balances reverence for its subject with dramatic compressions, playing the emotional beats with sincerity.
The rideThe film shifts from exuberant performance highs to quieter dramatic moments, with the Live Aid finale providing a cathartic peak.
StructureThe story follows a straightforward chronological rise-fall-redemption arc.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Fired up.

The answer rests on this: Rousing · 10% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's joyous concert finale leaves viewers uplifted, but the knowledge of Freddie's fate adds a melancholic undertone.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Rags
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3% (this title): Underdog triumph 2% (this title) · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Rags to riches: A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition. · Underdog triumph: Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).

3% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeFreddie Mercury's journey from an unknown baggage handler to a global rock star, overcoming personal demons along the way.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfIdentitySelf
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27%: Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22% (this title): Identity 14% (this title) · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% (this title) · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Self

Identity · 14% of filmsFame · 3% of filmsFamily bonds
Celebrates its theme: Affirms its theme — this is good and worth having.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeFreddie Mercury's journey to stardom is intertwined with his search for self-acceptance and the tension between his public persona and private self.
StanceThe film celebrates Freddie's life and Queen's music, framing his journey as one of self-discovery and triumph despite personal cost.

The world

Late 20th centuryUrbanIn transitStylized realism
Orchestral classicalRockForeground music · hybrid
SettingLondon and global rock music scene, 1970s–1985
MusicFeatures Queen's original recordings alongside a new orchestral score by Justin Hurwitz.

Content guide

Is Bohemian Rhapsody okay for kids?

PG-13

Bohemian Rhapsody is rated PG-13: “Rated PG-13 for thematic elements, suggestive material, drug content and language” (MPAA). As of September 28, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at minimal (7/100), sexual content at moderate (45/100), language at moderate (43/100), drug and alcohol content at intense (62/100) and frightening material at mild (28/100). Overall it is heavier than 54% of PG-13-rated films.

Ratings in 33 other countries
  • UK12A
  • AustraliaM
  • Germany6
  • France12
  • Ireland12A
  • JapanG
  • South Korea12
  • Brazil14
  • Belgium16
  • CL14
  • Czechia15+
  • Denmark7
  • FinlandK-16
  • GreeceK15
  • Hong KongIIA
  • Hungary12
  • ID17+
  • IndiaUA
  • Israelהותר לכל
  • ItalyT
  • LTN-13
  • Netherlands12
  • Norway9
  • Poland16
  • PortugalM/12
  • RO15
  • Russia18+
  • SingaporeM18
  • SK12
  • Spain12
  • SwedenBtl
  • Switzerland8
  • VNC13
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 34% of all filmsHeavier than 54% of PG-13-rated films
Violence & Gore
None / Minimal
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 7%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 83%
Profanity
Moderate
typical for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 53%
Alcohol & Drugs
Intense
heavy for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 97%
Frightening / Intense
Mild
light for a PG-13-rated film
heavier than 25%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is drug and alcohol content.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Bohemian Rhapsody have?

MovieCove's classifier found 2 depicted content warnings in Bohemian Rhapsody: Terminal illness (moderate), Sexual harassment or grooming (mild). Each is backed by a verbatim quote from the parents' guide notes; a missing warning is not a guarantee of absence.

ModerateTerminal illness
MildSexual harassment or grooming

Cast and crew

Who is in Bohemian Rhapsody?

Cast

1 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor; Rami Malek won the Oscar for this film.

Rami Malek
as Freddie Mercury
Oscar win: Academy Award — Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading RoleTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Gwilym Lee
as Brian May
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Ben Hardy
as Roger Taylor
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Joseph Mazzello
as John Deacon
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Lucy Boynton
as Mary Austin
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Aidan Gillen
as John Reid
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion PictureTop draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Allen Leech
as Paul Prenter
SAG nominee: Screen Actors Guild Award nomination — Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture
Tom Hollander
as Jim Beach
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Mike Myers
as Ray Foster
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Aaron McCusker
as Jim Hutton

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Bohemian Rhapsody?

Movies like Bohemian Rhapsody include Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022), Jersey Boys (2014) and Rocketman (2019). Of the 12 closest matches, most are stories about singers, and most are underdog stories.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

11 of these 12 share its story type: biopic. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Bohemian Rhapsody?

1.8K other films share the rarest tag below, relationship: friends to lovers. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.