Beyond the Icon: Matt Johnson’s Blueprint for Reinventing the Modern Biopic
The biopic is a genre defined by a paradox: filmmakers are drawn to the lives of those who have "put a dent in the universe," yet the resulting films often feel like inert, hollowed-out monuments. We have all seen them—the formulaic life-story arcs that move from childhood adversity to ultimate triumph, usually punctuated by a montage of familiar historical milestones and a heavy-handed, Oscar-baiting performance. These films frequently fall into narrative traps, prioritizing the acquisition of life rights and the rigid adherence to public record over the messy, unpredictable pulse of genuine human experience.
However, Canadian filmmaker Matt Johnson has emerged as a disruptive force in this space. With his 2023 feature BlackBerry and his latest project, Tony, an intimate look at the formative years of Anthony Bourdain, Johnson is effectively dismantling the "great man" theory of filmmaking. By stripping away the reverence, he is proving that the most compelling stories about icons are those that focus on the common, often ugly, humanity they share with the rest of us.
The Biopic Trap: Why We Stop Caring
For decades, the standard biopic has operated under a restrictive framework. Studios, eager to maintain control over the "official" version of a legacy, often treat these films as promotional assets. The result is a sanitization of character, where the subject is presented as a saint or a singular genius, inherently different from the viewer.
Johnson, however, views this approach as a failure of imagination. "When you’re dealing with anybody larger than life—if it’s Jim Balsillie at BlackBerry or Anthony Bourdain—I love the idea that we actually have more in common with one another than differences," Johnson says. He argues that when films emphasize the "genius" or "otherness" of their subjects, they inadvertently alienate the audience. "They’re trying to highlight the difference, which illustrates how you are not them. My feeling, as I watch that, is: ‘Well, then why am I watching this movie?’"
For Johnson, the purpose of cinema is to help us navigate the complexities of our own lives. If a film insists on creating a wall between the screen and the viewer, it loses the potential for true emotional connection.
A Chronology of Subversion
Johnson’s path to redefining the genre didn’t happen overnight. It began with his early work, such as the 2013 film The Dirties, which explored the psyche behind a school shooting by ending just before the violence occurred. This commitment to "omitting the known parts" has become his hallmark.
In BlackBerry, Johnson tackled the rise and fall of the world’s first smartphone. Rather than a dry corporate history, he delivered a workplace comedy that devolved into a high-stakes, late-capitalist tragedy. The film lacks any reverence for its subjects; they are shown as flawed, panicked, and desperate men, not titans of industry.
His current film, Tony, shifts the focus to the summer a 20-year-old Anthony Bourdain spent working in a Provincetown kitchen. By casting Dominic Sessa as a miserable, young, and unformed version of the future culinary icon, Johnson avoids the temptation to project the later "sainthood" of Bourdain onto the character. The film works as a coming-of-age story because it ignores the destination to focus entirely on the anxiety of the journey.
The Strategy of the "Blank Slate"
A key component of Johnson’s methodology is his insistence on approaching subjects he knows very little about. This might seem counterintuitive, but it serves as a critical defense against the weight of public perception.
"I try to only make movies about things I know nothing about," Johnson explains. In the case of Anthony Bourdain, being from Toronto provided him with a useful geographic and cultural buffer. While he was aware of the global mania surrounding the Parts Unknown host, he wasn’t beholden to the "church of Bourdain"—the fans who demand specific catchphrases or the repetition of well-known anecdotes.
"I had no baggage," Johnson notes. "It’s not like I was trying to do lip service to the details of his life or work in catchphrases like ‘I want to suck the marrow out of the bones of life.’ There are these catechism-style sayings that all the members of the church must know. Because I wasn’t coming from that place, I could do something that was about the common humanity of this guy."
By treating the subject as a "cultural artifact" rather than a sacred text, Johnson is free to investigate why that person mattered in the first place, rather than simply reciting the bullet points of their Wikipedia page.
Supporting Data: The "Less is More" Philosophy
The industry is currently saturated with "biopic fatigue." As audiences become more savvy, the demand for authentic, character-driven storytelling has outpaced the supply of conventional, studio-mandated biopics.
Johnson’s success, particularly with the critical acclaim of BlackBerry, suggests a shift in market appetite. When audiences are presented with a version of a famous figure who is "99-percent the same" as them—someone who is insecure, shy, and scared—the barrier of celebrity disappears. This is the "money on the table" that most biopics leave behind: the recognition that our idols are just as vulnerable as we are.
Data from the independent film sector suggests that audiences are increasingly drawn to films that provide "emotional utility." Whether it’s the chaotic, frantic energy of the boardroom in BlackBerry or the stifling, humid atmosphere of the Provincetown kitchen in Tony, the focus remains on the feeling of the moment rather than the fact of the biography.
Official Responses and Industry Reception
While traditional Hollywood studios remain heavily invested in the "Life Rights" model, there is a growing discourse among independent filmmakers about the limitations this model imposes. Critics and festival programmers have lauded Johnson for his "Succession-like" lack of reverence, noting that his approach is not an act of cynicism, but one of radical empathy.
"I need movies to tell me how I can live my life better," says Johnson. "That’s the game we’re all in here. The game is: ‘Let’s help each other live a better life.’ And that’s why people are addicted to movies, why the medium will never die."
This philosophy stands in stark contrast to the trend of authorized biopics, which often function as a public relations campaign for the estate of the deceased. By sidestepping the "authorized" narrative, Johnson preserves the integrity of his artistic vision.
The Implications for Future Filmmaking
The success of Matt Johnson’s approach holds profound implications for the future of the biopic. If the goal is to make a film that resonates, the industry must pivot away from the "great man" mythos.
- De-mythologizing the Subject: Filmmakers should prioritize the period of a subject’s life where they were most uncertain, not where they were most successful.
- Omitting the Known: If a piece of information is already in the "collective unconscious," a film doesn’t need to re-tread it. The audience already knows the ending; they want to know the why and the how of the internal struggle.
- The "Common Humanity" Metric: Every scene should be evaluated against the question: Does this show how this person is like us, or how they are different? If the answer is the latter, the scene is likely a missed opportunity.
As Tony prepares for its nationwide release on August 21, it serves as a litmus test for whether audiences are ready to embrace a more human-scale depiction of legends. For Johnson, the path forward is clear: keep looking for the people behind the portraits, the fears behind the fame, and the shared, often messy, reality that links us all.
In a cinematic landscape often defined by the polished, the manufactured, and the reverent, Matt Johnson’s work stands as a refreshing, necessary disruption. He is not merely making biopics; he is rewriting the rulebook on how we remember the people who shaped our world, ensuring that they remain figures of substance rather than just figures of history.
To hear Matt Johnson’s full thoughts on his creative process, subscribe to the Filmmaker Toolkit podcast on Apple, Spotify, or your preferred platform. The full interview episode releases on August 20.
