Bohemian Rhapsody, the “extraordinary and mind-blowing” 1970s-set drama starring Rami Malek as British icon Freddie Mercury is on TV tonight. Telling the true story of the rock band Queen, the film follows Mercury and the band as they rise to fame.
Starring Lucy Boynton, Gwilym Lee and Ben Hardy opposite Malek, the Oscar-winning biopic offers an in-depth look at lead singer Freddie’s life from the band’s meteoric rise to Mercury’s solo career.
The synopsis reads: “Freddie Mercury and Queen go from playing small venues to becoming one of the biggest rock bands in the world. While Freddie comes to terms with his sexuality, outside forces threaten to tear the group apart, until their defining moment at Live Aid in July 1985.”
What to Read Next
Directed by Bryan Singer and released in 2018, the film also stars Joseph Mazzello, Aidan Gillen, Mike Myers and Tom Hollander.
Bohemian Rhapsody is set to air on Film4 tonight at 11.25 pm, meaning Queen fans with a late bedtime can catch it then. It’s also available on Disney+ for those of you with a subscription.
Fox Searchlight
Related: Best streaming services
Over on IMDb the film has a rating of 7.9 out of 10, with one user review calling it “extraordinary and mind-blowing”.
Their review continued: “I don’t know how accurate the storytelling is but this movie is absolutely mind blowing and brilliant, such a perfect tribute to the legend!”
“This film was wonderful. Between laughing and then needing to cry… Terrific film, the actors were right on the money with their characters. Just excellent! Again, thank you for sharing that story. Extraordinary story,” penned another.
A Bailey/20th Century Fox/Kobal/Shutterstock
“I left this movie a strange combination of elated and terribly sad,” wrote one fan of the film. “Elated to hear the music, watch the story and yet sad that Freddie was so desperately lonely. Ultimately, I think Freddie would have approved of the whole thing. His genius and flamboyance shone through. Truly brilliant.”
While fans clearly enjoyed the film, critics’ reviews were mixed. Over on Rotten Tomatoes Bohemian Rhapsody has a rating of 60% from 418 reviews.
“In trying to tell Mercury’s queer story through his straight bandmates’ eyes, the new Queen biopic ends up saying almost nothing at all,” wrote BuzzFeed News.
The Australian said of Malek’s performance: “I can’t remember the last time I have been so gripped by an actor’s performance, from the first frame to the last.”
Bohemian Rhapsody is airing tonight at 11.25pm on Film4
The new edition of Living Legends is here! Buy Ariana & Witches in newsagents or online, priced at just £8.99.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Harriet is a freelance news writer specialising in TV and movies at Digital Spy.
A horror enthusiast, she joined Digital Spy after working on her own horror website, reviewing films and focusing largely on feminism in the genre.
In her spare time, Harriet paints and produces mixed-media art. She graduated from the University of Kingston with a BA in fine art, where she specialised in painting. She also has an MA in journalism from Birkbeck University.