Bohemian Rhapsody

In 1985, Queen prepares to take the stage at Bob Geldof's benefit concert Live Aid at Wembley Stadium. Back in 1970, Farrokh Bulsara works as a baggage handler at Heathrow Airport, living with his parents and sister. Farrokh goes to a pub to see Smile. Seeking them out after the show, he is attracted to Mary Austin and learns that she works at the boutique Biba. He finds drummer Roger Taylor and guitarist Brian May and learns that their lead singer, Tim Staffell just resigned. Farrokh offers himself as a replacement and impresses them with his vocal ability.

Farrokh goes to Biba, encounters Mary, and they become a couple. With him as the lead singer and new bassist John Deacon, the band plays gigs across Britain. Farrokh pushes them to think bigger and sell their van to finance a record album. Working in a studio late at night, an A&R rep from EMI asks engineer Roy Thomas Baker for demos.

Farrokh changes his name to Freddie Mercury and renames the band Queen. They sign with John Reid, Elton John's manager, and land a U.S. tour. Paul Prenter, who is attracted to Freddie, manages their daily schedule. An appearance on Top of the Pops gives Queen their first hit, "Killer Queen". Freddie proposes to Mary, but during the band's sold-out U.S. tour, he begins questioning his sexuality.

In 1975, Queen record their fourth studio album, A Night at the Opera, placing extensive effort into recording Freddie's masterpiece "Bohemian Rhapsody". However, they quit EMI when executive Ray Foster refuses to release it as the album's lead single, mostly because it's six-minutes long. Freddie conspires with radio DJ Kenny Everett to debut the song on his program. Despite mixed reviews, "Bohemian Rhapsody" becomes a global hit, launching Queen to international superstardom. Following a world tour, Freddie begins an affair with Paul and comes out to Mary as bisexual. She counters that he is gay and they call off the engagement but remain close friends.

The band's success continues into the 1980's, but tensions arise over Paul's influence on Freddie. After a lavish party at his home, Freddie is attracted to a waiter, Jim Hutton, who tells Freddie to find him when he learns self-acceptance. Paul encourages Reid to persuade Freddie to go solo, but when the idea offends Freddie, Paul feigns ignorance and Freddie fires Reid without consulting the band. Despite increasing strain within the band, Queen continues to produce hits, including "We Will Rock You" and "Another One Bites the Dust". Their lawyer, Jim "Miami" Beach, takes over management. At a press conference for the 1982 album Hot Space, reporters badger Freddie with questions about his personal life and sexuality.

Freddie's relationship with the band sours further after the campy music video for "I Want to Break Free", where the band appears in drag, backfires and he signs a $4-million solo deal with CBS Records, effectively breaking up the band. He records his 1984 solo album Mr. Bad Guy in Munich and engages in drugs and gay orgies with Paul. Mary, now married and pregnant, visits unexpectedly, urging him to return to Queen and participate in Live Aid. Realizing Paul withheld news of Live Aid from him and has been corrosive, Freddie fires him. In retaliation, Paul goes public about his sexual escapades.

Freddie returns to London to reconcile with the band and persuade them to play at Live Aid as a last-minute addition. With AIDS spreading worldwide, Freddie learns that he has it. Revealing his condition to the band, he brushes off their sympathy, wishing to focus on performing and making music for however long he has left. The band embraces in solidarity. On the day of Live Aid, Freddie reconnects with Jim Hutton, Mary, and his family, and heeds his father's Zoroastrian maxim, "Good thoughts, good words, good deeds". Freddie and the band are in top form at Live Aid, performing "Bohemian Rhapsody", "Radio Ga Ga", "Hammer to Fall" and "We Are the Champions", and helping increase donations during the event.

In the credits we see Freddie died in 1991 of AIDS-related pneumonia at 45, Miami and the band hosted the Freddie Mercury Tribute Concert, and he remained friends with Mary and had a loving relationship with Hutton for the remainder of his life.