Andy Greene of Rolling Stone fact-checked the movie “Bohemian Rhapsody” and found several things it got wrong. Among them:
The group never split up. The movie veers the furthest from reality in the build-up to their 1985 performance at Live Aid. There’s a dramatic scene where Freddie reveals that he’s signed a solo deal behind their back for $4 million and that he wants to take a long break from the band. The others are absolutely livid and they all go their separate ways. The truth is that everyone in the band was burned out in 1983 after being on the road for a solid decade. They all wanted a break. The movie makes it seem like they didn’t speak to Freddie for years, but they actually began work on The Works in late 1983 and were never estranged.
Live Aid wasn’t a reunion. In the movie, the group isn’t even on speaking terms when they get the offer to play Live Aid in 1985, and they hadn’t done a gig in years. It never mentions that they released The Works in early 1984 and then toured it all over the world. The last show of the tour was just eight weeks before Live Aid. They were extremely well-rehearsed by the time that show hit, but the movie shows them having to make peace with each other and get back into playing shape. It makes the performance more dramatic, but that’s not how it happened.