The increasing environmental concerns caused by the widespread use of petroleum-based plastics in the food packaging industry have attracted the attention of researchers to the development of biodegradable materials. Among them, starch is considered one of the most promising natural polymers for the production of packaging films and coatings due to its abundance, renewability, biocompatibility and biodegradability. However, starch-based films have limitations such as high sensitivity to moisture, high permeability to water vapor, low mechanical strength and brittleness, which limit their industrial application. In this review article, the structure and physicochemical properties of starch and the role of its main components, including amylose and amylopectin, in the formation and performance of films are first reviewed. Then, the most important methods of starch modification with the aim of improving the functional properties of films are discussed. These methods include physical modifications such as gelatinization and heat treatments, chemical modifications such as crosslinking, esterification and oxidation, as well as the use of biobased compounds, nanoparticles and plasticizers in the form of composite systems. The results of the studies show that the type of starch source and the modification method significantly affect the properties such as mechanical strength, thermal stability, transparency and barrier properties of the films. Overall, targeted starch modification can play an important role in the development of efficient and sustainable biodegradable films for food packaging applications.