Movies like Ballads Not Bullets: Tom Jackson (2014)
The best movies like Ballads Not Bullets: Tom Jackson (2014) are Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016), Whiplash (2013) and Sing Sing (2024). If Ballads Not Bullets: Tom Jackson hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)8.2/10 from 788 votes
- NewestTow (2026)Released 2026
Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016)
Director Spike Lee chronicles Michael Jackson's early rise to fame.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhiplash (2013)
A ferocious, bullying music teacher teaches a dedicated student.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSing Sing (2024)
Divine G, imprisoned at Sing Sing for a crime he didn't commit, finds purpose by acting in a theatre group alongside other incarcerated men in this story of resilience, humanity, and the transformative power of art.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStuart: A Life Backwards (2007)
Story about the remarkable friendship between a reclusive writer and illustrator and a chaotic homeless man, whom he gets to know during a campaign to release two charity workers from prison.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBrave the Dark (2025)
When Mr. Deen discovers one of his students has been living out of his car and thrown into jail, he decides to bail him out. Determined to curb Nate’s self-destructive behavior, Deen quickly discovers a host of dark secrets slowly tearing Nate apart. What began as a good deed becomes a desperate fight to save Nate from his own demons. As Nate spirals deeper into despair, Deen must decide how far he’s willing to go to save a kid on the brink of losing everything—even himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScram! (1932)
Ordered out of town by angry Judge Beaumont, vagrants Stanley and Oliver meet a congenial drunk who invites them to stay at his luxurious mansion. The drunk can't find his key, but the boys find a way in, sending the surprised woman inside into a faint.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Parks and Recreation Special (2020)
Pawnee's most dedicated civil servant, Leslie Knope, is determined to stay connected to her friends in a time of social distancing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThriller 40 (2023)
Forty years after the release of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ the best-selling album of all-time, director Nelson George takes fans back in time to the making of a pop masterpiece, featuring never-before-seen footage and candid interviews.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisAmazing Grace (2007)
The true story of William Wilberforce and his courageous quest to end the British slave trade. Along the way, Wilberforce meets intense opposition, but his minister urges him to see the cause through.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCardboard Boxer (2016)
Gentle and broken, a homeless man fights others on video for money but soon finds comfort in an unlikely friend and the lost diary of a young girl.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLemonade (2016)
The second "visual album" (a collection of short films) by Beyoncé, this time around she takes a piercing look at racial issues and feminist concepts through a sexualized, satirical, and solemn tone.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisTow (2026)
Amanda Ogle is a woman living in her aging Toyota Camry on the streets of Seattle. When her car is stolen and impounded, she’s thrust into a relentless legal battle against an indifferent system. What begins as a fight to reclaim her car evolves into a deeply human story of resilience, dignity, and the power of one woman’s voice in the face of systemic failure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDangerous Minds (1995)
Former Marine Louanne Johnson lands a gig teaching in a pilot program for bright but underachieving teens at a notorious inner-city high school. After having a terrible first day, she decides she must throw decorum to the wind. When Johnson returns to the classroom, she does so armed with a no-nonsense attitude informed by her military training and a fearless determination to better the lives of her students -- no matter what the cost.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)
The unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse traveling together in the boy's search for home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMichael Jackson: The Life of an Icon (2011)
See Michael Jackson, one of the most recognizable and popular entertainers of all time, like never before in the feature-length tribute Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon. Known to millions of fans worldwide for his record-breaking albums, groundbreaking music videos, mesmerizing dance moves and humanitarian efforts, his true story has never really been told...until now. This unprecedented look into the King of Pop's fascinating life includes all-new interviews with his mother Katherine Jackson as well as siblings Tito and Rebbie Jackson, his nephew Jaafar Jackson and niece Tahkyah brings plenty Jackson and Friends ends and music legends such as Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick and his 3 children and many more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisUnconditional (2012)
Samantha Crawford is living a storybook life: she’s happily married, she lives on a ranch where she keeps her beloved horse, and the stories she’s told and illustrated since childhood have become published books. When her husband Billy is killed in a senseless act of violence, Sam loses her faith and her will to live. But a death-defying encounter with two children leads to a reunion with Joe, her oldest friend. As Sam watches “Papa” Joe care for and love the kids in his under-resourced neighborhood, she begins to realize that no matter life’s circumstances, the love of God is always reaching out to us.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisReMastered: Devil at the Crossroads (2019)
Robert Johnson was one of the most influential blues guitarists ever. Even before his early death, fans wondered if he'd made a pact with the Devil.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Singers (2026)
An impromptu singing contest at a dive bar turns a lonely night into a soul-baring moment of shared harmony.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBreathe (2017)
Based on the true story of Robin, a handsome, brilliant and adventurous man whose life takes a dramatic turn when polio leaves him paralyzed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSnoopy Presents: Lucy's School (2022)
The Peanuts gang is anxious about starting at a new school in the fall, inspiring Lucy to start her own school instead. She soon learns that teaching isn't as easy as it sounds and that change can be a good thing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Ballads Not Bullets: Tom Jackson?
The closest matches to Ballads Not Bullets: Tom Jackson are Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016), Whiplash (2013) and Sing Sing (2024). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Ballads Not Bullets: Tom Jackson?
Start with Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016), the closest match to Ballads Not Bullets: Tom Jackson.
What is the highest-rated movie like Ballads Not Bullets: Tom Jackson?
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022), rated 8.2/10 by 788 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Ballads Not Bullets: Tom Jackson?
Tow (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Ballads Not Bullets: Tom Jackson?
Yes: Michael Jackson's Journey from Motown to Off the Wall (2016), Whiplash (2013) and Sing Sing (2024).
How are movies similar to Ballads Not Bullets: Tom Jackson chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Ballads Not Bullets: Tom Jackson, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.