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Movies like Pelléas and Mélisande

The best movies like Pelléas and Mélisande are Coda (2020), Clika (2026) and Battle of the Year (2013). If Pelléas and Mélisande hooked you with its music and drama, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Coda (2020)

    A famous pianist at the twilight of his career meets a free-spirited music critic who soon becomes his rock as his mental state deteriorates.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  2. Clika (2026)

    Aspiring small-town musician Chito is determined to make it big. When a clip of him performing one of his songs goes viral, he seizes the opportunity and pushes to carve out a place for himself in the new wave of Mexican-American music... and ultimately gets caught in a game more dangerous than anticipated.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  3. Battle of the Year (2013)

    A down-on-his-luck coach is hired to prepare a team of the best American dancers for an international tournament that attracts all the best crews from around the world, but the Americans haven't won in fifteen years.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Honey: Rise Up and Dance (2018)

    Street dancer Skyler comes out of the shadow of her trained dancer sister, Tosha, & joins a dance competition with the Honey dance studio; the prize is a college scholarship.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. Taurus (2022)

    A rising but troubled musician searches for the inspiration to record one last song, pushing himself deep into the void.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music

  6. Journey from Greece (2017)

    Djam, a young Greek woman, is sent to Istanbul by her uncle Kakourgos, a former sailor with a passion for Rebetiko, to find a rare part that will repair their boat. In Istanbul, she encounters Avril, a nineteen-year-old French girl, alone and without any money, who came to Turkey as a voluntary worker with refugees. Djam, generous, cheeky, unpredictable, and free-spirited, takes Avril under her wing on the way to Mytilene. A journey filled with encounters, music, sharing, and hope.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993)

    A collection of vignettes highlighting different aspects of the life, work, and character of the acclaimed Canadian classical pianist.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. Bolero (1981)

    The film follows four families, with different nationalities (French, German, Russian and American) but with the same passion for music, from the 1930s to the 1960s. The various story lines cross each other time and again in different places and times, with their own theme scores that evolve as time passes. The main event in the film is the Second World War, which throws the stories of the four musical families together and mixes their fates. Although all characters are fictional, many of them are loosely based on historical musical icons (Édith Piaf, Josephine Baker, Herbert von Karajan, Glenn Miller, Rudolf Nureyev, etc.) The Boléro dance sequence at the end brings all the threads together.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. Mo' Better Blues (1990)

    Talented but self-centered trumpeter Bleek Gilliam is obsessed with his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends Indigo and Clarke. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend, Bleek finds his world more fragile than he ever imagined.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Grace Unplugged (2013)

    A talented young singer and aspiring songwriter’s Christian faith and family ties are tested when she defies her worship-pastor father and pursues pop-music stardom in GRACE UNPLUGGED, a moving and inspiring new film that explores the true meaning of success.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Prodigies (2024)

    Claire and Jeanne are twin sisters, united by the same passion: the piano. Coached by their father like athletes, they join the prestigious Karlsruhe Conservatory. They are now competing to be soloists and training for a concert that will make or break their careers. But Claire and then Jeanne discover they are suffering from a serious illness and are slowly losing the use of their hands. With the support of their family and their undying love of music, they will find a unique way to change their fate. An inspiring and moving tale, based on a true story.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Django (2017)

    The story of Django Reinhardt, famous guitarist and composer, and his flight from German-occupied Paris in 1943.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Good Vibrations (2012)

    The story of music legend Terri Hooley, a key figure in Belfast's punk rock scene. Hooley founded the Good Vibrations store from which a record label sprung, representing bands such as The Undertones, Rudi and The Outcasts.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. A Late Quartet (2012)

    When the beloved cellist of a world-renowned string quartet is diagnosed with a life threatening illness, the group's future suddenly hangs in the balance as suppressed emotions, competing egos and uncontrollable passions threaten to derail years of friendship and collaboration. As they are about to play their 25th anniversary concert — quite possibly their last — only their intimate bond and the power of music can preserve their legacy.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. Suburbia (1984)

    When household tensions and a sense of worthlessness overcome Evan, he finds escape when he clings with the orphans of a throw-away society. The runaways hold on to each other like a family until a tragedy tears them apart.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Too Late Blues (1961)

    Ghost is an ideological musician and leader of a jazz band who would rather play his blues in the park to the birds than compromise himself. His peripatetic performances lead him to cross paths with a singer, while his masculinity is thrown into question following a violent brawl.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. Dalida (2017)

    Based on the true story of acclaimed music icon "Dalida" born in Cairo, who gained celebrity in the 50s, singing in French, Spanish, Arabic, Hebrew, German, Italian, playing in awarded Youssef Chahine's picture "Le Sixième Jour", and who later committed suicide in 1987 in Paris, after selling more than 130 million records worldwide.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. The Mambo Kings (1992)

    The Mambo Kings tells the story of César and Nestor Castillo, brothers and aspiring musicians who flee from Cuba to America in search of the American Dream.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. A Time for Dancing (2002)

    Their love of dance, and their friendship, is challenged for two high school girls when one is diagnosed with cancer.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. The Colors of Fire (2022)

    February 1927. The funeral of Marcel Péricourt, the most powerful banker in Paris. His daughter Madeleine must take the helm of the financial empire of which she is the heiress. But she has a son, Paul, who with an unexpected and tragic gesture will place her on the path to ruin.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Pelléas and Mélisande?

The closest matches to Pelléas and Mélisande are Coda (2020), Clika (2026) and Battle of the Year (2013). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Pelléas and Mélisande?

Start with Coda (2020), the closest match to Pelléas and Mélisande.

What is the highest-rated movie like Pelléas and Mélisande?

Battle of the Year (2013), rated 6.8/10 by 369 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Pelléas and Mélisande?

Clika (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there French movies like Pelléas and Mélisande?

Yes: Journey from Greece (2017), Bolero (1981) and Prodigies (2024).

How are movies similar to Pelléas and Mélisande chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Pelléas and Mélisande, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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