Movies like What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
The best movies like What's Love Got to Do with It (1993) are Get On Up (2014), Judy (2019) and Cadillac Records (2008). If What's Love Got to Do with It hooked you with its drama and music, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMichael (2026)8.6/10 from 4,723 votes
- NewestMichael (2026)Released 2026
Get On Up (2014)
A chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJudy (2019)
Thirty years after starring in 'The Wizard of Oz', beloved actress and singer Judy Garland arrives in London to perform sold-out shows at the Talk of the Town nightclub. While there, she reminisces with friends and fans and begins a whirlwind romance with musician Mickey Deans, her soon-to-be fifth husband.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCadillac Records (2008)
The story of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, and the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRay (2004)
Born on a sharecropping plantation in Northern Florida, Ray Charles went blind at seven. Inspired by a fiercely independent mom who insisted he make his own way, He found his calling and his gift behind a piano keyboard. Touring across the Southern musical circuit, the soulful singer gained a reputation and then exploded with worldwide fame when he pioneered coupling gospel and country together.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)
The joyous, emotional, heartbreaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time. Tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRocketman (2019)
The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBohemian Rhapsody (2018)
Singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bass guitarist John Deacon take the music world by storm when they form the rock 'n' roll band Queen in 1970. Hit songs become instant classics. When Mercury's increasingly wild lifestyle starts to spiral out of control, Queen soon faces its greatest challenge yet – finding a way to keep the band together amid the success and excess.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMichael (2026)
The story of Michael Jackson, one of the most influential artists the world has ever known, and his life beyond the music. His journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world, highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisRespect (2021)
The rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLackawanna Blues (2005)
In a story fueled by rhythm and blues, a young boy's life is shaped by love and the stories of a cast of characters in the boarding house where he lives in 1960s Lackawanna, New York.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
Selena (1997)
In this biographical drama, Selena Quintanilla is born into a musical Mexican-American family in Texas. Her father, Abraham, realizes that his young daughter is talented and begins performing with her at small venues. She finds success and falls for her guitarist, Chris Perez, who draws the ire of her father. Seeking mainstream stardom, Selena begins recording an English-language album which, tragically, she would never complete.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBack to Black (2024)
The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame from her early days in Camden through the making of her groundbreaking album, Back to Black that catapulted Winehouse to global fame. Told through Amy’s eyes and inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film explores and embraces the many layers of the iconic artist and the tumultuous love story at the center of one of the most legendary albums of all time.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEl Cantante (2006)
The rise and fall of salsa singer, Héctor Lavoe (1946-1993), as told from the perspective of his wife Puchi, who looks back from 2002.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both history & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLady Sings the Blues (1972)
Chronicles the rise and fall of legendary blues singer Billie Holiday, beginning with her traumatic youth. The story depicts her early attempts at a singing career and her eventual rise to stardom, as well as her difficult relationship with Louis McKay, her boyfriend and manager. Casting a shadow over even Holiday's brightest moments is the vocalist's severe drug addiction, which threatens to end both her career and her life.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWalk the Line (2005)
A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Josephine Baker Story (1991)
Biography of the African-American who became a major performer in the Paris cabarets of the 1920s and 1930s. The film follows her life beginning as a struggling performer in 1917 St. Louis, her frustrations leading to her move to France, and follows to her death in 1975. Written by John Sacksteder
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Love & Mercy (2015)
In the late 1960s, the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson stops touring, produces "Pet Sounds" and begins to lose his grip on reality. By the 1980s, under the sway of a controlling therapist, he finds a savior in Melinda Ledbetter.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisElvis (2022)
The life story of Elvis Presley as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBob Marley: One Love (2024)
Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Buddy Holly Story (1978)
A chronicle of the rise and brief career of rock 'n' roll star Buddy Holly, who aspires to play music the way he wants it to sound. Holly and his band, the Crickets, are first invited to record in Nashville, where they encounter creative differences with the producing staff. Later they play a major booking at the Apollo Theater, scheduled there under the mistaken assumption that they're a black band. Holly's career eventually goes solo -- until the tragic day the music dies.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisElvis (1979)
This biopic traces Elvis Presley’s life from his impoverished childhood to his meteoric rise to stardom to his triumphant conquering of Las Vegas.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCoal Miner's Daughter (1980)
Biography of Loretta Lynn, a country and western singer who went from poverty to fame.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSparkle (1976)
Three sisters start out singing in their church choir in Harlem in the late 1950s and become a successful girl group in the 1960s.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
Mother Mary (2026)
Long-buried wounds rise to the surface when iconic pop star Mother Mary reunites with her estranged best friend and former costume designer Sam Anselm on the eve of her comeback performance.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisDreamgirls (2006)
A trio of female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPriscilla (2023)
When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a vulnerable best friend.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpinning Gold (2023)
A biopic of 1970s record producer Neil Bogart, co-founder of Casablanca Records.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisMa Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
Tensions rise when the trailblazing Mother of the Blues and her band gather at a Chicago recording studio in 1927. Adapted from August Wilson's play.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGreat Balls of Fire! (1989)
The story of Jerry Lee Lewis, arguably the greatest and certainly one of the wildest musicians of the 1950s. His arrogance, remarkable talent, and unconventional lifestyle often brought him into conflict with others in the industry, and even earned him the scorn and condemnation of the public.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLittle Richard (2000)
The story of Little Richard Penniman, from his poor Southern upbringing to dealing with the trials and tribulations of being a Black singer in the 1950s, to his born-again phase and brief "retirement" from rock and roll.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & music
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like What's Love Got to Do with It?
The closest matches to What's Love Got to Do with It are Get On Up (2014), Judy (2019) and Cadillac Records (2008). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after What's Love Got to Do with It?
People who watched What's Love Got to Do with It most often go on to Get On Up (2014), Judy (2019) and Cadillac Records (2008).
What is the highest-rated movie like What's Love Got to Do with It?
Michael (2026), rated 8.6/10 by 4,723 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like What's Love Got to Do with It?
Michael (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like What's Love Got to Do with It?
Yes: Get On Up (2014), Judy (2019) and Cadillac Records (2008).
How are movies similar to What's Love Got to Do with It chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside What's Love Got to Do with It, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.