Movies like The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980)
The best movies like The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980) are The Wrecking Crew (2008), Daft Punk Unchained (2015) and End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003). If The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle hooked you with its comedy and documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Last Waltz (1978)7.7/10 from 330 votes
- NewestCFNY: The Spirit of Radio (2026)Released 2026
The Wrecking Crew (2008)
A celebration of the musical work of a group of session musicians known as "The Wrecking Crew." a band that provided back-up instrumentals to such legendary recording artists as Frank Sinatra, The Beach Boys, and Bing Crosby.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDaft Punk Unchained (2015)
Daft Punk Unchained is the first film about the pop culture phenomenon that is Daft Punk, the duo with 12 million albums sold worldwide and seven Grammy Awards. Throughout their career Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo have always resisted compromise and the established codes of show business. They have remained determined to maintain control of every link in the chain of their creative process. In the era of globalisation and social networks, they rarely speak in public and neither do they show their faces on TV. This documentary explores this unprecedented cultural revolution revealing a duo of artists on a permanent quest for creativity, independence and freedom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEnd of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003)
A years-in-the-making documentary on the legendary punk band the Ramones. Through a mixture of archival footage, archival and new interviews with all members of the band's various lineups, and new interviews with a number of their contemporaries, the film traces the peaks and valleys the band experienced over the course of its 20-plus year career before disbanding in 1995.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKeith Richards: Under the Influence (2015)
A portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie (2003)
The comedic stylings of four sort-of famous funnymen are brought to the big screen courtesy of this 2002 documentary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDua Lipa: Studio 2054 (2020)
Dua Lipa's kaleidoscopic rocket fuelled journey through time, space, mirrorballs, roller discos, bucket hats, belting beats, throbbing basslines and an absolute slam dunk of the best of times in global club culture throughout the decades.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Comedians of Comedy (2005)
The Comedians of Comedy is an occasional stand-up comedy tour featuring Patton Oswalt, Zach Galifianakis, Brian Posehn and Maria Bamford that was documented in a 2005 film and 2005 Comedy Central television series of the same name, both directed by Michael Blieden.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKevin Hart: Irresponsible (2019)
Stand-up comedian Kevin Hart talks about his family, travel and a year full of reckless behavior in front of a live sold-out crowd in London.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKevin Hart: Zero F**ks Given (2020)
Kevin Hart serves up laughs and brick oven pizza from the comfort of his home, and dishes on male group chats, sex after 40 and life with COVID-19.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisColdplay: A Head Full of Dreams (2018)
An in-depth and intimate portrait of Coldplay's spectacular rise from the backrooms of Camden pubs to selling out stadiums across the planet. At the heart of the story is the band's unshakeable brotherhood which has endured through many highs and lows.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIron Maiden: Rock In Rio (2002)
Rock In Rio Festival 2001 - Iron Maiden headlines one of the biggest shows on Earth to a massive sell-out 250,000 crowd and a global TV audience of millions. The explosive two hour set, shot using 18 cameras and edited by Steve Harris, is Maiden at its best, performing their biggest show ever on the final date of their Brave New World Tour.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisLemmy (2010)
Over four decades, Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister has registered an immeasurable impact on music history. Nearly 65, he remains the living embodiment of the rock and roll lifestyle, and this feature-length documentary tells his story, one of a hard-living rock icon who continues to enjoy the life of a man half his age.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMeeting People Is Easy (1998)
Meeting People Is Easy takes place during the promotion of Radiohead's 1997 release OK Computer, containing a collage of video clips, sound bites, and dialogue going behind the scenes with the band on their world tour, showing the eventual burn-out of the group as the world tour progresses. The inaugural show of the OK Computer tour began on 22 May 1997 in Barcelona, Spain.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRoger Waters: Us + Them (2019)
Filmed in Amsterdam on the European leg of his 2017 – 2018 Us + Them tour which saw Waters perform to over two million people worldwide, the film features songs from his legendary Pink Floyd albums (The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Animals, Wish You Were Here) and from his last album, Is This The Life We Really Want?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Bee Gees: How Can You Mend a Broken Heart (2020)
The story of the triumphs and hurdles of brothers Barry, Maurice, and Robin Gibb, otherwise known as the Bee Gees. The iconic trio, who found early fame in the 1960s, went on to write over 1,000 songs and have 20 No. 1 hits throughout their career, transcending more than five decades of changing tastes and styles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBiggie & Tupac (2002)
In 1997, rap superstars Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (aka Biggie Smalls, The Notorious B.I.G.) were gunned down in separate incidents, the apparent victims of hip hop's infamous east-west rivalry. Nick Broomfield's film introduces Russell Poole, an ex-cop with damning evidence that suggests the LAPD deliberately fumbled the case to conceal connections between the police, LA gangs and Death Row Records, the label run by feared rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLive Aid (1985)
Live Aid was held on 13 July 1985, simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, United States. It was one of the largest scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: watched live by an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion, across 150 nations. "It's twelve noon in London, seven AM in Philadelphia, and around the world it's time for Live Aid...!"
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Band Called Death (2013)
Before Bad Brains, the Sex Pistols or even the Ramones, there was Death. Formed in the early '70s by three teenage brothers from Detroit, Death is credited as being the first black punk band, and the Hackney brothers, David, Bobby, and Dannis, are now considered pioneers in their field. But it wasn’t until recently — when a dusty 1974 demo tape made its way out of Bobby’s attic nearly 30 years after Death’s heyday — that anyone outside a small group of punk enthusiasts had even heard of them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Last Waltz (1978)
Martin Scorsese's documentary intertwines footage from The Band's incredible farewell tour with probing backstage interviews and featured performances by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and other rock legends.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKevin Hart: Seriously Funny (2010)
Fresh off the heels of appearing in movies like Superhero Movie and The 40 Year-Old Virgin, fast-talking comedian Kevin Hart stars in his second live stand-up performance in Cleveland, Ohio, where he makes fun of everything and everybody - especially himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLed Zeppelin: The Untold Story (2011)
Led Zeppelin: The Untold Story reveals an often overlooked side of the saga. Using early performance footage, seldom seen interviews and previously unpublished photographs, as well as contributions from colleagues, friends, and associates who worked alongside the future members of Led Zeppelin, The Untold Story is finally made public.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
Invisible Nation (2006)
A documentary about vivid punk and alternative rock scene of Subotica, the northernmost Serbian city, through the periods of communism, tyranny of the 1990s regime, and economic transition at the beginning of XXI century. Seen through the eyes of its witnesses, these musicians and creative artists deliberately refused the imposed way of behavior, hence staying "invisible" to everyday people.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
The Song of Night (1932)
He was known as Anatole Litvak during his Hollywood directorial career, but he was still Anatole Litwak when he helmed the German musical Das Lied Einer Nacht (The Song of Night). Famed Polish tenor Jan Kiepura stars as famed Italian tenor Ferraro. Escaping from his tyrannical manager, Ferraro switches identities with a young tourist (Fritz Schulz) and goes off on an unscheduled Swiss holiday. Still travelling incognito, our hero falls in love with a winsome mountain girl (Magda Schneider). Alas, both his romance -- and his freedom -- are placed in jeopardy when it turns out that the charming young fellow with whom Ferraro traded identities was actually a notorious swindler. Anatole Litvak also directed the English-language version of Das Lied Einer Nacht, Be Mine Tonight
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & music
Mango Sticky Rice (2016)
Katie is a dog loving foodie who is very content with her single life. Soon, she finds herself being pressured to find love. Meanwhile, Chris, the delivery boy just wants to get her attention. Will Katie find someone who will love her for who she is? Will Chris finally win her over?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music & comedy
Cheech & Chong's Last Movie (2025)
Exploring their 5-decade career performing stand-up, making records, and starring in hit films. It covers their lives, comedy partnership, and lasting influence on pop culture.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & comedy
CFNY: The Spirit of Radio (2026)
In 1976, radio station CFNY 102.1FM went on the air, broadcast live from a modest suburban house just north of Toronto, and went on to become one of the most influential punk, new wave and alternative radio stations in the world. This is the story of their mission to bring the most exciting music in the world to the masses. It's also a story of the personalities, lawsuits, bankruptcies, concerts, and listener protests that went along with it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
Shall We Dance? (2004)
A bored estate lawyer spots a beautiful woman in the window of a ballroom dance studio. He secretly starts taking dancing lessons to be near her, and then over time discovers how much he loves dancing. His wife, meanwhile, has hired a private detective to find out why he has started coming home late smelling of perfume.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOh, What a Night (1992)
During the summer of 1955, seventeen-year-old Eric Hansen embarks on a journey in his new town, a journey which will change his life forever.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Mal Hallett and His Orchestra (1937)
Mal Hallett and his Orchestra perform three songs with featured dancers
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
There Is No Authority But Yourself (2006)
A Dutch documentary about the history of the anarchist punk band Crass. The film features archival footage of the band, and interviews with former members Steve Ignorant, Penny Rimbaud and Gee Vaucher.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle?
The closest matches to The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle are The Wrecking Crew (2008), Daft Punk Unchained (2015) and End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle?
Start with The Wrecking Crew (2008), the closest match to The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle?
The Last Waltz (1978), rated 7.7/10 by 330 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle?
CFNY: The Spirit of Radio (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle?
Yes: The Wrecking Crew (2008), Daft Punk Unchained (2015) and End of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003).
How are movies similar to The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.