Movies like Because We Must (1989)
The best movies like Because We Must (1989) are The Nutcracker (1993), Brigadoon (1954) and Moonwalker (1988). If Because We Must hooked you with its fantasy and music, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedGhosts (1997)8.1/10 from 305 votes
- NewestPauline (2026)Released 2026
The Nutcracker (1993)
On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie falls asleep and dreams herself into a fantastic world in which her toys become larger than life. She meets up with the Nutcracker Prince who takes her on a journey to his kingdom and defends her from the Mouse King.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & music
SnoozefestMovies like thisBrigadoon (1954)
Americans Jeff and Tommy, hunting in Scotland, stumble upon a village - Brigadoon. They soon learn that the town appears once every 100 years in order to preserve its peace and special beauty. The citizens go to bed at night and when they wake up, it's 100 years later. Tommy falls in love with a beautiful young woman, Fiona, and is torn between staying or going back to his hectic life in New York.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMoonwalker (1988)
This fantastical movie inspired by the music of Michael Jackson features imaginative interpretations of hit tracks from the iconic 1987 album “Bad”.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Cinderella Story: If the Shoe Fits (2016)
A contemporary musical version of the classic Cinderella story in which the servant step daughter hope to compete in a musical competition for a famous pop star.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954)
Lord Shiva wakes. A convocation of magicians in the guise of figures from mythology; a masquerade party at which Pan is the prize. The wine of Hecate is poured: Pan's cup is poisoned by Shiva. Kali blesses the assembly as a bacchic rite ensues.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration (2022)
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the animated classic, this animated and live-action blended special showcases the fan-favorite movie, along with new musical performances, sets and costumes inspired by the classic story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMake Your Move (2013)
A pair of star-crossed dancers in New York find themselves at the center of a bitter rivalry between their brothers' underground dance clubs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
SnoozefestMovies like thisSave the Last Dance (2001)
After the death of her mother, Sara moves to the South Side of Chicago to live with her father and gets transferred to a majority-black school. Her life takes a turn for the better when befriends Chenille and her brother Derek, who helps her with her dancing skills.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHigh Strung (2016)
When a hip hop violinist busking in the New York subway encounters a classical dancer on scholarship at the Manhattan Conservatory of the Arts, sparks fly. With the help of a hip hop dance crew they must find a common ground while preparing for a competition that could change their lives forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFor the Boys (1991)
Talented USO entertainer Dixie Leonard and comedian Eddie Sparks deal with their relationship over the course of 5 decades from World War II to the Vietnam War era to their twilight era in the 90's.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHoney: 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStreetDance 3D (2010)
In order to win the Street Dance Championships, a dance crew is forced to work with ballet dancers from the Royal Dance School in exchange for rehearsal space.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHigh Strung Free Dance (2018)
Zander Raines, a dazzling and tempestuous young choreographer, gives the break of a lifetime to two hopeful artists when he casts a stunning contemporary dancer, Barlow, and innovative pianist, Charlie, in New York’s most-anticipated new Broadway show: Free Dance. But the move throws off the show’s delicate creative balance when Charlie falls hard for Barlow, while Zander embraces her as his muse.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGhosts (1997)
In the town of Normal Valley, an eccentric magician named Maestro entertains the local children every day in his spooky mansion. One stormy night, the town's mayor leads a group of angry citizens to the mansion in an attempt to run Maestro out of town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisHoney 3: Dare to Dance (2016)
While attending college in Cape Town, Melea Martin feels constrained by the school's strict policies, and decides to set out on her own. Searching for a way to use her talents as a dancer and inspire the community around her, Melea rents a failing theater in order to put on a Hip-Hop Romeo and Juliet performance. But much like the Capulets and Montagues, conflicts between cast members threaten to bring the whole performance to a halt...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBattle 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYou Got Served (2004)
At Mr. Rad's Warehouse, the best hip-hop crews in Los Angeles compete for money and respect. But when a suburban crew crashes the party, stealing their dancers — and their moves — two warring friends have to pull together to represent the street.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCaptain EO (1986)
Captain EO and his crew journey to a dark, mechanical world to deliver a gift to the tyrannical Supreme Leader, using the power of music and dance to transform her realm from darkness into light.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMirrorMask (2005)
In a fantasy world of opposing kingdoms, a 15-year old girl must find the fabled MirrorMask in order to save the kingdom and get home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnother Cinderella Story (2008)
A guy who danced with what could be the girl of his dreams at a costume ball only has one hint at her identity: the Zune she left behind as she rushed home in order to make her curfew. And with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in front of him, he sets out to find his masked beauty.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAll this Roughness (2020)
An unnamed passer-by is forced to trace a circular route inside an abandoned tram station, facing loss and time. The broken walls act as a channel, transmitting fragmentary, blurred and analogical memories.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & music
Dirty Dancing (1987)
Expecting the usual tedium that accompanies a summer in the Catskills with her family, 17-year-old Frances 'Baby' Houseman is surprised to find herself stepping into the shoes of a professional hoofer—and unexpectedly falling in love.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisZiegfeld Follies (1945)
The late, great impresario Florenz Ziegfeld looks down from heaven and ordains a new revue in his grand old style.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBaja's Studio: Baja and the Sea (2020)
The second anime short based on Kyoto Animation studio mascot character Baja.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Global Groove (1973)
Global Groove was a collaborative piece by Nam June Paik and John Godfrey. Paik, amongst other artists who shared the same vision in the 1960s, saw the potential in the television beyond it being a one-sided medium to present programs and commercials. Instead, he saw it more as a place to facilitate a free flow of information exchange. He wanted to strip away the limitations from copyright system and network restrictions and bring in a new TV culture where information could be accessed inexpensively and conveniently. The full length of the piece ran 28 minutes and was first broadcasted in January 30, 1974 on WNET.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Royal Wedding (1951)
A brother and sister dance act encounter challenges and romance when booked in London during the Royal Wedding.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFame (1980)
A chronicle of the lives of several teenagers who attend a New York high school for students gifted in the performing arts.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBaja's Studio (2017)
Kohata Anime Studio is a place full of dreams where animation is made. Baja was raised in this studio by the people who create animation. Floating in a pond outside are his friends the ducks. One night, when all the people are no longer at the studio, Baja takes a peek outside and finds that his duck friends are being attacked by a cat. Will Baja be able to save his friends? A wondrous night adventure begins.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Pauline (2026)
In a bar, Pauline writes to a man she does not know. Between desire, art, and projection, reality eventually begins to crack the story she has invented for herself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
The Eye of the Typhoon (1993)
Performance conceived by Erich Wonder & Heiner Müller for the 300th anniversary of the Akademie der bildenden Künste in Vienna. The band, Einstürzende Neubauten, is located on a glass palace/stage on wheels (accompanied by the slavish trotting of huskies) which is slowly moving on the nightly ring road of Vienna.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Because We Must?
The closest matches to Because We Must are The Nutcracker (1993), Brigadoon (1954) and Moonwalker (1988). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Because We Must?
Start with The Nutcracker (1993), the closest match to Because We Must.
What is the highest-rated movie like Because We Must?
Ghosts (1997), rated 8.1/10 by 305 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Because We Must?
Pauline (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Because We Must?
Yes: The Nutcracker (1993), Brigadoon (1954) and Moonwalker (1988).
How are movies similar to Because We Must chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Because We Must, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.