Movies like Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning (2014)
The best movies like Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning (2014) are Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition (2026), Metallica: Through the Never (2013) and The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988). If Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning hooked you, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSelena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)8.4/10 from 623 votes
- NewestOasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026)Released 2026
Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition (2026)
With unprecedented access to the official archives and intimate recollections from the band, both current and past, Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition invites fans to experience one of the most iconic journeys in music history. Spanning five decades, this electrifying documentary charts the band’s rise from the pubs of East London to the world’s biggest stadiums. Featuring exclusive interviews with band members and contributors such as Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich and Chuck D, as well as all-new animated sequences of the band's legendary mascot, Eddie, the film offers a rare and intimate look at Iron Maiden’s uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their truly global army of fans.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMetallica: Through the Never (2013)
Trip, a young roadie for Metallica, is sent on an urgent mission during the band's show. But what seems like a simple assignment turns into a surreal adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988)
An exploration of the heavy metal scene in Los Angeles, with particular emphasis on glam metal. It features concert footage and interviews of legendary heavy metal and hard rock bands and artists such as Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Megadeth, Motörhead, Ozzy Osbourne and W.A.S.P..
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFoo Fighters: Back and Forth (2011)
FOO FIGHTERS BACK AND FORTH chronicles the 16 year history of the Foo Fighters: from the band's very first songs created as cassette demos Dave Grohl recorded during his tenure as Nirvana's drummer, through its ascent to their Grammy-winning, multi-platinum, arena and stadium headlining status as one of the biggest rock bands on the planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMetal: A Headbanger's Journey (2005)
The film discusses the traits and originators of some of metal's many subgenres, including the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, power metal, Nu metal, glam metal, thrash metal, black metal, and death metal. Dunn uses a family-tree-type flowchart to document some of the most popular metal subgenres. The film also explores various aspects of heavy metal culture.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Rise of the Red Hot Chili Peppers: Our Brother, Hillel (2026)
Explore the formative years of the Red Hot Chili Peppers and the profound influence of original bandmate Hillel Slovak.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas (2019)
The story of how three oddball teenage bluesmen became one of the biggest, most beloved bands on the planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnvil! The Story of Anvil (2008)
At 14, best friends Robb Reiner and Lips made a pact to rock together forever. Their band, Anvil, hailed as the "demi-gods of Canadian metal" influenced a musical generation that includes Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax. Following a calamitous European tour, Lips and Robb, now in their fifties, set off to record their 13th album in one last attempt to fulfill their boyhood dreams.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026)
Experience the meteoric rise of Oasis through rare footage and untold stories as the band reunites for Oasis Live '25, chronicling their journey from Manchester streets to global rock stardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWestern Stars (2019)
The incomparable Bruce Springsteen performs his critically acclaimed latest album and muses on life, rock, and the American dream, in this intimate and personal concert film co-directed by Thom Zimny and Springsteen himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMetallica and San Francisco Symphony: S&M2 (2019)
S&M2, the live concert film from Metallica and the San Francisco Symphony is the concert event of the year! S&M2 features 20 songs from the two-night event that opened San Francisco’s new Chase Center, with many Metallica fan favourites and two unique classical songs chosen by San Francisco Symphony Musical Director, Michael Tilson Thomas. S&M2 is newly re-edited by the band, with re-mixed and remastered audio, for a whole new look and sound from the original theatrical run in October 2019.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies 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
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIt Might Get Loud (2008)
A documentary on the electric guitar from the point of view of three significant rock musicians: the Edge, Jimmy Page and Jack White.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGod Bless Ozzy Osbourne (2011)
Featuring never before seen footage uncovered from the archives and interviews with Paul McCartney, Tommy Lee and others, God Bless Ozzy Osbourne is the first documentary to take viewers inside the complex mind of rock's great icon.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies 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
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
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSelena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)
After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Beach Boys (2024)
A celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized pop music, and the iconic, harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream, captivating fans for generations and generations to come.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Last Repair Shop (2024)
In a warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain more than 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind. Meet four unforgettable characters whose broken-and-repaired lives have been dedicated to bringing so much more than music to the schoolchildren of this city.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMetallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)
After bassist Jason Newsted quits the band in 2001, heavy metal superstars Metallica realize that they need an intervention. In this revealing documentary, filmmakers follow the three rock stars as they hire a group therapist and grapple with 20 years of repressed anger and aggression. Between searching for a replacement bass player, creating a new album and confronting their personal demons, the band learns to open up in ways they never thought possible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisManic Magic: a Poem in Four Parts (2025)
A poem about mania written by Omar Zefier. His second film.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The Death of Hitler: The Story of a State Secret (2017)
On April 30, 1945, while the Russian Army surrounded Berlin, Hitler committed suicide in his bunker. His body was discovered a few days later by the Soviets. He would be positively identified after a top secret inquest in which Hitler's personal dentist would play a central role. And yet, at the same time, Stalin publicly declared that his army was unable to find the Führer's body, choosing to let the wildest rumors develop and going so far as to accuse some of his Allies of having aided the monster's probable escape. What secrets were hidden behind this dissimulation? What happened then to the two ladies involved in the identification of Hitler’s body?
Why it matches: Similar story and style
BABYMETAL LIVE～LEGEND D APOCALYPSE～ (2012)
I、D、Z ～LEGEND "D" SU-METAL Birthday Festival (I、D、Z ～LEGEND "D" SU-METAL 聖誕祭; I、D、Z LEGEND "D" SU-METAL Seitansai) was a concert held on December 20, 2012, at Akasaka BLITZ in Tokyo, Japan. This show celebrated SU-METAL's 15th birthday.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
BABYMETAL LIVE～LEGEND Z APOCALYPSE～ (2013)
I、D、Z ～LEGEND "Z" was a concert held on February 1, 2013, at Zepp Tokyo in Tokyo, Japan. The show concluded with the announcement of their next concert, LEGEND "1999", confirming the continuance of their group activities. SU-METAL had recently graduated from Sakura Gakuin, and there was much anticipation regarding her future endeavors with BABYMETAL.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
BABYMETAL LIVE～LEGEND I APOCALYPSE～ (2012)
I、D、Z LEGEND "I" was a concert held by BABYMETAL on October 6, 2012, at Shibuya O-EAST in Tokyo, Japan. During the main set, BABYMETAL performed with BABYBONES, who mimed playing instruments. In the encore, they introduced the KAMI BAND, dressed in white robes and corpse paint. This was their first time playing with a live metal band. The concert ended with the announcement of their new single Ijime, Dame, Zettai, set for release on January 9, 2013.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The Blues Brothers (1980)
Just released from prison, Jake Blues puts his old band back together with his brother Elwood to save the Catholic home where they were raised.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Worth the HypeMovies like thisExtreme: Pornograffitti Live 25 Documentary (2016)
Last year marked the 25th anniversary of EXTREME's classic multi-platinum, Grammy-nominated "Pornograffitti", the definitive album of the band's career. To mark the anniversary, "Pornograffitti Live 25: Metal Meltdown" will be released this fall by the production company Rock Fuel Media in association with Loud & Proud Records as part of their four-part "Metal Meltdown" DVD series. The concert film captures the Boston band performing the album "Pornograffitti" in its entirety. One of the highlights of the documentary is a moment where Gary and Nuno are sitting on the doorstep of Gary's childhood home, and they perform a spontaneous version of 'More Than Words'."
Why it matches: Similar story and style
GIRLS BAND CRY The Movie: Youth Rhapsody (2025)
After she drops out of school and moves to Tokyo by herself, Nina Iseri meets Momoka Kawaragi, the vocalist of her favourite band, and discovers the allure of music. Together with Subaru Awa, who always hides her true intentions, Tomo Ebizuka, who was ignored by her parents, and Rupa who has no relatives, Nina starts the rock band Togenashi Togeari. The five girls who all have their own worries confront the absurdities of the world and search for their place to belong.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
GIRLS BAND CRY The Movie: Hey, Our Future (2025)
After forming the band Togenashi Togeari, Nina confronts her issues at the hometown she escaped from. Momoka also confronts Diamond Dust, the band that she left. Their overcoming of the past inspires the others to do the same, and aim to become pro musicians, but they are unable to adapt to the demands of society and decide to continue as an indie band.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Bringing Godzilla Down to Size: The Art of Japanese Special Effects (2008)
A look at the unrecognized work of the talented artists and craftsmen who've maintained the tradition of Japanese special-effects. Highlighted is Yasuyuki Inoue along with various crew members who crafted meticulously detailed miniatures and risked life and limb as suit actors. All done to bring to life some of film's most iconic monsters through a distinct Japanese artform.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning?
The closest matches to Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning are Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition (2026), Metallica: Through the Never (2013) and The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning?
Start with Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition (2026), the closest match to Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning.
What is the highest-rated movie like Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning?
Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022), rated 8.4/10 by 623 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning?
Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning?
Yes: Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition (2026), Metallica: Through the Never (2013) and The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988).
How are movies similar to Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Metallica: Beyond Thunder and Lightning, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.