Movies like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream (2007)
The best movies like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream (2007) are The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan: Live at the Newport Folk Festival (2007), Sound City (2013) and The Rolling Stones: Stones in Exile (2010). If Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream hooked you with its documentary and music, 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
- NewestDiane Warren: Relentless (2025)Released 2025
The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan: Live at the Newport Folk Festival (2007)
An unvarnished chronicle of Bob Dylan's metamorphosis from folk to rock musician via appearances at the Newport Folk Festival between 1963 and 1965.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & documentary
Sound City (2013)
The history of Sound City and their huge recording device; exploring how digital change has allowed 'people that have no place' in music to become stars. It follows former Nirvana drummer and Foo Fighter David Grohl as he attempts to resurrect the studio back to former glories.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Rolling Stones: Stones in Exile (2010)
In 1971, to get breathing room from tax and management problems, the Stones go to France. Jimmy Miller parks a recording truck next to Keith Richards and Anita Pallenberg's Blue Coast villa, and by June the band is in the basement a few days at a time. Upstairs, heroin, bourbon, and visitors are everywhere. The Stones, other musicians and crew, Pallenberg, and photographer Dominique Tarle, plus old clips and photos and contemporary footage, provide commentary on the album's haphazard construction. By September, the villa is empty; Richards and Jagger complete production in LA. "Exile on Main Street" is released to mediocre reviews that soon give way to lionization.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers (2017)
An intimate portrait of the acclaimed North Carolina band The Avett Brothers, charting their decade-and-a- half rise, while chronicling their present-day collaboration with famed producer Rick Rubin on the multi-Grammy-nominated album “True Sadness.”
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & documentary
Dig! (2004)
A documentary on the once promising American rock bands The Brian Jonestown Massacre and The Dandy Warhols. The friendship between respective founders, Anton Newcombe and Courtney Taylor, escalated into bitter rivalry as the Dandy Warhols garnered major international success while the Brian Jonestown Massacre imploded in a haze of drugs.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWho Is Harry Nilsson (And Why Is Everybody Talkin' About Him?) (2010)
The life and work of the enigmatic singer-songwriter Harry Nilsson.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLadies & Gentlemen, the Rolling Stones (1973)
A concert film taken from two Rolling Stones concerts during their 1972 North American tour. In 1972, the Stones bring their Exile on Main Street tour to Texas: 15 songs, with five from the "Exile" album. Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Mick Taylor, Charlie Watts, and Bill Wyman on a small stage with three other musicians. Until the lights come up near the end, we see the Stones against a black background. The camera stays mostly on Jagger, with a few shots of Taylor. Richards is on screen for his duets and for some guitar work on the final two songs. It's music from start to finish: hard rock ("All Down the Line"), the blues ("Love in Vain" and "Midnight Rambler"), a tribute to Chuck Berry ("Bye Bye Johnny"), and no "Satisfaction."
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & documentary
Lost Songs: The Basement Tapes Continued (2014)
A documentary that goes behind the scenes with some of today's most talented songwriters as they make new music based on long-lost, newly discovered lyrics from Bob Dylan's legendary Basement Tapes sessions. T Bone Burnett brings Elvis Costello, Rhiannon Giddens, Taylor Goldsmith, Jim James and Marcus Mumford together in a dramatic two-week studio session in the basement of Capitol Records. Features an exclusive interview with Bob Dylan.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & documentary
Bob Dylan – Don't Look Back (1967)
In this wildly entertaining vision of one of the twentieth century’s greatest artists, Bob Dylan is surrounded by teen fans, gets into heated philosophical jousts with journalists, and kicks back with fellow musicians Joan Baez, Donovan, and Alan Price.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTom Petty, Somewhere You Feel Free (2021)
Drawn from a newly discovered archive of 16mm film showing Tom Petty at work on his 1994 record Wildflowers, considered by many including Rolling Stone to be his greatest album ever, Somewhere You Feel Free is an intimate view of a musical icon.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
The Other One: The Long, Strange Trip of Bob Weir (2014)
Drop out of school to ride with the Merry Pranksters. Form America’s most enduring jam band. Become a family man and father. Never stop chasing the muse. Bob Weir took his own path to and through superstardom as rhythm guitarist for The Grateful Dead. Mike Fleiss re-imagines the whole wild journey in this magnetic rock doc and concert film, with memorable input from bandmates, contemporaries, followers, family, and, of course, the inimitable Bob Weir himself.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
The Ties That Bind: The Making of The River (2015)
Employing an intimate interview style, Grammy- and Emmy®-winning filmmaker Thom Zimny showcases Bruce Springsteen’s first-person take on his writing process. Offering an in-depth discussion on the origins of key tracks from his first double album, The River, Springsteen shares how they were developed, from the notebook page to the studio to, most viscerally, the concert stage. Interspersed throughout the interview are his acoustic versions of several defining tracks from The River, including “Two Hearts,” “The River,” “Independence Day,” “Hungry Heart,” “Point Blank” and “Wreck on the Highway.”
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
Immediate Family (2022)
If you listen to 1970s pop music, you’ve undoubtedly heard these guys play, but do you know their names? This documentary highlights five talented men—Danny, Leland, Rus, Waddy, and Steve— who shunned the spotlight for themselves yet enjoyed decades of success as session musicians on iconic tracks. Interviewees include their collaborators James Taylor, Don Henley, Lyle Lovett, Jackson Browne, Phil Collins, Carole King, Stevie Nicks, Keith Richards, Steve Jordan, and dozens more who take us behind the scenes on the songs that shaped an era.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & documentary
No Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005)
A chronicle of Bob Dylan's strange evolution between 1961 and 1966 from folk singer to protest singer to "voice of a generation" to rock star.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHeartbreakers Beach Party (2024)
Documentary that captures Tom Petty and the band in 1982-1983 as they finish, promote, and tour around the “Long After Dark” album (their final with legendary producer Jimmy Iovine). It aired only once on MTV in 1983. After the long lost 16mm reels were finally found, a restored version with 19 minutes of extra footage was released in 2024.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
Analog Love (2021)
Do you remember sharing your feelings with someone through a “mix tape?” Analog Love is a joyful look at why this ritual of communication through music still continues to be so meaningful. With the insights of Henry Rollins, Money Mark (Beastie Boys), Kim Shattuck (The Muffs), Jennifer Finch (L7), Chantal Claret, Jude “Rude Jude” Angelini, Zernell Gillie (Grimy!), Mona Lisa Murray, Christian James Hand (The Session) and many more, we’ll get to the bottom of the long-lost art of the mix tape.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
Brian Wilson: Long Promised Road (2021)
Join The Beach Boy's Brian Wilson on an intimate journey through his legendary career as he reminisces with Rolling Stone editor and longtime friend, Jason Fine. Featuring a new song written and performed by Wilson and interviews with Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Nick Jonas, Linda Perry, Jim James, Gustavo Dudamel and Al Jardine.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
The Promise: The Making of Darkness on the Edge of Town (2010)
The ninety-minute film combines never-before-seen footage of Springsteen and the E Street Band shot between 1976 and 1978—including home rehearsals and studio sessions — with new interviews with Springsteen, E Street Band members, manager Jon Landau, former-manager Mike Appel, and others closely involved in the making of the record.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & documentary
Down from the Mountain (2001)
On May 24, 2000, the historic Ryman Auditorium was booked to offer Nashvillians an evening of sublime beauty. Label executives and soundtrack producers so loved the music of O Brother, Where Art Thou? that they brought it to life as a benefit concert for the Country Music Hall of Fame. Filmmakers Joel and Ethan Coen loved it so much that they hired famed documentary filmmaker D.A. Pennebaker to record the show for posterity. The concert that unfolded that night was one of the greatest musical moments in the annals of Music City. Performers: John Hartford, Alison Krauss, Emmylou Harris, Gillian Welch, Chris Thomas King, The Cox Family, Fairfield Four, Union Station, Colin Linden, The Nashville Bluegrass Band, The Peasall Sisters, Ralph Stanley, David Rawlings, The Whites.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & documentary
Echo in the Canyon (2019)
A look at the roots of the historic music scene in L.A.'s Laurel Canyon featuring the music of iconic music groups such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas and the Papas.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPhil Ochs: There But for Fortune (2011)
From civil rights to the anti-war movement to the struggles of workers, folksinger Phil Ochs wrote topical songs that engaged his audiences in the issues of the 1960s and 70s. In this biographical documentary, veteran director Kenneth Bowser shows how Phil's music and his fascinating life story and eventual decline into depression and suicide were intertwined with the history-making events that defined a generation. Even as his contemporaries moved into folk-rock and pop music, Phil followed his own vision, challenging himself and his listeners. Not one to pull punches, Ochs never achieved the commercial success he desperately desired. But his music remains relevant, reaching new audiences in a generation that finds his themes all too familiar.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
Bob Dylan: Trouble No More (2017)
This very special film consists of truly electrifying video footage from Bob Dylan’s “born again” period, shot on the last leg of his ’79-’80 tour, much of it thought to have been lost for years and all newly restored.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both music & documentary
Tom Waits: Big Time (1988)
Bringing his unique sense of humor to this bizarre and original piece of moviemaking, Tom Waits takes the audience through a musical journey with his jazzy, quirky, bluesy tunes presented as you would never, ever, ever expect.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
Diane Warren: Relentless (2025)
An intimate look at the life, career and process of one of the most accomplished songwriters of all time, Diane Warren.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
Tom Waits: Tales from a Cracked Jukebox (2017)
Tom Waits is one of the most original musicians of the last five decades. Renowned for his gravelly voice and dazzling mix of musical styles, he's also one of modern music's most enigmatic and influential artists. Using rare archive, audio recordings and interviews, this film is a bewitching after-hours trip through the surreal, moonlit world of Waits' music - a portrait of a pioneering musician and his unique, alternative American songbook.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
What Drives Us (2021)
The stories of some of the biggest artists in music, recalling the romance and adventure, as well as the idiocy and chaos, of their time on the road. While the world has changed, the custom has not changed. There is no other way to know whether you can make it in this business. You have to get in the van.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
Johnny Cash: American Rebel (2015)
Johnny Cash: American Rebel is built around 12 essential Johnny Cash tracks spanning four decades that each deliver the passion, musicality and messages against war, injustice, racism and prejudice, including “Folsom Prison Blues,” “Jackson,” “San Quentin,” “Man in Black,” “Sunday Morning Coming Down,” “Ring of Fire” and “Hurt.” Each song illustrates a chapter in his life, as well the story of an ever-changing America from the 1950s to modern day, as told through interviews, archival concert footage, photographs and personal artifacts from the Cash family.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary & music
The 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 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 thisNeil Young: Heart of Gold (2006)
In March 2005, Neil Young was diagnosed with a brain aneurysm. Four days before he was scheduled for a lifesaving operation, he headed to Nashville, where he wrote and recorded the country folk album Prairie Wind with old friends and family members. After the successful operation and recovery period, he returned to Nashville that August to play at the famed Ryman Auditorium, once again gathering together friends and family for this special performance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream?
The closest matches to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream are The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan: Live at the Newport Folk Festival (2007), Sound City (2013) and The Rolling Stones: Stones in Exile (2010). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream?
People who watched Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream most often go on to The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan: Live at the Newport Folk Festival (2007), Sound City (2013) and The Rolling Stones: Stones in Exile (2010).
What is the highest-rated movie like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream?
The Last Waltz (1978), rated 7.7/10 by 330 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream?
Diane Warren: Relentless (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream?
Yes: The Other Side of the Mirror: Bob Dylan: Live at the Newport Folk Festival (2007), Sound City (2013) and The Rolling Stones: Stones in Exile (2010).
How are movies similar to Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers: Runnin' Down a Dream, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.