Movies like Pirates (1999)
The best movies like Pirates (1999) are Grace of My Heart (1996), Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970). If Pirates hooked you with its comedy and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Boat That Rocked (2009)7.2/10 from 2,368 votes
- NewestPower Ballad (2026)Released 2026
Grace of My Heart (1996)
Philadelphia teenager Edna Buxton wins a talent contest during the early rock 'n' roll era, changes her name to Denise Waverly and moves to New York City to make it big. Though she flops as a recording artist, fast-talking record producer Joel Millner recognizes her songwriting talent and teams her with struggling songsmith Howard Caszatt.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSweet and Lowdown (1999)
In the 1930s, jazz guitarist Emmet Ray idolizes Django Reinhardt, faces gangsters and falls in love with a mute woman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970)
An all-girl rock band moves to Hollywood in the hope of achieving success, only to fall into a whirlpool of wickedness and decadence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSLC Punk (1998)
Two former geeks become 1980s punks, then party and go to concerts while deciding what to do with their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKrush Groove (1985)
Russell Walker is a young, successful manager of rap performers, handling acts for the Krush Groove label, including Run-DMC and The Fat Boys. When Run-D.M.C. has a hit record and Russell needs more money to press more copies, he borrows it from a street hustler and soon regrets his decision.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSchool Dance (2014)
High schooler Jason has found his dream girl—the gorgeous Anastacia. There’s just one problem: she doesn’t know he exists. If he can win a spot on the school’s hottest dance crew, Jason might have a shot. But before he does, he’ll have to overcome his battle-ax of a mother, survive Anastacia’s gangsta brother, and pass the crew’s initiation—in this fresh, sexy, and outrageously funny comedy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPower Ballad (2026)
When Rick, a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his career, Rick sets out to reclaim the recognition he believes he deserves - even if it means risking everything he cares about.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTaking Off (1971)
Unable to deal with her parents, Jeannie Tyne runs away from home. Larry and Lynn Tyne search for her, and in the process meet other people whose children ran away. With their children gone, the parents are now free to rediscover/enjoy life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPump Up the Volume (1990)
Mark Hunter, a lonely high school student, uses his shortwave radio to moonlight as the popular pirate DJ "Hard Harry." When his show gets blamed for a teen committing suicide, the students clash with high school faculty and the authorities.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAirheads (1994)
The Lone Rangers have heavy-metal dreams and a single demo tape they can't get anyone to play. The solution: Hijack an FM rock radio station and hold the deejays hostage until they agree to broadcast the band's tape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Boat That Rocked (2009)
When a group of rebellious deejays decides to defy the ban on government-censored music, they take to the seas to broadcast music and mayhem to millions of adoring fans.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
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: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Doors (1991)
The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Cable Guy (1996)
When recently single Steven moves into his new apartment, cable guy Chip comes to hook him up—and doesn't let go. Initially, Chip is just overzealous in his desire to be Steven's pal, but when Steven tries to end the 'friendship', Chip shows his dark side. He begins stalking Steven, who's left to fend for himself because no one else can believe Chip's capable of such behaviour.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAmerican Graffiti (1973)
A couple of high school graduates spend one final night cruising the strip with their buddies before they go off to college.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies 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: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe After Party (2018)
When an aspiring rapper goes viral for the wrong reasons, he thinks his career is sunk. But a wild party gives him one more chance to make it right.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShort Cuts (1993)
Many loosely connected characters cross paths in this film, based on the stories of Raymond Carver. Waitress Doreen Piggot accidentally runs into a boy with her car. Soon after walking away, the child lapses into a coma. While at the hospital, the boy's grandfather tells his son, Howard, about his past affairs. Meanwhile, a baker starts harassing the family when they fail to pick up the boy's birthday cake.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJosie and the Pussycats (2001)
Josie, Melody and Val are three small-town girl musicians determined to take their rock band out of their garage and straight to the top, while remaining true to their look, style and sound. They get a record deal which brings fame and fortune but soon realize they are pawns of two people who want to control the youth of America. They must clear their names, even if it means losing fame and fortune.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGet Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)
A tale of an inner city drug dealer who turns away from crime to pursue his passion, rap music.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2 (2008)
Four young women continue the journey toward adulthood that began with "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." Now three years later, these lifelong friends embark on separate paths for their first year of college and the summer beyond, but remain in touch by sharing their experiences with each other.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMagicians (2007)
A pair of rivaling stage magicians are forced to confront their falling out over a guillotine mishap when they compete in a magic competition.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisAction Jackson (1988)
Vengeance drives a tough Detroit cop to stay on the trail of a power hungry auto magnate who's systematically eliminating his competition.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisBillie (2020)
‘Lady Day’ was one of the greatest jazz vocalists the world ever heard. In 1971, journalist Linda Lipnack Kuehl set out to write the definitive biography of Billie Holiday. Before her mysterious death in 1978, Lipnack Kuehl had taped over 200 hours of interviews. The tapes have never been heard. Now they form the basis of an atmospheric, multi-layered documentary that captures the many complex facets of a proud black woman, violent drug addict, loyal friend, vindictive lover and unforgettable singer of ‘God Bless The Child’, ‘Saddest Tale’ and the haunting ‘Strange Fruit’.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Flickering Lights (2000)
Four small gangsters from Copenhagen trick a gangster boss: they take over 4,000,000 kroner which they were supposed to bring him. Trying to escape to Barcelona they are forced to stop in the countryside, in an old, wrecked house, hiding there for several weeks. Slowly, one after another, they realize, that they would like to stay there, start a new life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWithdrawal (2025)
Artistic lovers, Viv and Jay, have become trapped in a vicious cycle of codependent heroin addiction. But when Viv’s wealthy parents hire an interventionist to take Viv to rehab, the couple decides to set off on their own with the help of a suboxone prescription... all they have to do is survive a harrowing night through drug withdrawal.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Zack and Miri Make a Porno (2008)
Lifelong platonic friends Zack and Miri look to solve their respective cash-flow problems by making an adult film together. As the cameras roll, however, the duo begin to sense that they may have more feelings for each other than they previously thought.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNightfaces (2024)
A taxi driver kicks a homeless woman out of his car. It'll be a long night until he can make amends.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Singular (2019)
Chronicles the extraordinary rise of Haitian-American jazz singer Cécile McLorin Salvant, anchored by a pristine recording of a live concert.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Oscar Peterson: Music in the Key of Oscar (1995)
This riveting music documentary traces the history of Jazz piano legend Oscar Peterson, from his early days as Montreal's teenage Boogie-Woogie sensation through his meteoric rise to international celebrity with Norman Granz and the ground-breaking Jazz at the Philharmonic and beyond. In this award-winning autobiographical portrait, legendary jazz pianist Oscar Peterson narrates his story, from his beginnings in smoke-filled Montreal clubs to hallmark performances with jazz greats. Concert footage includes an unforgettable combo -- Nat King Cole with Jazz at the Philharmonic and the Oscar Peterson Trio Wall reunion. Quincy Jones, Ella Fitzgerald and Dizzy Gillespie are interviewed, among others.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Pirates?
The closest matches to Pirates are Grace of My Heart (1996), Sweet and Lowdown (1999) and Beyond the Valley of the Dolls (1970). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Pirates?
Start with Grace of My Heart (1996), the closest match to Pirates.
What is the highest-rated movie like Pirates?
The Boat That Rocked (2009), rated 7.2/10 by 2,368 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Pirates?
Power Ballad (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Pirates chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Pirates, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.