Movies like I Came As a Stranger (1978)
The best movies like I Came As a Stranger (1978) are Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted (1990), The Work of Director Michel Gondry (2003) and I Am Easy to Find (2019). If I Came As a Stranger hooked you with its music, these 20 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
- NewestApple Music Live: Lady Gaga MAYHEM Requiem (2026)Released 2026
Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted (1990)
After her boyfriend ends their relationship, the dreamself of a heartbroken woman floats through the air over an industrial wasteland singing ballads of love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Work of Director Michel Gondry (2003)
A look at the work of director Michel Gondry, through his music videos, short films, and commercials.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisI Am Easy to Find (2019)
A life in one-hundred-sixty-four moments.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOne Chance (2013)
This film follows the remarkable and inspirational true story of Paul Potts, a shy, bullied shop assistant by day and an amateur opera singer by night.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCoda (2020)
A famous pianist at the twilight of his career meets a free-spirited music critic who soon becomes his rock as his mental state deteriorates.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisClika (2026)
Aspiring small-town musician Chito is determined to make it big. When a clip of him performing one of his songs goes viral, he seizes the opportunity and pushes to carve out a place for himself in the new wave of Mexican-American music... and ultimately gets caught in a game more dangerous than anticipated.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisTaurus (2022)
A rising but troubled musician searches for the inspiration to record one last song, pushing himself deep into the void.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
SnoozefestMovies like thisThirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993)
A collection of vignettes highlighting different aspects of the life, work, and character of the acclaimed Canadian classical pianist.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisToo Late Blues (1961)
Ghost is an ideological musician and leader of a jazz band who would rather play his blues in the park to the birds than compromise himself. His peripatetic performances lead him to cross paths with a singer, while his masculinity is thrown into question following a violent brawl.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMo' Better Blues (1990)
Talented but self-centered trumpeter Bleek Gilliam is obsessed with his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends Indigo and Clarke. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend, Bleek finds his world more fragile than he ever imagined.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMichael Jackson Video Greatest Hits: HIStory (1995)
This compilation features 10 of Michael Jackson's greatest video hits, including "Billie Jean," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Black or White," "Rock With You" and others. -Includes the never before seen 18 minute version of "Bad". Directed by Martin Scorsese. Featuring Wesley Snipes. -9:30 Long Version of "The Way You Make Me Feel". -"Black Or White"- short film "Panther" version -"thriller"- "monstrous masterpiece" the ultimate "music movie" 14 minutes of horrific fun by director John Landis. -"remember The Time"- directed by John Singleton (Higher Learning, Boyz N The Hood, Shaft),features Eddie Murphy and Magic Johnson.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisKurt Cobain: About a Son (2007)
An intimate and moving meditation on the late musician and artist Kurt Cobain, based on more than 25 hours of previously unheard audiotaped interviews conducted with Cobain by noted music journalist Michael Azerrad for his book "Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana." In the film, Kurt Cobain recounts his own life - from his childhood and adolescence to his days of musical discovery and later dealings with explosive fame - and offers often piercing insights into his life, music, and times. The conversations heard in the film have never before been made public, and they reveal a highly personal portrait of an artist much discussed but not particularly well understood.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStudio 666 (2022)
Legendary rock band Foo Fighters move into an Encino mansion steeped in grisly rock and roll history to record their much anticipated 10th album. Once in the house, Dave Grohl finds himself grappling with supernatural forces that threaten both the completion of the album and the lives of the band.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
SnoozefestMovies like thisApple Music Live: Lady Gaga MAYHEM Requiem (2026)
For Apple Music Live, Gaga presents MAYHEM Requiem, a celebration and musical reimagining of MAYHEM.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisJohn & Yoko: Above Us Only Sky (2018)
Film telling the untold story of John Lennon's 1971 album Imagine, exploring the creative collaboration between Lennon and Yoko Ono and featuring interviews and never-seen-before footage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSturgill Simpson Presents Sound & Fury (2019)
In this anime visual album, a mysterious driver heads deep into a postapocalyptic hellscape toward a ferocious showdown with two monstrous opponents.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGrace Unplugged (2013)
A talented young singer and aspiring songwriter’s Christian faith and family ties are tested when she defies her worship-pastor father and pursues pop-music stardom in GRACE UNPLUGGED, a moving and inspiring new film that explores the true meaning of success.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both 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 thisTo Write Love on Her Arms (2015)
The story follows 19-year-old Renee who has always loved fairy tales: the idea of a princess, a hero and a happily ever after. But Renee’s life is that of a darker tale: she’s a young woman battling addiction, depression and self-injury. In a creative blend of artistic fantasy balanced with harsh reality, the movie follows Renee on her courageous journey towards recovery.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like I Came As a Stranger?
The closest matches to I Came As a Stranger are Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted (1990), The Work of Director Michel Gondry (2003) and I Am Easy to Find (2019). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after I Came As a Stranger?
Start with Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted (1990), the closest match to I Came As a Stranger.
What is the highest-rated movie like I Came As a Stranger?
Ghosts (1997), rated 8.1/10 by 305 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like I Came As a Stranger?
Apple Music Live: Lady Gaga MAYHEM Requiem (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like I Came As a Stranger?
Yes: Industrial Symphony No. 1: The Dream of the Brokenhearted (1990), The Work of Director Michel Gondry (2003) and I Am Easy to Find (2019).
How are movies similar to I Came As a Stranger chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside I Came As a Stranger, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.