Movies like The Was (2016)
The best movies like The Was (2016) are A Mighty Wind (2003), Beat Street (1984) and Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979). If The Was hooked you with its 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
- NewestSan San Jo Gak (2026)Released 2026
A Mighty Wind (2003)
Three eclectic, never-quite-famous folk bands come together for the first time in decades following the death of their manager to put on an reunion concert in his honor, at the request of his son.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeat Street (1984)
An aspiring DJ, from the South Bronx, and his best friend, a promoter, try to get into show business by exposing people to hip-hop music and culture.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRock 'n' Roll High School (1979)
A group of rock-music-loving students, with the help of the Ramones, take over their school to combat its newly installed oppressive administration.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnima (2019)
In a short musical film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Thom Yorke of Radiohead stars in a mind-bending visual piece. Best played loud.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisArlo the Alligator Boy (2021)
Upon learning that he is from New York City, a wide-eyed boy, who is half human and half alligator, decides to leave his sheltered life in the swamp and search for his long lost father. A musical adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCosmic Ray (1962)
Experimental short uses Ray Charles' “What'd I Say” as accompaniment to constantly shifting collage of female nude, cartoons, and newsreels of atomic bomb explosions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
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 music
Worth the HypeMovies 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 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 thisSquaring the Circle (The Story of Hipgnosis) (2023)
In 1968, art students Storm Thorgerson and Aubrey “Po” Powell made a trippy photo collage for their musician friends Syd, David and Roger. The resulting album and album cover, A Saucerful of Secrets, helped launch two careers: that of Pink Floyd, one of the 70s megabands, and of Hipgnosis, which, over the course of the next 25 years, designed a stream of iconic album covers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTrolls World Tour (2020)
Queen Poppy and Branch make a surprising discovery — there are other Troll worlds beyond their own, and their distinct differences create big clashes between these various tribes. When a mysterious threat puts all of the Trolls across the land in danger, Poppy, Branch, and their band of friends must embark on an epic quest to create harmony among the feuding Trolls to unite them against certain doom.
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 thisGuava Island (2019)
Deni Maroon, a musician and dock worker is determined to pull off a music festival against the interests of the local factory owner.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAll Too Well: The Short Film (2021)
Short film featuring the extended version of the song “All Too Well” by Taylor Swift. A troubled couple's romance blossoms before it eventually falls apart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies 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: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHIStory on Film, Volume II (1997)
Nearly 2 hours of the short films that made HIStory... Including never before released short films.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMadonna: The Immaculate Collection (1990)
The Immaculate Collection is the first commercially released greatest videos compilation by singer Madonna. Released on November 13, 1990 to accompany the audio CD, it contained hits spanning 1983-1990. The collection won "Best Long Form Video" category at the 1991 MTV Video Music Awards. Includes the following videos: 1. Lucky Star 2. Borderline 3. Like a Virgin 4. Material Girl 5. Papa Don't Preach 6. Open Your Heart 7. La Isla Bonita 8. Like a Prayer 9. Express Yourself 10. Cherish 11. Oh Father 12. Vogue 13. Vogue (1990 MTV Awards Show Performance)
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisKing of Jazz (1930)
A large-scale revue musical built around Paul Whiteman and his orchestra, presenting a series of musical performances, sketches, and staged tableaux in early two-color Technicolor, emblematic of Hollywood’s early sound-era “all-star” musical productions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlack Is King (2020)
This visual album from Beyoncé reimagines the lessons of "The Lion King" (2019) for today's young kings and queens in search of their own crowns.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978)
The story of the rise and fall of the Pre-Fab Four.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSan San Jo Gak (2026)
A silent film was created from a scenario inspired by a single poem, and a studio album later emerged from the imagery of the film. The groundbreaking production traces the world of three characters—White Kiha, Black Kiha, and Pillow Monster while delivering a story of loss, transformation, and the circle of life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
I'd Do Anything for Love (But I Won't Do That) (1993)
A take on "Beauty and The Beast" and "Phantom of the Opera" in which Meatloaf pursues a beautiful woman as he's chased by the cops.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Birds of a Feather Flock Together (2025)
a love letter to her friends (in the most platonic way of course).
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Spice Girls: Greatest Hits (2007)
A bonus DVD included with the "Spice Girls: Greatest Hits" audio CD.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Ghost Song (2022)
A man attempts contact with a resident spirit.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Was?
The closest matches to The Was are A Mighty Wind (2003), Beat Street (1984) and Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Was?
Start with A Mighty Wind (2003), the closest match to The Was.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Was?
Ghosts (1997), rated 8.1/10 by 305 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Was?
San San Jo Gak (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Was?
Yes: A Mighty Wind (2003), Beat Street (1984) and Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979).
How are movies similar to The Was chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Was, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.