Movies like One Trick Pony (1980)
The best movies like One Trick Pony (1980) are Control (2007), Taurus (2022) and Jailhouse Rock (1957). If One Trick Pony hooked you with its drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBetter Man (2024)7.6/10 from 958 votes
- NewestBeyond Belief (2026)Released 2026
Control (2007)
The story of Joy Division’s lead singer Ian Curtis, from his schoolboy days in 1973 to his suicide on the eve of the band's first American tour in 1980.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies 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 drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisJailhouse Rock (1957)
Young convict Vince Everett, serving time for manslaughter, discovers his musical talent in prison and becomes a rock and roll star after his release, navigating fame and relationships.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFaces (1968)
Middle-aged suburban husband Richard abruptly tells his wife, Maria, that he wants a divorce. As Richard takes up with a younger woman, Maria enjoys a night on the town with her friends and meets a younger man. As the couple and those around them confront a seemingly futile search for what they've lost -- love, excitement, passion -- this classic American independent film explores themes of aging and alienation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies 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 drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFireflies in the Garden (2008)
The semi-autobiographical story centers on the complexities of love and commitment in a family torn apart when faced with an unexpected tragedy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCrossroads (1986)
A wanna-be blues guitar virtuoso seeks a long-lost song by legendary musician, Robert Johnson.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBattle of the Year (2013)
A down-on-his-luck coach is hired to prepare a team of the best American dancers for an international tournament that attracts all the best crews from around the world, but the Americans haven't won in fifteen years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBetter Man (2024)
Follow Robbie Williams' journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the challenges that stratospheric fame and success can bring.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSuburbia (1984)
When household tensions and a sense of worthlessness overcome Evan, he finds escape when he clings with the orphans of a throw-away society. The runaways hold on to each other like a family until a tragedy tears them apart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSalomé (2013)
After the lewd and frenetic Dance of the Seven Veils, and with the solemn pledge from the very lips of Herod himself that she could have whatever her heart desires up to half his kingdom, wanton and proud young Salomé comes before her king with an unreasonable demand. Beguiled by John the Baptist, and then scorned for the sake of his god, lascivious Salomé—encouraged by her mother, the vindictive, Herodias—commands that John be executed and his head delivered on a silver platter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJackie & Ryan (2014)
A modern day train hopper fighting to be a successful musician and a single mom battling to maintain custody of her daughter defy their circumstances by coming together in a relationship that may change each other's lives forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisAdulterers (2016)
On a steamy New Orleans afternoon, Sam Deuprey decides to surprise his beautiful wife, Ashley, for their anniversary and comes home early. But Ashley is not alone in the bedroom. She and her lover, Damien are about to learn how far a jealous husband will go.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeing the Ricardos (2021)
Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz face a crisis that could end their careers and another that could end their marriage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisButterfly on a Wheel (2007)
A sociopathic kidnapper methodically pushes a desperate pair of parents to their absolute breaking point.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMarty Supreme (2025)
Marty Mauser, a young man with a dream no one respects, goes to hell and back in pursuit of greatness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Perfect Murder (1998)
Millionaire industrialist Steven Taylor is a man who has everything but what he craves most: the love and fidelity of his wife. A hugely successful player in the New York financial world, he considers her to be his most treasured acquisition. But she needs more than simply the role of dazzling accessory.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDeep Water (2022)
A well-to-do husband who allows his wife to have affairs in order to avoid a divorce becomes a prime suspect in the disappearance of her lovers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisCrime of Passion (1956)
Kathy leaves the newspaper business to marry homicide detective Bill, but is frustrated by his lack of ambition and the banality of life in the suburbs. Her drive to advance Bill's career soon takes her down a dangerous path.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYou Got Served (2004)
At Mr. Rad's Warehouse, the best hip-hop crews in Los Angeles compete for money and respect. But when a suburban crew crashes the party, stealing their dancers — and their moves — two warring friends have to pull together to represent the street.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeyond Belief (2026)
An aspiring teenage rock star trains for a marathon after hearing a mysterious voice.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Every Night When You Take the Garbage Out (2020)
A 13-year old lonely teenager girl is madly in love with a greasy haired, 30-year old rocker boy in the neighbor. One day she decides to confess her feelings to him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Torment (1994)
Working extremely hard to keep his hotel afloat, Paul begins hearing voices in his head. Convinced that his wife has been unfaithful, he begins to see every male guest as a potential threat. What follows is Paul's downward spiral into the madness of deranged jealousy where he finally discovers that hell is not a state of mind – hell is himself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHeaven Tonight (1990)
The film covers the conflict between a father and his son both being musicians. The father is the leader of a band making rock-music from the 60s but his son becomes a star of techno-pop music.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
House of Gucci (2021)
When Patrizia Reggiani, an outsider from humble beginnings, marries into the Gucci family, her unbridled ambition begins to unravel the family legacy and triggers a reckless spiral of betrayal, decadence, revenge, and ultimately… murder.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScar Tissue (TBA)
The life of Anthony Kiedis, famed frontman of The Red Hot Chili Peppers, artist, addict, and ringleader, contains a deeply unconventional father and son story set against a substance-fueled 70s & 80s LA punk scene. This story examines, without judgement, how all of his experiences shaped the music that was eventually embraced by millions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Belly of an Architect (1987)
Stourley Kracklite, a driven, detail-obsessed architect, travels from America to Rome with his much younger wife, Louisa, to oversee an architectural homage to a personal hero, 18th-century master builder Etienne-Louis Boullée. En route by train, Stourley and Louisa conceive a much-wanted child — but Stourley's obsession with his wife's expanding belly, her perceived infidelity, and his own recurrent bouts of abdominal pain reach epic and dangerous proportions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSave the Tiger (1973)
A businessman's professional struggles begin to conflict with his personal life over the course of two days.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Wild Season (2018)
The marriage between Claudia and David has ended due to Claudia's addiction problems, in addition to the different psychological disorders she suffers from. Despite the dire state of their relationship, David does everything possible so that his beloved is happy and manages to lead as healthy a life as possible. That is why they both move to Galicia, where they will build a new and better life, and rediscover buried feelings.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like One Trick Pony?
The closest matches to One Trick Pony are Control (2007), Taurus (2022) and Jailhouse Rock (1957). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after One Trick Pony?
Start with Control (2007), the closest match to One Trick Pony.
What is the highest-rated movie like One Trick Pony?
Better Man (2024), rated 7.6/10 by 958 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like One Trick Pony?
Beyond Belief (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like One Trick Pony?
Yes: Control (2007), Taurus (2022) and Jailhouse Rock (1957).
How are movies similar to One Trick Pony chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside One Trick Pony, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.