Movies like How They Got Over (2017)
The best movies like How They Got Over (2017) are Respect (2021), Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown (2014) and Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021). If How They Got Over hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSummer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)7.6/10 from 237 votes
- NewestGunslingers (2025)Released 2025
Respect (2021)
The rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown (2014)
James Brown changed the face of American music forever. Abandoned by his parents at an early age, James Brown was a self-made man who became one of the most influential artists of the 20th century, not just through his music, but also as a social activist. Charting his journey from rhythm and blues to funk, MR. DYNAMITE: THE RISE OF JAMES BROWN features rare and previously unseen footage, photographs and interviews, chronicling the musical ascension of “the hardest working man in show business,” from his first hit, “Please, Please, Please,” in 1956, to his iconic performances at the Apollo Theater, the T.A.M.I. Show, the Paris Olympia and more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSummer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021)
During the same summer as Woodstock, over 300,000 people attended the Harlem Cultural Festival, celebrating African American music and culture, and promoting Black pride and unity. The footage from the festival sat in a basement, unseen for over 50 years, keeping this incredible event in America's history lost — until now.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisZappa (2020)
With the help of more than 10,000 dedicated Zappa fans, this is the long-awaited definitive documentary project of Alex Winter documenting the life and career of enigmatic groundbreaking rock star Frank Zappa. Alex also utilizes in this picture thousands of hours of painstakingly digitized videos, photos, audio, writing, and everything in between from Zappa's private archives. These chronicles have never been brought to a public audience before, until now.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAll Eyez on Me (2017)
All Eyez on Me chronicles the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur, including his rise to superstardom as a hip-hop artist, actor, poet and activist, as well as his imprisonment and prolific, controversial time at Death Row Records. Against insurmountable odds, Tupac rose to become a cultural icon whose career and persona both continue to grow long after his passing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNotorious (2009)
"Notorious" is the story of Christopher Wallace. Through raw talent and sheer determination, Wallace transforms himself from Brooklyn street hustler (once selling crack to pregnant women) to one of the greatest rappers of all time: The Notorious B.I.G. Follow his meteoric rise to fame and his refusal to succumb to expectations - redefining our notion of "The American Dream."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGunslingers (2025)
When the most wanted man in America surfaces in a small Kentucky town, his violent history -- and a blood-thirsty mob seeking vengeance and a king’s ransom -- soon follow. As brothers face off against one another and bullets tear the town to shreds, this lightning-fast gunslinger makes his enemies pay the ultimate price for their greed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMichael Jackson's This Is It (2009)
A compilation of interviews, rehearsals and backstage footage of Michael Jackson as he prepared for his series of sold-out shows in London.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJoyful Noise (2012)
G.G. Sparrow faces off with her choir's newly appointed director, Vi Rose Hill, over the group's direction as they head into a national competition.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJuice (1992)
Four Harlem friends -- Bishop, Q, Steel and Raheem -- dabble in petty crime, but they decide to go big by knocking off a convenience store. Bishop, the magnetic leader of the group, has the gun. But Q has different aspirations. He wants to be a DJ and happens to have a gig the night of the robbery. Unfortunately for him, Bishop isn't willing to take no for answer in a game where everything's for keeps.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Bravados (1958)
Jim Douglass arrives in the small town of Rio Arriba in order to witness the hanging of the four men he believes murdered his wife. When the convicts escape, Jim tracks them into Mexico, determined to see that justice is done. But the farther Jim goes in his quest for vengeance, the more merciless he becomes, losing himself in an unrelenting spiral of hatred and violence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Complete Unknown (2024)
New York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent, destined to change the course of American music.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisElvis (2022)
The life story of Elvis Presley as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Mambo Kings (1992)
The Mambo Kings tells the story of César and Nestor Castillo, brothers and aspiring musicians who flee from Cuba to America in search of the American Dream.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Glenn Miller Story (1954)
A vibrant tribute to one of America's legendary bandleaders, charting Glenn Miller's rise from obscurity and poverty to fame and wealth in the early 1940s.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFlaming Star (1960)
Pacer Burton, a young man of mixed Kiowa and white heritage, is caught between two worlds as conflict erupts between Native Americans and white settlers in Texas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Long Riders (1980)
The origins, exploits and the ultimate fate of the James gang is told in a sympathetic portrayal of the bank robbers made up of brothers who begin their legendary bank raids because of revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBob Marley: One Love (2024)
Jamaican singer-songwriter Bob Marley overcomes adversity to become the most famous reggae musician in the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKeith Richards: Under the Influence (2015)
A portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
Like How They Got Over and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like How They Got Over?
The closest matches to How They Got Over are Respect (2021), Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown (2014) and Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after How They Got Over?
Start with Respect (2021), the closest match to How They Got Over.
What is the highest-rated movie like How They Got Over?
Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021), rated 7.6/10 by 237 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like How They Got Over?
Gunslingers (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like How They Got Over?
Yes: Respect (2021), Mr. Dynamite: The Rise of James Brown (2014) and Summer of Soul (...Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised) (2021).
How are movies similar to How They Got Over chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside How They Got Over, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.