Movies like Canary
The best movies like Canary (2018) are Sarafina! (1992), The Testament of Ann Lee (2025) and Coda (2020). If Canary hooked you with its music and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDance of the Forty One (2020)7.9/10 from 228 votes
- NewestBeast (2026)Released 2026
Sarafina! (1992)
A Soweto schoolgirl named Sarafina is galvanized to protest apartheid after her teacher is arrested for her activism, leading her to join the student resistance movement.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Testament of Ann Lee (2025)
The extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers as the female Christ.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & 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 & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRocketman (2019)
The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama
Worth the HypeMovies 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 & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBilly Elliot: The Musical Live (2014)
In County Durham, England, 1984, a talented young dancer, Billy Elliot, stumbles out of the boxing ring and onto the ballet floor. He faces many trials and triumphs as he strives to conquer his family’s set ways, inner conflict, and standing on his toes in a musical that questions masculinity, gender norms and conformity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies 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 music & 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 music & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like this8 Mile (2002)
For Jimmy Smith, Jr., life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in a world where rhymes rule, legends are born and every moment… is another chance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisVelvet Goldmine (1998)
Almost a decade since larger-than-life glam-rock enigma Brian Slade disappeared from public eye, an investigative journalist is on assignment to uncover the truth behind his former idol.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music
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 · both drama & music
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 · both music & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisZulu (1964)
In 1879, during the Anglo-Zulu War, man-of-the-people Lt. Chard and snooty Lt. Bromhead are in charge of defending the isolated and vastly outnumbered Natal outpost of Rorke's Drift from tribal hordes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Inspection (2022)
Ellis French is a young, gay Black man, rejected by his mother and with few options for his future, decides to join the Marines, doing whatever it takes to succeed in a system that would cast him aside. But even as he battles deep-seated prejudice and the grueling routines of basic training, he finds unexpected camaraderie, strength, and support in this new community, giving him a hard-earned sense of belonging that will shape his identity and forever change his life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Boys in the Band (2020)
At a birthday party in 1968 New York, a surprise guest and a drunken game leave seven gay friends reckoning with unspoken feelings and buried truths.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Boys in the Band (1970)
Harold is celebrating a birthday, and his friend Michael has drafted some other friends to help commemorate the event. As the evening progresses, an unexpected guest shows up, the alcohol flows, the knives come out, and dormant and unspoken emotions are unleashed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIndivisible (2018)
Upon returning from serving in the U.S. Army, Chaplain Darren Turner faces a crisis that shatters his Family and Faith in God but through the help of his fellow soldiers, he returns to his faith and family
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHowl (2010)
It's San Francisco in 1957, and an American masterpiece is put on trial. Howl, the film, recounts this dark moment using three interwoven threads: the tumultuous life events that led a young Allen Ginsberg to find his true voice as an artist, society's reaction (the obscenity trial), and mind-expanding animation that echoes the startling originality of the poem itself. All three coalesce in a genre-bending hybrid that brilliantly captures a pivotal moment-the birth of a counterculture.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlexander (2004)
Alexander, the King of Macedonia, leads his legions against the giant Persian Empire. After defeating the Persians, he leads his army across the then known world, venturing farther than any westerner had ever gone, all the way to India.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeast (2026)
MMA legend Patton James, now a commercial fisherman, is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in danger. Reuniting with his old coach Sammy, he commits to one final fight in one championship against the brutal champion Xavier Grau.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDipped in Gold (1970)
Benito is a married wealthy businessman. Unknown to his family, he is a closeted homosexual and is having a secret affair with his driver, Diego. Benito tries hard to keep his identity hidden, but Diego starts blackmailing him after losing money to gambling.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
My Best Part (2020)
Jérémie, a young man reaching a breaking point on all fronts, decides to leave behind Paris and return to Limosin, to the home of his intrusive mother.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisIs Anybody There? (2009)
A young boy who lives in an old folks' home strikes up a friendship with a retired magician.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Passenger (2012)
While searching for a condo in Berlin for his father, Nick meets Philipp, a young talented photographer and a gorgeous actress named Lilli. There is instant chemistry and both are easily seduced by Nick's charms. Lilli and Philipp begin to explore their relationship with the sexy visitor, succumbing to their passionate affections for him which intensifies their volatile emotional and physical bonds. But what Philipp and Lilli don't realize is that they are being lured into Nick's manipulative..and deadly, love game.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Secret of Wendel Samson (1966)
A young man's struggle with his sexuality overtakes his life, driving him deep into his subconscious where guilt and fears of physicality chase him still further. Cornered by an intangible terror, he realises he must either break out or break down.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Shower (2012)
A man enters the shower after his workout, but is soon sidetracked by a noise he cannot identify. He decides to seek out the source of the sound, and enters a situation that will leave him completely exposed.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Dance of the Forty One (2020)
Mexico City, November 1901. The police raid a private home where a secret party is being held. Among those attending is the son-in-law of President Porfirio Díaz.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBird of Prey (2016)
A married woman in her forties navigates a fine line between love and infatuation with her friend's daughter.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Driver (2017)
When her husband goes missing, a wife asked their driver to help her find him. Whaf happens next folliws an interesting plot involving sex, drama and thrills in this Thai erotic thriller.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Bendito Verano (2026)
During the summer of 2014, Federica travels with her mother to “La Retobada” to visit her grandmother Alicia. In the village, she reunites with Gala, her friend from every summer, and begins to experience new feelings that transform the way she understands friendship and desire. Amid family tensions, rumors, and traditions, Federica goes through a process of personal discovery that will mark the end of her childhood.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Canary?
The closest matches to Canary are Sarafina! (1992), The Testament of Ann Lee (2025) and Coda (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Canary?
Start with Sarafina! (1992), the closest match to Canary.
What is the highest-rated movie like Canary?
Dance of the Forty One (2020), rated 7.9/10 by 228 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Canary?
Beast (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Canary chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Canary, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.