Movies like Songwriter (1984)
The best movies like Songwriter (1984) are Taurus (2022), Battle of the Year (2013) and Cadillac Records (2008). If Songwriter hooked you with its drama and music, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedCadillac Records (2008)7.1/10 from 496 votes
- NewestLoving forever (2026)Released 2026
Taurus (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 & music
SnoozefestMovies 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 thisCadillac Records (2008)
The story of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, and the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta James and Chuck Berry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music
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 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 thisHoney: Rise Up and Dance (2018)
Street dancer Skyler comes out of the shadow of her trained dancer sister, Tosha, & joins a dance competition with the Honey dance studio; the prize is a college scholarship.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & drama
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 drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA (2017)
A young alcoholic ambient musician locks himself in his apartment on a dangerous seven day bender as he attempts to finish his upcoming album.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlaze (2018)
Inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw country movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The film weaves together three periods in Blaze's life, exploring his love affair with Sybil Rosen; his last, dark night on Earth; and the impact his songs and his death had on his fans, friends, and foes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWild Style (1982)
Legendary New York graffiti artist Lee Quinones plays the part of Zoro, the city's hottest and most elusive graffiti writer. The actual story of the movie concerns the tension between Zoro's passion for his art and his personal life, particularly his strained relationship with fellow artist Rose.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeats (2019)
An agoraphobic hip-hop prodigy and a disgraced former music manager cross paths in Chicago’s South Side and help each other face demons of their pasts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBorn to Be Blue (2015)
Jazz legend Chet Baker finds love and redemption when he stars in a movie about his own troubled life to mount a comeback.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 music & drama
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 thisThe Five Heartbeats (1991)
In the early 1960s, a quintet of hopeful, young African-American men form an amateur vocal group called The Five Heartbeats. After an initially rocky start, the group improves, turns pro, and rises to become a top flight music sensation. Along the way, however, the guys learn many hard lessons about the reality of the music industry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! (1989)
In the sixties, Eddie and the Cruisers were the hottest band around. But the tragic death of its lead singer broke the band up...only Eddie is not dead. He works as a carpenter in Montreal, but his love of music forces him to create a new band which will have to struggle with its anonymity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHounddog (2008)
A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLove & Mercy (2015)
In the late 1960s, the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson stops touring, produces "Pet Sounds" and begins to lose his grip on reality. By the 1980s, under the sway of a controlling therapist, he finds a savior in Melinda Ledbetter.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDeep Cuts (TBA)
A love story about two music-obsessed twenty-somethings navigating the messy realities of ambition, belonging and adulthood over the course of an era-defining decade.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music & drama
The Hottest State (2007)
A young actor from Texas tries to make it in New York while struggling in his relationship with a beautiful singer/songwriter.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisLoving forever (2026)
Edoardo Iaschi (known as Eddie Brock) is an Italian indie singer born and raised in Rome. When his song “Non è mica te” unexpectedly goes viral on TikTok, Edo is thrust into the spotlight and forced to confront the realities of adulthood, fame, and a world far bigger than he ever imagined…
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music & drama
American Pop (1981)
The history of American popular music runs parallel with the history of a Russian Jewish immigrant family, with each male descendant possessing different musical abilities.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe American Mall (2008)
The executive producers of High School Musical keep the good times rolling with this upbeat musical comedy set in the one place every American teenager's home away from home - the local shopping mall. Ally (Nina Dobrev) is an optimistic adolescent singer/songwriter whose hard working mother owns the mall music shop frequented by every teen in town. When Ally shares her music with Joey (Rob Mayes), a janitor in the mall who harbors rock star ambitions, she is thrilled to find someone who can truly relate to her songs as well as her heart. Trouble looms on the horizon, however, in the form of the mall owner's spoiled rotten daughter Madison (Autumn Reeser). Madison is the kind of girl who's used to getting whatever she wants, and what she wants now could prove disastrous for both Ally's ambitions, and her mother's popular music store.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & music
Forever the Dear Jack (TBA)
After becoming popular thanks to the talent show Amici, Dear Jack and their young frontman Alessio Bernabei will have to learn how to handle success and life as stars, but with a great price to pay…
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & music
Beside Bowie - The Mick Ronson Story (2017)
Beside Bowie: The Mick Ronson Story is a documentary about the life and work of Michael "Mick" Ronson, the guitarist, songwriter, producer and arranger who, in the early part of his career, performed with David Bowie as one of the 'Spiders from Mars'.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Man in the Camo Jacket (2017)
Iconic Welsh rock musician Mike Peters' rise to fame, battle with cancer and inspiring return, featuring one-of-a-kind performances from other legendary musicians.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Rock 'N Roll Mom (1988)
Dyan Cannon portrays Annie Hackett, an aspiring singer and suburban mother of two, who rocks and rolls her way through her household chores. When one of her songs is bought by a hip record executive for his label's biggest star, Darcy X, Annie is unexpectedly drafted into doing the demo record. To everyone's surprise, Annie's demo version becomes a hit, and Annie finds herself being groomed into a sexy Madonna-like idol! But the fun and fantasy of Annie's hot new image hit a sour not when she is told that her identity, her past - and her children - must remain a secret!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like Songwriter and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Songwriter?
The closest matches to Songwriter are Taurus (2022), Battle of the Year (2013) and Cadillac Records (2008). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Songwriter?
Start with Taurus (2022), the closest match to Songwriter.
What is the highest-rated movie like Songwriter?
Cadillac Records (2008), rated 7.1/10 by 496 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Songwriter?
Loving forever (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Songwriter?
Yes: Taurus (2022), Battle of the Year (2013) and Cadillac Records (2008).
How are movies similar to Songwriter chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Songwriter, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.