Movies like Being Shakespeare (2012)
The best movies like Being Shakespeare (2012) are Prick Up Your Ears (1987), A Different Man (2024) and Author! Author! (1982). If Being Shakespeare hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBecket (1964)7.2/10 from 208 votes
- NewestA Different Man (2024)Released 2024
Prick Up Your Ears (1987)
When the young, attractive Joe Orton meets the older, more introverted Kenneth Halliwell at drama school, he befriends the kindred spirit and they start an affair. As Orton becomes more comfortable with his sexuality and starts to find success with his writing, Halliwell becomes increasingly alienated and jealous, ultimately tapping into a dangerous rage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Different Man (2024)
Aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAuthor! Author! (1982)
While facing the stress of his original play being produced on Broadway, playwright Ivan Travalian deals with having to raise his son, his stepdaughters, and his stepsons.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLooking for Richard (1996)
Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead (1991)
Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, minor characters from the play 'Hamlet', find themselves on the road to Elsinore Castle at the behest of the King of Denmark. The duo encounter a band of players before arriving to find that they are needed to try to discern what troubles the prince Hamlet. Meanwhile, they ponder the meaning of their existence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJulia (1977)
At the behest of an old and dear friend, playwright Lillian Hellman undertakes a dangerous mission to smuggle funds into Nazi Germany.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMuch Ado About Nothing (2013)
A modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBecket (1964)
Thomas Becket, Henry II's longtime advisor, finds his friendship with the debauched king corroding when he is unwillingly appointed as Archbishop of Canterbury in an attempt to gain absolute loyalty from the Church.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJohn Leguizamo's Latin History for Morons (2018)
In this one-man Broadway show, John Leguizamo finds humor and heartbreak as he traces 3,000 years of Latin history in an effort to help his bullied son.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMr. Baseball (1992)
Jack Elliot, a one-time MVP for the New York Yankees is now on the down side of his baseball career. With a falling batting average, does he have one good year left and can the manager of the Chunichi Dragons, a Japanese Central baseball league find it in him?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThey Might Be Giants (1971)
After the death of his wife, retired judge Justin Playfair creates a fantasy world for himself in which he is the legendary detective Sherlock Holmes, even dressing like the character. Out of concern for Justin's money more than his health, his brother Blevins puts him under the care of psychiatrist Dr. Mildred Watson. As Dr. Watson grows fond of Justin, she begins to play along with his theories, eventually becoming an assistant in his investigations.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWilde (1997)
Oscar Wilde is a married playwright who has occasionally indulged his weakness for male suitors. After much toil, Wilde debuts 'The Importance of Being Earnest' in London, and a chat at the theatre with Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas leads to a full-fledged romance. However, this affair leads to a legal dispute with Lord Alfred's oppressive father, the Marquess of Queensberry, and, given the local anti-gay laws, Wilde is jailed. Wilde's vast intellect helps him survive until he regains his freedom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShortcomings (2023)
When his girlfriend leaves for New York City on a 3-month-long internship, a strongly opinionated Berkeley arthouse movie theater manager begins exploring life as a bachelor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDeathtrap (1982)
A Broadway playwright puts murder in his plan to take credit for a student's script.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCunk on Shakespeare (2016)
Fresh from her triumphs on Charlie Brooker's Weekly Wipe investigating time, Winston Churchill, and Donald Trump, Philomena Cunk has finally been given her own show - about William Shakespeare. Cunk will leave no stone unturned as she gets to the bottom of the Bard, visiting his birthplace, exploring the Globe, studying priceless artefacts and interviewing literally six different experts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGilbert (2017)
The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStage Door (1937)
A spirited heiress wishing to break into theatre on her own merit arrives at a boardinghouse where aspiring young actresses and showgirls are brought together through their cynicism and disappointments.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShadowlands (1993)
C.S. Lewis, a world-renowned writer and professor, leads a passionless life until he meets spirited poet Joy Gresham.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDave Chappelle: The Dreamer (2023)
From his onstage tackle to the slap heard round the world, Dave Chappelle lets loose in this freewheeling and unfiltered stand-up comedy special.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Being Shakespeare?
The closest matches to Being Shakespeare are Prick Up Your Ears (1987), A Different Man (2024) and Author! Author! (1982). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Being Shakespeare?
Start with Prick Up Your Ears (1987), the closest match to Being Shakespeare.
What is the highest-rated movie like Being Shakespeare?
Becket (1964), rated 7.2/10 by 208 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Being Shakespeare?
A Different Man (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Spanish movies like Being Shakespeare?
The closest matches are in other languages.
How are movies similar to Being Shakespeare chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Being Shakespeare, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.