Movies like What Drives Us (2021)
The best movies like What Drives Us (2021) are The Beach Boys (2024), Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026) and Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022). If What Drives Us hooked you with its documentary and music, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSelena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)8.4/10 from 623 votes
- NewestOasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026)Released 2026
The Beach Boys (2024)
A celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized pop music, and the iconic, harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream, captivating fans for generations and generations to come.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026)
Experience the meteoric rise of Oasis through rare footage and untold stories as the band reunites for Oasis Live '25, chronicling their journey from Manchester streets to global rock stardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSelena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)
After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisJustin Bieber's Believe (2013)
A backstage and on-stage look at Justin Bieber during his rise to super stardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEnd of the Century: The Story of the Ramones (2003)
A years-in-the-making documentary on the legendary punk band the Ramones. Through a mixture of archival footage, archival and new interviews with all members of the band's various lineups, and new interviews with a number of their contemporaries, the film traces the peaks and valleys the band experienced over the course of its 20-plus year career before disbanding in 1995.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIron Maiden: Burning Ambition (2026)
With unprecedented access to the official archives and intimate recollections from the band, both current and past, Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition invites fans to experience one of the most iconic journeys in music history. Spanning five decades, this electrifying documentary charts the band’s rise from the pubs of East London to the world’s biggest stadiums. Featuring exclusive interviews with band members and contributors such as Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich and Chuck D, as well as all-new animated sequences of the band's legendary mascot, Eddie, the film offers a rare and intimate look at Iron Maiden’s uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their truly global army of fans.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisColdplay: A Head Full of Dreams (2018)
An in-depth and intimate portrait of Coldplay's spectacular rise from the backrooms of Camden pubs to selling out stadiums across the planet. At the heart of the story is the band's unshakeable brotherhood which has endured through many highs and lows.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Velvet Underground (2021)
Experience the iconic rock band's legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Last Waltz (1978)
Martin Scorsese's documentary intertwines footage from The Band's incredible farewell tour with probing backstage interviews and featured performances by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and other rock legends.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisZZ Top: That Little Ol' Band from Texas (2019)
The story of how three oddball teenage bluesmen became one of the biggest, most beloved bands on the planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Stone Roses: Made of Stone (2013)
A documentary about the English alternative rock band, The Stone Roses. Meadows interweaves archive film, intimate behind-the-scenes footage and never-before-seen material, delivering the definitive account of the band and their music. He was also granted unprecedented access to their rehearsals for the summer 2012 Manchester concerts. A momentous occasion in modern music, these were the first gigs performed by The Stone Roses in 16 years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSupersonic (2016)
Supersonic charts the meteoric rise of Oasis from the council estates of Manchester to some of the biggest concerts of all time in just three short years. This palpable, raw and moving film shines a light on one of the most genre and generation-defining British bands that has ever existed and features candid new interviews with Noel and Liam Gallagher, their mother, and members of the band and road crew.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMoonage Daydream (2022)
A cinematic odyssey featuring never-before-seen footage exploring David Bowie's creative and musical journey.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBad Reputation (2018)
The life and career of rock n' roll icon Joan Jett from her early years ripping it up onstage as the founder and backbone of hard-rock legends The Runaways, to her long time collaboration with Kenny Laguna as Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, and her enduring presence in pop culture as a rock pioneer and mentor. With her inimitable singles "I Love Rock n Roll," and "Bad Reputation" Joan Jett inspired a generation of young women to rock.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSelena y Los Dinos: A Family's Legacy (2025)
Never-before-seen footage and intimate interviews celebrate the life and legacy of iconic Mexican American singer Selena Quintanilla and her family band.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisRolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (2019)
Part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream, this film captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan performed during the fall of that year.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMichael Jackson: The Life of an Icon (2011)
See Michael Jackson, one of the most recognizable and popular entertainers of all time, like never before in the feature-length tribute Michael Jackson: The Life of an Icon. Known to millions of fans worldwide for his record-breaking albums, groundbreaking music videos, mesmerizing dance moves and humanitarian efforts, his true story has never really been told...until now. This unprecedented look into the King of Pop's fascinating life includes all-new interviews with his mother Katherine Jackson as well as siblings Tito and Rebbie Jackson, his nephew Jaafar Jackson and niece Tahkyah brings plenty Jackson and Friends ends and music legends such as Smokey Robinson, Dionne Warwick and his 3 children and many more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisShawn Mendes: In Wonder (2020)
A portrait of singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes' life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBecoming Led Zeppelin (2025)
The individual journeys of the four members of the band, as they move through the music scene of the 1960s, playing small clubs throughout Britain and performing some of the biggest hits of the era, until their meeting in the summer of 1968 for a rehearsal that changes their lives forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Who: The Kids Are Alright (1979)
Through concert performances and interviews, this film offers us a comprehensive look at the British pioneer rock group, The Who. It captures their zany craziness and outrageous antics from the initial formation of the group in 1964 to 1978. It notably features the band's last performance with long-term drummer Keith Moon, filmed at Shepperton Studios in May 1978, three months before his death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBeside 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 documentary & music
Meat Loaf: In Search of Paradise (2007)
Meat Loaf, the legendary rocker, reveals surprising shades of himself -- and his internal demons -- as he sets out on an ambitious world tour.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music & documentary
CFNY: The Spirit of Radio (2026)
In 1976, radio station CFNY 102.1FM went on the air, broadcast live from a modest suburban house just north of Toronto, and went on to become one of the most influential punk, new wave and alternative radio stations in the world. This is the story of their mission to bring the most exciting music in the world to the masses. It's also a story of the personalities, lawsuits, bankruptcies, concerts, and listener protests that went along with it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
Eno (1973)
About the English musician, composer, record producer, singer, writer, and visual artist, Brian Peter George St John le Baptiste de la Salle Eno, made shortly after his departure from Roxy Music. Featuring the recording sessions for Eno's record "Here Come the Warm Jets". A long lost documentary.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
Sleeping Monster (2023)
Filmed in Melbourne during the first several months of the COVID-19 pandemic, Sleeping Monster explores the prosaic beauty of King Gizzard & the Lizard Wizard’s studio routine. Featuring demos from the album "Changes", plus the track "Change" recorded live in the studio on film.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
The Mentors: Kings of Sleaze Rockumentary (2017)
Documentary on the shock rock group "The Mentors".
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
Robyn Hitchcock: Sex, Food, Death... and Insects (2008)
A documentary that goes inside the dark, witty, surreal world of cult English singer/songwriter Robyn Hitchcock.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
Mogwai: If the Stars Had a Sound (2024)
Over 25 years and 10 studio albums—using powerful sonic force mixed with subtlety and grace—Mogwai have defined their own musical genre and built a cult following. The film takes us on a journey from their very beginnings, in the mid 1990s, to creating their tenth studio album in their hometown of Glasgow in 2020. While at first seemingly impossible to make, they ultimately made history with it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & music
Black Sabbath: The End of The End (2017)
Chronicles the final tour from Black Sabbath. On February 4th, 2017, Black Sabbath takes the stage in Birmingham, the city where it all began, to play the 81st and final gig of the tour and bring down the curtain on a career that spanned almost half a century.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music & documentary
Beastie Boys Story (2020)
Here's a little story they're about to tell... Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of their band and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience directed by friend, collaborator, and their former grandfather, Spike Jonze.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music & documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like What Drives Us?
The closest matches to What Drives Us are The Beach Boys (2024), Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026) and Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after What Drives Us?
Start with The Beach Boys (2024), the closest match to What Drives Us.
What is the highest-rated movie like What Drives Us?
Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022), rated 8.4/10 by 623 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like What Drives Us?
Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like What Drives Us?
Yes: The Beach Boys (2024), Oasis: Don't Look Back in Anger (2026) and Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022).
How are movies similar to What Drives Us chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside What Drives Us, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.