Entertainment Industry Drama backdrop

Entertainment Industry Drama movies

Fame and career drama in film, TV, music, or theater: ambition, image, exploitation, and the cost of success.

The Soloist

1. The Soloist

Drama Music Entertainment Industry Drama Narrative Musical
6.7
20091h 49min

Overview

A Los Angeles journalist befriends a homeless Juilliard-trained musician, while looking for a new article for the paper.

Themes

Mental illness stigma, Identity through performance, Marginalized artistry, Art as shelter, Journalistic responsibility, Dependency in care, Community-based rehabilitation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
fuboTV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Boat That Rocked

2. The Boat That Rocked

Drama Comedy Satire Entertainment Industry Drama
7.3
20092h 15min

Overview

When a group of rebellious deejays decides to defy the ban on government-censored music, they take to the seas to broadcast music and mayhem to millions of adoring fans.

Themes

Censorship and freedom, Youth energy and rebellion, Authority and improvisation, Public spectacle and media, Advertising fueled fame, Crew loyalty under pressure

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
HBO Max
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Broken Embraces

3. Broken Embraces

Drama Romance Thriller Entertainment Industry Drama Passionate Romance
7.2
20092h 7min

Overview

Harry Caine, a blind writer, reaches this moment in time when he has to heal his wounds from 14 years back. He was then still known by his real name, Mateo Blanco, and directing his last movie.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Jealousy and possession, Power dynamics in romance, Rebirth through reinvention, Obsession and longing, Artistic ambition under finance

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Rudo & Cursi

4. Rudo & Cursi

Comedy Drama Buddy Comedy Entertainment Industry Drama
6.7
20081h 42min

Overview

Two brothers living a hard life of manual labor in rural Mexico have a simple dream: saving enough money to build their mother her dream house. But fate has other plans. A friendly game of soccer leads to first Rudo, then to Cursi being taken on by the nation’s top talent scout. Suddenly, they find themselves living the high life of star athletes: fame, fortune, fast cars and beautiful women.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Family obligation and aspiration, Class mobility, Temptations of fame, Sibling rivalry, Opportunity vs risk

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Apple TV
Amazon Video
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

The Wrestler

5. The Wrestler

Drama Romance Entertainment Industry Drama
7.9
20081h 49min

Overview

Aging wrestler Randy "The Ram" Robinson is long past his prime but still ready and rarin' to go on the pro-wrestling circuit. After a particularly brutal beating, however, Randy hangs up his tights, pursues a serious relationship with a long-in-the-tooth stripper, and tries to reconnect with his estranged daughter. But he can't resist the lure of the ring and readies himself for a comeback.

Themes

Ambition vs consequence, Personal relationships strain, Public adulation dependency, Aging and relevance, Fame vs health, Self destructive impulses

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

JCVD

6. JCVD

Drama Action Comedy Crime Entertainment Industry Drama
7.0
20081h 36min

Overview

Between his tax problems and his legal battle with his wife for the custody of his daughter, these are hard times for the action movie star who finds that even Steven Seagal has pinched a role from him! This fictionalized version of Jean-Claude Van Damme returns to the country of his birth to seek the peace and tranquility he can no longer enjoy in the United States, but inadvertently gets involved in a bank robbery with hostages.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Family conflict, Career vulnerability, Performative fame, Custody pressures, Media circus

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Apple TV
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Dreamgirls

7. Dreamgirls

Drama Music Entertainment Industry Drama Narrative Musical
6.6
20062h 10min

Overview

A trio of female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.

Themes

Class inequality, Labor and exploitation, Market-driven image, Artistic merit vs commercial appeal, Fame costs and resilience, Payola and manipulation

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

200 Pounds Beauty

8. 200 Pounds Beauty

Drama Comedy Romance Entertainment Industry Drama Romantic Comedy
6.7
20061h 56min

Overview

Hanna, an overweight lip-sync artist who ghost sings for Ammy, a known pop diva, secretly likes Han Sang-jun. When Ammy humiliates Hanna in Han's presence, Hanna decides to undergo a cosmetic surgery.

Themes

Body image pressure, Reinvention for fame, Authenticity vs image, Deception in entertainment, Power dynamics in music industry, Performance under scrutiny

Available on

Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Video
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Overview

In 1933 New York, an overly ambitious movie producer coerces his cast and hired ship crew to travel to mysterious Skull Island, where they encounter Kong, a giant ape who is immediately smitten with the leading lady.

Themes

Economic precarity, Exploitation in show business, Ambition versus ethics, Power dynamics in casting, Spectacle-driven coercion, Human-animal bond

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Get Rich or Die Tryin'

10. Get Rich or Die Tryin'

Drama Crime Music Entertainment Industry Drama Narcotics Crime
5.5
20051h 57min

Overview

A tale of an inner city drug dealer who turns away from crime to pursue his passion, rap music.

Themes

Deception and betrayal, Revenge and survival, Family loyalty under pressure, Identity through music, Crime to artistry, Power struggles within crime networks

Available on

Amazon Video
Apple TV
Google Play Movies
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.