Narrative Musical backdrop

Narrative Musical movies

A story where songs are part of the plot, expressing emotion and moving the narrative forward.

Clouds

11. Clouds

Music Drama Romance Narrative Musical Tragic Drama
7.5

20202h 1min

United States

Director: Justin Baldoni

Young musician Zach Sobiech discovers his cancer has spread, leaving him just a few months to live. With limited time, he follows his dream and makes an album, unaware that it will soon be a viral music phenomenon.

Themes

Illness fuels creativity, Time-limited ambition, Public attention and pressure, Friendship through collaboration, Hope amid hardship, Mortality and legacy

Available on

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

Sing 2

12. Sing 2

Family Comedy Music Animation Family Animation
7.3

20211h 50min

United States

Director: Garth Jennings

Buster and his new cast now have their sights set on debuting a new show at the Crystal Tower Theater in glamorous Redshore City. But with no connections, he and his singers must sneak into the Crystal Entertainment offices, run by the ruthless wolf mogul Jimmy Crystal, where the gang pitches the ridiculous idea of casting the lion rock legend Clay Calloway in their show. Buster must embark on a quest to find the now-isolated Clay and persuade him to return to the stage.

Themes

Deception and rivalry, Sequel fueled ambition, Stage driven collaboration under pressure, Creative collaboration under threat, Audience empowerment through spectacle, Romance amid performance goals

Available on

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

Sing Street

13. Sing Street

Romance Drama Music Comedy Coming-of-Age Romance
7.9

20161h 45min

Ireland, United Kingdom

Director: John Carney

A boy growing up in Dublin during the 1980s escapes his strained family life by starting a band to impress the mysterious girl he likes.

Themes

Bullying and resilience, Sibling relationship under pressure, Divorce and family disruption, Romance and social aspiration, Financial strain on family, Creative escape through music

Available on

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

A Star Is Born

14. A Star Is Born

Music Drama Romance Narrative Musical Relationship Drama
7.6

20182h 16min

United States

Director: Bradley Cooper

A once-famous country music star meets and falls in love with Ally, a talented singer and waitress. He helps her break onto the stage and become a star, while gradually realizing that his own best days are behind him.

Themes

Show business pressure, Family loyalty, Talent versus addiction, Creative control conflict, Fame and instability, Death of father

Available on

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

The Bob's Burgers Movie

15. The Bob's Burgers Movie

Animation Music Comedy Crime Mystery
7.0

20221h 42min

United States

Director: Bernard Derriman

When a ruptured water main creates an enormous sinkhole right in front of Bob's Burgers, it blocks the entrance indefinitely and ruins the Belchers’ plans for a successful summer. While Bob and Linda struggle to keep the business afloat, the kids try to solve a mystery that could save their family's restaurant. As the dangers mount, these underdogs help each other find hope and fight to get back behind the counter, where they belong.

Themes

Family resilience under pressure, Grassroots investigation, Economic strain from loan, Hidden danger awareness, Collaborative problem-solving, Community risk management

Available on

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

Belle

16. Belle

Animation Science Fiction Drama Music Anime
7.0

20212h 1min

Japan

Director: Mamoru Hosoda

Suzu is a 17-year-old high-school student living in a rural town with her father. Wounded by the loss of her mother at a young age, Suzu one day discovers the massive online world "U" and dives into this alternate reality as her avatar, Belle. Before long, all of U's eyes are fixed on Belle, when, suddenly, a mysterious, dragon-like figure appears before her.

Themes

Abusive father, Dead mother, Online relationship, Virtual world, Strong friendship, Social network

Available on

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

Wild Rose

17. Wild Rose

Music Comedy Drama Narrative Musical Coming-of-Age Drama
7.1

20191h 41min

Canada, United Kingdom

Director: Tom Harper

A young Scottish singer, Rose-Lynn Harlan, dreams of making it as a country artist in Nashville after being released from prison.

Themes

Family vs ambition, Stigma of conviction, Local roots vs distant dreams, Economic precarity of artists, Motherhood and career, Support networks and resilience

Available on

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

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

18. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Western Comedy Drama Music Mystery
7.2

20182h 12min

United States

Director: Joel Coen

Vignettes weaving together the stories of six individuals in the old West at the end of the Civil War. Following the tales of a sharp-shooting songster, a wannabe bank robber, two weary traveling performers, a lone gold prospector, a woman traveling the West to an uncertain future, and a motley crew of strangers undertaking a carriage ride.

Themes

Economic precarity, Frontier precariousness, Loyalty and debt, Spectacle for profit, Mass entertainment ethics, Fate and chance

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

19. Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

Drama Music Historical Drama Narrative Musical
6.9

20201h 34min

United States

Director: George C. Wolfe

Tensions rise when the trailblazing Mother of the Blues and her band gather at a Chicago recording studio in 1927. Adapted from August Wilson's play.

Themes

Racial commodification, Ambition under pressure, Creative control vs exploitation, Power imbalance in the music industry, Institutional restraint, Voice as currency

Available on

Netflix
Netflix Standard with Ads
Data provided by JustWatch.Availability may vary by region.

Priscilla

20. Priscilla

Drama Romance Music Historical Drama Passionate Romance
6.5

20231h 53min

Italy, United States

Director: Sofia Coppola

When teenage Priscilla Beaulieu meets Elvis Presley at a party, the man who is already a meteoric rock-and-roll superstar becomes someone entirely unexpected in private moments: a thrilling crush, an ally in loneliness, a vulnerable best friend.

Themes

Pursuit of independence, Power imbalance in romance, Fame and isolation, Dependence and control, Abusive relationship dynamics, Gilded cage

Available on

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