Music backdrop

Music movies

Stories where rhythm and melody take center stage, including biographies of legends and dance-filled spectacles.

Subgenres include: Narrative Musical, Jukebox Musical, Concert Film.

Wild Rose

1. Wild Rose

Music Comedy Drama Narrative Musical Coming-of-Age Drama
7.1
20191h 41min

Overview

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.

Teen Spirit

2. Teen Spirit

Music Drama Narrative Musical Coming-of-Age Drama
6.1
20191h 32min

Overview

A shy teenager living on the Isle of Wight dreams of pop stardom. With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a singing competition that will test her integrity, talent, and ambition.

Themes

Ambition vs integrity, Class aspiration and gatekeeping, Exploitative mentorship, Deception and age misrepresentation, Family debt and pressure, Industry pressure and contracts

Available on

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

The Dirt

3. The Dirt

Drama Music Comedy Entertainment Industry Drama Music Biopic
7.0
20191h 48min

Overview

The story of Mötley Crüe and their rise from the Sunset Strip club scene of the early 1980s to superstardom.

Themes

Loyalty under pressure, Substance abuse cycles, Fame and excess, Identity and reinvention, Leadership and lineup changes, Creative control and rights, Family strain and loss

Available on

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

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

4. The Ballad of Buster Scruggs

Western Comedy Drama Music Mystery
7.2
20182h 12min

Overview

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.

Bohemian Rhapsody

5. Bohemian Rhapsody

Music Drama Music Biopic Entertainment Industry Drama
7.9
20182h 15min

Overview

Singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bass guitarist John Deacon take the music world by storm when they form the rock 'n' roll band Queen in 1970. Hit songs become instant classics. When Mercury's increasingly wild lifestyle starts to spiral out of control, Queen soon faces its greatest challenge yet – finding a way to keep the band together amid the success and excess.

Themes

Loyalty vs ambition, Creative ambition under constraint, Fame under pressure, Public image vs authenticity, Media scrutiny and rumor, Sexual identity conflict

Available on

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

A Star Is Born

6. A Star Is Born

Music Drama Romance Narrative Musical Relationship Drama
7.6
20182h 16min

Overview

Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers — and falls in love with — struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer — until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.

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.

Lords of Chaos

7. Lords of Chaos

Drama Music Thriller Horror Psychological Horror
6.6
20181h 58min

Overview

A teenager's quest to launch Norwegian Black Metal in Oslo in the 1990s results in a very violent outcome.

Themes

Nihilism and anti-authoritarianism, Violence within subculture, Deception through persona, Factional loyalty and power, Ambition and consequences in music, Police scrutiny and crackdown

Available on

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

Vox Lux

8. Vox Lux

Drama Music Coming-of-Age Drama Narrative Musical
5.9
20181h 54min

Overview

In 1999, teenage sisters Celeste and Eleanor survive a seismic, violent tragedy. The sisters compose and perform a song about their experience, making something lovely and cathartic out of catastrophe — while also catapulting Celeste to stardom. By 2017, the now 31-year-old Celeste is mother to a teenage daughter of her own and struggling to navigate a career fraught with scandals when another act of terrifying violence demands her attention.

Themes

"movie: vox lux. genres: drama, Music, Drama, Music main themes: pop star, Icon, School shooting, Pop star, Icon, School shooting full keywords list: pop star, Icon, School shooting, 1990s, 2000s. concept analysis: the film explores the complexities of fame and the psychological toll it takes on individuals, Particularly in the face of trauma. it delves into themes of identity, The struggle for redemption, And the haunting consequences of past choices."

Available on

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

Hearts Beat Loud

9. Hearts Beat Loud

Music Drama Comedy Family Family Drama
6.9
20181h 37min

Overview

In the hip Brooklyn neighborhood of Red Hook, single dad and record store owner Frank is preparing to send his hard-working daughter Sam off to college while being forced to close his vintage shop. Hoping to stay connected through their shared musical passions, Frank urges Sam to turn their weekly jam sessions into a father-daughter live act. After their first song becomes an internet breakout, the two embark on a journey of love, growing up and musical discovery.

Themes

Economic precarity, Family responsibility, Creative collaboration under pressure, Ambition vs obligation, Viral exposure consequences, Moving forward through change

Available on

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

Heavy Trip

10. Heavy Trip

Comedy Music Parody Narrative Musical
7.0
20181h 32min

Overview

Turo is stuck in a small village and the best thing in his life is being the lead vocalist for the amateur metal band Impaled Rektum. He and his bandmates have practiced for 12 years without playing a single gig. The guys get a surprise visitor from Norway -- the promoter for a huge heavy metal music festival -- and decide it's now or never. They steal a van, a corpse, and even a new drummer to make their dreams a reality.

Themes

Deception as strategy, Group dynamics under crisis, Ambition under pressure, Risk taking and consequence, Subculture vs mainstream, Performance anxiety under scrutiny

Available on

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