Best movies like CBGB
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
CBGB looks at New York's dynamic punk rock scene through the lens of the ground-breaking Lower East Side club started by eccentric Hilly Kristal (Alan Rickman) in 1973 which launched thousands of bands.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 11000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: sincere, captivating, realistic, serious, melancholic, teen, independent film
Best tv shows and movies like CBGB (2013):
Similar in 87%
Vinyl (2016)
Plot Summary:
Set in 1970s New York, Vinyl is a ride through the sex- and drug-addled music business at the dawn of punk, disco, and hip-hop. The show is seen through the eyes of a record label president, Richie Finestra, who is trying to save his company and his soul without destroying everyone in his path.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 60 min
Plot tags: stylized, captivating, tense, realistic, erotic, sensual, dark drama, independent film, serious, rockumentary
Similar in 87%
Rude Boy (1980)
Plot Summary:
Rude Boy is a semi-documentary, part character study, part 'rockumentary', featuring a British punk band, The Clash. The script includes the story of a fictional fan juxtposed with actual public events of the day, including political demonstrations and Clash concerts.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: UK
Duration: 133 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, cynical, biting, suspense
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Similar in 89%
One-Trick Pony (1980)
Plot Summary:
Jonah (Paul Simon) is an aging rock star trying to put together a new album in the face of an indifferent record label and a talentless producer. At the same time, he's struggling to save his failing marriage.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 750
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: sincere, touching, serious, emotional, realistic, contemplative, gloomy, reflective, eighties
Similar in 84%
Blank Generation (1980)
Plot Summary:
Nada, a beautiful French journalist on assignment in New York, records the life and work of an up and coming punk rock star, Billy. Soon she enters into a volatile relationship with him and must decide whether to continue with it, or return to her lover, a fellow journalist trying to track down the elusive Andy Warhol.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 432
Genere: Music, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 79 min
Plot tags: independent film, bleak, serious, realistic, cynical
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Similar in 84%
Crossroads (1986)
Plot Summary:
Cult classic starring Ralph Macchio as a want-to-be blues guitar virtuoso who seeks a long-lost song by legendary musician Robert Johnson.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 17000
Genere: Drama, Music, Mystery, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: road movie, light, captivating, offbeat, sentimental, serious, emotional, inspirational, clever, touching
Similar in 75%
Good Vibrations (2012)
Plot Summary:
The story of music legend Terri Hooley, a key figure in Belfast's punk rock scene. Hooley founded the Good Vibrations store from which a record label sprung, representing bands such as The Undertones, Rudi and The Outcasts.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music
Country: UK, Ireland
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: captivating, realistic, sincere, serious, thought provoking, touching, whimsical
Similar in 86%
In His Life: The John Lennon Story (2000)
Plot Summary:
A film about the early life of the rock musician and his burgeoning career as a member of the Beatles.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 695
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, captivating, realistic, rockumentary
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Similar in 88%
Hated (2012)
Plot Summary:
Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll are what a young underground punk band are striving for, but once they get a taste of it, they are forced to decide how far they're willing to go for fame and fortune and who they're willing to leave behind to get there.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 75
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, sincere, captivating, independent film
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Similar in 87%
Shooting Livien (2005)
Plot Summary:
A dark psychological drama, Shooting Livien explores the inner psyche of John Livien, a disillusioned New York musician who deals with a childhood trauma by claiming an alter ego. His band on the brink of success, fantasy becomes dangerously blurred with reality as Livien struggles with his identity crisis. At the peak of his insanity Livien decides to take his dementia to the furthest reaches.
IMDB Rating: 5.3
IMDB Votes: 284
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, bleak, suspense, independent film, psychological
Similar in 77%
Scenes from the Goldmine (1987)
Plot Summary:
A girl trying to make it in the 1980's New Wave rock and roll scene in L.A.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 153
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min
Plot tags: independent film, touching, serious, captivating, emotional, realistic
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Similar in 82%
Hysteria: The Def Leppard Story (2001)
Plot Summary:
A dramatization of the early years of the hard rock band, Def Leppard, the group faces both success and personal tragedies such as drummer, Rick Allen losing his arm in a car accident and guitarist Steve Clark's alcohol addiction.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: captivating, disturbing
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Similar in 83%
The Perfect Age of Rock 'n' Roll (2009)
Plot Summary:
In this film, childhood friends come face to face with the demons of rock and roll (lust, drugs, and passion) on a cross-country road trip that compels them to face their past, present, and future. Rocker Spyder, whose debut album was a huge hit saw his follow-on album bomb, causing him to retreat to his small hometown and give up. Seven years later, 27-year-old Spyder reconnects with his long-lost best friend and writer of his debut album Eric, son of a late great punk rock guitar legend, who has long settled into the sedate life of a suburban middle school music teacher. The reunion forces the two to recall their youthful ambitions and re-examine the choices they've made.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 552
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: realistic, psychological, atmospheric, captivating, sentimental, sincere, serious, independent film
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Similar in 86%
Satisfaction (1988)
Plot Summary:
When a young rock group called The Mystery gets its first gig at a club, it's an opportunity to see what life is all about! Fresh out of high school, the rockers are hired by an exclusive beach resort thanks to a faded '60s songwriter. There, they meet with romance and adventure. But street-smart lead singer Jennie Lee faces a dilemma: pursue her budding career or finish high school.
IMDB Rating: 4.9
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, feel good, humorous, realistic, semi serious, light, romantic, sexy, unusual plot structure
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Similar in 75%
Ladies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains (1982)
Plot Summary:
Corrine Burns retreats far into plans for her band, The Fabulous Stains, after her mother's death.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: retro, psychotronic, thinking, cult classic, independent film, clever, offbeat, humorous, realistic, witty
Similar in 75%
Last Days (2005)
Plot Summary:
The life and struggles of a notorious rock musician seeping into a pit of loneliness whose everyday life involves friends and family seeking financial aid and favors, inspired by rock music legend Kurt Cobain and his final hours.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: psychedelic, art house, atmospheric, bleak, intense, lyrical, serious, psychological, realistic, stylized
Similar in 75%
Rock Star (2001)
Plot Summary:
Rock Star tells the story of Chris Cole and a rock band called Steel Dragon. Cole is a photocopier technician by day, and the lead singer of a Steel Dragon tribute band called "Blood Pollution" by night.Internal struggles between the Steel Dragon band members culminate with the firing of the lead singer, Bobby Beers and the starting of recruitment sessions to find a new vocalist. Loosely inspired by the true story of the heavy metal band Judas Priest.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 45000
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min
Plot tags: light, entertaining, melancholic, stylized, intense, serious, realistic, period piece, cult classic, inspirational
Similar in 89%
Backbeat (1994)
Plot Summary:
Chronicles the early days of The Beatles in Hamburg, Germany. The film focuses primarily on the relationship between Stuart Sutcliffe (played by Stephen Dorff) and John Lennon (played by Ian Hart), and also with Sutcliffe's German girlfriend Astrid Kirchherr (played by Sheryl Lee).
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 6000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: UK, Germany
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: independent film, sentimental, sincere, rough, serious, realistic, inspirational, clever, enigmatic, melancholic
Similar in 84%
What We Do Is Secret (2007)
Plot Summary:
A biopic of punk legend Darby Crash and his band, the Germs.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min
Plot tags: serious, realistic, tense, suspense, informative, interesting, rockumentary, queer cinema
Similar in 90%
Jersey Boys (2014)
Plot Summary:
From director Clint Eastwood comes the big-screen version of the Tony Award-winning musical Jersey Boys. The film tells the story of four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who came together to form the iconic 1960s rock group The Four Seasons. The story of their trials and triumphs are accompanied by the songs that influenced a generation, including “Sherry,” “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” “Walk Like a Man,” “Rag Doll,” and many more.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 36000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 134 min
Plot tags: stylized, intense, sentimental, realistic, serious, captivating, historical drama, neo noir, road movie, clever
Similar in 79%
Sid and Nancy (1986)
Plot Summary:
Following their breakout success in England, flagship punk rock band the Sex Pistols venture out on their first U.S. tour. Temperamental bassist Sid Vicious takes his troubled girlfriend, Nancy Spungen, along for the ride. Along the way, the couple's turbulent relationship strains the patience of bandmate Johnny Rotten and manager Malcolm McLaren, while plunging Sid and Nancy into the depths of drug addiction and co-dependency.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 34000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: bloody, cult classic, disturbing, independent film, psychedelic, serious, captivating, gloomy, offbeat, intellectual
Similar in 83%
The Buddy Holly Story (1978)
Plot Summary:
A film about the life and career of the early rock and roll star.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 10000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, feel good, humorous, serious, captivating, realistic, entertaining, light, clever
Similar in 82%
Elvis (1979)
Plot Summary:
Biographical movie about the famous rock singer Elvis Presley.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 168 min
Plot tags: touching, emotional, realistic, sentimental, serious, retro, captivating, psychotronic
Similar in 79%
The Rose (1979)
Plot Summary:
Midler is the rock-and-roll singer Mary Rose Foster (known as the Rose to her legions of fans), whose romantic relationships and mental health are continuously imperiled by the demands of life on the road.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: retro, sincere, touching, serious, captivating, emotional, realistic, gloomy, sentimental, light
Similar in 79%
24 Hour Party People (2002)
Plot Summary:
In 1976, Tony Wilson sets up Factory Records and brings Manchester's music to the world.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 39000
Genere: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: UK
Duration: 117 min
Plot tags: witty, psychedelic, atmospheric, sincere, humorous, absurd, cult classic, clever, stylized, educational
Similar in 78%
Control (2007)
Plot Summary:
Control is the biography of Joy Division lead singer Ian Curtis, taking his story from schoolboy days of 1973 to his suicide on the eve of the band's first American tour in 1980.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 68000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music
Country: UK, USA, Australia, Japan, France
Duration: 122 min
Plot tags: depressing, atmospheric, black and white, stylized, sad, touching, melancholic, harsh, lyrical, bleak
Similar in 82%
All Over Me (1997)
Plot Summary:
Claude and Ellen are best friends who live in a not-so-nice area of New York. They're involved in the subculture of 90s youth, complete with drugs, live music, and homophobia. All is changed one night when a violent and meaningless death rocks their lives.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: sad, melancholic, sincere, touching, teen, independent film, realistic, indie film, sentimental, serious
Similar in 77%
Begin Again (2013)
Plot Summary:
A long lost music producer finds a singer-songwriter right about the moment he has given up all hope on life.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 165000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: touching, romantic, inspirational, independent film, sentimental, sincere, feel good, lyrical, sweet, dramatic
Similar in 84%
Saturday Night Fever (1977)
Plot Summary:
Tony Manero is a Brooklyn paint-store clerk who'd give anything to break out of his dead-end existence. In life, Tony is a peasant; on the disco dance floor, he's a king. As the soundtrack plays one Bee Gees hit after another, white-suited Tony struts his stuff amidst flashing lights and sweaty, undulating bodies. Tony's class aspirations are mirrored in his relationship with his dance partner, a secretary eager to move into the glamorous world of Manhattan.
IMDB Rating: 6.8
IMDB Votes: 86000
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: sentimental, sexy, rough, light, serious, captivating, realistic, cult classic, teen, stylized
Similar in 79%
Prey for Rock & Roll (2003)
Plot Summary:
Prey for Rock & Roll is set in the Los Angeles club scene of the late 1980s and follows the story of Jacki (Gershon) and her all-girl punk rock band, Clam Dandy. On the verge of turning 40, Jacki decides that if the band's one last shot at the big time is unsuccessful, she will give up her dreams of stardom. Along the way, the women are rocked by personal tragedies that threaten to break up the band before they can get their last shot at success.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: realistic, serious, captivating, cynical, witty, gloomy, sexual, sexy
Similar in 85%
The Cotton Club (1984)
Plot Summary:
The story of the people that frequented Harlem's famous nightclubs, 'The Cotton Club', and those that ran it.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 19000
Genere: Crime, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 129 min
Plot tags: intense, atmospheric, captivating, realistic, entertaining, period piece, visually stunning, stylized, neo noir, cult classic