Best movies like Once
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
A vacuum repairman moonlights as a street musician and hopes for his big break. One day a Czech immigrant, who earns a living selling flowers, approaches him with the news that she is also an aspiring singer-songwriter. The pair decide to collaborate, and the songs that they compose reflect the story of their blossoming love.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 120000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: Ireland, USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, emotional, inspirational, independent film, romantic, heartbreaking, light, melancholic, talky
Best tv shows and movies like Once (2007):
Similar in 75%
God Help the Girl (2014)
Plot Summary:
Eve is a catastrophe—low on self-esteem but high on fantasy, especially when it comes to music. Over the course of one Glasgow summer, she meets two similarly rootless souls: posh Cass and fastidious James, and together they form a group.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: uplifting, sentimental, touching, serious, realistic, romantic, melancholic, romantic comedy, aesthetic, profound
Similar in 82%
Immortal Beloved (1994)
Plot Summary:
The life and death of the legendary Ludwig van Beethoven. Beside all the work he is known for, the composer once wrote a famous love letter to a nameless beloved and the movie tries to find out who this beloved was. Not easy as Beethoven has had many women in his life.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music, Mystery, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 121 min
Plot tags: emotional, visual, costume drama, informative, dramatic, visually stunning, touching, epic, intellectual, gothic
Similar in 88%
The Harmonists (1997)
Plot Summary:
Comedian Harmonists tells the story of a famous, German male sextet, five vocals and piano, the "Comedian Harmonists", from the day they meet first in 1927 to the day in 1934, when they become banned by the upcoming Nazis, because three of them are Jewish.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music
Country: Germany, Austria
Duration: 126 min
Plot tags: visually stunning, sentimental, touching, visual, sincere, uplifting, feel good, serious, emotional, realistic
Similar in 87%
Glitter (2001)
Plot Summary:
A young woman is catapulted into pop stardom, with her already-famous DJ boyfriend calling the shots.
IMDB Rating: 2.4
IMDB Votes: 24000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: emotional, touching, melancholic, exciting, sentimental, cult classic, disturbing, romantic drama, serious, realistic
Similar in 81%
One Love (2003)
Plot Summary:
Kassa a free-wheelin rasta man, falls for a straight laced gospel singer Serena, when they both meet as they enter a music contest. Serena's father the pastor forbids her to see him and wants her to marry one of his church members. Meanwhile the record boss organizing the contest, tries to get Kassa's band to sign to his label on his terms not theirs. By using heavy tactics, he pushes the band to fight back.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 436
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: Jamaica, Norway, UK
Duration: 100 min
Plot tags: sentimental, captivating, emotional, realistic, touching, serious, stylized
Similar in 84%
The Commitments (1991)
Plot Summary:
Jimmy Rabbitte, just a tick out of school, gets a brilliant idea: to put a soul band together in Barrytown, his slum home in north Dublin. First he needs musicians and singers: things slowly start to click when he finds three fine-voiced females virtually in his back yard, a lead singer (Deco) at a wedding, and, responding to his ad, an aging trumpet player, Joey "The Lips" Fagan.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: Ireland, UK, USA
Duration: 118 min
Plot tags: cult classic, independent film, feel good, humorous, realistic, offbeat, sincere, captivating, contemplative, semi serious
Similar in 78%
The Thing Called Love (1993)
Plot Summary:
Miranda Presley moves from New York to Nashville to become a songwriter. At an unsuccessful audition she meets James Wright, a promising newcomer. After only a few days they marry but start to quickly regret it.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 9000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min
Plot tags: sentimental, feel good, humorous, semi serious, touching, realistic, entertaining, talky, crying, light
Similar in 76%
A Star is Born (2018)
Plot Summary:
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.
IMDB Rating: 7.6
IMDB Votes: 410000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 136 min
Plot tags: sad, inspirational, romantic drama, sincere, uplifting, touching, feel good, depressing, heartbreaking, captivating
Similar in 85%
Crazy Heart (2009)
Plot Summary:
When reporter Jean Craddock interviews Bad Blake -- an alcoholic, seen-better-days country music legend -- they connect, and the hard-living crooner sees a possible saving grace in a life with Jean and her young son. But can he leave behind an existence playing in the shadow of Tommy, the upstart kid he once mentored?.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 94000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: touching, romantic, depressing, emotional, sincere, sentimental, serious, feel good, cult classic, realistic
Similar in 87%
Nowhere Boy (2009)
Plot Summary:
The drama tells the story of Lennon's teenage years and the start of his journey to becoming a successful musician. The story also examines the impact on his early life and personality of the two dominant females in his childhood.
IMDB Rating: 7.1
IMDB Votes: 38000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 98 min
Plot tags: sentimental, emotional, intense, sincere, touching, witty, feel good, realistic, semi serious, teen
Similar in 79%
A Slipping-Down Life (1999)
Plot Summary:
A young woman becomes obsessed with a small-time North Carolina rock singer.
IMDB Rating: 6.1
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: touching, feel good, sincere, captivating, romantic, romantic drama, independent film, sentimental, offbeat, humorous
Similar in 84%
Sing Street (2016)
Plot Summary:
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.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 99000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: Ireland, UK
Duration: 106 min
Plot tags: sweet, touching, realistic, feel good, teen, lyrical, sentimental, depressing, inspirational, romantic
Similar in 75%
Listen to Your Heart (2010)
Plot Summary:
Danny Foster doesn't have much: an apartment as small as his paychecks, no family, and a struggling music career. Yet for him, "every day is a great day to be alive," an attitude he gained from his mother's unwavering optimism during her losing battle with cancer. It's love at first sight when Danny meets Ariana, a wealthy girl from Greenwich, CT who tragically cannot hear the music she inspires him to write. Ariana, hearing impaired since childhood, is torn between hanging onto the shelter her controlling mother provides and fighting for a love that, if given the chance, might just change her life.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, serious, realistic, romantic, heartbreaking, emotional, sad, cute, indie film
Similar in 86%
La La Land (2016)
Plot Summary:
Mia, an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian, a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 645000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Music, Musical, Romance
Country: USA, Hong Kong
Duration: 128 min
Plot tags: romantic, sad, touching, melancholic, sentimental, emotional, realistic, dramatic, colorful, feel good
Similar in 86%
Walk the Line (2005)
Plot Summary:
A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 262000
Genere: Biography, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: Germany, USA
Duration: 136 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, emotional, road movie, captivating, inspirational, feel good, dramatic, romantic, period piece
Similar in 84%
Before Midnight (2013)
Plot Summary:
We meet Jesse and Celine nine years on in Greece. Almost two decades have passed since their first meeting on that train bound for Vienna.
IMDB Rating: 7.9
IMDB Votes: 169000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA, Greece
Duration: 109 min
Plot tags: philosophical, meditative, sentimental, romantic, atmospheric, intense, breathtaking, sweet, emotional, existential
Similar in 82%
High Fidelity (2000)
Plot Summary:
When record store owner Rob Gordon gets dumped by his girlfriend, Laura, because he hasn't changed since they met, he revisits his top five breakups of all time in an attempt to figure out what went wrong. As Rob seeks out his former lovers to find out why they left, he keeps up his efforts to win Laura back.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 188000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: realistic, melancholic, feel good, funny, romantic, sentimental, humorous, semi serious, cult classic, clever
Similar in 88%
The Legend of 1900 (1998)
Plot Summary:
The story of a virtuoso piano player who lives his entire life aboard an ocean liner. Born and raised on the ship, 1900 (Tim Roth) learned about the outside world through interactions with passengers, never setting foot on land, even for the love of his life. Years later, the ship may be destroyed, and a former band member fears that 1900 may still be aboard, willing to go down with the ship.
IMDB Rating: 8.0
IMDB Votes: 68000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: Italy
Duration: 169 min
Plot tags: touching, breathtaking, sincere, inspirational, sentimental, philosophical, unusual plot structure, sad, stylized, costume drama
Similar in 90%
August Rush (2007)
Plot Summary:
A drama with fairy tale elements, where an orphaned musical prodigy uses his gift as a clue to finding his birth parents.
IMDB Rating: 7.4
IMDB Votes: 110000
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA, South Korea
Duration: 114 min
Plot tags: touching, inspirational, sentimental, feel good, romantic, sad, emotional, spiritual, crying, thought provoking
Similar in 80%
Before Sunrise (1995)
Plot Summary:
On his way to Vienna, American Jesse meets Céline, a student returning to Paris. After long conversations forge a surprising connection between them, Jesse convinces Celine to get off the train with him in Vienna. Since his flight to the U.S. departs the next morning and he has no money for lodging, they wander the city together, taking in the experiences of Vienna and each other.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 332000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA, Austria
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: philosophical, emotional, melancholic, sentimental, feel good, touching, realistic, independent film, inspirational, romantic comedy
Similar in 77%
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Plot Summary:
In 1965, passionate musician Glenn Holland takes a day job as a high school music teacher, convinced it's just a small obstacle on the road to his true calling: writing a historic opus. As the decades roll by with the composition unwritten but generations of students inspired through his teaching, Holland must redefine his life's purpose.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 41000
Genere: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 143 min
Plot tags: inspirational, emotional, touching, sentimental, sincere, serious, realistic, dramatic, sad, motivational
Similar in 84%
Music and Lyrics (2007)
Plot Summary:
A washed up singer is given a couple days to compose a chart-topping hit for an aspiring teen sensation. Though he's never written a decent lyric in his life, he sparks with an offbeat younger woman with a flair for words.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 106000
Genere: Comedy, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: feel good, light, romantic comedy, romantic, sweet, cute, lyrical, semi serious, teen, sentimental
Similar in 82%
The Last Song (2010)
Plot Summary:
A drama centered on a rebellious girl who is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father. Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learn to reconnect.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 92000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: touching, romantic, serious, teen, emotional, romantic comedy, cute, sad, sentimental, realistic
Similar in 75%
Purple Rain (1984)
Plot Summary:
A young man with a talent for music meets an aspiring singer, Apollonia, and finds that talent alone isn't all that he needs.
IMDB Rating: 6.5
IMDB Votes: 23000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min
Plot tags: exciting, captivating, sentimental, realistic, cult classic, intellectual, entertaining, avant garde, hood, eros
Similar in 78%
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 82%
One Day (2011)
Plot Summary:
A romantic comedy centered on Dexter and Emma, who first meet during their graduation in 1988 and proceed to keep in touch regularly. The film follows what they do on July 15 annually, usually doing something together.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 161000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA, UK
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: sentimental, romantic, emotional, sad, touching, realistic, heartbreaking, romantic drama, tear jerker, serious
Similar in 83%
Like Crazy (2011)
Plot Summary:
A British college student falls for an American student, only to be separated from him when she's banned from the U.S. after overstaying her visa.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 63000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: sincere, romantic, heartbreaking, touching, emotional, independent film, sad, realistic, sensual, sentimental
Similar in 86%
Rockstar (2011)
Plot Summary:
An uninhibited youth woos the hottest about-to-be-married college girl. He rises to become a rock-star - then self-destructs.
IMDB Rating: 7.7
IMDB Votes: 48000
Genere: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: India
Duration: 159 min
Plot tags: sentimental, realistic, touching, serious, emotional, romantic, inspirational, heartbreaking, entertaining, sad
Similar in 80%
Before Sunset (2004)
Plot Summary:
Nine years ago two strangers met by chance and spent a night in Vienna that ended before sunrise. They are about to meet for the first time since. Now they have one afternoon to find out if they belong together.
IMDB Rating: 8.1
IMDB Votes: 282000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: France, USA
Duration: 80 min
Plot tags: philosophical, emotional, sentimental, romantic, independent film, touching, feel good, realistic, sincere, contemplative
Similar in 80%
The Notebook (2004)
Plot Summary:
An epic love story centered around an older man who reads aloud to a woman with Alzheimer's. From a faded notebook, the old man's words bring to life the story about a couple who is separated by World War II, and is then passionately reunited, seven years later, after they have taken different paths.
IMDB Rating: 7.8
IMDB Votes: 605000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 123 min
Plot tags: touching, romantic, emotional, sentimental, sweet, sad, tear jerker, inspirational, motivational, feel good