Movies Like Murder Was the Case

If you liked Murder Was the Case (1995), a music and crime movie directed by Dr. Dre, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
King Creole (1958)
★ 6.4/10Also music and crime
Delinquent Danny Fisher flunks out of high school, quits his job as a nightclub busboy, and one night gets the chance to perform. Success is imminent and local crime boss Maxie Fields wants to hire him to perform at…
2
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)
★ 6.9/10Also crime and music
A tale of an inner city drug dealer who turns away from crime to pursue his passion, rap music.
3
Juice (1992)
★ 7.2/10Also crime
Four Harlem friends -- Bishop, Q, Steel and Raheem -- dabble in petty crime, but they decide to go big by knocking off a convenience store. Bishop, the magnetic leader of the group, has the gun. But Q has different…
4
Panic (2000)
★ 6.2/10Also crime
Alex is going through a midlife crisis and it has become a very difficult time for him. His marriage is struggling, he's worried about his son, and his job of killing people for his family has become the most stressful…
5
Biggie & Tupac (2002)
★ 6.4/10Also music
In 1997, rap superstars Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (aka Biggie Smalls, The Notorious B.I.G.) were gunned down in separate incidents, the apparent victims of hip hop's infamous east-west rivalry. Nick…
6
Belly (1998)
★ 6.3/10Also crime
Tommy Bundy and Sincere are best friends as well as infamous and ruthless criminals and shot-callers in the hood. Respected by many but feared by all. As the police are closing in on them and new players are looking…
7
One Night at McCool's (2001)
★ 5.9/10Also crime
On an ordinary night, in an ordinary part of town, a beautiful young woman walks into a bar. Her name is Jewel, and before long she is chatting to bartender Randy. The pair leave together, but he ends up getting into a…
8
Thick as Thieves (1999)
★ 6/10Also crime
Two master thieves go at odds with one another as one sets the other up for a crime. The first, a suave pro who does his job and then hides in his own privacy, listening to old jazz records and caring for his ailing…
9
Hustle & Flow (2005)
★ 7.2/10Also crime and music
With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.
10
The Unforgivable (2021)
★ 7.4/10Also crime
A woman is released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime and re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past.
11
Greenfingers (2001)
★ 6.3/10Also crime
Prison inmate Colin Briggs is introduced to gardening, and when his thriving prison garden attracts the attention of flamboyant gardening expert Georgina Woodhouse, she offers to sponsor the inmates in an upcoming…
12
Convict (2014)
★ 6.5/10Also crime
Set in the dark and old Parramatta prison built by the original convicts our lead character Ray a war veteran finds himself serving 18 months for manslaughter after defending his fiance. He soon realizes that the…
13
Suburbicon (2017)
★ 5.9/10Also crime
In the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect…
14
In The Mix (2005)
★ 6.1/10Also crime and music
A successful DJ named Darrel, managed to rescue a powerful mobster one night. In order to repay Darrell, the mobster, Frank Pacelli, gives him the task of protecting his daughter, Dolly.
15
Inside Man (2023)
★ 6.2/10Also crime
Based on true events. A disgraced police detective seeking redemption goes undercover to expose a violent crime syndicate. But as he sinks deeper into the mob, the price for absolution may be higher than he can afford.
16
The Substitute (1996)
★ 7/10Also crime
When an inner-city Miami schoolteacher gets her knee broken after standing up to the school's gang leader, her mercenary combat specialist boyfriend goes undercover as a substitute teacher to take down the punk. Soon…
17
Shade (2003)
★ 6.2/10Also crime
Tiffany, Charlie and Vernon are con artists looking to up the ante from their typical scams. They figure a good way of doing this is taking down Dean "The Dean" Stevens, a well-known cardsharp, in a rigged game…
18
Mad Dog and Glory (1993)
★ 6/10Also crime
Wayne Dobie is a shy cop whose low-key demeanor has earned him the affectionate nickname "Mad Dog." After Mad Dog saves the life of Frank Milo, a crime boss and aspiring stand-up comedian, he's offered the company of…
19
Jailhouse Rock (1957)
★ 6.3/10Also music
Young convict Vince Everett, serving time for manslaughter, discovers his musical talent in prison and becomes a rock and roll star after his release, navigating fame and relationships.
20
ATL (2006)
★ 7/10Also crime
As four friends prepare for life after high school, different challenges bring about turning points in each of their lives. The dramas unfold and resolve at their local rollerskating rink, Cascade.