Movies Like Magpie Sings the Blues

If you liked Magpie Sings the Blues (2012), a movie directed by Simon Blake, 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
Penguin Bloom (2021)
★ 6.9/10
When an unlikely ally enters the Bloom family's world in the form of an injured baby magpie they name Penguin, the bird’s arrival makes a profound difference in the struggling family’s life.
2
Bessie (2015)
★ 6.4/10
The story of legendary blues performer, Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.
3
O Brother, Where Art Thou? (2000)
★ 7.3/10
In the deep south during the 1930s, three escaped convicts search for hidden treasure while a relentless lawman pursues them.
4
Michael (2026)
★ 8.6/10
The story of Michael Jackson, one of the most influential artists the world has ever known, and his life beyond the music. His journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to…
5
Battle of the Sexes (2017)
★ 6.7/10
The true story of the 1973 tennis match between world number one Billie Jean King and ex-champ and serial hustler Bobby Riggs.
6
Dreamgirls (2006)
★ 6.7/10
A trio of female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.
7
Crossroads (1986)
★ 7.4/10
A wanna-be blues guitar virtuoso seeks a long-lost song by legendary musician, Robert Johnson.
8
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025)
★ 6.6/10
Bruce Springsteen, a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past.
9
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
★ 6.6/10
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.
10
One Chance (2013)
★ 6.7/10
This film follows the remarkable and inspirational true story of Paul Potts, a shy, bullied shop assistant by day and an amateur opera singer by night.
11
Florence Foster Jenkins (2016)
★ 6.6/10
The story of Florence Foster Jenkins, a New York heiress, who dreamed of becoming an opera singer, despite having a terrible singing voice.
12
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)
★ 7/10
The joyous, emotional, heartbreaking celebration of the life and music of Whitney Houston, the greatest female R&B pop vocalist of all time. Tracking her journey from obscurity to musical superstardom.
13
New York, New York (1977)
★ 6.5/10
An egotistical saxophone player and a young singer meet on V-J Day and embark upon a strained and rocky romance, even as their careers begin a long uphill climb.
14
Speak (2004)
★ 7.1/10
Freshman high-school student Melinda has refused to speak ever since she called the cops on a popular summer party. With her old friends snubbing her for being a rat, and her parents too busy to notice her troubles…
15
Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit (1993)
★ 6.4/10
Deloris Van Cartier is again asked to don the nun's habit to help a run-down Catholic school, presided over by Mother Superior. And if trying to reach out to a class full of uninterested students wasn't bad enough, the…
16
Get On Up (2014)
★ 6.8/10
A chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
17
A Star Is Born (2018)
★ 7.5/10
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…
18
Priscilla (2023)
★ 6.7/10
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…
19
What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
★ 7.1/10
Singer Tina Turner rises to stardom while mustering the courage to break free from her abusive husband Ike.
20
Gypsy (1962)
★ 6.4/10
Gypsy's mother Rose dreams of a life in show business for her daughters, but Louise becomes a huge burlesque star. Stage musical loosely based on the memoirs of Gypsy Rose Lee.