Movies Like Porgy and Bess

If you liked Porgy and Bess (1993), a music and drama movie directed by Trevor Nunn, 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
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)
★ 7/10Also music and drama
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.
2
Respect (2021)
★ 6.8/10Also drama and music
The rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom.
3
Rocketman (2019)
★ 7.3/10Also music and drama
The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.
4
Cadillac Records (2008)
★ 7.1/10Also drama and music
The story of sex, violence, race and rock and roll in 1950s Chicago, and the exciting but turbulent lives of some of America's musical legends, including Muddy Waters, Leonard Chess, Little Walter, Howlin' Wolf, Etta…
5
Yankee Doodle Dandy (1942)
★ 7/10Also drama and music
A film of the life of the renowned musical composer, playwright, actor, dancer and singer George M. Cohan.
6
Coda (2020)
★ 6.1/10Also music and drama
A famous pianist at the twilight of his career meets a free-spirited music critic who soon becomes his rock as his mental state deteriorates.
7
Maria (2024)
★ 6.5/10Also drama and music
Maria Callas, the world's greatest opera singer, lives the last days of her life in 1970s Paris, as she confronts her identity and life.
8
Get On Up (2014)
★ 6.8/10Also drama and music
A chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
9
Dreamgirls (2006)
★ 6.7/10Also drama and music
A trio of female soul singers cross over to the pop charts in the early 1960s, facing their own personal struggles along the way.
10
Bessie (2015)
★ 6.4/10Also drama and music
The story of legendary blues performer, Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.
11
May December (2023)
★ 6.6/10Also drama
Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under the pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.
12
The Testament of Ann Lee (2025)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and music
The extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers as the female Christ.
13
Clika (2026)
★ 8.3/10Also music and drama
Aspiring small-town musician Chito is determined to make it big. When a clip of him performing one of his songs goes viral, he seizes the opportunity and pushes to carve out a place for himself in the new wave of…
14
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025)
★ 6.6/10Also drama and music
Bruce Springsteen, a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past.
15
The Tales of Hoffmann (1951)
★ 7.1/10Also music and drama
A melancholy poet reflects on three women he loved and lost in the past: a mechanical performing doll, a Venetian courtesan, and the consumptive daughter of a celebrated composer.
16
Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020)
★ 6.6/10Also drama and music
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.
17
Taurus (2022)
★ 5.8/10Also drama and music
A rising but troubled musician searches for the inspiration to record one last song, pushing himself deep into the void.
18
Good Vibrations (2012)
★ 6.7/10Also music and drama
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…
19
Frankie & Alice (2010)
★ 6/10Also drama
A drama centered on a go-go dancer with multiple personality disorder who struggles to remain her true self and begins working with a psychotherapist to uncover the mystery of the inner ghosts that haunt her.
20
Bound for Glory (1976)
★ 6.9/10Also music and drama
A biography of Woody Guthrie, one of America's greatest folk singers. He left his dust-devastated Texas home in the 1930s to find work, discovering the suffering and strength of America's working class.