Movies Like WANNA BE A STAR!

If you liked WANNA BE A STAR! (2026), a movie directed by Brian Russell, 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
The Souvenir (2019)
★ 6.1/10
A shy but ambitious film student falls into an intense, emotionally fraught relationship with a charismatic but untrustworthy older man.
2
I Believe in Unicorns (2015)
★ 6.7/10
Feeling awkward and isolated, an imaginative and strong-willed teenage girl runs away from home with an older punk rock drifter.
3
Real Women Have Curves (2002)
★ 6.1/10
In East Los Angeles, an 18-year-old struggles between her ambitions of going to college and the desires of her domineering mother for her to get married, have children, and oversee the small, rundown family-owned…
4
From Straight A's to XXX (2017)
★ 5.9/10
When a change of circumstances leaves Miriam unable to pay her college tuition, she makes a surprising decision: to start performing in adult films, using the pseudonym Belle Knox. Miriam lies to her family and her…
5
After We Fell (2021)
★ 7/10
Just as Tessa's life begins to become unglued, nothing is what she thought it would be. Not her friends nor her family. The only person that she should be able to rely on is Hardin, who is furious when he discovers the…
6
...And Justice for All (1979)
★ 7.1/10
An ethical Baltimore defense lawyer disgusted with rampant legal corruption is forced to defend a judge he despises in a rape trial under the threat of being disbarred.
7
Jolt (2021)
★ 6.5/10
A bouncer with an anger management problem goes on a furious and resentful rampage after the murder of a friend.
8
Bastard Out of Carolina (1996)
★ 7.1/10
A poor, struggling South Carolinian mother and daughter face painful choices with their resolve and pride. Bone, the eldest daughter, and Anney her tired mother, grow both closer and farther apart: Anney sees Glen as…
9
The Souvenir: Part II (2021)
★ 6.4/10
In the aftermath of her tumultuous relationship with a charismatic and manipulative older man, Julie begins to untangle her fraught love for him in making her graduation film, sorting fact from his elaborately…
10
The Trials of Cate McCall (2013)
★ 6.4/10
In order to be reinstated to the bar and recover custody of her daughter, a hotshot lawyer, now in recovery and on probation, must take on the appeal of a woman wrongfully convicted of murder.
11
CQ (2001)
★ 5.9/10
A young filmmaker in 1960s Paris juggles directing a cheesy sci-fi debacle, directing his own personal art film, coping with his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend, and a new-found infatuation with the sci-fi…
12
Laggies (2014)
★ 6.1/10
Overeducated and underemployed, 28 year old Megan is in the throes of a quarterlife crisis. Squarely into adulthood with no career prospects, no particular motivation to think about her future and no one to relate to…
13
All About Nina (2018)
★ 5.8/10
Nina Geld's passion and talent have made her a rising star in the comedy scene, but she's an emotional mess offstage. When a new professional opportunity coincides with a romantic one, she is forced to confront her own…
14
American Teen (2008)
★ 6.4/10
A documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques.
15
Maudie (2016)
★ 7.8/10
Canadian folk artist Maud Lewis falls in love with a fishmonger while working for him as a live-in housekeeper.
16
The World to Come (2021)
★ 7/10
In 1856, two women forge a close connection despite their isolation on the American frontier.
17
Fish Tank (2009)
★ 6.9/10
Fifteen-year-old Mia is in a constant state of war with her family and the world around her. When she meets her party-girl mother’s charming new boyfriend Connor, she is amazed to find he returns her attention, and…
18
Stardust Memories (1980)
★ 6.9/10
While attending a retrospect of his work, a filmmaker recalls his life and his loves: the inspirations for his films.
19
Rock-a-Bye Baby (1958)
★ 6.9/10
An average television repairman must care for the newborn triplets of his former hometown sweetheart—now a famous movie star—so her career will not suffer.
20
Joy Ride (2023)
★ 6.5/10
When Audrey's business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the aid of Lolo, her irreverent, childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat, her college friend turned Chinese soap star; and Deadeye…