Movies Like Villa-Lobos: A Life of Passion

If you liked Villa-Lobos: A Life of Passion (2000), a drama and history movie directed by Zelito Viana, 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
Richard Jewell (2019)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and history
Richard Jewell thinks quick, works fast, and saves hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives after a domestic terrorist plants several pipe bombs and they explode during a concert, only to be falsely suspected of the crime…
2
We're So Young (2013)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
The life of Renato Russo, from his first involvement with music, to his years in the punk rock band Aborto Alétrico, to the formation of Legião Urbana, in the Brasília rock scene of 1970s and 1980s.
3
All Eyez on Me (2017)
★ 6.7/10Also history and drama
All Eyez on Me chronicles the life and legacy of Tupac Shakur, including his rise to superstardom as a hip-hop artist, actor, poet and activist, as well as his imprisonment and prolific, controversial time at Death Row…
4
Blaze (2018)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and history
Inspired by the life of Blaze Foley, the unsung songwriting legend of the Texas outlaw country movement that spawned the likes of Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson. The film weaves together three periods in Blaze's life…
5
Born to Be Blue (2015)
★ 6.5/10Also drama
Jazz legend Chet Baker finds love and redemption when he stars in a movie about his own troubled life to mount a comeback.
6
Copying Beethoven (2006)
★ 6.5/10Also drama
Serving as Ludwig van Beethoven's copyist gives a conservatory student access to the composer's musical genius, but also exposes her to his cruelty.
7
Respect (2021)
★ 6.8/10Also drama and history
The rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom.
8
Back to Black (2024)
★ 6.7/10Also history and drama
The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame from her early days in Camden through the making of her groundbreaking album, Back to Black that catapulted Winehouse to global fame. Told through Amy’s…
9
Jobs (2013)
★ 6.1/10Also drama and history
The story of Steve Jobs' ascension from college dropout into one of the most revered creative entrepreneurs of the 20th century.
10
Chevalier (2023)
★ 6.4/10Also drama and history
The illegitimate son of an African slave and a French plantation owner, Joseph Bologne rises to improbable heights in French society as a celebrated violinist-composer and fencer, complete with an ill-fated love affair…
11
Miles Ahead (2016)
★ 6.4/10Also drama and history
An exploration of the life and music of Miles Davis.
12
'Round Midnight (1986)
★ 7.1/10Also drama
Inside the Blue Note nightclub one night in 1959 Paris, an aged, ailing jazzman coaxes an eloquent wail from his tenor sax. Outside, a young Parisian too broke to buy a glass of wine strains to hear those notes. Soon…
13
Coda (2020)
★ 6.1/10Also 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.
14
Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025)
★ 6.6/10Also drama
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
Pelé: Birth of a Legend (2016)
★ 7.3/10Also drama
The life story of Brazilian football legend, Pele.
16
The Current War (2018)
★ 6.7/10Also drama and history
Electricity titans Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse compete to create a sustainable system and market it to the American people.
17
Beyond the Sea (2004)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
Based on the life and career of legendary entertainer, Bobby Darin, the biopic moves back and forth between his childhood and adulthood, to tell the tale of his life.
18
Elvis (2022)
★ 7.4/10Also history and drama
The life story of Elvis Presley as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker.
19
Adventures of a Mathematician (2021)
★ 6.1/10Also drama and history
The warmhearted story of Polish immigrant and mathematician Stan Ulam, who moved to the U.S. in the 1930s. Stan deals with the difficult losses of family and friends all while helping to create the hydrogen bomb and…
20
Selena (1997)
★ 7.7/10Also drama and history
In this biographical drama, Selena Quintanilla is born into a musical Mexican-American family in Texas. Her father, Abraham, realizes that his young daughter is talented and begins performing with her at small venues…