Movies Like For the Boys

If you liked For the Boys (1991), a drama and music movie directed by Mark Rydell, 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
One Chance (2013)
★ 6.7/10Also drama and comedy
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.
2
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.
3
Taking Sides (2002)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and war
One of the most spectacular and renowned conductors of the 1930s, Wilhelm Furtwangler's reputation rivaled that of Toscanini's. After the war, he was investigated as part of the Allies' de-Nazification programme. In…
4
You Got Served (2004)
★ 6.4/10Also music and drama
At Mr. Rad's Warehouse, the best hip-hop crews in Los Angeles compete for money and respect. But when a suburban crew crashes the party, stealing their dancers — and their moves — two warring friends have to pull…
5
The Secret of Santa Vittoria (1970)
★ 6.9/10Also comedy and drama
During World War II, Italian villagers hide their wine from the German army.
6
A Very Jonas Christmas Movie (2025)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and music
Kevin, Nick, and Joe Jonas face a series of escalating obstacles as they struggle to make it from London to New York in time to spend Christmas with their families.
7
Airheads (1994)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and music
The Lone Rangers have heavy-metal dreams and a single demo tape they can't get anyone to play. The solution: Hijack an FM rock radio station and hold the deejays hostage until they agree to broadcast the band's tape.
8
The Duke (2021)
★ 6.9/10Also comedy and drama
In 1961, a 60-year-old taxi driver steals Goya’s portrait of the Duke of Wellington from the National Gallery in London. It was the first (and remains the only) theft in the Gallery’s history. What happens next becomes…
9
Gypsy (1962)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and drama
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.
10
Moxie (2021)
★ 7.2/10Also comedy and drama
Inspired by her mom's rebellious past and a confident new friend, a shy 16-year-old publishes an anonymous zine calling out sexism at her school.
11
Teen Spirit (2019)
★ 6/10Also music and drama
A shy teenager living on the Isle of Wight dreams of pop stardom. With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a singing competition that will test her integrity, talent, and ambition.
12
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.
13
Power Ballad (2026)
★ 7.1/10Also comedy and music
When Rick, a past-his-prime wedding singer, meets fading boy-band star Danny during a gig, the two bond over music and a late-night jam session. But when Danny turns one of Rick’s songs into the hit that reignites his…
14
The Scarlet and the Black (1983)
★ 7.1/10Also drama and war
Fr. Hugh O'Flaherty is a Vatican official in 1943-45 who has been hiding downed pilots, escaped prisoners of war, and Italian resistance families. His activities become so large that the Nazis decide to assassinate him…
15
Wild Rose (2019)
★ 6.8/10Also music and comedy
A young Scottish singer, Rose-Lynn Harlan, dreams of making it as a country artist in Nashville after being released from prison.
16
Beyond the Sea (2004)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and music
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.
17
Thirty Two Short Films About Glenn Gould (1993)
★ 7/10Also drama and music
A collection of vignettes highlighting different aspects of the life, work, and character of the acclaimed Canadian classical pianist.
18
Mister Roberts (1955)
★ 7/10Also comedy and drama
Mr. Roberts is a Navy officer who's yearning for battle but is stuck in the backwaters of World War II on a non-commissioned ship run by the bullying Captain Morton.
19
SubUrbia (1997)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and drama
A group of suburban teenagers try to support each other through the difficult task of becoming adults.
20
Hair (1979)
★ 7.3/10Also music and drama
Upon receiving his draft notice and leaving his family ranch in Oklahoma, Claude heads to New York and befriends a tribe of long-haired hippies on his way to boot camp.