Movies Like Puccini's Madama Butterfly

If you liked Puccini's Madama Butterfly (1974), a music and history movie directed by Jean-Pierre Ponnelle, 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 music
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
Vincere (2009)
★ 6.7/10Also history
The story of the descent into madness of Mussolini's secret first wife, Ida Dasler, who was seduced by his passion and vigor but blind to the fascist dictator's many flaws.
3
Beautiful Rebel (2024)
★ 6.8/10Also music and history
The origin story of one of Italy's greatest rock stars, Gianna Nannini, who chased her dream despite obstacles from her family and the music industry.
4
Hounddog (2008)
★ 6.5/10Also music
A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
5
Mayerling (1968)
★ 6.2/10Also history
Crown Prince Rudolf of Austria clashes with his father, Emperor Franz Joseph I of Austria, over implementing progressive policies for their country. Rudolf soon feels he is a man born at the wrong time in a country…
6
Fuori (2025)
★ 6.4/10Also history
Rome. The 1980s. After the magnum opus The Art of Joy she has been working on for a decade is rejected by the Italian publishing world, writer Goliarda Sapienza commits a desperate theft that costs her her reputation…
7
Goltzius & the Pelican Company (2012)
★ 6.1/10Also history
Goltzius and the Pelican Company tells the story of Hendrik Goltzius, a late 16th century Dutch printer and engraver of erotic prints. A contemporary of Rembrandt and, indeed, more celebrated during his life, Goltzius…
8
The Tales of Hoffmann (1951)
★ 7.1/10Also music
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.
9
The Current War (2018)
★ 6.7/10Also history
Electricity titans Thomas Edison and George Westinghouse compete to create a sustainable system and market it to the American people.
10
Munich - The Edge of War (2021)
★ 6.9/10Also history
At the tense 1938 Munich Conference, former friends who now work for opposing governments become reluctant spies racing to expose a Nazi secret.
11
Radium Girls (2020)
★ 6.6/10Also history
Young women toiling in a factory are exposed to hazardous material which takes a disastrous toll on their health.
12
Respect (2021)
★ 6.8/10Also music and history
The rise of Aretha Franklin’s career from a child singing in her father’s church’s choir to her international superstardom.
13
Oranges and Sunshine (2010)
★ 6.9/10Also history
The story of Margaret Humphreys, a social worker from Nottingham, who uncovers one of the most significant social scandals in recent times – the forced migration of children from the United Kingdom to Australia and…
14
Cadillac Records (2008)
★ 7.1/10Also history 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…
15
Maria (2024)
★ 6.5/10Also history 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.
16
All Eyez on Me (2017)
★ 6.7/10Also history and music
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…
17
Dalíland (2022)
★ 5.9/10Also history
In 1973, a young gallery assistant goes on a wild adventure behind the scenes as he helps aging genius Salvador Dali prepare for a big show in New York.
18
Karol: The Pope, The Man (2006)
★ 6.3/10Also history
This highly acclaimed feature film on Pope John Paul II was filmed on location in Italy and Poland. Focusing on the papacy of John Paul and the tremendous impact he had on the Church and the world, Karol: The Pope, The…
19
Duse (2025)
★ 6.7/10Also history
In the years between WWI and the rise of Fascism, legendary thespian Eleonora Duse shocks everyone by getting back onstage at over 60 years of age. Struggling with the brutality of historical events unfolding and…
20
Battle of the Year (2013)
★ 6.8/10Also music
A down-on-his-luck coach is hired to prepare a team of the best American dancers for an international tournament that attracts all the best crews from around the world, but the Americans haven't won in fifteen years.