Movies Like Ma Rainey's Black Bottom
If you liked Ma Rainey's Black Bottom (2020), a drama and music movie directed by George C. Wolfe, 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
Bessie (2015)
★ 6.4/10Also drama and musicThe story of legendary blues performer, Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.
- 2
Cadillac Records (2008)
★ 7.1/10Also drama and musicThe 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…
- 3
A Complete Unknown (2024)
★ 7.1/10Also drama and musicNew York, early 1960s. Against the backdrop of a vibrant music scene and tumultuous cultural upheaval, an enigmatic 19-year-old from Minnesota arrives in the West Village with his guitar and revolutionary talent…
- 4
Rocketman (2019)
★ 7.3/10Also music and dramaThe 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.
- 5
Crossroads (1986)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and musicA wanna-be blues guitar virtuoso seeks a long-lost song by legendary musician, Robert Johnson.
- 6
Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)
★ 7/10Also music and dramaThe 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.
- 7
The Trial of the Chicago 7 (2020)
★ 7.7/10Also dramaWhat was supposed to be a peaceful protest turned into a violent clash with the police. What followed was one of the most notorious trials in history.
- 8
Born to Be Blue (2015)
★ 6.5/10Also drama and musicJazz legend Chet Baker finds love and redemption when he stars in a movie about his own troubled life to mount a comeback.
- 9
Whiplash (2014)
★ 8.4/10Also drama and musicUnder the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity.
- 10
A (2017)
★ 6.2/10Also drama and musicA young alcoholic ambient musician locks himself in his apartment on a dangerous seven day bender as he attempts to finish his upcoming album.
- 11
Marshall (2017)
★ 7.3/10Also dramaThurgood Marshall, the first African-American Supreme Court Justice, battles through one of his career-defining cases.
- 12
Taurus (2022)
★ 5.8/10Also drama and musicA rising but troubled musician searches for the inspiration to record one last song, pushing himself deep into the void.
- 13
The Five Heartbeats (1991)
★ 7.3/10Also drama and musicIn the early 1960s, a quintet of hopeful, young African-American men form an amateur vocal group called The Five Heartbeats. After an initially rocky start, the group improves, turns pro, and rises to become a top…
- 14
What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
★ 7.1/10Also drama and musicSinger Tina Turner rises to stardom while mustering the courage to break free from her abusive husband Ike.
- 15
Mo' Better Blues (1990)
★ 6.5/10Also drama and musicTalented but self-centered trumpeter Bleek Gilliam is obsessed with his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends Indigo and Clarke. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend…
- 16
Valentino (1977)
★ 5.8/10Also dramaThe untimely death of silent screen star Rudolph Valentino prompts the many women in his past to reminisce about his troubled rise to superstardom.
- 17
Selena (1997)
★ 7.7/10Also drama and musicIn 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…
- 18
De-Lovely (2004)
★ 6.1/10Also drama and musicFrom Paris to Venice to Broadway to Hollywood, the lives of Cole Porter and his wife, Linda Lee Thomas were never less than glamorous and wildly unconventional. And though Cole's thirst for life strained their…
- 19
Hounddog (2008)
★ 6.5/10Also dramaA drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
- 20
The Boys in the Band (2020)
★ 6.8/10Also dramaAt a birthday party in 1968 New York, a surprise guest and a drunken game leave seven gay friends reckoning with unspoken feelings and buried truths.