Movies Like Whiplash

If you liked Whiplash (1948), a drama movie directed by Lewis Seiler, 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 Set-Up (1949)
★ 7.4/10Also drama
Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.
2
Kid Galahad (1962)
★ 6.2/10Also drama
After completing military service, Walter Gulick takes a job as a sparring partner at a gym, the owner of which sees potential in Walter as a professional fighter—and takes him under his wing.
3
Plunder Road (1957)
★ 6.9/10Also drama
A spectacular heist starts to unravel as the crooks take it on the lam.
4
Fast Girls (2012)
★ 6/10Also drama
A street smart runner develops an intense rivalry with an equally ambitious wealthy young athlete.
5
Bobby Jones: Stroke of Genius (2004)
★ 5.9/10Also drama
The story of golf icon and legend, Bobby Jones, who retired from competition at the tender age of 28.
6
Eleanor the Great (2025)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein tries to rebuild her life after the death of her best friend. As a result, she moves back to New York City after living in Florida for decades.
7
Body and Soul (1947)
★ 6.7/10Also drama
Charley Davis, against the wishes of his mother, becomes a boxer. As he becomes more successful the fighter becomes surrounded by shady characters, including an unethical promoter named Roberts, who tempt the man with…
8
The Locket (1946)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
A dark personal secret drives a young woman to use every man she encounters.
9
Birth of the Dragon (2017)
★ 5.8/10Also drama
Set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown, this cross-cultural biopic chronicles Bruce Lee’s emergence as a martial-arts superstar after his legendary secret showdown with fellow martial artist Wong Jack Man.
10
Pitfall (1948)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
An insurance man wishing for a more exciting life becomes wrapped up in the affairs of an imprisoned embezzler, his model girlfriend, and a violent private investigator.
11
While the City Sleeps (1956)
★ 6.9/10Also drama
Newspaper men compete against each other to find a serial killer dubbed "The Lipstick Killer".
12
The Web (1947)
★ 7.1/10Also drama
A brash young lawyer takes a short-term, high-paying job as bodyguard for a slick business exec being threatened by a former partner, and quickly realizes he may be in over his head.
13
Somebody Up There Likes Me (1956)
★ 7.2/10Also drama
The story of boxer Rocky Graziano's rise from juvenile delinquent to world champ.
14
Sleep, My Love (1948)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
A woman wakes up in the middle of the night on board a train, but she can't remember how she got there. Danger and suspense ensue.
15
Adopt a Highway (2019)
★ 6.9/10Also drama
Russ Millings has just been released from prison after serving 21 years for a 3rd strike conviction for possessing an ounce of marijuana. As he tries to adapt to a world he doesn’t recognize – including trying to learn…
16
Wonderstruck (2017)
★ 6.1/10Also drama
The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection.
17
Detour (1945)
★ 7.2/10Also drama
The life of Al Roberts, a pianist in a New York nightclub, turns into a nightmare when he decides to hitchhike to Los Angeles to visit his girlfriend.
18
The Color of Friendship (2000)
★ 6.7/10Also drama
Mahree Bok lives on a farm in South Africa. Her father is a policeman who cannot hide his joy when activist Steve Biko is caught by the South African authorities. Piper Dellums is the daughter of a US congressman from…
19
They Made Me a Fugitive (1947)
★ 6.6/10Also drama
After being framed for a policeman's murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.
20
Champion (1949)
★ 6.7/10Also drama
An unscrupulous boxer fights his way to the top, but eventually alienates all of the people who helped him on the way up.