Movies Like Wasted Talent

If you liked Wasted Talent (2021), a drama and crime movie directed by Derrick Benton, 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
Manic (2002)
★ 6.8/10Also drama
In lieu of prison, Lyle, a violent adolescent, is placed in a juvenile mental institution where he encounters a group of equally troubled teens. This motley crew—abused, sexually confused, violent, and yet hanging on…
2
Straight Outta Compton (2015)
★ 7.8/10Also drama
In 1987, five young men, using brutally honest rhymes and hardcore beats, put their frustration and anger about life in the most dangerous place in America into the most powerful weapon they had: their music. Taking us…
3
Better Man (2024)
★ 7.6/10Also drama
Follow Robbie Williams' journey from childhood, to being the youngest member of chart-topping boyband Take That, through to his unparalleled achievements as a record-breaking solo artist – all the while confronting the…
4
Foxfire (1996)
★ 6/10Also drama
The story of five teenage girls who form an unlikely bond after beating up a teacher who has sexually harassed them. They build a solid friendship but their wild ways begin to get out of control.
5
Gridiron Gang (2006)
★ 7.1/10Also crime and drama
Under the leadership of their counselor, teenagers at a juvenile detention center gain self-esteem by playing football together. Based on a true story.
6
Mammal (2016)
★ 6.3/10Also drama
After Margaret, a divorcée living in Dublin, loses her teenage son, she develops an unorthodox relationship with Joe, a homeless youth. Their tentative trust is threatened by his involvement with a violent gang and the…
7
Whiplash (2014)
★ 8.4/10Also drama
Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity.
8
The Hate U Give (2018)
★ 8.1/10Also crime and drama
Raised in a poverty-stricken slum, a 16-year-old girl named Starr now attends a suburban prep school. After she witnesses a police officer shoot her unarmed best friend, she's torn between her two very different worlds…
9
8 Mile (2002)
★ 7.1/10Also drama
For Jimmy Smith, Jr., life is a daily fight just to keep hope alive. Feeding his dreams in Detroit's vibrant music scene, Jimmy wages an extraordinary personal struggle to find his own voice - and earn a place in a…
10
Lean On Me (1989)
★ 7.3/10Also drama
When principal Joe Clark takes over decaying Eastside High School, he's faced with students wearing gang colors and graffiti-covered walls. Determined to do anything he must to turn the school around, he expels…
11
The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012)
★ 7.8/10Also drama
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1991. High school freshman Charlie is a wallflower, always watching life from the sidelines, until two senior students, Sam and her stepbrother Patrick, become his mentors, helping him…
12
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2005)
★ 6.9/10Also drama and crime
A tale of an inner city drug dealer who turns away from crime to pursue his passion, rap music.
13
I'm Not Ashamed (2016)
★ 7.1/10Also drama and crime
Based on the journal entries of Rachel Joy Scott, the first student killed in the Columbine High School shooting in 1999.
14
Kids (1995)
★ 6.9/10Also drama and crime
A group of bored, disaffected New York City teenagers spend a day skating, smoking, drinking, partying, deflowering virgins, and getting into fights.
15
The United States of Leland (2003)
★ 6.5/10Also crime and drama
A withdrawn young man, Leland Fitzgerald is imprisoned for the murder of a mentally disabled boy, who also happened to be the brother of his girlfriend, Becky. As the community struggles to deal with the killing, Pearl…
16
Over the Edge (1979)
★ 7.1/10Also crime and drama
A group of bored teenagers rebel against authority in the community of New Granada.
17
Hustle & Flow (2005)
★ 7.2/10Also crime and drama
With help from his friends, a Memphis pimp in a mid-life crisis attempts to become a successful hip-hop emcee.
18
Fame (1980)
★ 6.4/10Also drama
A chronicle of the lives of several teenagers who attend a New York high school for students gifted in the performing arts.
19
Bully (2001)
★ 6.7/10Also crime and drama
A group of teenagers in South Florida enact a murder plot against their mutual bully, Bobby, who has emotionally, physically, and sexually abused them for years.
20
The Basketball Diaries (1995)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and crime
A high school basketball player’s life turns upside down after free-falling into the harrowing world of drug addiction.