The 10 Best Movies About Musicians

Music has always been an integral part of the human experience, and it’s consequently been a crucial element to many films. Because of its often heightened nature, the music scene is ripe for both comedy and drama. The following are some of the best movies about musicians and are worth checking out.

Once (2007)

A simple film about a street musician and an immigrant in modern Dublin, Once captures the emotion that comes along with creating music, as well as falling in love. Stars Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová have a palpable chemistry that both breaks the viewer’s heart and puts the pieces back together again. The film won the Oscar for Best Original Song in 2008, and it also inspired an award-winning Broadway show.

Almost Famous (2000)

Almost Famous eloquently expresses the pain of growing up and realizing the fallibility of heroes. The film follows a high school boy who gets the chance of a lifetime to tour with a rock band while writing a story for Rolling Stone magazine. It embodies a genuine love of music that has come to define the works of director Cameron Crowe. Almost Famous won the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay in 2001 and was a star-making role for Kate Hudson.

This Is Spinal Tap (1984)

While some films take a reverential approach to the musical process, Rob Reiner’s mockumentary This Is Spinal Tap skewers the ridiculous aspects of the heavy metal scene. Christopher Guest and his familiar troupe of actors turn the satire up to 11 as Nigel Tufnel and Co., building a camaraderie that would continue for many more mockumentary films.

Velvet Goldmine (1998)

Velvet Goldmine is a film about the 1970s glam rock movement, portraying a truly raucous time in musical history. Featuring powerhouse performances from Ewan McGregor, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Christian Bale, Velvet Goldmine is a glittering portrait of singers who preferred to act like gods.

Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)

Inside Llewyn Davis shows a week in the life of a struggling musician as he navigates the folk music scene in New York City in the 1960s. While a melancholy film, it contains the sharp dialogue and quirky characters that have come to define the work of Joel and Ethan Coen. A crackling soundtrack featuring the work of modern artists such as Punch Brothers, Justin Timberlake, and Mumford & Sons rounds out the viewing experience.

A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

Following a “typical” day in the life of The Beatles, A Hard Day’s Night has a lackadaisical plot and relies simply on the charm of its stars. Featuring some of their most famous songs, including the title track “Can’t Buy Me Love” and “If I Fell,” A Hard Day’s Night was a vehicle to remind the world why some silly boys from Liverpool were the biggest band in the world.

Ray (2004)

Ray features a great performance from Jamie Foxx, who truly transforms himself into Ray Charles, the Genius of Soul, showing his rise to fame and the accompanied troubles. Regina King and Kerry Washington also turn in memorable performances as the women who inhabit Charles’ life. Foxx won the Oscar for Best Actor in 2005 for this career-defining role.

Whiplash (2014)

Whiplash is as much about the pain that comes with the musical process as it is about the musicians who create it. Miles Teller portrays a young drummer who enrolls in a rigorous musical conservatory and is put to the test by a ruthless and determined teacher, played with spell-binding brutality by J.K. Simmons, who took home the Oscar for Best Supporting Actor in 2015 for this performance.

Amadeus (1984)

Amadeus is a film about the life of composer and musician Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, told from the perspective of his rival, Antonio Salieri. In turn venerating and vitriolic, Salieri worships the genius of Mozart’s work, while also being driven mad by the fact that he will never measure up to Mozart’s innate greatness. Amadeus won eight Oscars in 1985, including Best Picture, Best Director, Best Actor, and Best Adapted Screenplay.

Walk the Line (2005)

Fewer musicians have embodied the true essence of cool as naturally as Johnny Cash, and Joaquin Phoenix brings that spirit to life in Walk the Line, as Reese Witherspoon matched him note for note as June Carter Cash. The film follows the early years of their careers and courtship, never shying away from the heartbreak, addiction, and eventual redemption that colored their lives. Witherspoon took home the Oscar for Best Actress in 2006 for this role.

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