Movies about music and subcultures
This is a list about best movies about rock music (not everything about rock) and sometimes include such subcultures like skinheads, punks, metalheads or hippies.
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115 titles
- DirectorCameron CroweStarsBilly CrudupPatrick FugitKate HudsonA high-school boy in the early 1970s is given the chance to write a story for Rolling Stone magazine about an up-and-coming rock band as he accompanies them on their concert tour.
- DirectorTony KayeStarsEdward NortonEdward FurlongBeverly D'AngeloLiving a life marked by violence, neo-Nazi Derek finally goes to prison after killing two black youths. Upon his release, Derek vows to change; he hopes to prevent his brother, Danny, who idolizes Derek, from following in his footsteps.
- DirectorAdam RifkinStarsEdward FurlongGiuseppe AndrewsJames DeBelloIn 1978, four rebellious teenagers try to scam their way into a KISS concert.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsJason LondonWiley WigginsMatthew McConaugheyThe adventures of high school and junior high students on the last day of school in May 1976.
- DirectorStephen HerekStarsMark WahlbergJennifer AnistonDominic WestLead singer of a tribute band becomes lead singer of the real band he idolizes.
- DirectorRichard CurtisStarsPhilip Seymour HoffmanBill NighyNick FrostA band of rogue DJs that captivated Britain, playing the music that defined a generation and standing up to a government that wanted classical music, and nothing else, on the airwaves.
- DirectorFloria SigismondiStarsKristen StewartDakota FanningMichael ShannonA coming-of-age biographical film about the 1970s teenage all-girl rock band The Runaways. The relationship between band members Cherie Currie and Joan Jett is also explored.
- DirectorRichard LinklaterStarsJack BlackMike WhiteJoan CusackAfter being kicked out of his rock band, Dewey Finn becomes a substitute teacher of an uptight elementary private school, only to try and turn his class into a rock band.
- DirectorPenelope SpheerisStarsMike MyersDana CarveyRob LoweTwo slacker friends try to promote their public-access cable show.
- DirectorJames MerendinoStarsMatthew LillardMichael A. GoorjianAnnabeth GishIn the early 1980s Stevo, and Heroin Bob are the only two dedicated punks in conservative Salt Lake City.
- DirectorKirsten SheridanStarsFreddie HighmoreKeri RussellJonathan Rhys MeyersA musically gifted orphan, Evan, runs away from his orphanage and searches New York City for his birth parents. On his journey, he's taken under the wing of the Wizard, a homeless man who lives in an abandoned theater.
- DirectorShane MeadowsStarsThomas TurgooseStephen GrahamJo HartleyA young boy becomes friends with a gang of skinheads. Friends soon become like family, and relationships will be pushed to the very limit.
- DirectorMichael LehmannStarsBrendan FraserSteve BuscemiAdam SandlerThree band members hoping for a big break head to a radio station to play their demo tape and wind up holding everyone hostage with plastic guns when the head D.J. refuses to play them.
- DirectorAlex CoxStarsGary OldmanChloe WebbDavid HaymanThe relationship between Sid Vicious, bassist for British punk group Sex Pistols, and his girlfriend Nancy Spungen is portrayed.
- DirectorPeter CattaneoStarsRainn WilsonJosh GadChristina ApplegateIn the 1980s, a drummer is abandoned by his band just before they become rock superstars. Twenty years later, the drummer sees his second chance at stardom arise when he is asked to perform with his teenage nephew's high school rock band.
- DirectorTodd GraffStarsAly MichalkaVanessa HudgensGaelan ConnellA new kid in town assembles a fledgling rock band -- together, they achieve their dreams and compete against the best in the biggest event of the year, a battle of the bands.
- DirectorEdgar WrightStarsMichael CeraMary Elizabeth WinsteadKieran CulkinIn a magically realistic version of Toronto, a young man must defeat his new girlfriend's seven evil exes one by one in order to win her heart.
- DirectorAng LeeStarsDemetri MartinHenry GoodmanEdward HibbertA man working at his parents' motel in the Catskills inadvertently sets in motion the generation-defining concert in the summer of 1969.
- DirectorRob StefaniukStarsRob StefaniukJessica ParéPaul AnthonyA comedy centered on a rock 'n' roll band that will do anything to become famous.
- DirectorRodger GrossmanStarsShane WestRick GonzalezBijou PhillipsThe true-life story of Darby Crash, who became an L.A. punk icon after getting kicked out of high school and forming The Germs with a collection of friends who have little experience with their instruments or playing music.
- DirectorJames MelkonianStarsMichael KopelowBradford TatumChina KantnerJoe and Hubbs are a pair of rockers who are on a quest for 'chicks.' This is the tale of their adventures over one night.
- DirectorNick HammStarsBen BarnesRobert SheehanKrysten RitterTwo brothers attempt to become global rock stars but can only look on as old school friends U2 become the biggest band in the world.
- DirectorKevin TancharoenStarsKelsey GrammerBebe NeuwirthMegan MullallyAn updated version of the musical Fame (1980), which centered on the students of the New York Academy of Performing Arts. The name of the school in 1980 was Fiorello Laguardia High School.
- DirectorGus Van SantStarsMichael PittLukas HaasAsia ArgentoA Seattle musician's life and career are reminiscent of those of Kurt Cobain.
- DirectorRomas ZabarauskasStarsEbeneezer Nii SowahBeata TiskevicSarunas ZenkeviciusLuke is an up-and-coming DJ from an affluent New York family with a Lithuanian father and an African-American mother. When Luke hears from an estranged grandmother in Lithuania, he defies his parents and decides to visit this far-away country, flying straight to the capital city Vilnius. He falls in love with the city, a rebellious girl called Marta, and the local music scene - the beatmakers - promoted by an aggressive gay manager, Andy. Luke's grandma's connections get him a deal with the municipality to become the manager of a new nightclub, and he takes up the challenge... but the deal turns out to be poisoned, forcing Luke to rebel in ways he never imagined.
- DirectorAlex SteyermarkStarsKyle GallnerTania RaymondeAllison ScagliottiChosen by the man himself, the Kevin Smith Movie Club presents Losers Take All. A band is given the chance of committing the ultimate sin: selling out. They must decide if they'll stick to their roots or give in to corporate rock.
- DirectorCatherine HardwickeStarsEmily BrowningXavier SamuelCam GigandetA young singer/songwriter, despite being married, becomes involved with her new guitarist, who she soon discovers has a dark past and may be a danger to her and those close to her.
- DirectorMeiert AvisStarsKip PardueCarrie FisherShannyn SossamonA group of aspiring entertainers try to establish careers for themselves in LA.
- DirectorLukas MoodyssonStarsMira BarkhammarMira GrosinLiv LeMoyneThree girls in 1980s Stockholm decide to form a punk band -- despite not having any instruments and being told by everyone that punk is dead.
- DirectorRandall MillerStarsAlan RickmanMalin AkermanJustin BarthaA look at the New York City punk-rock scene and the venerable nightclub, CBGB.
- DirectorDavid MackenzieStarsLuke TreadawayNatalia TenaRebecca BensonTwo feuding rock stars get handcuffed together for 24 hours at a music festival where they are both due to perform.
- DirectorSteve RashStarsGary BuseyDon StroudCharles Martin SmithThe story of the life and career of the early rock and roll singer, from his meteoric rise to stardom, to his marriage and untimely death.
- DirectorGeorge LucasStarsRichard DreyfussRon HowardPaul Le MatA group of teenagers in California's central valley spend one final night after their 1962 high school graduation cruising the strip with their buddies before they pursue their varying goals.
- DirectorMatthew LillardStarsJacob WysockiMatt O'LearyBilly CampbellA dropout comes to the aid of a chubby and suicidal high-school kid by recruiting him as the drummer for his upstart punk-rock band.
- DirectorAmy HeckerlingStarsSean PennJennifer Jason LeighJudge ReinholdA group of Southern California high school students are enjoying their most important subjects: sex, drugs and rock n' roll.
- DirectorAdam ShankmanStarsJulianne HoughDiego BonetaTom CruiseA small-town girl and a city boy meet on the Sunset Strip while pursuing their Hollywood dreams.
- DirectorDeborah KampmeierStarsDakota FanningDavid MorsePiper LaurieA drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
- DirectorLisa CholodenkoStarsFrances McDormandAlessandro NivolaChristian BaleWhen an uptight young man and his fiancée move into his libertine mother's house, the resulting clash of life attitudes shakes everyone up.
- DirectorFelix van GroeningenStarsVeerle BaetensJohan HeldenberghNell CattrysseElise and Didier fall in love at first sight, in spite of their differences. He talks, she listens. He's a romantic atheist, she's a religious realist. When their daughter becomes seriously ill, their love is put on trial.
- DirectorCameron CroweStarsBridget FondaCampbell ScottKyra SedgwickA group of twenty-something friends search for love and success in grunge-era Seattle.
- DirectorCraig BrewerStarsKenny WormaldJulianne HoughDennis QuaidCity teenager Ren MacCormack moves to a small town where rock music and dancing have been banned, and his rebellious spirit shakes up the populace.
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsMiles TellerJ.K. SimmonsMelissa BenoistA promising young drummer enrolls at a cut-throat music conservatory where his dreams of greatness are mentored by an instructor who will stop at nothing to realize a student's potential.
- DirectorRagnar BragasonStarsThora Bjorg HelgaIngvar SigurdssonHalldóra GeirharðsdóttirA girl is caught between the life that took her brother and her own inability to strike out on her own. In her grief, she finds solace in the dark music of Black Metal and dreams of becoming a rock star.
- DirectorWilliam H. MacyStarsBilly CrudupAnton YelchinFelicity HuffmanA grieving father in a downward spiral stumbles across a box of his recently deceased son's demo tapes and lyrics. Shocked by the discovery of this unknown talent, he forms a band in the hope of finding some catharsis.
- DirectorLisa Barros D'SaGlenn LeyburnStarsCathal MaguirePeter KellyCharlie BerkeleyA chronicle of Terri Hooley's life, a record-store owner instrumental in developing Belfast's punk-rock scene.
- DirectorClint EastwoodStarsJohn Lloyd YoungErich BergenMichael LomendaThe story of four young men from the wrong side of the tracks in New Jersey who came together to form the iconic 1960s rock group The Four Seasons.
- DirectorTate TaylorStarsChadwick BosemanNelsan EllisDan AykroydA chronicle of James Brown's rise from extreme poverty to become one of the most influential musicians in history.
- DirectorRebecca ThomasStarsJulia GarnerLiam AikenBilly ZaneRachel, a teenager born and raised in her Mormon community, believes that she has been inpregnated by listening to music and must get to Vegas to find the "father" of her miracle baby.
- DirectorJeremy SaulnierStarsAnton YelchinImogen PootsAlia ShawkatA punk rock band is forced to fight for survival after witnessing a murder at a neo-Nazi skinhead bar.
- DirectorDan FogelmanStarsAl PacinoAnnette BeningJennifer GarnerAn aging rock star decides to change his life when he discovers a 40-year-old letter written to him by John Lennon.
- DirectorKate Barker-FroylandStarsAnne HathawayJohnny FlynnBen RosenfieldA young woman strikes up a relationship with her ailing brother's favorite musician.
- DirectorDavid ChaseStarsJohn MagaroJack HustonWill BrillSet in suburban New Jersey in the 1960s, a group of friends form a rock band and try to make it big.
- DirectorDaniel AlgrantStarsPenn BadgleyImogen PootsNorbert Leo ButzA chronicle of the days leading up to Jeff Buckley's performance at his father's tribute concert in 1991.
- DirectorJohn CarneyStarsKeira KnightleyMark RuffaloAdam LevineA chance encounter between a down-and-out music business executive, and a young singer songwriter new to Manhattan, turns into a promising collaboration between the two talents.
- DirectorLiam LynchStarsJack BlackKyle GassJR ReedTo become the greatest band of all time, two slacker, wannabe-rockers set out on a quest to steal a legendary guitar pick that gives its holders incredible guitar skills, from a maximum security Rock and Roll museum.
- DirectorTodd HaynesStarsChristian BaleCate BlanchettHeath LedgerRuminations on the life of Bob Dylan, where six characters embody a different aspect of the musician's life and work.
- DirectorTaylor HackfordStarsJamie FoxxRegina KingKerry WashingtonThe story of the life and career of the legendary rhythm and blues musician Ray Charles, from his humble beginnings in the South, where he went blind at age seven, to his meteoric rise to stardom during the 1950s and 1960s.
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsKurt CobainWendy O'ConnorDon CobainAn authorized documentary on the late musician Kurt Cobain, from his early days in Aberdeen, Washington to his success and downfall with the grunge band Nirvana.
- DirectorNicholas StollerStarsJonah HillRussell BrandElisabeth MossA record company intern is hired to accompany out-of-control British rock star Aldous Snow to a concert at L.A.'s Greek Theater.
- DirectorDarnell MartinStarsAdrien BrodyJeffrey WrightBeyoncéChronicles the rise of Chess Records and its recording artists.
- DirectorJim JarmuschStarsTilda SwintonTom HiddlestonMia WasikowskaA depressed musician reunites with his lover. However, their romance, which has already endured several centuries, is disrupted by the arrival of her uncontrollable younger sister.
- DirectorJohn Cameron MitchellStarsJohn Cameron MitchellMiriam ShorStephen TraskA gender-queer punk-rock singer from East Berlin tours the U.S. with her band as she tells her life story and follows the former lover/band-mate who stole her songs.
- DirectorTodd HaynesStarsEwan McGregorJonathan Rhys MeyersChristian BaleIn 1984, British journalist Arthur Stuart investigates the career of 1970s glam superstar Brian Slade, who was heavily influenced in his early years by hard-living and rebellious American singer Curt Wild.
- DirectorLenny AbrahamsonStarsMichael FassbenderDomhnall GleesonMaggie GyllenhaalJon, a young wanna-be musician, discovers he's bitten off more than he can chew when he joins an eccentric pop band led by the mysterious and enigmatic Frank.
- CreatorRich CohenMick JaggerMartin ScorseseStarsBobby CannavalePaul Ben-VictorP.J. ByrneRichie Finestra, a shrewd record executive from New York, tries to promote American Century, his music label, amidst the changing music scene in the 1970s.
- DirectorJake KasdanStarsJohn C. ReillyJenna FischerDavid KrumholtzSinger Dewey Cox overcomes adversity to become a musical legend.
- CreatorStephen Adly GuirgisBaz LuhrmannStarsJustice SmithShameik MooreHerizen F. GuardiolaA ragtag group of teenagers run wild in the streets of the Bronx in the late 1970s.
- DirectorAsif KapadiaStarsAmy WinehouseMitch WinehouseMark RonsonArchival footage and personal testimonials present an intimate portrait of the life and career of British singer/songwriter Amy Winehouse.
- CreatorCameron CroweStarsCarla GuginoLuke WilsonImogen PootsA road crew helps with a rock band's major multi-city tour.
- DirectorGerardo NaranjoStarsCaleb Landry JonesRyan LeBoeufEvan Rachel WoodA roadie travels across North America with a punk band during the 1980s.
- DirectorJohn LandisStarsJohn BelushiDan AykroydCab CallowayJake Blues rejoins with his brother Elwood after being released from prison, but the duo has just days to reunite their old R&B band and save the Catholic home where the two were raised, outrunning the police as they tear through Chicago.
- DirectorAlbert MagnoliStarsPrinceApollonia KoteroMorris DayA young musician, tormented by an abusive situation at home, must contend with a rival singer, a burgeoning romance, and his own dissatisfied band, as his star begins to rise.
- DirectorLuca GuadagninoStarsTilda SwintonMatthias SchoenaertsRalph FiennesA famous rock star's vacation in Italy with her boyfriend is disrupted by the unexpected visit of an old friend and his daughter.
- DirectorBill PohladStarsJohn CusackPaul DanoElizabeth BanksIn the 60s, Beach Boys leader Brian Wilson struggles with emerging psychosis as he attempts to craft his avant-garde pop masterpiece. In the 80s, he's a broken, confused man under the 24-hour watch of shady therapist, Dr. Eugene Landy.
- DirectorGreg OlliverWes OrshoskiStarsLemmyPhil CampbellMikkey DeeA documentary on the life and career of revered heavy-metal musician Lemmy Kilmister.
- DirectorRon DorfmanPeter NevardStarsTen Years AfterAlvin LeeJoe CockerThis documentary on rock 'n' roll groupies, including the infamous Plaster Casters, features performances (musical) by such bands as Ten Years After, Terry Reid, Spooky Tooth, and Cat Mother.
- DirectorMorgan NevilleStarsKeith RichardsAnthony DeCurtisSteve JordanA portrait of Keith Richards that takes us on a journey to discover the genesis of his sound as a songwriter, guitarist and performer.
- DirectorDerrick BorteStarsJonathan Rhys MeyersDaniel HuttlestoneDougray ScottIn '70s London, a 14 year-old boy is introduced to the Clash by his estranged mother. It changes his life forever.
- DirectorAllan MoyleStarsAnthony LaPagliaDebi MazarMaxwell CaulfieldTwenty-four hours in the lives of the young employees at Empire Records when they all grow up and become young adults thanks to each other and the manager. They all face the store joining a chain store with strict rules.
- DirectorJohn CarneyStarsFerdia Walsh-PeeloAidan GillenMaria Doyle KennedyA young lad notices a beautiful girl who begins to occupy his thoughts. While struggling with poverty, personal relationships and life's woes, he starts a band, hoping to catch her attention.
- DirectorBrendan TollerStarsMx Justin Vivian BondJohn CaleJudy CollinsThe life and times of music manager and publicist Danny Fields, who worked with some of the biggest acts of the '60s and '70s, including the Doors, Cream, Lou Reed, Nico, Judy Collins, the Stooges and the Ramones.
- DirectorMax JosephStarsZac EfronWes BentleyEmily RatajkowskiCaught between a forbidden romance and the expectations of his friends, aspiring DJ Cole Carter attempts to find the path in life that leads to fame and fortune.
- DirectorErik Peter CarlsonStarsNajarra TownsendConstance BrennemanChandler RylkoOn one evening in a decade of sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll, the innocence of youth and family unravels. Five lives will change forever on this final evening before their hangout, The Toy Soldiers Roller Rink, closes its doors.
- DirectorBrett MorgenStarsMick JaggerCharlie WattsBill WymanLegendary British rock band The Rolling Stones mark their 50th year together.
- DirectorNobuhiro YamashitaStarsBae DoonaAki MaedaYû KashiiA music group of girls need to learn to play a song before the school festival.
- DirectorJames AlgarSamuel ArmstrongFord Beebe Jr.StarsLeopold StokowskiDeems TaylorThe Philadelphia OrchestraA series of eight famous pieces of classical music, conducted by Leopold Stokowski and interpreted in animation by Walt Disney's team of artists.
- DirectorJames AlgarGaëtan BrizziPaul BrizziStarsJames LevineSteve MartinItzhak PerlmanAn update of the original film with new interpretations of great works of classical music.
- DirectorRick FamuyiwaStarsShameik MooreTony RevoloriKiersey ClemonsLife changes for Malcolm, a geek who's surviving life in a tough neighborhood, after a chance invitation to an underground party leads him and his friends into a Los Angeles adventure.
- DirectorSonia AndersonStarsDavid BowieAngie BowieBreege CollinsCombining footage from interviews with the late great David Bowie and contributions from those who knew him personally, this documentary celebrates the illustrious life of one of the greatest artists to ever grace the stage.
- DirectorAsh AvildsenStarsAndy BiersackBooboo StewartBen BruceA young rock band, half of its members from England and half from the U.S., drops out of college and moves to the Sunset Strip to chase their dreams.
- DirectorDamien ChazelleStarsRyan GoslingEmma StoneRosemarie DeWittWhile navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.
- DirectorDexter FletcherStarsTaron EgertonJamie BellRichard MaddenA musical fantasy about the fantastical human story of Elton John's breakthrough years.
- DirectorBryan SingerStarsRami MalekLucy BoyntonGwilym LeeThe story of the legendary British rock band Queen and lead singer Freddie Mercury, leading up to their famous performance at Live Aid (1985).
- DirectorDanny BoyleStarsHimesh PatelLily JamesSophia Di MartinoA struggling musician realizes he's the only person on Earth who can remember The Beatles after waking up in an alternate reality where they never existed.
- DirectorJonas ÅkerlundStarsRory CulkinEmory CohenJack KilmerA teenager's quest to launch Norwegian Black Metal in Oslo in the early 1990s results in a very violent outcome.
- DirectorJeff TremaineStarsDouglas BoothIwan RheonColson BakerBased on the bestselling autobiography from Mötley Crüe, the film is an unflinching tale of success and excess as four misfits rise from the streets of Hollywood to the heights of international fame.
- CreatorIdris ElbaGary ReichStarsIdris ElbaPiper PeraboFrankie HerveyCharlie, a struggling DJ and eternal bachelor is given a final chance at success when he reluctantly becomes a nanny to his famous best friend's problem-child daughter.
- DirectorBeyoncéEd BurkeStarsBeyoncéJay-ZKelly RowlandThis intimate, in-depth look at Beyoncé's celebrated 2018 Coachella performance reveals the emotional road from creative concept to cultural movement.
- DirectorJuuso LaatioJukka VidgrenStarsJohannes HolopainenSamuli JaskioAntti Tuomas HeikkinenAfter years of playing songs by other artists, the opportunity of a concert in Norway encourages a metal band to compose their own material, but not before overcoming some unexpected difficulties.
- DirectorJohn WilliamsStarsLuke PerryNicholas GalitzineLisa DillonA teenage boy discovers his unruly neighbour is really a disgraced Rock God who "died" 8 years ago owing a fortune in unpaid tax. The boy agrees not to reveal his secret on condition that he teaches him the dark arts of Rock Guitar.