Top 10 Soul-Touching Movies Like "A Star Is Born"

Author:
Rahul Pandey
Updated:
Apr 12, 2023

Here are the top 10 movies like "A Star Is Born."

What Movies Are Like A Star Is Born?

All the greatest love stories in the world come along with their own soundtrack. Think of your parents’ wedding, your first dance with your partner, or Titanic. I am not sure which comes first, but it is pretty clear that there’s an undeniable synergy between music and love. Why else would there be so much of it at weddings?

As I said before, I don’t know which comes first, but sometimes, music is the clear catalyst for the emotions that follow. A Star is Born is a perfect example of music bringing two people together, keeping them apart, and finally bringing them back again.

A rollercoaster of emotions that makes us do crazy things music is. It sort of feels like another rollercoaster we’re all too familiar with. Maybe it’s time to look for repeating patterns. Here are 10 movies like A Star is Born that you'll love.

1. Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist (2008)

The drama is great, and the music is even better in Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist. Starring Michael Cera as a young teenager who can’t stop obsessing about his ex-girlfriend, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist follows the story of Nick (Cera’s character) and Norah (played by Kat Dennings), his ex-girlfriend’s friend who asks him to be her boyfriend for five minutes.

The film then follows them as they spend the night looking to find their favorite band’s secret show and Norah’s very drunk friend. It’s a humorous love story with beautiful performances by both Cera and Dennings. Directed by Peter Sollet and based on a novel by the same name, Nick & Norah’s Infinite Playlist received positive reviews and received several award nominations.

2. Beyond the Lights (2014)

Beyond the Lights tells the tale of a young girl groomed for stardom and the pressures she has to face as she falls in love with the police officer that saved her. Played by Gugu Mbatha-Raw, the film follows Noni as a successful singer who is having trouble adjusting to fame and her domineering mother. After her attempted suicide is thwarted by her assigned police escort, Kaz, who is played by Nate Parker, Noni finds herself attracted to the grounded officer who seems to want nothing but to see her be her true self.

The two eventually fall in love, and with that comes the strain of success and ambition on their relationship. Beyond the Lights is a beautiful love story told in the most unobtrusive of ways. The chemistry between the two performers is magical, and it shines through in the film.

The film was well received by audiences and critics alike, earning it an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Original Song for “Grateful." If you're looking for a movie like A Star is Born, Beyond The Lights should be right up your alley.

3. Chico and Rita (2010)

The first and only animated entry on this list, Chico and Rita, shows that the story of music and love can be told just as well through animation as it can in live action. The story follows Chico, a young piano player with dreams of becoming a superstar, and (you guessed it) Rita, a beautiful singer with a voice of gold.

Their paths cross continuously as they both set out to make their dreams come true, but with each meeting comes heartache and pain for the couple. Chico and Rita is a film that travels through the cities of Havana to New York, and all the way to Paris, as the two chase their passion for music and each other.

With a Rotten Tomatoes score of 86%, Chico and Rita swept audiences off their feet with their whirlwind romance, earning them multiple awards and nominations, including a nomination for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature.

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4. The Sound of Music (1965)

It’s difficult to create any list that speaks on love and music without mentioning the iconic and immortal The Sound of Music and the love that blossoms between the very wholesome yet tomboyish Maria and the widowed Captain Von Trapp.

The film follows the story of Maria, who is not really cut out for life in the nunnery. She gets sent to the home of Captain Von Trapp to become governess to his seven mischievous children. After their initial scrapes, Maria begins to bring the children in line with kindness, love, and music, something that soon extends to her relationship with the strict Captain.

This classic musical is set in a period where World War II is still raging, using the tribulations the war brings to further strengthen the bonds of the family. The film won five Academy Awards and two Golden Globes, along with several accolades, including the honor of being recognized as the fifty-fifth greatest American movie of all time.

5. The Breakup Playlist (2015)

Our first foreign entry on this list doesn’t come as a surprise that it is Filipino in origin, considering how much the country enjoys their music. The Breakup Playlist is a Filipino romantic drama about a rock singer and a law student who also happens to be an aspiring professional singer.

The two meet up to collaborate on a song. As the two work on their song, they begin to develop feelings for each other, and the real test of their love begins when they must deal with issues such as family and their own pride.

The movie premiered to critical acclaim with the soundtrack of the album peaking at number one on the iTunes Philippines album chart as well as a strong ninth place on the Billboard World Albums.

Those looking for a movie like A Star is Born will not be disappointed.

6. Once (2007)

Vacuum repairman by day and street musician on the side, a guitarist spends his waking hours on the streets of Dublin hoping for his shot at the big time. A chance meeting between himself and a Czech immigrant who sells flowers leads to the revelation that she, too, has a musical past with dreams to rival his.

They decide to collaborate and write songs together, with their songs seemingly telling the story of their lives, their problems, and their blossoming love. For a film with a modest budget of 180,000 EUR, Once surpassed expectations as it went on to win the Independent Spirit Award for Best International Film. Interestingly, the film fails to name any of the main characters, referring only to them as “Guy” and “Girl."

The film also went on to win the Academy Award for Best Original Song for their collaboration on “Falling Slowly," which was performed by the two lead characters, Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová.

7. Begin Again (2013)

After his proven success on Once, director John Carney once (no pun intended) again features on this list with yet another musical love story, albeit this time, with characters from different sides of the musical divide.

Begin Again tells the story of Dan, a once-famous music producer who is down on his luck. After finding himself in a club, he discovers a heartbroken Gretta, who had arrived in New York with her musical and life partner, but now finds herself alone after he sacrificed the relationship for his new record deal and success.

Dan, played by Mark Ruffalo, is enthralled by Keira Knightley’s character, Greta, and signs her on the spot, leading to a never been done and mutually life-changing album.

The film was nominated for an Oscar for Best Original Song and was met with largely favorable responses. Performances from both actors, including that of Adam Levine, who plays Gretta’s sell-out lover, were also praised.

However, rumors, along with John Carney’s own statements, told the story that he was displeased with Kiera Knightley’s performance, something he later apologized for. Unlike most on this list, there is no romantic love story between the two main characters except for their mutual love for the music.

8. Almost Famous (2000)

Set in the early 1970s, Almost Famous is a comedic drama that follows William, a 15-year-old who gets a job writing for the Rolling Stones magazine. His first job assignment is to tour with an up-and-coming band called Stillwater. It’s on this journey doing what he loves that William begins to see what happens behind the scenes of the band, leading him on a journey of enlightenment and self-discovery about his chosen field.

Director Cameron Crowe admits the film is a bit of an autobiographical cover of himself as he also toured with various bands as a young writer for Rolling Stones. Almost Famous lived up to its name as it didn’t do too well at the box office.

However, it was critically hailed as the best film of the year, receiving four Academy Award nominations and a win for Best Original Screenplay. It also won the 2001 Grammy Award for Best Compilation Soundtrack Album for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media, as well as two Golden Globe Awards.

If you're looking for some engrossing movies like A Star is Born, Almost Famous Should be right up your alley.

9. Walk the Line (2005)

This biopic of the immortal country legend Johnny Cash holds the singular honor of being the only entry on this list that tells a bonafide true love story. Walk the Line follows the growth of Johnny Cash and his subsequent love for music.

Trying to escape a personal loss, he enlists in the army, where he first gets his inspiration to write his first song, “Folsom Prison Blues." Leaving the army, he settles down and begins work as a door-to-door salesman. Life looks bleak until he auditions and gets the chance to pursue music. While on tour, he meets June Carter, played by Reese Witherspoon, and they eventually fall in love.

Directed by James Mangold, Walk the Line went on to be a box office hit with a worldwide gross of over $186 million and a rousing reception by fans and critics alike. The movie was nominated for five Academy Awards, including a win for Reese Witherspoon’s character for Best Actress.

10. Music and Lyrics (2007)

One half of a popular British duo, Alex Fletcher (played by Hugh Grant) has fallen from grace and scrapes by singing in nostalgic tours and backwater county fairs, while his one-time partner’s star continues to rise. An opportunity to make it back into the big time lands at his door when the reigning singing sensation commissions him to write a duet for the two of them.

The problem is he was never the writer in the group, and he’s having a torrid time trying to stick to the very specific song stipulations given to him. Noticing that his plant-watering person, Sophie Fisher (played by Drew Barrymore), seems lyrically inclined, he makes the proposal to make music together. Enter emotions and love to make a messy situation even messier.

Music and Lyrics is a comedic take on the creative process behind the music, along with warning signs of the pitfalls within the music industry.

Did I miss out on any other movies like A Star is Born? Let me know in the comments section.