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Searching for Sugar Man poster

Movies that feel likeSearching for Sugar Man (2012)

Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock 'n' roller, Rodriguez.

If you loved Searching for Sugar Man, the closest films we have are 20 Feet from Stardom (2013), The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2006) and Bajrangi Bhaijaan (2015). All three share Searching for Sugar Man's stylish and contemplative feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years (1988).

🍅 95% Rotten Tomatoes★ 8.2 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Malik Bendjelloulstylishcontemplative
9 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · Amazon Prime Video · Paramount Plus Premium

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If Searching for Sugar Man hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: Searching (2018)

20 Feet from Stardom poster
20 Feet from Stardom
2013 · dir. Morgan Neville
🍅 99%★ 7.4documentary · music

The same mix in both: style, then stillness

Backup singers live in a world that lies just beyond the spotlight. Their voices bring harmony to the biggest bands in popular music, but we've had no idea who these singers are or what lives they lead, until now.

The Devil and Daniel Johnston poster
The Devil and Daniel Johnston
2006 · dir. Jeff Feuerzeig
🍅 88%★ 7.9documentary · music

Stylish music in both cases

This 2005 documentary film chronicles the life of Daniel Johnston, a manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist, from childhood up to the present, with an emphasis on his mental illness and how it manifested itself in demonic self-obsession.

Bajrangi Bhaijaan poster
Bajrangi Bhaijaan
2015 · dir. Kabir Khan
🍅 91%★ 8.1music · dramaNetflix

Contemplative documentary, and it commits to that

The difference: Sits closer to drama than Searching for Sugar Man does

A young mute girl from Pakistan loses herself in India with no way to head back. A devoted man with a magnanimous spirit undertakes the task to get her back to her motherland and unite her with her family.

We Are the Best! poster
We Are the Best!
2013 · dir. Lukas Moodysson
🍅 97%★ 7.1drama · musicPrime Video

Music with a pulse of style, in both cases

Three girls in 1980s Stockholm decide to form a punk band—despite not having any instruments, and being told by everyone that punk is dead.

The Last Waltz poster
The Last Waltz
1978 · dir. Martin Scorsese
🍅 98%★ 8.1documentary · musicPrime Video

Both lean on stillness more than on documentary

The difference: 34 years apart, and the 1970s show

Martin Scorsese's documentary intertwines footage from The Band's incredible farewell tour with probing backstage interviews and featured performances by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and other rock legends.

La Vie en Rose poster
La Vie en Rose
2007 · dir. Olivier Dahan
🍅 50%★ 7.5music · drama

Music approached the same way

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

From the mean streets of the Belleville district of Paris to the dazzling limelight of New York's most famous concert halls, Edith Piaf's life was a constant battle to sing and survive, to live and love. Raised in her grandmother's brothel, Piaf was discovered in 1935 by nightclub owner Louis Leplee, who persuaded her to sing despite her extreme nervousness. Piaf became one of France's immortal icons, her voice one of the indelible signatures of the 20th century.

The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years poster
🍅 76%★ 7.2documentary · music

Cut from the same documentary cloth

An exploration of the heavy metal scene in Los Angeles, with particular emphasis on glam metal. It features concert footage and interviews of legendary heavy metal and hard rock bands and artists such as Aerosmith, Alice Cooper, Kiss, Megadeth, Motörhead, Ozzy Osbourne and W.A.S.P..

Stop Making Sense poster
Stop Making Sense
1984 · dir. Jonathan Demme
🍅 100%★ 8.7documentary · musicRent or buy

The music is handled with the same confidence

A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.

tick, tick... BOOM! poster
tick, tick... BOOM!
2021 · dir. Lin-Manuel Miranda
🍅 87%★ 7.5drama · musicNetflix

One thread runs through both: a true story

On the brink of turning 30, a promising theater composer navigates love, friendship and the pressure to create something great before time runs out.

Koyaanisqatsi poster
Koyaanisqatsi
1983 · dir. Godfrey Reggio
🍅 91%★ 8.2documentary

Documentary of the same temperament

Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.

Distant Voices, Still Lives poster
Distant Voices, Still Lives
1988 · dir. Terence Davies
🍅 80%★ 7.4drama · music

Both are music through and through

Siblings Maisie and Tony, along with their mother, gather for their sister Eileen's wedding. It is a joyous occasion, but through flashbacks, it becomes clear that the family was not always happy. Their father was physically abusive to his wife and left the children emotionally traumatized. As a result, the children have grown into unhappy adults, looking for love they didn't receive when they were young.

Rocketman poster
Rocketman
2019 · dir. Dexter Fletcher
★ 7.3music · dramaParamount+

The same preoccupation in both: a true story

The story of Elton John's life, from his years as a prodigy at the Royal Academy of Music through his influential and enduring musical partnership with Bernie Taupin.

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The best-reviewed films that share Searching for Sugar Man’s defining feeling.