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Whiplash poster

Movies that feel likeWhiplash (2014)

Under the direction of a ruthless instructor, a talented young drummer begins to pursue perfection at any cost, even his humanity.

If you loved Whiplash, the closest films we have are Two Sons of Francisco (2005), Sound of Metal (2020) and Bohemian Rhapsody (2018). All three share Whiplash's contemplative and stylish feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Bathtubs Over Broadway (2018).

🍅 94% Rotten Tomatoes★ 8.5 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Damien Chazellecontemplativestylishtenseobsessive
9 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video

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If Whiplash hit the spot, these will too

Two Sons of Francisco poster
Two Sons of Francisco
2005 · dir. Breno Silveira
🍅 80%★ 6.9drama · history · music

A father's obsession drives his sons toward stardom at painful cost

The difference: Warm true-story melodrama — ambition without the cruelty

The story of Francisco, a very simple and poor man whose dream was to see his children become country music stars, and who made all the efforts to make it happen.

Sound of Metal poster
Sound of Metal
2020 · dir. Darius Marder
🍅 97%★ 7.7drama · musicPrime Video

A drummer's identity collapses when the thing he lives for is taken

The difference: Quiet acceptance is the arc — there's no tormentor to defy

Metal drummer Ruben begins to lose his hearing. When a doctor tells him his condition will worsen, he thinks his career and life is over. His girlfriend Lou checks the former addict into a rehab for the deaf hoping it will prevent a relapse and help him adapt to his new life. After being welcomed and accepted just as he is, Ruben must choose between his new normal and the life he once knew.

Bohemian Rhapsody poster
Bohemian Rhapsody
2018 · dir. Bryan Singer
🍅 60%★ 7.9music · drama

The pull of a stage and the private cost of chasing greatness on it

The difference: Crowd-pleasing biopic warmth — none of the cruelty or clenched dread

Singer Freddie Mercury, guitarist Brian May, drummer Roger Taylor and bass guitarist John Deacon take the music world by storm when they form the rock 'n' roll band Queen in 1970. Hit songs become instant classics. When Mercury's increasingly wild lifestyle starts to spiral out of control, Queen soon faces its greatest challenge yet – finding a way to keep the band together amid the success and excess.

First Man poster
First Man
2018 · dir. Damien Chazelle
🍅 87%★ 7.3history · drama

Chazelle on obsession again: a man goes silent and pours it into work

The difference: Cold, restrained grief instead of heat — awe replaces the adrenaline

A look at the life of the astronaut, Neil Armstrong, and the legendary space mission that led him to become the first man to walk on the Moon on July 20, 1969.

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

The same mix in both: stillness, then style

The difference: Trades the tension of Whiplash for an angle of its own

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.

Searching for Sugar Man poster
Searching for Sugar Man
2012 · dir. Malik Bendjelloul
🍅 95%★ 8.2music · documentaryHulu

Both keep coming back to the same thing: musician

The difference: Leans harder into documentary than Whiplash does

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

Trap poster
Trap
2024 · dir. M. Night Shyamalan
🍅 57%★ 5.8crime · thriller · musicPrime VideoMax

Tense and obsessive in the same breath

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

A father and teen daughter attend a pop concert, where they realize they're at the center of a dark and sinister event.

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

A New York artist racing the clock to make something great

The difference: Warm and self-doubting — the pressure comes from within, not a teacher

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

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

Kids who refuse to be told their music doesn't matter

The difference: Scrappy and joyful — passion without punishment

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.

Tony Takitani poster
Tony Takitani
2004 · dir. Jun Ichikawa
🍅 88%★ 7.2drama

Fixation rendered with cool, exacting precision

The difference: A hushed Japanese miniature — stillness in place of drive

A reclusive illustrator falls in love with a young woman who addictively shops for clothing.

Bathtubs Over Broadway poster
Bathtubs Over Broadway
2018 · dir. Dava Whisenant
🍅 100%★ 7.6documentary · comedy · music

Obsession with an odd corner of music taken completely seriously

The difference: A gentle documentary — celebration, not psychological warfare

When he started as a comedy writer for the Late Show with David Letterman, Steve Young had few interests and not many friends outside of his day job. But while gathering material for a segment on the show, Steve stumbled onto a few vintage record albums that would change his life forever.

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

Talent, self-destruction and the ugly bargain that fame demands

The difference: A flamboyant musical fantasy that forgives its subject — softer landing

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.

In the mood for more contemplative?

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The best-reviewed films that share Whiplash’s defining feeling.