Best movies like Svengali

Life, love and a band. Can he manage it?

A unique, carefully handpicked, selection of the best movies like Svengali Starring Martin Freeman, Michael Socha, Vicky McClure, Maxine Peake, and more. If you liked Svengali then you may also like: Never Been Thawed, Chump Change, Pixel Perfect, Death of a Dynasty, Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives! and many more popular movies featured on this list. You can further filter the list even more or get a random selection from the list of similar movies, to make your selection even easier.

movie

Svengali tells the story of Dixie, a postman from South Wales, and a music fanatic. All his life he’s dreamed of discovering a great band and then one day, trawling through YouTube, he finds them… ‘The Premature Congratulations’. He hunts them down and offers them his management services. They are young, arrogant, sexy and utterly magnificent. Putting their demo on a cassette tape, Dixie heads out onto the streets of London…

selected filters: Sort: Default

You may filter the list of movies on this page for a more refined, personalized selection of movies.

Still not sure what to watch click the recommend buttun below to get a movie recommendation selected from all the movies on this list

Know any good movies to watch like Svengali 2013. With a similar plot or stoyline. Suggest it.

Never Been Thawed

A hilarious mockumentary about the delicious hobby of frozen food collecting and Christian rock band, The Christers. The film follows the Mesa Frozen Entree Enthusiast's Club as they plan their first Frozen Entree Enthusiasts Convention.

Chump Change

A failed Hollywood actor returns to his home town in Wisconsin and reminisces about his life in L.A. to a potential new girlfriend about his faults, auditions, misadventures, and confrontations with the evils of Hollywood.

Pixel Perfect

Samantha's band, the Zettabytes, is meeting with little success, so her friend Roscoe uses his knowledge of technology designed by his father to create a holographic lead singer, Loretta Modern. The band instantly becomes successful, but Samantha begins to feel alienated, Roscoe discovers feelings for Samantha, and Loretta struggles with individuality.

Death of a Dynasty

A story which centers around Dave Katz, a journalist at a hip-hop magazine who is sent on assignment to uncover the often comedic underworld of Roc-a-Fella Records run by Damon Dash and Jay-Z.

Eddie and the Cruisers II: Eddie Lives!

In the sixties, Eddie and the cruisers was the hottest band around. But the tragic death of its lead singer broke the band up. Only Eddie is not dead. He works as a carpenter in Montreal. His love of music forces him to create a new band which will have to struggle with its anonymity.

3.6 / 10 1994 Comedy
suggested by: user60303gcuah6

Hail Caesar

Caesar is having a hard time dividing his time between his band and his rich girlfriend, Buffer. Buffer's dad doesn't like Ceasar, so he makes Caesar a bet. If Caesar can make a hundred thousand dollars within six months, he can stay with Buffer... but if he fails, their relationship is over forever. How can Ceasar win the bet if he only knows how jam with his band?

Killing Bono

The true story of Neil and Ivan McCormick, two Irish brothers who attempt to become rock stars but can only look on as their high school friends U2 become the biggest band in the world.

Spike Island

Teenage musicians travel to England's Spike Island in the hope of attending an outdoor performance by their favorite band, the Stone Roses.

Stardust

Jim MacLaine is now enjoying the nomadic 'gigs and groupies' life on tour with his band. When he achieves all his wildest dreams of international stardom, the sweet taste of success begins to turn sour.

The Suburbans

An 80s one-hit wonder band named The Suburbans reform for a special performance at one of the ex-member's wedding. At the wedding, a young record company talent scout happens to be in the audience and decides to give the now 40-ish performers a comeback push. The film attempts to take a satirical look at the music business of the 90s and compare it to the simpler 80s scene.

5.1 / 10 1999 Comedy
suggested by: user963o8r92zhg

Sugar Town

A look at the lives of several struggling L.A. musicians. Gwen, a singer-songwriter, is on a quest for the big-time. Working as an assistant to a film production designer, Gwen tries to steal her boss' boyfriend, a veteran rock producer. The producer, meanwhile, is trying to orchestrate a comeback for an '80s band.

5.2 / 10 1988 Comedy Drama
suggested by: user491hrfxi9sy

Tapeheads

The story of Ivan and Josh, two dim witted ex-security guards who love music videos. Out of work, with no job prospects, they form a music video production company. They soon learn the in's and out's of the business in LA and with some help from Mo Fuzz, they soon become hot property. But not all goes smoothly when they try to resurrect the career of their favorite R&B duo, the Swanky Modes.

That Thing You Do!

A Pennsylvania band scores a hit in 1964 and rides the star-making machinery as long as it can, with lots of help from its manager.

6.0 / 10 2000 Music Comedy Drama
suggested by: user8803x93toy6

2gether

After being fired as a manager, a music mogul decides to start a boyband of his own in this spoof of popular boybands like *NSYNC and Backstreet Boys.

The Blackout

A rag tag band of idiots on the verge of signing a recording contract is sandbagged by their lead singer, Chas Knopfler, into throwing the mother of all parties the night before they embark on a world tour. Eddie Mesmer, the rhythm guitarist, awakens to find his drummer, Toss Dunbar, hanging from a tree like a scarecrow, and the house completely destroyed. Eddie and Toss quickly realize that A: they can't remember anything and B: there's a dead guy in the pool. Now, they have to figure out what happened the night before or their Rock and Roll dream is over.

The Marc Pease Experience

Former high school musical star, Marc Pease, finds himself still living in the past, eight years after graduating.

0.0 / 10 2000 Drama Comedy Music
suggested by: user113gqtte9hw

Out of Sync

Roger Deacon, a down-and-out record producer, is given the job of making a singing star out of an industry mogul's girlfriend, an attractive but talentless starlet. He discovers a housewife with a powerful singing voice and decides to secretly use her to lip sync the other woman's voice for record recordings as a path to fame for her and him.

5.1 / 10 1986 Comedy Music
suggested by: user50135qgj2ub

Body Slam

M. Harry Smilac is a down-on-his-luck music manager who is having a hard time attracting talent and booking gigs for his band, Kicks (The most recent of the gigs is a Dairy Queen opening!!). When making arrangements for a campaign fund-raiser, he mistakes Rick Roberts, a professional wrestler, for a musician and hires him. At that moment he becomes a wrestling manager and starts to book matches for him and his teammate Tonga Tom. The team is a success, and Harry decides to take his wrestlers and his band on a "Rock n' Wrestling" tour. The tour is a success, and Harry feels what it is like to be a winner again.

Breaking Glass

Breaking Glass is the story of punk singer Kate and her meteoric rise to stardom. Starting out in the rock pubs of London, Kate, assisted by her manager Danny, becomes a huge star overnight. Once at the top the pressure is immense as Kate's band are squeezed out and she is left to cope alone in the spotlight.

Hearts of Fire

A reclusive musician, once a huge rock star, takes a young female protegee. While on a tour she meets a younger, more popular rocker and switches her loyalties.

Flame

Light the Rock 'n Roll spark with a Flame in the guise of Dave, Noddy, Jim and Don and their showcase of the rise and demise of rock band Flame. Set in the hardships of North England's seventies working class society and music scene. This build-up from rags to riches is a parody of realism and grit, with double-dealings and harsh unforgiving dog eat dog mentalities, and the golden rule; if you play with matches then you're going to get burnt, in the flames of the music industry.

David Brent: Life on the Road

A camera crew catches up with David Brent, the former star of the fictional British series, "The Office" as he now fancies himself a rockstar on the road.

Electric Apricot

Electric Apricot is a spoof of jam bands centered around the band, Electric Apricot, in the style of "This Is Spinal Tap"

Blast-Off Girls

Sleazy music promoter Boojie Baker convinces a pop band to come work for him. He arranges play dates, publicity, record contracts, and the band's loyalty by getting his hired girls to exercise their feminine charms on all who stand in his way. Thus he creates the new music sensation, The Big Blast, but the band is unhappy about Boojie keeping most of the money. When they try to leave, Boojie sets them up for trouble with the law, but offers to bail them out if they sign the contract. Can't anyone stop this scum bucket?

Daydream Believers: The Monkees' Story

The story of the 60s pop group The Monkees, as they rise above their status as a band created for a TV show, to establishing their legacy in their own right. The band faces many obstacles, among them the right to play their own instruments on record.

Worried About the Boy

In 1980 young George O'Dowd baffles his parents with his love of frocks and make-up and moves into a squat with kindred spirit Peter, who dresses as Marilyn Monroe and calls himself Marilyn. They make a splash at Steve Strange's trendy Blitz Club where George gets a job in the cloakroom but George is unlucky in his relationships with men until he meets wannabe musician Kirk. Through Kirk George meets the handsome drummer Jon Moss, on whom he develops a crush, but sacked by the Blitz and spurned by Kirk, George turns to Sex Pistols' manager Malcolm McLaren to further his music career. George's spell with McLaren's group Bow Wow Wow is short but fan Mikey North is impressed and asks George to sing in a group he is forming, where George again meets Jon. They will have an affair and the group will become the very successful Culture Club. Four years later, however, hounded by the tabloid press amid stories of his drug addiction, an unhappy George turns to Jon for advice on his future.

Satisfaction

When a young rock group called The Mystery gets its first gig at a club, it's an opportunity to see what life is all about. Fresh out of high school, the rockers are hired by an exclusive beach resort thanks to a faded '60s songwriter. There, they meet with romance and adventure. But street-smart lead singer Jennie Lee faces a dilemma: pursue her budding career or finish high school.

You Instead

Two feuding rock stars get handcuffed together for 24 hours at a music festival where they are both due to perform.

Undiscovered

A group of aspiring entertainers try to establish careers for themselves in the city of Los Angeles.

30 Days Until I'm Famous

A Latina working in Los Angeles as a messenger is randomly discovered and fashioned into a pop music star.

Hated

Sex, drugs, and rock 'n' roll are what a young underground punk band are striving for, but once they get a taste of it, they are forced to decide how far they're willing to go for fame and fortune and who they're willing to leave behind to get there.

Pop Star

When talented young singer, Roxie Santos, meets music producer, Eddie Marz, he promises her an amazing new lifestyle and a future record deal. All he needs her to do is first lend her voice to a celebrity with no singing talent. However, when things go too far and it looks like she might lose her “voice” forever, she sets off to prove the truth.

Tamla Rose

Three teen girls in a Motown band embark on an emotional ride to hell and back.

More related lists

Sort results by:

X close
Default
Clear filters
...