Movies Like West Side Story (1961)

West Side Story is a 1961 crime, drama, romance film from Jerome Robbins with a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with West Side Story and Romeo + Juliet.

Crime Drama Romance

West Side Story

2021

Two youngsters from rival New York City gangs fall in love, but tensions between their respective friends build toward tragedy.

7.0

MagicScore

Romeo + Juliet

1996

In director Baz Luhrmann's contemporary take on William Shakespeare's classic tragedy, the Montagues and Capulets have moved their ongoing feud to the sweltering suburb of Verona Beach, where Romeo and Juliet fall in love and secretly wed. Though the film is visually modern, the bard's dialogue remains.

6.8

MagicScore

China Girl

1987

Teenage lovers Tony (Richard Panebianco) and Tyan-Hwa (Sari Chang) tip the balance of power in New York's Little Italy and Chinatown.

5.9

MagicScore

Romeo and Juliet

1968

Romeo Montague and Juliet Capulet fall in love against the wishes of their feuding families. Driven by their passion, the young lovers defy their destiny and elope, only to suffer the ultimate tragedy.

7.4

MagicScore

Romeo and Juliet, From Hate to Love

2001

French musical created by Gérard Presgurvic and produced in 2001, at the Paris Convention Center. It is inspired by William Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet.

7.5

MagicScore

The King and I

1999

Widowed Welsh mother Anna Loenowens becomes a governess and English tutor to the wives and many children of the stubborn King Mongkut of Siam. Anna and the King have a clash of personalities as she works to teach the royal family about the English language, customs and etiquette, and rushes to prepare a party for a group of European diplomats who must change their opinions about the King.

5.4

MagicScore

Grease

1978

Australian good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance despite their eccentric friends?

7.4

MagicScore

Romeo & Juliet

2013

In Verona, bad blood between the Montague and Capulet families leads to much bitterness. Despite the hostility, Romeo Montague manages an invitation to a masked ball at the estate of the Capulets and meets Juliet, their daughter. The two are instantly smitten but dismayed to learn that their families are enemies. Romeo and Juliet figure out a way to pursue their romance, but Romeo is banished for his part in the slaying of Juliet's cousin, Tybalt.

6.7

MagicScore

The Turning Point

1977

As young dancers, they were best friends and fierce rivals. Deedee left the stage for marriage and motherhood, while Emma would become an international ballet icon. But when Deedee's teenage daughter is invited to join Emma's dance company and begins an affair with a young Russian star, the two women are forced to confront the choices they've made, the resentments they've hidden and the emotional truths they must face at the turning point.

6.5

MagicScore

#10

Mississippi Masala

1991

Years after her Indian family was forced to flee their home in Uganda, twentysomething Mina finds herself helping to run a motel in the faraway land of Mississippi. It's there that a passionate romance with the charming Black carpet cleaner Demetrius challenges the prejudices of their conservative families and exposes the rifts between the region's Indian and African American communities.

6.4

MagicScore

#11

Closer

2004

The relationships of two couples become complicated and deceitful when the man from one couple meets the woman of the other.

6.8

MagicScore

#12

Léon: The Professional

1994

Léon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon's footsteps.

8.3

MagicScore

#13

The Cameraman

1928

A photographer takes up newsreel shooting to impress a secretary.

7.8

MagicScore

#14

Meet Joe Black

1998

Bill Parrish has it all - success, wealth and power. Days before his 65th birthday, he receives a visit from a mysterious stranger, Joe Black, who soon reveals himself as Death. In exchange for extra time, Bill agrees to serve as Joe's earthly guide. But will he regret his choice when Joe unexpectedly falls in love with Bill's beautiful daughter Susan?

7.4

MagicScore

#15

Beautiful Thing

1996

Set during a long, hot summer on the Thamesmead Estate in Southeast London, where three teenagers edge towards adulthood.

7.2

MagicScore

#16

Jungle Fever

1991

A successful and married black man contemplates having an affair with a white girl from work. He's quite rightly worried that the racial difference would make an already taboo relationship even worse.

6.4

MagicScore

#17

August Rush

2007

Lyla and Louis, a singer and a musician, fall in love, but are soon compelled to separate. Lyla is forced to give up her newborn but unknown to her, he grows up to become a musical genius.

7.4

MagicScore

#18

Reefer Madness: The Movie Musical

2006

From an ominous Lecturer, a small 1930s middle American community learns of the Harper Affair, in which young Jimmy Harper finds his life of promise turn into a life of debauchery and murder thanks to the new drug menace marijuana. Along the way, he receives help from his girlfriend Mary and Jesus Himself, but always finds himself in the arms of the Reefer Man and the rest of the denizens of the Reefer Den.

6.6

MagicScore

#19

Kiss Me Kate

1953

A pair of divorced actors are brought together to participate in a musical version of The Taming of the Shrew. Of course, the couple seem to act a great deal like the characters they play, and they must work together when mistaken identities get them mixed up with the mafia.

6.4

MagicScore

#20

Rock of Ages

2012

A small town girl and a city boy meet on the Sunset Strip, while pursuing their Hollywood dreams.

6.2

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like West Side Story?

The top films similar to West Side Story by MovieMagicScore are West Side Story (7.0), Romeo + Juliet (6.8), China Girl (5.9). Each shares crime/drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is West Side Story worth watching?

West Side Story holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.2/10 from 1,968 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is West Side Story?

West Side Story (1961) is a crime, drama, romance film directed by Jerome Robbins, starring Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn.

Where can I find more recommendations like West Side Story?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more crime recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like West Side Story Movies like Romeo + Juliet Movies like China Girl Movies like Romeo and Juliet Movies like Romeo and Juliet, From Hate to Love Movies like The King and I

About movies like West Side Story

This ranked list pairs West Side Story (1961), a crime and drama and romance film from Jerome Robbins, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Natalie Wood take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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