Movies Like The Thing Called Love (1993)

The Thing Called Love is a 1993 drama, music, romance film from Peter Bogdanovich with a MovieMagicScore of 6.2/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Coal Miner's Daughter and Wild Rose.

Drama Music Romance

Coal Miner's Daughter

1980

Biography of Loretta Lynn, a country and western singer that came from poverty to fame.

7.2

MagicScore

Wild Rose

2019

A young Scottish singer, Rose-Lynn Harlan, dreams of making it as a country artist in Nashville after being released from prison.

6.8

MagicScore

Nashville

1975

The intersecting stories of twenty-four characters—from country star to wannabe to reporter to waitress—connect to the music business in Nashville, Tennessee.

7.3

MagicScore

Honkytonk Man

1982

During the Great Depression, a young boy leaves his family's Oklahoma farm to travel with his country musician uncle who is trying out for the Grand Ole Opry.

6.4

MagicScore

Begin Again

2014

Gretta, a budding songwriter, finds herself alone after her boyfriend Dave ditches her. Her life gains purpose when Dan, a record label executive, notices her talent.

7.2

MagicScore

The Last Movie Star

2018

An aging screen icon gets lured into accepting an award at a rinky-dink film festival in Nashville, Tenn., sending him on a hilarious fish-out-of-water adventure and an unexpectedly poignant journey into his past.

6.5

MagicScore

New York, New York

1977

An egotistical saxophone player and a young singer meet on V-J Day and embark upon a strained and rocky romance, even as their careers begin a long uphill climb.

6.6

MagicScore

Sight

2024

Ming Wang is an impoverished Chinese prodigy who flees Communist China to become a pioneering eye surgeon in America. When tasked with restoring the sight of an orphan in India, who was blinded by her stepmother, Wang must confront the trauma of living through the violent uprising in his youth, the Cultural Revolution.

6.1

MagicScore

Michael

2026

The story of Michael Jackson, one of the most influential artists the world has ever known, and his life beyond the music. His journey from the discovery of his extraordinary talent as the lead of the Jackson Five, to the visionary artist whose creative ambition fueled a relentless pursuit to become the biggest entertainer in the world, highlighting both his life off-stage and some of the most iconic performances from his early solo career.

8.6

MagicScore

#10

A Star Is Born

2018

Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers — and falls in love with — struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer — until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.

7.5

MagicScore

#11

Walk the Line

2005

A chronicle of country music legend Johnny Cash's life, from his early days on an Arkansas cotton farm to his rise to fame with Sun Records in Memphis, where he recorded alongside Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins.

7.5

MagicScore

#12

Pure Country

1992

Dusty Chandler is a super star in the country music world, but his shows have the style of a '70s rock concert. One day he takes a walk - out of his overdone concerts to find his real country roots. He's helped and hindered by friends and staff, but pushes on in his search for a real music style as well as a real romance.

7.0

MagicScore

#13

Crazy Heart

2009

When reporter Jean Craddock interviews Bad Blake—an alcoholic, seen-better-days country music legend—they connect, and the hard-living crooner sees a possible saving grace in a life with Jean and her young son.

6.9

MagicScore

#14

I Can Only Imagine

2018

Growing up in Greenville, Texas, Bart Millard suffers physical and emotional abuse at the hands of his father, Arthur. When Arthur becomes terminally ill, he finds redemption by embracing his faith and rediscovering his love for his son. Years later, Bart's troubled childhood and mended relationship with his dad inspires him to write the hit song "I Can Only Imagine" as singer of the Christian band MercyMe.

7.5

MagicScore

#15

Tender Mercies

1983

Alchoholic former country singer Mac Sledge makes friends with a young widow and her son. The friendship enables him to find inspiration to resume his career.

6.7

MagicScore

#16

Sweet Dreams

1985

The story of Patsy Cline, the velvet-voiced country music singer who died in a tragic plane crash at the height of her fame.

6.4

MagicScore

#17

Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere

2025

Bruce Springsteen, a young musician on the cusp of global superstardom, struggles to reconcile the pressures of success with the ghosts of his past.

6.9

MagicScore

#18

Country Strong

2010

Soon after the rising young singer-songwriter Beau Williams gets involved with a fallen, emotionally unstable country star Kelly Canter, the pair embark on a career resurrection tour helmed by her husband/manager James and featuring a beauty queen-turned-singer Chiles Stanton. Between concerts, romantic entanglements and old demons threaten to derail them all.

6.1

MagicScore

#19

Back to Black

2024

The extraordinary story of Amy Winehouse’s early rise to fame from her early days in Camden through the making of her groundbreaking album, Back to Black that catapulted Winehouse to global fame. Told through Amy’s eyes and inspired by her deeply personal lyrics, the film explores and embraces the many layers of the iconic artist and the tumultuous love story at the center of one of the most legendary albums of all time.

6.7

MagicScore

#20

Juliet, Naked

2018

Annie is stuck in a long-term relationship with Duncan – an obsessive fan of obscure rocker Tucker Crowe. When the acoustic demo of Tucker's hit record from 25 years ago surfaces, its discovery leads to a life-changing encounter with the elusive rocker himself.

6.3

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Thing Called Love?

The top films similar to The Thing Called Love by MovieMagicScore are Coal Miner's Daughter (7.2), Wild Rose (6.8), Nashville (7.3). Each shares drama/music/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Thing Called Love worth watching?

The Thing Called Love holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.2/10 from 144 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is The Thing Called Love?

The Thing Called Love (1993) is a drama, music, romance film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring River Phoenix, Samantha Mathis, Dermot Mulroney.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Thing Called Love?

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

Keep exploring

Movies like Coal Miner's Daughter Movies like Wild Rose Movies like Nashville Movies like Honkytonk Man Movies like Begin Again Movies like The Last Movie Star

About movies like The Thing Called Love

This ranked list pairs The Thing Called Love (1993), a drama and music and romance film from Peter Bogdanovich, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of River Phoenix 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.

← Back to The Thing Called Love