Movies Like Elvis (1979)

Elvis is a 1979 drama, history, music, tv movie film from John Carpenter with a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Moonage Daydream and How the Beatles Changed the World.

Drama History Music TV Movie

Moonage Daydream

2022

A cinematic odyssey featuring never-before-seen footage exploring David Bowie's creative and musical journey.

7.5

MagicScore

How the Beatles Changed the World

2017

The fascinating story of the cultural, social, spiritual, and musical revolution ignited by the coming of the Beatles. Tracing the impact that these four band members had, first in their native Britain and soon after worldwide, it reappraises the band and follows their path from young subversives to countercultural heroes. Featuring fresh, revealing interviews with key collaborators as well as a wealth of rarely-seen archival footage, this is a bold new take on the most significant band in the history of music and their enduring impact on popular culture.

7.4

MagicScore

Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender

2012

Archive footage of interviews, concerts and personal material bring to light the solo performance work of Mercury, the lead singer of Queen.

7.3

MagicScore

Camp Rock

2008

When Mitchie gets a chance to attend Camp Rock, her life takes an unpredictable twist, and she learns just how important it is to be true to yourself.

6.4

MagicScore

Janie Jones

2010

When a fading musician (Alessandro Nivola) learns he has a teenage daughter (Abigail Breslin) from a long-ago tryst, he’s forced to take her on tour after her mother checks into rehab.

6.3

MagicScore

KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park

1978

The tale of rock band KISS and their efforts to thwart a diabolical plan by mad scientist Abner Devereaux. Devereaux has found a way to clone humans into robots in his laboratory at an amusement park. It just so happens that he plans to use the KISS concert as a platform to unleash his plan on the world. KISS must use their special powers to stop him.

5.2

MagicScore

Queen: Days of Our Lives

2011

In 1971, four college students got together to form a rock band. Since then, that certain band called Queen have released 26 albums and sold over 300 million records worldwide. The popularity of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon is stronger than ever 40 years on. But it was no bed of roses. No pleasure cruise. Queen had their share of kicks in the face, but they came through and this is how they did it, set against the backdrop of brilliant music and stunning live performances from every corner of the globe. In this film, for the first time, it is the band that tells their story. Featuring brand new interviews with the band and unseen archive footage (including their recently unearthed, first ever TV performance), it is a compelling story told with intelligence, wit, plenty of humor and painful honesty.

8.1

MagicScore

Dont Look Back

1967

In this wildly entertaining vision of one of the twentieth century’s greatest artists, Bob Dylan is surrounded by teen fans, gets into heated philosophical jousts with journalists, and kicks back with fellow musicians Joan Baez, Donovan, and Alan Price.

7.4

MagicScore

Instrument

1999

The band Fugazi is documented over a period of more than ten years (1987-1998) through performance footage and interviews with the band and their fans. Director Jem Cohen's relationship with band member Ian MacKaye extends back to the 1970s when the two met in high school in Washington, D.C.. The film takes its title from the Fugazi song of the same name, from their 1993 album, In on the Kill Taker. Editing of the film was done by both Cohen and the members of the band over the course of five years. It was shot from 1987 through 1998 on super 8, 16mm and video and is composed mainly of footage of concerts, interviews with the band members, practices, tours and time spent in the studio recording their 1995 album, Red Medicine. The film also includes portraits of fans as well as interviews with them at various Fugazi shows around the United States throughout the years.

6.9

MagicScore

#10

Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny

2006

In Venice Beach, naive Midwesterner JB bonds with local slacker KG and they form the rock band Tenacious D. Setting out to become the world's greatest band is no easy feat, so they set out to steal what could be the answer to their prayers... a magical guitar pick housed in a rock-and-roll museum some 300 miles away.

6.8

MagicScore

#11

Trick or Treat

1986

Eddie Weinbauer, a metalhead teen who is bullied at school, looks to his heavy metal superstar idol, Sammi Curr, for guidance. When Curr is killed in a hotel fire, Eddie becomes the recipient of the only copy of Curr's unreleased album, which, when played backwards, brings Sammi back to life. As Halloween approaches, Eddie begins to realize that this isn't only rock 'n roll...it's life and death.

6.1

MagicScore

#12

Rockula

1990

Ralph is a sexually frustrated vampire who suffers from a peculiar curse. He's condemned for eternity to watch his one true love, Mona, be murdered by a pirate wielding a ham bone. But now? Now it's 1990, and Ralph is determined to break Mona's cycle of reincarnation. His first order of business is winning her affections, which he does by starting Rockula: a rock band that's sure to stake a claim on her heart.

4.8

MagicScore

#13

The Concert for Bangladesh

1972

A film about the first benefit rock concert when major musicians performed to raise relief funds for the poor of Bangladesh. The Concert for Bangladesh was a pair of benefit concerts organised by former Beatles guitarist George Harrison and Indian sitar player Ravi Shankar. The shows were held at 2:30 and 8:00 pm on Sunday, 1 August 1971, at Madison Square Garden in New York City, to raise international awareness of, and fund relief for refugees from East Pakistan, following the Bangladesh Liberation War-related genocide.

7.9

MagicScore

#14

The Adventures of Ford Fairlane

1990

To the Los Angeles elite, Ford Fairlane is known as "Mr. Rock 'n' Roll Detective." This loudmouthed ladies' man serves an exclusive rock star clientele, who depend on his keen eye and smug discretion. So when a heavy-metal musician dies mid-concert, Fairlane is on the case before the lights come up. But things turn shocking when radio personality Johnny Crunch hires Fairlane to find a missing groupie mere hours before he is electrocuted live on air.

6.1

MagicScore

#15

Young At Heart

2008

Documents the true story of the final weeks of rehearsal for the Young at Heart Chorus in Northampton, MA, and many of whom must overcome health adversities to participate. Their music goes against the stereotype of their age group. Although they have toured Europe and sang for royalty, this account focuses on preparing new songs for a concert in their hometown.

7.3

MagicScore

#16

Elvis

2022

The life story of Elvis Presley as seen through the complicated relationship with his enigmatic manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

7.5

MagicScore

#17

What We Do Is Secret

2007

The true-life story of Darby Crash, who became an L.A. punk icon with his band The Germs. Along with Lorna Doom, Pat Smear, and Don Bolles, Darby Crash completely transformed the L.A. punk scene, while sacrificing everyone he loved, his career, and ultimately his life.

5.1

MagicScore

#18

The Doors

1991

The story of the famous and influential 1960s rock band and its lead singer and composer, Jim Morrison.

7.1

MagicScore

#19

Love & Mercy

2015

In the late 1960s, the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson stops touring, produces "Pet Sounds" and begins to lose his grip on reality. By the 1980s, under the sway of a controlling therapist, he finds a savior in Melinda Ledbetter.

7.1

MagicScore

#20

Stardust

2020

In 1971, rock star David Bowie travels to America for the first time to promote his third album, The Man Who Sold the World. There, he embarks on a coast-to-coast publicity tour. During this tour, Bowie creates his iconic Ziggy Stardust persona, inspired by artists like Iggy Pop and Lou Reed.

3.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Elvis?

The top films similar to Elvis by MovieMagicScore are Moonage Daydream (7.5), How the Beatles Changed the World (7.4), Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender (7.3). Each shares drama/history/music/tv movie themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Elvis worth watching?

Elvis holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10 from 133 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Elvis?

Elvis (1979) is a drama, history, music, tv movie film directed by John Carpenter, starring Kurt Russell, Shelley Winters, Bing Russell.

Where can I find more recommendations like Elvis?

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 Moonage Daydream Movies like How the Beatles Changed the World Movies like Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender Movies like Camp Rock Movies like Janie Jones Movies like KISS Meets the Phantom of the Park

About movies like Elvis

This ranked list pairs Elvis (1979), a drama and history and music and tv movie film from John Carpenter, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Kurt Russell 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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