Movies Like West Side Story (2021)

West Side Story is a 2021 crime, drama, romance film from Steven Spielberg with a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with West Side Story and Romeo and Juliet.

Crime Drama Romance

West Side Story

1961

In the slums of the upper West Side of Manhattan, tensions are high as a gang of Polish-Americans compete against a gang of recently immigrated Puerto Ricans, but this doesn't stop two romantics from each gang falling in love.

7.2

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 + 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

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

Marley & Me

2008

A newly married couple, in the process of starting a family, learn many of life's important lessons from their trouble-loving retriever, Marley. Packed with plenty of laughs to lighten the load, the film explores the highs and lows of marriage, maturity and confronting one's own mortality, as seen through the lens of family life with a dog.

7.2

MagicScore

La La Land

2016

Mia, an aspiring actress, serves lattes to movie stars in between auditions and Sebastian, a jazz musician, scrapes by playing cocktail party gigs in dingy bars, but as success mounts they are faced with decisions that begin to fray the fragile fabric of their love affair, and the dreams they worked so hard to maintain in each other threaten to rip them apart.

7.9

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

Top Hat

1935

Showman Jerry Travers is working for producer Horace Hardwick in London. Jerry demonstrates his new dance steps late one night in Horace's hotel room, much to the annoyance of sleeping Dale Tremont below. She goes upstairs to complain and the two are immediately attracted to each other. Complications arise when Dale mistakes Jerry for Horace.

7.2

MagicScore

#10

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

#11

Blue Valentine

2010

Dean and Cindy live a quiet life in a modest neighborhood. They appear to have the world at their feet at the outset of the relationship. However, his lack of ambition and her retreat into self-absorption cause potentially irreversible cracks in their marriage.

7.0

MagicScore

#12

Step Up

2006

Tyler Gage receives the opportunity of a lifetime after vandalizing a performing arts school, gaining him the chance to earn a scholarship and dance with an up and coming dancer, Nora.

6.9

MagicScore

#13

Roman Holiday

1953

Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, touring European princess Ann takes off for a night while in Rome. When a sedative she took from her doctor kicks in, however, she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by an American reporter, Joe Bradley, who takes her back to his apartment for safety. At work the next morning, Joe finds out Ann's regal identity and bets his editor he can get exclusive interview with her, but romance soon gets in the way.

7.9

MagicScore

#14

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

#15

Eternity

2025

In an afterlife where souls have one week to decide where to spend eternity, Joan is faced with the impossible choice between the man she spent her life with and her first love, who died young and has waited decades for her to arrive.

7.0

MagicScore

#16

Let the Right One In

2008

When Oskar, a sensitive, bullied 12-year-old boy, meets his new neighbor, the mysterious and moody Eli, they strike up a friendship. Initially reserved with each other, Oskar and Eli slowly form a close bond, but it soon becomes apparent that she is no ordinary young girl.

7.5

MagicScore

#17

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

#18

Zorba the Greek

1964

An uptight English writer traveling to Crete on a matter of business finds his life changed forever when he meets the gregarious Alexis Zorba.

7.4

MagicScore

#19

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

#20

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

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 (7.2), Romeo and Juliet (7.4), Romeo + Juliet (6.8). 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 7.0/10 from 1,684 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is West Side Story?

West Side Story (2021) is a crime, drama, romance film directed by Steven Spielberg, starring Ansel Elgort, Rachel Zegler, Ariana DeBose.

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 and Juliet Movies like Romeo + Juliet Movies like Romeo and Juliet, From Hate to Love Movies like Marley & Me Movies like La La Land

About movies like West Side Story

This ranked list pairs West Side Story (2021), a crime and drama and romance film from Steven Spielberg, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Ansel Elgort 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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