Movies of War

ShareFacebookX (formerly Twitter)As soon as sound was added to movies, we've been telling stories about music. With The Moment hitting Australian cinemas — Charli xcx's satirical look at the BRAT phenomenon — it got us thinking about our favourite films made about music.From mockumentaries and cult classics, to groundbreaking concert films and cinematic love letters to that feeling you get the first time you hear a song that sticks with you forever, these are the movies that understand music is about identity, obsession and community just as much as it is about sound.The best films about music to watch this weekendHard Day's NightLurkerVox LuxInside Llewyn DavisThe Last WaltzWhiplashPriscillaA Mighty WindAlmost Famous24 Hour Party PeopleA Hard Day's Night (1964)Directed by Richard LesterMade at the height of Beatlemania and shot in a loose cinéma vérité style, A Hard Day's Night captures the Fab Four playing sharp, self-aware versions of themselves. Funny, fast and surprisingly modern, Richard Lester essentially invents the language of the music video decades before MTV. Before you see the internet’s boyfriends portray them in the upcoming four-film Beatles biopic, watch the world’s biggest band play themselves.Lurker (2025)Directed by Alex RussellA dark look at music and fandom, this 2018 period piece feels like The Talented Mr. Ripley for the BROCKHAMPTON age. Alex Russell turns stan culture into a psychological thriller as a fan infiltrates the inner circle of Oliver (Archie Madekwe), a Blonde-inspired artist on the verge of blowing up. It's less about the music and more about access — proximity, clout and who gets to stand closest to the spotlight in an always-online world where obsession and ambition blur into one.Vox Lux (2018)Directed by Brady CorbetBefore The Brutalist, Brady Corbet gave us Celeste — Natalie Portman's mononymous pop star who survives a school shooting and turns trauma into art by writing and performing a song about the experience, catapulting her to stardom. Split across two distinct eras, 2000 and 2017, the film charts her transformation from wounded teenager to a 31-year-old global icon struggling to navigate motherhood and a career riddled with scandal. Featuring original songs by Sia, Vox Lux shows how the spotlight can elevate you — and tear everything apart.Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)Directed by Joel and Ethan CoenThe anti-success music movie. Set in the same 60s Greenwich Village folk scene that birthed Bob Dylan, Joel and Ethan Coen show the flip side of fame and glory through a phenomenally talented musician that no one cares about. Llewyn Davis, played by Oscar Isaac in a career-best performance, drifts through a week of near-misses, self-sabotage and cat-sitting, his talent never quite translating into recognition. It's peak Coen Brother existentialism — a reminder that greatness isn't guaranteed and that art can exist beautifully even without applause.The Last Waltz (1978)Directed by Martin ScorseseChronicling The Band's final concert before their break-up, The Last Waltz is still the gold standard concert film. Martin Scorsese shoots the farewell show like an intimate religious ceremony, lighting rock music as if it were Renaissance art. Less about excess and more about legacy, it captures the quiet weight of a final bow — musicians fully aware an era is ending. It also marks the beginning of Martin Scorsese's long-lasting creative partnership with Robbie Robertson, who would go on to shape the sound of so many of his films.Whiplash (2014)Directed by Damien ChazelleThe most stressful film about music ever made. Not about joy — about obsession. Damien Chazelle turns jazz into a pressure cooker as an ambitious young drummer (Miles Teller) clashes with a tyrannical instructor (J.K. Simmons) who believes cruelty is the price of excellence. Every rehearsal feels like combat, every performance like survival. It's a brutal meditation on ambition — and how much of yourself you're willing to sacrifice to be great.Priscilla (2023)Directed by Sofia CoppolaReleased not long after Baz Luhrmann's dazzling, maximalist Elvis, Sofia Coppola's Priscilla is the antithesis — a story told from the margins. More in line with Coppola's earlier portraits of young women thrust into adulthood and quietly controlled, from The Virgin Suicides to Marie Antoinette, the film examines what it means to orbit genius rather than embody it. This is pop mythology reframed — fame seen from the bedroom instead of the stage. Soft, lonely and intimate, it's the anti-king narrative.A Mighty Wind (2003)Directed by Christopher GuestAfter Best in Show, Christopher Guest reunited his regular players for another mockumentary — this time sending up the earnestness of the folk scene. Three fictional acts reunite for a comeback concert, including Mitch & Mickey, the once-beloved duo played by Eugene Levy and the late Catherine O'Hara. Former lovers with unfinished business, their will-they-won't-they dynamic hangs over every harmony. Like all of Guest's best work, the affection is genuine and the satire never cruel.Almost Famous (2000)Directed by Cameron CroweIt's every parent's worst nightmare: a teenager hitting the road with a rock band. Almost Famous is the romanticised version of music culture, from the tour bus to the first byline to that immortal 'Tiny Dancer' singalong. Cameron Crowe walks a fine line between myth-making and reality, capturing both the fantasy of backstage access and the loneliness beneath it. Anchored by a legendary Philip Seymour Hoffman performance, it's a love letter to discovering music and building your personality around it.24 Hour Party People (2002)Directed by Michael WinterbottomWith a focus on Factory Records founder Tony Wilson, played with smug brilliance by Steve Coogan, the film charts the rise and fall of Manchester's post-punk and rave scene — from Joy Division and New Order to the chaos of the Happy Mondays. Funny, self-aware and constantly breaking the fourth wall, it captures the delusion, ego and blind belief required to build a music scene from nothing.Posted Yesterday at 3:00amFri 13 Mar 2026 at 3:00amShareFacebookX (formerly Twitter)Strap in for the most anticipated films of 2026The best movies under 90 minutes you can stream right nowOne Battle After Another, Marty Supreme, Avatar: here's the best films of 2025MoviesBack to top