15 Best Movies Like Whiplash

Over a decade after its release in 2014, "Whiplash" remains one of the defining stories of artistic obsession told in the 21st century. Written and directed by future "La La Land" filmmaker Damien Chazelle, it captivated viewers by exploring the dark side of determination through the eyes of young Andrew Neiman, an aspiring jazz drummer played by Miles Teller. A breakout role for the young actor, he was paired with an unbelievably effective and imposing J.K. Simmons, who commanded each scene — and earned himself an Academy Award — for playing the ferocious instructor who intends to terrorize Andrew into becoming one of the greats.

With its relentless tempo, visceral stakes, electrifying use of music (thanks to Chazelle's longtime musical collaborator Justin Hurwitz), and unflinching interrogation of the pursuit of perfection, "Whiplash" continues to captivate audiences to this day. For those who have recently witnessed it for the first (hopefully not just through YouTube shorts), we've assembled the few films that might help you further explore all the complicated emotions it drums up through Andrew's rise, or fall, to greatness.

Written by American playwright Peter Shaffer, "Amadeus" is an epic tragedy of musical obsession that is perhaps the only film of this particular kind to exceed the stakes, scale, and narrative scope of "Whiplash." Readers wary of the seemingly significant genre departure to period drama can rest assured that, though the story is set in the 18th century, director Miloš Forman makes the action feel just as visceral as what Damien Chazelle accomplishes in his own work.

"Amadeus" is a highly fictionalized reimagining of the life of the legendary classical composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (played in the film by Tom Hulce), told from the perspective of his vengeful rival, Antonio Salieri (F. Murray Abraham). Throughout the film, Mozart is shown to be brilliant but largely misunderstood by his contemporaries — save Salieri, who can't help but marvel at his seemingly supernatural gift for music. Though Salieri achieves financial success and mainstream critical acclaim with greater ease than the divine scribe of "Requiem," he is so haunted by the growing shadow of Mozart's greatness, which only he is cursed to see as it eclipses his body of work.

If "Whiplash" was your first introduction to the work of Damien Chazelle, you may be best served by continuing to explore the stories he told after his breakout feature. The sun-soaked Los Angeles musical drama "La La Land" remains his most popular and critically acclaimed work and sees him reuniting with "Whiplash" composer Justin Hurwitz for another jazzy tale of aspiration, disillusionment, and loss. At the same time, it's just a bit too fantastical and sentimental for those who enjoyed the edge of "Whiplash."

With that in mind, we'd recommend the bigger — and perhaps messier — Old Hollywood epic "Babylon." The 2022 film (which also boasts a lovely score by Hurwitz) is far darker than "La La Land," not so much shattering dreams with reality as dragging them into the depths of a hell so uncanny, yet so unsettlingly vivid that one hopes against a nagging gut-feeling that what Chazelle depicts is merely fantasy. Diego Calva, Margot Robbie, and Brad Pitt star as three lost souls trying to navigate the heartless and ever-changing entertainment industry in the early 20th century, the shifting desires of audiences, studios, and even their own hearts forcing them to become people they never expected to be.

Though some may not immediately recognize architectural design as an art in the same way they do music, those people likely have yet to experience Brady Corbet's undeniably passionate 2024 epic "The Brutalist." Adrien Brody gives an Academy Award-winning performance as László Tóth, a visionary architect and Holocaust survivor who was forced to leave his life, career, and family behind to pursue greater opportunity in America. While struggling to survive poverty, addiction, and social ostracization at every turn, his fortunes seemingly change when a powerful industrialist (Guy Pearce's Harrison Lee Van Buren) becomes obsessed with his work and commissions him to execute an ambitious project.

"The Brutalist" is as much about the intoxicating throes of artistic expression and obsession as it is the devastation of inevitable exploitation at the hands of those who control one's career and artistry. It's a bleak, challenging feature both in terms of its heavy subject matter (readers should be forewarned that genocide, addiction, and sexual assault are depicted rather bluntly) and the debatably ambiguous conclusions it comes to about its core themes and characters.

Released in the same year as "Whiplash," Alejandro G. Iñárritu's dizzying psychological dramedy "Birdman" (or "The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance") is a perfect thematic and stylistic companion for the former feature. Michael Keaton gives a tour de force and quietly meta performance as Riggan Thomson, an actor with dwindling professional potential due in large part to his career-defining role as the lead of a once-popular superhero franchise.

As Riggan attempts to re-establish himself as a serious artist by helming an audacious Broadway stageplay, he must confront myopic theatre critics, egotistical actors (particularly Edward Norton's celebrated and selfish Mike Shiner), his fragile relationship with his daughter (Emma Stone), and an ever-present, existential battle with his own mental health, embodied by a vivid hallucination of the titular character (Benjamin Kanes). Iñárritu's decision to give the film the appearance of a single, extended one-take shot — underscored only by intensifying percussion — is one of "Birdman's" defining qualities, incidentally creating a relentless rhythm similar in effect to the tone and pacing of "Whiplash."

"Whiplash" shares so much in common with "Black Swan" in terms of themes, subject matter, structure, and tone that it's impossible to imagine Damien Chazelle wasn't inspired by it in some capacity. The filmmaker has even shared in interviews that, when he first watched Darren Aronofsky's 2010 psychological thriller, it reminded him of the same experiences with exacting music teachers that would go on to shape the story of "Whiplash."

However, while "Black Swan" does explore a toxic relationship between an obsessed but insecure performer (Natalie Portman) and an abusive artist with questionable intentions (Vincent Cassel), it focuses far more on the dynamic between rivals vying for a single spotlight. Portman's Nina Sayers is a gifted dancer on the cusp of becoming the next prima ballerina for the New York City Ballet, whose seemingly inevitable rise is threatened by the sudden arrival of the equally talented Lily (Mila Kunis). As Nina becomes obsessed with protecting her position in the company, she descends into a surreal state where neither she nor the audience is able to trust their own eyes, risking her very sanity to uncover a dark side of herself who might finally achieve greatness.

Plenty of our readers have become enamored with actor Stephen Graham after witnessing his brilliant performance in "Adolescence." What they might not know is that the acclaimed 2025 Netflix series was actually a creative reunion for Graham and director Philip Barantini, with whom he worked on the little-known 2021 film "Boiling Point."

As he did on "Adolescence," Barantini captures the action of this thrilling workplace drama with a single take, charting the meltdown of a professional London kitchen over the course of a single disastrous night of service. Graham stars as Andy Lane, a dysfunctional head chef whose talent is marred by an inability to control his own impulses. His ineffective leadership — haphazardly dolled out in blistering tirades and defensive apologies — pairs with his own drive to succeed for a pleasingly unpleasant dining experience.

After the film was released to critical acclaim, Graham, Barantini, and co-writer James Cummings created a four-part BBC miniseries to serve as a sequel. Equally tense and well-acted, it's a fine follow-up for fans of "Whiplash," or for any fans of "The Bear," for that matter.

Exploring a different area of the music world, the Coen Brothers' "Inside Llewyn Davis" is a tender tragicomedy that isn't so much about the pursuit of greatness as it is the humiliating struggle to maintain greatness as the world beats it out of you. In spite of talent and passion, singer-songwriter Llewyn Davis (Oscar Isaac in his breakout role) is a starving artist, homeless and seemingly unable to get out of his own way. With little money and few friends in the music industry, he plays what gigs he can for scraps, the sum of which isn't even enough to mend the damage he's done to his personal life.

Joel and Ethan Coen follow Llewyn at a point that could either be the humble beginnings of a great artist or the waning days of a doomed career. Thus, there's a unique tension throughout between hope and dreadful pity, even as the duo miraculously imbues the dour tale with their singular comic wit.

With a bit more action, suspense, and blood than "Whiplash," Dan Gilroy's 2014 thriller "Nightcrawler" is one of the few films on this list that can up the tempo of your movie night even more than Damien Chazelle's film. Jake Gyllenhaal delivers an Oscar-worthy performance as Lou Bloom, a thief-turned-ambulance-chaser whose desperation to succeed as a photojournalist turns into a full-blown pathological obsession.

Partnering with a vulnerable homeless person he believes he can manipulate (Riz Ahmed), Lou stalks developing crime scenes before authorities can arrive, capturing salacious and exploitative footage of destruction, violence, and death. Each crime presents a new opportunity for Lou to outdo his previous work, leading him to cross serious moral and even legal boundaries in the pursuit of the perfect shot.

Were this simply a movie about a man trying to make a buck, we likely wouldn't include it on this list. But Gilroy and Gyllenhaal brilliantly blur the line between craven financial interest and a strange but genuine quasi-artistic obsession, transcending what one might expect from this story going in.

Perhaps the most significant departure from "Whiplash" included on this, we still feel Paul Thomas Anderson's "Phantom Thread" is likely enough to scratch the same itch for some of our readers that we'd be remiss not to include it. The themes of toxic attraction and artistic obsession are just as present, though expressed through a less chaotic story set in 20th-century London.

Daniel Day-Lewis stars in his second Anderson film after "There Will Be Blood," and what was originally meant to be his final role prior to his son Ronan bringing him out of retirement to star in his 2025 directorial debut "Anemone." He plays Reynolds Woodcock, a renowned dressmaker who falls suddenly in love with a waitress named Alma (Lesley Manville). Their ensuing relationship is as passionate and moving as it is transactional, poisoned by ego and manipulation. Anderson's unmatched talent for character-writing is on full display throughout the film, which also happens to be a perfect watch for the end of the year.

Christopher Nolan is inarguably a peerless storyteller when it comes to tales of professional obsession. His films are unanimously about men (full stop) burdened with some higher purpose that demands so much of them that it threatens to entirely swallow them and possibly the world. As Andrew pushes himself past his breaking point to become one of the greatest musicians of all time, Nolan's tragic heroes shatter physical limitations, personal needs, and the very boundaries of science to satisfy ambitions of somewhat dubious worth.

As fitting as "Oppenheimer," "Following," or even "Inception" might be in this context, the most straightforward successor to the relentless antagonism and sacrifice of "Whiplash" is his 2006 period thriller "The Prestige." Packed with twists so mystifying we wouldn't dare spoil them here, it follows two 19th century magicians (played by Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman) who become engaged in an escalating rivalry that quickly turns fabricated illusions into real threats. As a treat for music fans, we will note that legendary pop icon David Bowie has a prominent role in the film, delivering a compelling performance as Nikola Tesla.

Bringing it back to the 21st century, David Fincher and Aaron Sorkin took audiences behind the console to witness one of the era's most impactful inventions in "The Social Network." The critically acclaimed 2010 film combines elements of the biopic, legal thriller, and psychological drama subgenres to paint an unsettling (and highly unflattering) portrait of Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, played in the film by Jesse Eisenberg.

The story follows Zuckerberg's development of the world-changing social media website almost entirely through his interpersonal conflicts with the business partners, lovers, and friends he shed on his path to building a trillion-dollar company. This includes his scorned co-founder Eduardo Saverin (Andrew Garfield), interloping tech entrepreneur Sean Parker (Justin Timberlake), and, of course, the imposing Winklevoss twins (both portrayed by Armie Hammer), who accuse Zuckerberg of intellectual theft.

As of writing, Sorkin is writing and directing a sequel titled "The Social Reckoning" to explore how Zuckerberg and Facebook (now Meta) have continued to warp the world in the 15 years since the film's release. Eisenberg declined to return as Zuckerberg, with "Succession" star Jeremy Strong stepping into the role.

For the drummers in our readership looking for more on-screen focus, "Sound of Metal" offers another story about a percussive protagonist that, though quite different from "Whiplash" in terms of tone, style, and pace, similarly explores the role obsession plays in the life of an artist. "Sound of Metal" is particularly distinctive for drawing a connection to addiction, and asks the audience to imagine a life beyond total professional or artistic fulfillment, even if that life is potentially unrecognizable to you.

"Sound of Metal" stars "Nightcrawler's" Riz Ahmed as underground drummer Ruben Stone. His chaotic yet meaningful life with his girlfriend and performing partner Louise (Olivia Cooke) comes crashing down when he is unexpectedly diagnosed with progressive hearing loss, brought on by the very passion he is now seemingly unable to pursue. In a period of crisis, Ruben finds himself torn between embracing a difficult journey toward finding a path forward through therapy (while avoiding compromising his sobriety) and pursuing an expensive medical treatment to restore his hearing. Heartbreaking and healing all at the same time, "Sound of Metal" is the perfect balance to the total self-destruction of "Whiplash."

"Tár" is an especially appropriate follow-up to "Whiplash" for viewers who found themselves most interested in J.K. Simmons' psychologically complex music teacher. The 2022 film from writer-director Todd Field interrogates a similar character with an even sharper lens, turning a pattern of abuse and dodged accountability into a haunting and tragic cautionary tale about the peril of an unfettered ego.

Cate Blanchett is Lydia Tár, a musical composer, orchestral conductor, and occasional teacher who is, in effect, the Leonard Bernstein of her time (she even achieved the rare EGOT awards sweep). As she prepares to cement her legacy, however, new temptations and long-forgotten transgressions come back to haunt her, threatening to tarnish her sterling reputation in the music community. Surprisingly disturbing in how effectively it renders Tár's fall from grace, "Tár" is a poignant, subtle masterwork of psychological storytelling that stirs just enough empathy to challenge the viewer without undercutting its damning conclusions about power.

Speaking of the world of musical theater, who better to take viewers into a world of musical obsession and artistic pressure than Jonathan Larson and Lin-Manuel Miranda? Larson, best known for writing the groundbreaking, industry-altering musical "Rent," died suddenly before the first Broadway production could go up in 1996, never getting to experience the impact his work had on the theater world. As such, his previous, then-little-known cabaret-style show "Tick, Tick... Boom!" had a bittersweet quality to it, as it autobiographically explores Larson's struggles with confidence as a young writer, the painful setbacks he experienced trying to produce work, and his anxieties about his finite time on Earth.

Miranda, a first-time film director, was a natural choice to tell this story, having himself written "Hamilton," one of the few musicals to reach the same level of improbable success as "Rent." At the same time, it's easy to see in the lyrics of that inescapable 2015 hit that Miranda, too, felt the pressure of mortality while writing it. The bittersweetness of this tightly wound story is still present in Miranda's film adaptation, but is balanced with an expanded, comprehensive story and a sentimental filmmaking style that invites the audience to focus not on how Larson (played in the film by Andrew Garfield) died, but how he lived his life when he wasn't writing.

Though we've used the word many times throughout this list, we'd argue that the ultimate modern story of obsession is "Uncut Gems." The breakout film of directing duo Josh and Benny Safdie, this anxiety-inducing, tragic thriller masterfully takes viewers inside the unenviable life of a gambling addict with the resources, ego, and illness to play with his own life like cards on a blackjack table.

Adam Sandler gives one of the best performances of his career as Howard Ratner, a charismatic fixture of the New York Diamond District with an insatiable appetite. Before the film has even begun, he's racked up a $100,000 debt to some shady characters, using the funds to illegally smuggle a large Ethiopian black opal gem into the U.S. Of course, he intends on selling it immediately to resolve his debts, secure a tidy six-figure profit, and make it through Passover with his kneecaps intact. Surely nothing will go wrong.

The horrible thrill of "Uncut Gems" is seeing how quickly and creatively Howard manages to dig himself deeper into debt and danger, so we won't spoil it further. Suffice it to say, even more so than Josh Safdie's follow-up "Marty Supreme," it perfectly captures the highs and lows of obsession, passion, and success that make "Whiplash" frightening as it is exhilarating.