The 10 best movies like ‘Whiplash’

Whiplash follows 19-year-old jazz drummer, Andrew Niemenn, played by Miles Teller, who joins a music conservatory led by a cutthroat instructor, Terrence Fletcher, played by J.K. Simmons. If you’ve already seen this film then you’ll know exactly how intense the film is and how much anxiety it induces just watching Andrew on the drums. His dedication to his art drives him down a dark path that’s made worse by the nature of the industry he’s entering. Simmons’ performance is also one of the most intimidating he’s ever given as he brings the same imposing presence he gave to Omni-man from Invincible to his teacher role.

There’s no doubt it’s a pretty stressful watch and not the kind of film you’d just put on for some background noise. I wouldn’t blame you if you only ever watched this film once and decided that was enough. But for those who love that unique feeling of anxiety and stress that Whiplash elicited, you’re in luck. There are plenty of films out there that feel just like it, from Nightcrawler to The Social Network, we’ve compiled a list of ten films like Whiplash for your viewing pleasure.

Nightcrawler (2014)

This film features a career best performance from Jake Gyllenhaal, an actor known for giving it his all. However, rather than the music industry we follow Gyllenhaal’s character, Lou Bloom, as he tries to make it into the world of crime journalism. It examines the dark underbelly of Los Angeles and the shots of the city at night really bring that feeling of dread.

Much like the protagonist from Whiplash, Lou Blooms gets deeper and deeper into his work and he begins to sink to lower and lower depths. But unlike Andrew, Lou starts out as a pretty despicable man to begin with, he’s very clearly unhinged and not afraid to hurt others to get what he wants. He only sinks lower as the stakes get higher and it all comes to a head with an edge of your seat car chase with some pretty gut-wrenching consequences.

The Wrestler (2008)

Focusing on an aging former professional wrestler played by Mickey Rourke — once again, we see the darker side of entertainment and the dedication to the role. Randy Robinson (Rourke) finds himself with no option to retire from his sport but struggles with life outside of the ring where he takes on a part time job at the local supermarket. When the opportunity arises for a re-match with an old rival, Randy begins training and goes to great lengths to prepare himself even putting his own life at risk in an attempt to recapture his former glory. 

La La Land (2017)

This film comes from the same director as Whiplash (Damien Chazelle), so you know you’re going to get a similar vibe when watching it. It is definitely a less stressful watch as the plot is more of a romance focusing on the relationship between a struggling jazz pianist (Ryan Gosling) and an aspiring actress (Emma Stone).

As their respective careers progress, the two have to make difficult decisions between their love for each other and following their dreams. It’s got a different tone in comparison to Chazelle’s previous film but it still has those emotional, intense moments and headstrong characters fighting for what they want, and it all comes together perfectly. The film is also a musical, so if you’re into that genre this film is a must watch.

Sound of Metal (2018)

If you loved Whiplash for the drumming, then this film should definitely be added to your list. Riz Ahmed plays Ruben, a drummer and one half of a metal duo which includes him and his girlfriend. Ruben begins losing his hearing and learns that he will be deaf pretty soon. His only option is to avoid exposure to loud noises until further tests can be done. Of course, his passion for music makes it difficult for him to go cold turkey and he has to decide whether to drop the drumming or continue and risk damaging his ear drums even more.

Foxcatcher (2015)

Like Whiplash, this film examines the mentor/student relationship, arguably it’s an even darker examination of that dynamic. Based loosely on the true events, the story follows freestyle wrestler and olympic champion Mark Schultz, played by Channing Tatum. Mark is recruited by sports enthusiast John E. Du Pont (played by Steve Carell) for his wrestling team in Pennsylvania. The relationship between the two men becomes strained as Du Pont is revealed to be a pretty erratic mentor figure and things quickly turn dark.

The build up to the finale and the nuanced look at the relationship between Mark and John is very reminiscent of Andrew and Terrence’s. If you’re a fan of J.K. Simmons’ character then you’ll definitely want to check out Carell’s performance, which won him a nomination for best actor at the Golden Globes.

Black Swan (2010)

Perhaps director Darren Aronofsky’s magnum opus, although, to be fair, he has a pretty solid filmography under his belt (he also directed The Wrestler). The movie follows Nina (Natalie Portman) as she finds herself competing for the lead role in a production of Swan Lake against newcomer, Lily (Mila Kunis). The pressure Nina finds herself under results in her losing her grip on reality.

Just like Teller’s character, Nina has to fight for her place in the show, the film focuses on suffering for the sake of art and the whole idea of the tortured artist is pretty prevalent here. It’s a pretty intense film and it gets pretty weird at points as is par for the course with Aronofsky films. It’s a great film regardless and if you enjoyed Whiplash you’ll probably want to watch this.

The Social Network (2010)

Whilst it may not be an intense watch, this film definitely has more than a few elements and themes shared the will resonate with you if your a fan of Chazelle’s film. Following Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg’s rise to power, this biopic shows the sad reality behind the shiny, clean face of silicon valley. The shallow and misogynistic people he surrounds himself with and the frat boy college attitude of his business partners causes rifts between Zuckerberg and those that were with him from the start. We see Zuckerberg go from a computer nerd in his college dorm to being one of the most powerful men in the U.S.

As his influence increases, his friendships begin to dwindle. This is something that The Social Network and Whiplash have in common, they show how passion to the point of obsession can be isolating. Both films tackle the theme in a different way, but both make it work in their own unique ways. 

Boiling Point (2021)

If you’ve ever worked in a kitchen, you know exactly how stressful it can be; Boiling Point captures that feeling of working a busy restaurant perfectly. With all the things that can go wrong eventually going wrong at some point over the film’s short run time. Watching the waiters and chefs running around on the busiest night of the year dealing with angry customers and drama between kitchen staff and front of the house makes for a gripping story. 

To top it off, it was all filmed in one long continuous shot, so it feels like there’s never a break for the viewer; the single shot format lends itself well to the intensity shown on screen. Stephen Graham also gives a great performance as usual, hopefully, one day, he’ll receive wider recognition for his amazing acting, but the rest of the cast are equally as good and help to sell the story as well.

The Neon Demon (2016)

Once again, we see a film that focuses on the dark side of an industry, this time it’s the modeling industry. Directed by art-house juggernaut Nicolas Winding Refn (Bronson, Drive), the story follows an aspiring model played by Elle Fanning, whose youth and beauty result in success for her but also jealousy from her peers. The movie is incredibly dark and is more of a straight-up horror than a drama, and for many, it may be a step too far, but it will scratch that itch for those that want to see a dark story.

Fighting With My Family (2019)

A much more wholesome film that still manages to follow a similar plot to Whiplash, this biopic tells the story of WWE wrestling icon Paige (played by Florence Pugh) as she goes from wrestling with her family in small venues around Norwich, England, to joining NXT in Florida and training for WWE. The struggle to overcome the odds and make it as a professional wrestler are very reminiscent of Andrew’s struggles to make it as a drummer. We even get a similar dynamic between Florence Pugh and Vince Vaughn’s character who trains her. However, unlike most of the films on this list, you won’t come out a nervous wreck from all the stress, that’s why this movie is at the end of the list so we can end on a nicer note.