10 Great Movies About Theater, Actors, & Show Business

As we begin 2025, there is no better time to start the year off with great cinema. For Broadway fans specifically, there are so many movies that take a look behind the curtain of the Great White Way and beyond. BroadwayWorld has put together a list of ten films that are a good place to start for those seeking a taste of theatrical drama (or comedy), most of which can be viewed without leaving the comfort of your own home. 

This is, by no means, a comprehensive list. However, many of the titles on this list are considered great movies across the board by both critics and audiences, with several having received multiple award nominations and wins.

The genres range from outright comedies to musicals, to psychological dramas. However, they all have one thing in common: theater. Whether the film centers on actors, directors, or playwrights, all of them showcase the business of show- both the good and the bad.

The first half of the list comes from the twentieth century, with the second half released in the twenty-first century, meaning there should be something for everyone. Take a look at the list below and happy watching!

Opening Night (1977)

From renowned director John Cassavetes comes this intense drama about famous actress Myrtle Gordon. During an out-of-town tryout for a new play, Myrtle becomes haunted by the spirit of a young woman whose death she witnessed after a performance. Throughout the film, she is forced to accept her changing identity, aging, loneliness, and meaning while preparing for the play's opening night on Broadway. The late great Gena Rowlands turns in a terrific performance as the troubled star.

Interestingly, the film was not well received upon its initial release. In the years since, however, the movie has gained a prominent following. It eventually inspired the 2024 stage musical of the same name, written by Rufus Wainwright.

For fans of the 2024 film The Substance, Opening Night feels like a precursor, tackling many of the same themes of aging in the entertainment industry.

The Dresser (1983)

Based on the Tony-nominated play by Ronald Harwood, The Dresser follows the assistant of an aging theater actor/director whose health is failing. Referred to only as "Sir," the actor demands everything from Norman, only growing worse as his memory fades. As Sir prepares for a performance in King Lear, Norman does everything in his power to ensure that the show proceeds as planned.

Having previously played the role on both the West End and Broadway, Tom Courtney reprised his performance of Norman for the film alongside Albert Finney as Sir. The movie was nominated for a total of five Academy Awards, including nods for both Finney and Courtney and Best Picture. 

In 2015, the movie was remade for television starring Ian McKellen and Anthony Hopkins as Norman and Sir, respectively.

Bullets Over Broadway (1994)

From controversial director Woody Allen comes Bullets Over Broadway, a strange comedy that merges the worlds of New York crime and theater. The movie follows up-and-coming playwright David Shayne (played by John Cusack) as he attempts to stage a new play. However, problems arise as he is quickly forced to make some unwanted artistic compromises to appease a major investor- who also happens to be a big-shot gangster. 

From then on, his cast, which includes Jennifer Tilly, Jim Broadbent, Tracey Ullman, and Dianne West, along with the show itself, begins to unravel. Theater fans will enjoy seeing Harvey Fierstein as an acting manager and Chazz Palminteri as a gangster henchman-turned-writer, a nice nod to his real-life roots and success with A Bronx Tale.

The movie was nominated for seven Academy Awards, with Wiest winning for Best Supporting Actress. In 2014, a stage musical based on the film premiered on Broadway.

Waiting for Guffman (1996)

Best in Show fans are in for a treat with this wild comedy from Christopher Guest and Eugene Levy. Waiting for Guffman is a mockumentary that follows the antics of a community theater in the small town of Blaine, Missouri. After Corky St. Clair (Guest) moves to Blaine from New York, the outlandish director attempts to stage an amateur theater production in honor of the sesquicentennial of the city's founding.

Gathering together local residents- played by Levy, Fred Willard, Catherine O'Hara, Parker Posey, and Lewis Arquette- the group uses their minimal acting experience to put on a show that will impress both the community as well as Broadway producer Mort Guffman, who is scheduled to attend the performance. The movie, largely improvised by the actors, is a genuine tribute to the value of and joy that can stem from community theater. 

Synecdoche, New York (2008)

Perhaps the most unconventional film on this list is Synecdoche, New York, which served as the feature directorial debut of Charlie Kaufman. Having previously penned surrealist films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, Kaufman takes a look at the universal human experience through the eyes of theater director Caden Cotard, beautifully played by Philip Seymour Hoffman.

As Cotard attempts to stage an original work in the face of his impending death, he grasps with the changing world around him, desperately trying to capture reality within the confines of his increasingly strange play. The movie features an all-star cast including Michelle Williams, Samantha Morton, Catherine Keener, Emily Watson, and Dianne West. 

Drive My Car (2021)

Drive My Car follows Yusuke Kafuku, a prominent stage actor and director who unexpectedly loses his wife while starring in a production of Uncle Vanya. Two years later, he begins a residency in Hiroshima, mounting a new production of the play featuring a multi-lingual cast. As they rehearse, Yusuke gets to know members of the cast and crew, including TV star Koji Takatsuki (who also knew Yusuke's late wife) and dramaturg Gong Yoon-soo and his family. Yusuke also forms an unlikely bond with his quiet driver, Misaki Watari, a young woman who has also experienced a great amount of loss.

Among the film's themes include the transcendency of art, and how these shared experiences can cross the boundaries of language. The movie itself features Korean, English, Japanese, Tagalog, and Korean Sign Language, among others.. 

Drive My Car was nominated for Best Picture at the Academy Awards, ultimately winning the award for Best International Feature.

Tick...Tick...BOOM! (2021)

For musical theater fans and creatives alike, this is a movie worthy of engagement by all artists- along with those who attempt to understand them. Hamilton writer Lin-Manuel Miranda makes his directorial debut with tick, tick... BOOM! which itself is adapted from Jonathan Larson's autobiographical musical.

The story follows Larson (played by Andrew Garfield) on the cusp of his 30th birthday. A budding musical theater composer, Larson is struggling to finish his new show Superbia amid preparations to present a workshop with the hope of finally being recognized in the tight-knit theater community. 

Featuring numerous cameos from Broadway legends, the cast includes Alexandra Shipp, Robin de Jesús, Vanessa Hudgens, and Bradley Whitford as composer Stephen Sondheim. In one moment late in the film, Sondheim's actual voice can be heard, which is made poignant due to the composer's real-life passing shortly after the film's debut in 2021. The movie is available to stream on Netflix.

Theater Camp (2023)

For the theater kid at heart comes Theater Camp, a mockumentary from Nick Lieberman, Noah Galvin, Molly Gordon, and Tony-winner Ben Platt, the latter three of whom also star in the film. Platt and Gordon play two staff members of the summer camp AdirondACTS, who take over as leaders of the camp after their founder and director falls into an unexpected coma. The duo, who are also best friends, are tasked with directing and writing a new musical for campers. As they struggle to finish this show, the camp itself faces closure, friendships are tested, and general chaos ensues.

Upon its release, the movie was praised by critics, also receiving accolades for being one of the best independent films of 2023.  Theater Camp is available to stream on Hulu.

The Great Lillian Hall (2024)

The great Jessica Lange stars as Broadway legend Lillian Hall in this television theater drama. In the film, Hall attempts to prepare for her next major role but finds herself blindsided by confusion and forgetfulness. 

As she battles to make it to opening night amidst a dire diagnosis, she also must navigate complicated interpersonal relationships, including those with her daughter (Lily Rabe), her longtime assistant and friend (Kathy Bates), and her neighbor (Pierce Brosnan.) The movie also features Jesse Williams as David the director, who is unsure of how to proceed with his Broadway production with the complication of Hall's memory.

As usual, Lange is a tour-de-force in the role, portraying this ailing actress with grace, poise, and stark humanity. Premiering on HBO in 2024, The Great Lillian Hall is streaming on Max.

Sing Sing (2024)

One of the most powerful theater films in recent memory is A24's Sing Sing. Named after the New York correctional facility, Sing Sing tells the true story of a group of incarcerated men who mount an original musical in partnership with Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA), a program dedicated to bringing healing and encouragement.

One of those men, Clarence "Divine Eye" Maclin, is playing a fictionalized version of himself in the drama. In the film, Maclin stars alongside award-winning actor Colman Domingo, Paul Raci, and a slew of other performers, many of whom were participants of the program. The story centers on the friendship between Maclin's "Divine Eye" and John "Divine G" Whitfield, played by Domingo.

Since its debut, Sing Sing has become a major awards contender, with both Domingo and Maclin receiving praise for their performances in the film. The movie recently returned to theaters, along with screenings in correctional facilities- the first film in history to do so. Sing Sing is expected to debut on streaming sometime in January.