Film

CBGB

A 2013 drama about CBGB, the legendary Lower East Side punk club that launched countless bands. It's a loving, messy portrait of the venue and its charismatic founder Hilly Kristal, anchored by Alan Rickman's performance. Affectionate rather than definitive, it captures the energy and chaos of New York's mid-seventies punk scene through the eyes of the people who made it happen.

TMDb rating3.2

If you liked this

Sid and Nancy1986

Gritty, unflinching story of punk's most infamous couple. Alex Cox directs with anarchic energy, and the film captures the self-destructive romance and raw artistic hunger that defined the scene CBGB birthed.

But Deliberately bleak and deliberately ugly. No one wins, nothing resolves, and the lifestyle on display is genuinely damaging to watch.

Sid and Nancy poster

The Dirt2019

Fast, fun, and energetic chronicle of Mötley Crüe's rise. Like CBGB, it's a love letter to a specific time and place, told through the eyes of the people who lived it. No pretence, all chaos.

But The chronology gets loose, the behaviour is often inexcusable, and it sometimes feels like it's asking you to cheer for people doing terrible things.

The Dirt poster

24 Hour Party People2002

Michael Winterbottom's brilliant film about Manchester's Factory Records and the Haçienda club. Like CBGB, it's about a venue as character, a scene captured at a specific moment, and the eccentric visionary who made it happen.

But Deliberately fragmented and self-aware. If you want a straight narrative, you'll find the meta-commentary and fourth-wall breaks irritating rather than clever.

24 Hour Party People poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from CBGB

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil2008

Both are about the gap between artistic integrity and commercial success; both love the people who show up for the music even when the world doesn't care.

Sacha Gervasi's documentary about a Canadian heavy metal band trying to resurrect their career after decades of obscurity. Funny, heartbreaking, and genuinely moving about the people who dedicate their lives to art that never makes them famous.

But It's not about a legendary venue or a famous scene. It's about relative unknowns, and some will find the persistence depressing rather than inspiring.

Anvil! The Story of Anvil poster
More like this (5)

Dazed and Confused1993

Richard Linklater's ensemble comedy about a single day in 1976 Texas. It has CBGB's gift for capturing a particular moment in music history with genuine affection for the people living through it, scene by scene.

But Plotless and slow by design. If you need conventional structure and forward momentum, this will feel like watching paint dry.

Dazed and Confused poster

Control2007

Anton Corbijn's film about Joy Division and Ian Curtis. Stylish, intimate, and focused on the artistic ferment of late-seventies Manchester. It understands how venue and community make music what it becomes.

But Mostly black and white, deliberately distant in tone. Its formal restraint can feel cold, even when it's trying to be moving.

Control poster

Velvet Goldmine1998

Todd Haynes's glam rock mystery. Beautifully crafted, musically eclectic, and fascinated by how personal mythology intersects with real history. The energy and visual inventiveness match CBGB's enthusiasm.

But Deliberately obtuse. The plot is secondary to mood and style, and if you want clarity, you won't get it.

Velvet Goldmine poster

I'm Not There2007

Todd Haynes's fragmented Bob Dylan biography, told through six different actors. Experimental and ambitious, it captures how myth and reality tangle in music history much like CBGB tries to do.

But Deliberately opaque and challenging. Some will find it pretentious, and the non-linear structure will frustrate anyone seeking straightforward narrative.

I'm Not There poster

Once2007

Both understand that music is ultimately about human connection, not fame; both let the music breathe instead of commentating on it.

John Carney's intimate musical drama about two Dublin musicians in a chance meeting. It's almost the inverse of CBGB: instead of a legendary venue, it's a street busker; instead of a scene, it's two people. But it captures the same pure, unselfconscious love of making music together.

But Deliberately low-key and small. After CBGB's expansive ensemble, the scale may feel slight, and some will find the minimalism tedious rather than precious.

Once poster

People

Cast

Directing

Writing

Production

Recommended by

Vinyl