Movies like Downtown 81
If you like "Downtown 81" you are looking for humorous, witty and semi serious movies about / with art, artist, prodigy, profanity, musician's life, twentysomething life and graffiti themes of Comedy, Drama and Music genre shot in USA.
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Downtown 81 (2000)
2K
Original name: Downtown '81
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 72 min.
Story:
The film is a day in the life of a young artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat, who needs to raise money to reclaim the apartment from which he has been evicted. He wanders the downtown streets carrying a painting he hopes to sell, encountering friends, whose lives (and performances) we peek into.
Style:
humorous, witty, semi serious, sincere, atmospheric, contemplative, grim, offbeat, gloomy, clever ...
Plot:
art, artist, prodigy, profanity, musician's life, twentysomething life, graffiti, art history, punk, street life, ghetto, painter, designer, hip hop, underground, stoner, street art, painting, alienation, african, artwork, stoned, youth, rock, urban ...
Time:
80s, 20th century
Place:
new york, usa, africa
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Downtown 81
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out realistic, semi serious, humorous and independent film films with plots about artists and showbiz, lifestyle, urban, friends, musician, runaway and art mostly in Drama, Comedy and Music genres. Some movies like Downtown 81: Permanent Vacation (1980), (Untitled) (2009), Slaves of New York (1989), Swim Little Fish Swim (2013), Sweet and Lowdown (1999). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 75 min.
Story:
In downtown Manhattan, a twenty-something boy whose Father is not around and whose Mother is institutionalized, is a big Charlie Parker fan. He almost subconsciously searches for more meaning in his life and meets a few characters along the way.
Style:
independent film, art house, artsy, contemplative, surreal ...
Plot:
drifter, slacker, dialogue, solitude, jazz, coming of age, hipster, alienation, saxophonist, psychiatric hospital, urban setting, psychiatric patient ...
Time:
20th century, 80s
Place:
new york, manhattan new york city, usa, new jersey
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min.
Story:
A fashionable contemporary art gallerist in Chelsea, New York falls for a brooding new music composer in this comic satire of the state of contemporary art.
Style:
witty, feel good, humorous, avant garde, realistic ...
Audience:
date night
Plot:
art, nude model, modern art, fall in love, love affair, lifestyle, composer, performance art, art gallery, musical performance, artist, art exhibition ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
new york, usa, manhattan new york city
Similarity:
55%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
Meet the denizens of New York City: artists, prostitutes, saints, and seers. All are aspiring toward either fame or oblivion, and hoping for love and acceptance. Instead they find high rents, faithless partners, and dead-end careers.
Style:
ironic, sentimental, humorous, captivating, psychological ...
Plot:
adaptation, artist, couples, society, self discovery, lifestyle, bittersweet, love, ambition, loneliness, fashion, art ...
Time:
80s, year 1989
Place:
new york, usa, new jersey, tokyo
Similarity:
55%
Genre: Drama, Music, Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min.
Story:
Chance, a hapless Los Angeles musician is searching for the coveted Moletron synthesizer through the classified ad paper the "Southlander", and meeting interesting characters along the way.
Style:
surreal, experimental, semi serious, realistic, atmospheric ...
Plot:
musician's life, silly humor, artists and showbiz, friends, down on your luck, lifestyle, riddles and clues, satire, music, best friend, musician, rock ...
Time:
future
Place:
usa, california, los angeles
Similarity:
54%
Movie in collections
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA, France
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
Between surrealism, unusual characters, art and magic tricks, "Swim Little Fish Swim" is a dreamlike journey from childhood to adulthood.
Style:
sincere, humorous, semi serious, realistic, touching ...
Plot:
family relations, art, dream, modern art, twenty something, musician's life, parent child relationship, relationship problems, artists and showbiz, unfulfillment, couple relations, adolescence vs adulthood ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa, new york, brooklyn new york city
Similarity:
53%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
A comedic biopic focused on the life of fictional jazz guitarist Emmett Ray. Ray was an irresponsible, free-spending, arrogant, obnoxious, alcohol-abusing, miserable human being, who was also arguably the best guitarist in the world.
Style:
atmospheric, talky, sentimental, humorous, semi serious ...
Audience:
date night
Plot:
music, jazz, dark humor, art, infidelity, love and romance, musician's life, artists and showbiz, dishonesty, fall in love, writers, addiction ...
Time:
1930s, 20th century, year 1999
Place:
new york, chicago, usa, new jersey
Similarity:
52%
Genre: Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
An aspiring DJ, from the South Bronx, and his best friend, a promoter, try to get into show business by exposing people to hip-hop music and culture.
Style:
hood, independent film, grim, intense, realistic ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
hip hop, graffiti, dancing, subway, rap, gangster, black, urban, music, ghetto, discrimination, street gangster ...
Time:
80s, 70s
Place:
new york, usa, bronx new york city, tokyo, israel ...
Similarity:
52%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story:
I'm Still Here is a portrayal of a tumultuous year in the life of actor Joaquin Phoenix. With remarkable access, the film follows the Oscar-nominee as he announces his retirement from a successful film career in the fall of 2008 and sets off to ...
Style:
mockumentary, surreal, melancholic, stylized, disturbing ...
Plot:
profanity, musician's life, career change, celebrity culture, showbiz, lifestyle, performer's life, starting over, actor's life, mental disorder, hip hop, found footage ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa, new jersey
Similarity:
50%
Movie in collections
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
Corrine Burns retreats far into plans for her band, The Fabulous Stains, after her mother's death.
Style:
independent film, retro, psychotronic, thinking, cult classic ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
punk, punk rock, punk rocker, girl band, punk band, feminist, rock and roll, rock, fictional band, taunting, teenager, girl group ...
Time:
80s, year 1982, 20th century
Place:
usa, pennsylvania
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story:
Three stories happening in New York. The first, by Scorsese, is about a painter who creates his works helped by high volume music and an attractive assistant; second, by Coppola, is about a rich and bold 12 years old who helps her separated parents ...
Style:
anthology, talky, semi serious, realistic, touching ...
Audience:
date night
Plot:
artist, luxury hotel, obsession, art, hotel, young heroes, jealousy, family relations, gallery, youth, city life, parents and children ...
Time:
20th century, year 1989, 80s
Place:
new york, greece, usa, athens greece, manhattan new york city ...
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
Anna, a French actress, is approached by financial broker Gordon in the Vermeer room of a New York gallery. However, romance does not ensue...
Style:
independent film, clever, contemplative, sex comedy, political ...
Plot:
artist, wall street, art history, art, visceral, painter, coming of age, love, under the surface, couples, stock broker, artists and showbiz ...
Time:
80s
Place:
new york, manhattan new york city
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Comedy, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
Hip Hop duo Kid & Play return in the second follow-up to their 1990 screen debut House Party. Kid (Christopher "Kid" Reid) is taking the plunge and marrying his girlfriend Veda (Angela Means), while his friend Play (Christopher ...
Style:
hood, black comedy, rom com, independent film, semi serious ...
Audience:
teens, kids
Plot:
hip hop, ghetto, gangster, urban, black, music, party, black girl, discrimination, street crime, high school romance, stoner ...
Time:
90s, 20th century
Place:
usa
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: Japan
Duration: 119 min.
Story:
Machisu is a painter. He never had the success he thinks he is entitled to. Regardless of this, he always remains trying to be successful. His wife Sachiko keeps supporting him, despite all setbacks. Machisu, the only son of a rich collector, has a ...
Style:
philosophical, thought provoking, emotional, art house, sad ...
Plot:
art, painter, painting, dark humor, obsession, unfulfillment, life turned upside down, failed attempt, artist, desire for fame, moving, losing-it hero ...
Time:
year 2008, 20th century, 90s, 80s, 21st century
Place:
japan, asia
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 105 min.
Story:
In New York City in 1980, Dexter Mitchell plays half-willing big brother to his neighbors, a trio of exchange students from the People's Republic of China.
Style:
touching, humorous, semi serious, realistic, non-linear ...
Plot:
looking for love, culture clash, fish out of water, love and romance, fall in love, disorder, lifestyle, misfit, society, buddies, social differences, nightlife ...
Time:
20th century, 80s
Place:
new york, usa
Similarity:
49%
Genre: Biography, Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
In 1976, Tony Wilson sets up Factory Records and brings Manchester's music to the world.
Style:
witty, psychedelic, satirical, atmospheric, sincere ...
Plot:
clubbing, music, rock and roll, punk, party, rave, biopic, skinny dipping, rock, businessman, musician, profanity ...
Time:
80s, 70s, year 2002, 20th century, 90s ...
Place:
england, manchester, europe, northern england, united kingdom ...
Similarity:
49%
923
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 81 min.
Story:
The relationships of three men are examined through their use of technology.
Style:
mumblecore, talky, humorous, sincere, sexy ...
Audience:
girls' night, date night
Plot:
looking for love, lifestyle, friendship, youth, introspection, computers and web, love and romance, human nature, couple relations, misfit, social network, human relationship ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa
Similarity:
49%
948
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 106 min.
Story:
A rotten egg lobbed with spazmo aim at the spotless surface of the silver screen, FROWNLAND centers on social misfit and self-labeled "troll from under the bridge" Keith Sontag (Dore Mann). When he's not trying to sell coupons ...
Style:
mumblecore, semi serious, humorous, realistic, witty ...
Plot:
friends, misfit, buddies, society, fall in love, social misfits, love and romance, lifestyle, city life, suburbs, insecurity, mental breakdown ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa, new york
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story:
Kid'N'Play leave their neighborhood and enter the world of adulthood and higher education. Play attempts to get rich quick in the music business while Kid faces the challenges of college.
Style:
hood, independent film, humorous, black comedy, rom com ...
Audience:
teens, kids
Plot:
hip hop, college, black, urban, ghetto, party, friendship, gangster, black college, blaxploitation, campus, african american ...
Time:
90s, 20th century, 80s
Place:
usa
Similarity:
48%
Movie in collections
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
 The story of the night The Turtles met The Beatles and Howard Kaylan had dinner with Jimi Hendrix.
Style:
realistic, sentimental, captivating, semi serious, sincere ...
Plot:
music, music band, celebrity culture, performer's life, desire for fame, rise and fall, rise to the top, rock, ambition, artists and showbiz, lifestyle, showbiz ...
Time:
60s
Place:
london, england
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: Japan
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
With Saitama no rappa 2 (AKA 8000 Miles 2 – Girls Rapper), Yu Irie tells the story of amateur girl rappers who dream of a small big-time. The film opens with Saitama 1 B-boys, Ikku and Tom coming to town. They run into young Ayoma (Maho Yamada), ...
Style:
humorous, semi serious, realistic, feel good, light ...
Plot:
youth, musician's life, ambition, high school, buddies, artists and showbiz, lifestyle, perseverance, bittersweet, realism, coming of age, female empowerment ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
japan
Similarity:
48%
24K
Genre: Biography, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
Director Julian Schnabel illustrates the portrait of his friend, the first African-American pop artist Jean-Michel Basquiat who unfortunately died at a young age and just as he was beginning to make a name for himself in the art world. Alongside the ...
Style:
inspirational, stylized, sexy, factual, atmospheric ...
Audience:
chick flick, date night
Plot:
artist, art, graffiti, painter, biopic, drug abuse, painting, drug addiction, friendship, art history, drug, self destructing ...
Time:
80s, 20th century, year 1996, year 1981
Place:
new york, usa, manhattan new york city
Similarity:
48%
230
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
Sexy. Style-conscious. Extreme love affairs. Complicated friendships. Life happens all too quickly when Cloey is reluctantly plucked from her comfort zone and complete reliance on others is overturned – a secure relationship with her boyfriend ...
Style:
realistic, humorous, captivating, psychological, sexy ...
Plot:
coming of age, infidelity, love triangle, youth, friends, dishonesty, twentysomething life, city life, grownups, party, apathy, hipster ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
new york, usa, portland oregon, oregon, brooklyn new york city
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 91 min.
Story:
A year after becoming the toast of New York City's art scene, photographer Max Martin has lost his ability to take a decent picture. On the night before his make-or-break gallery opening, surrounded by the trappings of success but devoid of ...
Style:
realistic, semi serious, witty, humorous, offbeat
Plot:
photographer, friendship, prodigy, starting over, obsessive quest, lifestyle, race against time, mysterious character, dull life, addiction, city life, nightlife ...
Time:
90s
Place:
new york, usa, manhattan new york city
Similarity:
48%
Movie in collections
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
A downtown Manahattan gin mill plays host to a series of comic vignettes.
Style:
independent film, contemplative, realistic, semi serious, talky ...
Plot:
bartender, aging, human nature, introspection, elderly, rock, bookies, alcohol abuse, gambler, smoking, drunkenness, beer ...
Time:
90s, 20th century
Place:
new york, usa
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
A filmmaker sets out to make a new project in order to figure out how he's screwed up every relationship he's ever had.
Style:
humorous, psychological, contemplative, semi serious, captivating ...
Plot:
midlife crisis, introspection, filmmaking, unfulfillment, hollywood, artists and showbiz, society, art, relationships, profanity, losing-it hero, cause and meaning ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa, california, los angeles
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Biography, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story:
A chronicle of the days leading up to Jeff Buckley's performance at his father's tribute concert in 1991.
Style:
captivating, realistic, atmospheric, gloomy, serious ...
Plot:
rock, musician's life, music, introspection, artists and showbiz, love and romance, lifestyle, ambition, art, biopic, junkie, punk ...
Time:
90s, 20th century
Place:
usa
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Comedy, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
The story of Ivan and Josh, two dim witted ex-security guards who love music videos. Out of work, with no job prospects, they form a music video production company. They soon learn the in's and out's of the business in LA and with some ...
Style:
humorous, satirical, semi serious, cult classic, intense ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
blackmail, disorder, music band, partner, media, artists and showbiz, buddies, showbiz, rock and roll, punk, job, misfit ...
Time:
80s
Place:
california, los angeles, usa
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 50 min.
Story:
Two girls rediscover their love for playing rock, find a drummer and begin practicing. When one of their mothers intervenes, they run away from home and are forced to fend for themselves on the streets against gangs and rival bands. Soon they are ...
Style:
independent film, not serious, realistic, offbeat, humorous
Plot:
punk, punk rock, rock, girl gang, sexual assault, fictional band, girl group, punk band, erotica, hardcore, alienation, satire ...
Time:
20th century, 80s
Place:
los angeles, california, usa, beverly hills, venice beach california
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
Unable to deal with her parents, Jeannie Tyne runs away from home. Larry and Lyne Tyne search for her, and in the process meet other people whose children ran away. With their children gone, the parents are now free to rediscover/enjoy life.
Style:
atmospheric, social, talky, captivating, biting ...
Plot:
marijuana, hippie, counterculture, renaissance, anti establishment, psychology, runaway, male nudity, teenage girl, trauma, time travel, nude girl ...
Time:
70s, year 1971, 20th century
Place:
eastern europe, new york, usa
Similarity:
48%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story:
A collection of twentysomethings try to cope with relationships, loneliness, desire and their individual neuroses.
Style:
talky, witty, melancholic, semi serious, feel good ...
Audience:
girls' night, date night, teens, chick flick
Plot:
new year, new year's eve, love, friendship, nightlife, couples, love and romance, best friend, looking for love, singleness, twentysomething life, sexual dysfunction ...
Time:
80s, year 1981, year 1999, 20th century, year 1982
Place:
new york, manhattan new york city, usa, lower east side manhattan new york city, new jersey
Similarity:
48%
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