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Punk & Alt Related Movies
21
items A collection of films that capture the raw spirit, rebellion, and outsider energy of punk and alternative culture—both in sound and attitude. From gritty documentaries and cult classics to chaotic comedies and underground dramas, these movies reflect...
Persepolis (2007) is an animated biographical film based on Marjane Satrapi’s graphic novel of the same name. Co-directed by Satrapi and Vincent Paronnaud, the film tells the story of Marjane’s youth in Iran during and after the Islamic Revolution, a...
Told in black-and-white animation that mirrors the graphic novel’s style, Persepolis follows Marjane as she grows from a rebellious child into a politically aware teenager amid war, oppression, and cultural upheaval. The story explores themes of iden...
Through humor, heartbreak, and sharp commentary, Persepolis offers a deeply personal view of Iranian history, especially from a woman’s perspective. The film balances personal memory with political critique, making it both intimate and universal.
Critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated, Persepolis is a powerful coming-of-age story rooted in truth and defiance.
Told in black-and-white animation that mirrors the graphic novel’s style, Persepolis follows Marjane as she grows from a rebellious child into a politically aware teenager amid war, oppression, and cultural upheaval. The story explores themes of iden...
Through humor, heartbreak, and sharp commentary, Persepolis offers a deeply personal view of Iranian history, especially from a woman’s perspective. The film balances personal memory with political critique, making it both intimate and universal.
Critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated, Persepolis is a powerful coming-of-age story rooted in truth and defiance.
Persepolis [Blu-ray]
Good Vibrations (2012) is a biographical drama that tells the story of Terri Hooley, a music lover and record store owner who played a pivotal role in launching the Belfast punk scene during the height of The Troubles in 1970s Northern Ireland.
Directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, the film follows Terri as he opens a record shop called Good Vibrations in a war-torn city dominated by sectarian violence. Rejecting political division, he discovers a vibrant underground punk movement...
Terri’s passion leads him to start a label, organize gigs, and defy both the violence and commercial music industry. The film highlights his idealism, struggles, and enduring belief in music as a force for unity and rebellion.
Good Vibrations is both an uplifting music film and a powerful portrait of cultural resistance through punk.
Directed by Lisa Barros D’Sa and Glenn Leyburn, the film follows Terri as he opens a record shop called Good Vibrations in a war-torn city dominated by sectarian violence. Rejecting political division, he discovers a vibrant underground punk movement...
Terri’s passion leads him to start a label, organize gigs, and defy both the violence and commercial music industry. The film highlights his idealism, struggles, and enduring belief in music as a force for unity and rebellion.
Good Vibrations is both an uplifting music film and a powerful portrait of cultural resistance through punk.
Good Vibrations | Prime Video
Suburbia (1983), directed by Penelope Spheeris, is a gritty drama that captures the raw, chaotic energy of the early 1980s Southern California punk scene. Produced by Roger Corman, the film follows a group of runaway and abandoned teens—calling thems...
The story focuses on Evan and Ethan, two brothers escaping an abusive home, and their integration into the TR community. The film blends non-professional actors (including real punks) with live performances by bands like TSOL and The Vandals, giving ...
Suburbia explores themes of alienation, youth rebellion, systemic failure, and violence—both within the group and from hostile suburban locals. Unlike romanticized depictions of punk, the film presents it as both a refuge and a volatile environment.
It remains a cult classic and a stark portrait of disaffected youth.
The story focuses on Evan and Ethan, two brothers escaping an abusive home, and their integration into the TR community. The film blends non-professional actors (including real punks) with live performances by bands like TSOL and The Vandals, giving ...
Suburbia explores themes of alienation, youth rebellion, systemic failure, and violence—both within the group and from hostile suburban locals. Unlike romanticized depictions of punk, the film presents it as both a refuge and a volatile environment.
It remains a cult classic and a stark portrait of disaffected youth.
Suburbia | Prime Video
The Decline of Western Civilization (1981), directed by Penelope Spheeris, is a seminal documentary capturing the early Los Angeles punk scene from 1979 to 1980. Blending raw concert footage with candid interviews, the film offers an unfiltered look ...
Featuring bands like Black Flag, X, Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs, and The Bags, the documentary showcases high-energy performances alongside backstage moments and personal reflections from musicians, fans, and scene insiders. It dives into themes of ali...
Spheeris avoids narration, letting the footage and voices speak for themselves. The result is a gritty, immersive document of punk at its most immediate and unpolished.
The Decline of Western Civilization is widely considered essential viewing for understanding American punk’s roots and cultural impact.
Featuring bands like Black Flag, X, Circle Jerks, Fear, Germs, and The Bags, the documentary showcases high-energy performances alongside backstage moments and personal reflections from musicians, fans, and scene insiders. It dives into themes of ali...
Spheeris avoids narration, letting the footage and voices speak for themselves. The result is a gritty, immersive document of punk at its most immediate and unpolished.
The Decline of Western Civilization is widely considered essential viewing for understanding American punk’s roots and cultural impact.
The Decline of Western Civilization | Prime Video
The Damned: Don’t You Wish That We Were Dead (2015) is a documentary directed by Wes Orshoski that chronicles the chaotic, influential history of The Damned, the first British punk band to release a single, an album, and tour the U.S.
Through interviews, archival footage, and backstage access, the film traces the band’s formation in 1976, their early role in shaping punk alongside The Sex Pistols and The Clash, and their often-overlooked legacy. It features candid commentary from ...
The film also includes insights from musicians like Lemmy, Chrissie Hynde, Nick Mason, and members of Black Flag and Devo, all testifying to The Damned’s lasting influence.
More than a band biography, the film is a reflection on fame, friendship, dysfunction, and punk’s enduring cultural weight.
Through interviews, archival footage, and backstage access, the film traces the band’s formation in 1976, their early role in shaping punk alongside The Sex Pistols and The Clash, and their often-overlooked legacy. It features candid commentary from ...
The film also includes insights from musicians like Lemmy, Chrissie Hynde, Nick Mason, and members of Black Flag and Devo, all testifying to The Damned’s lasting influence.
More than a band biography, the film is a reflection on fame, friendship, dysfunction, and punk’s enduring cultural weight.
The Damned - Don't You Wish We Were Dead
White Riot (2019), directed by Rubika Shah, is a documentary that explores the rise of Rock Against Racism (RAR), a grassroots political and cultural movement formed in 1976 Britain in response to the growing influence of racist groups like the Natio...
The film centers on how music—especially punk—became a weapon against hate. Sparked by racist comments from musicians like Eric Clapton, activists and music fans launched RAR to unite Black and white youth through anti-racist gigs and zines. The move...
Using archival footage, interviews, and punk visuals, White Riot builds toward the landmark 1978 Carnival Against the Nazis in London, where over 100,000 people gathered to protest fascism through music and solidarity.
It’s a powerful, fast-paced look at how punk became a political force—and how youth culture helped push back against systemic racism.
The film centers on how music—especially punk—became a weapon against hate. Sparked by racist comments from musicians like Eric Clapton, activists and music fans launched RAR to unite Black and white youth through anti-racist gigs and zines. The move...
Using archival footage, interviews, and punk visuals, White Riot builds toward the landmark 1978 Carnival Against the Nazis in London, where over 100,000 people gathered to protest fascism through music and solidarity.
It’s a powerful, fast-paced look at how punk became a political force—and how youth culture helped push back against systemic racism.
White Riot | Prime Video
Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk (2017) is a feature-length documentary that chronicles the evolution of the East Bay punk scene, centered around Berkeley, California, from the late 1970s through the 1990s. Narrated by Iggy Pop and directed...
The story highlights the role of 924 Gilman Street, a volunteer-run, all-ages venue that became the heart of the scene and a launching pad for bands like Operation Ivy, Green Day, Rancid, Crimpshrine, and Neurosis. It emphasizes the scene’s commitmen...
With over 150 interviews, archival footage, and live performances, the film paints a detailed portrait of a scene that valued collective action and cultural rebellion as much as music.
It’s a definitive history of punk’s progressive, West Coast counterpoint.
The story highlights the role of 924 Gilman Street, a volunteer-run, all-ages venue that became the heart of the scene and a launching pad for bands like Operation Ivy, Green Day, Rancid, Crimpshrine, and Neurosis. It emphasizes the scene’s commitmen...
With over 150 interviews, archival footage, and live performances, the film paints a detailed portrait of a scene that valued collective action and cultural rebellion as much as music.
It’s a definitive history of punk’s progressive, West Coast counterpoint.
Turn It Around: The Story of East Bay Punk
Filmage: The Story of Descendents/All (2013) is a documentary that traces the history and lasting impact of the influential punk bands Descendents and ALL. Directed by Deedle LaCour and Matt Riggle, the film combines interviews, rare footage, and ani...
At the center is drummer and producer Bill Stevenson, whose relentless drive shaped the sound and evolution of both bands. The film covers the early days of Descendents, fronted by the iconic Milo Aukerman, their nerdy, caffeine-fueled identity, and ...
After Milo's departure, Stevenson continued with ALL, evolving musically but struggling for recognition. Filmage blends humor and heart while exploring themes of DIY perseverance, creativity, and burnout.
With appearances from members of NOFX, Foo Fighters, Blink-182, and more, the film celebrates a punk legacy built on heart, hooks, and endurance.
At the center is drummer and producer Bill Stevenson, whose relentless drive shaped the sound and evolution of both bands. The film covers the early days of Descendents, fronted by the iconic Milo Aukerman, their nerdy, caffeine-fueled identity, and ...
After Milo's departure, Stevenson continued with ALL, evolving musically but struggling for recognition. Filmage blends humor and heart while exploring themes of DIY perseverance, creativity, and burnout.
With appearances from members of NOFX, Foo Fighters, Blink-182, and more, the film celebrates a punk legacy built on heart, hooks, and endurance.
Filmage: The Story of Descendents/ALL
The Punk Singer (2013), directed by Sini Anderson, is a documentary that explores the life and career of Kathleen Hanna, frontwoman of Bikini Kill, Le Tigre, and a founding figure of the Riot Grrrl movement. Combining archival footage, interviews, an...
The documentary covers her early years in the Pacific Northwest punk scene, the formation of Bikini Kill, and her role in launching Riot Grrrl—an underground feminist movement that challenged sexism in punk and beyond. It also examines her outspoken ...
The Punk Singer also reveals Hanna’s battle with Lyme disease, a struggle that took her out of the public eye for years. The film is both a tribute and a personal portrait of a woman who used her voice—on stage and off—as a force for cultural change.
The documentary covers her early years in the Pacific Northwest punk scene, the formation of Bikini Kill, and her role in launching Riot Grrrl—an underground feminist movement that challenged sexism in punk and beyond. It also examines her outspoken ...
The Punk Singer also reveals Hanna’s battle with Lyme disease, a struggle that took her out of the public eye for years. The film is both a tribute and a personal portrait of a woman who used her voice—on stage and off—as a force for cultural change.
The Punk Singer | Prime Video
This Is England (2006), directed by Shane Meadows, is a British drama that explores youth identity, subculture, and nationalism in early 1980s England. The film follows Shaun, a lonely 12-year-old boy who falls in with a group of skinheads after losi...
Initially embraced by the group’s inclusive and working-class ethos, Shaun finds friendship and belonging. However, the return of a violent, racist ex-member named Combo causes the group to splinter, and Shaun is gradually pulled toward far-right ext...
Blending coming-of-age storytelling with political commentary, the film captures a critical moment when British youth culture—especially the skinhead scene, originally rooted in multiracial unity—became co-opted by nationalist forces.
Set to a soundtrack of ska, reggae, and punk, This Is England is a powerful examination of how identity and ideology clash in working-class communities.
Initially embraced by the group’s inclusive and working-class ethos, Shaun finds friendship and belonging. However, the return of a violent, racist ex-member named Combo causes the group to splinter, and Shaun is gradually pulled toward far-right ext...
Blending coming-of-age storytelling with political commentary, the film captures a critical moment when British youth culture—especially the skinhead scene, originally rooted in multiracial unity—became co-opted by nationalist forces.
Set to a soundtrack of ska, reggae, and punk, This Is England is a powerful examination of how identity and ideology clash in working-class communities.
This is England | Prime Video
Dinner in America (2020), directed by Adam Rehmeier, is a dark comedy and offbeat love story set against the backdrop of Midwestern suburban angst and punk rebellion. The film follows Simon, a volatile punk rocker on the run from the law, and Patty, ...
As their relationship grows, the film explores themes of individuality, self-expression, and emotional liberation, often through outrageous humor and confrontational moments. Patty slowly discovers confidence and power through her connection with Sim...
With a driving punk soundtrack, stylized visuals, and sharp dialogue, Dinner in America is both a romantic misfit anthem and a satirical critique of conformity. It’s a heartfelt, gritty tribute to the healing force of music and rebellion.
As their relationship grows, the film explores themes of individuality, self-expression, and emotional liberation, often through outrageous humor and confrontational moments. Patty slowly discovers confidence and power through her connection with Sim...
With a driving punk soundtrack, stylized visuals, and sharp dialogue, Dinner in America is both a romantic misfit anthem and a satirical critique of conformity. It’s a heartfelt, gritty tribute to the healing force of music and rebellion.
Dinner in America | Prime Video
Repo Man (1984), directed by Alex Cox, is a cult classic that blends punk rock, sci-fi, satire, and absurdist comedy into a surreal portrait of 1980s Los Angeles. The film follows Otto, a disaffected young punk played by Emilio Estevez, who stumbles ...
As Otto navigates this strange new world, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters—from nihilistic repo veterans to televangelists and punk drifters—all while chasing a mysterious 1964 Chevy Malibu with a dangerous secret in its trunk. The film c...
Repo Man is a genre-defying, anti-establishment cult film, celebrated for its deadpan humor, punk ethos, and unorthodox storytelling.
As Otto navigates this strange new world, he encounters a cast of eccentric characters—from nihilistic repo veterans to televangelists and punk drifters—all while chasing a mysterious 1964 Chevy Malibu with a dangerous secret in its trunk. The film c...
Repo Man is a genre-defying, anti-establishment cult film, celebrated for its deadpan humor, punk ethos, and unorthodox storytelling.
Repo Man (1984) | Prime Video
Los Punks: We Are All We Have (2016), directed by Angela Boatwright, is a gritty and intimate documentary that explores the thriving DIY punk scene in South Central and East Los Angeles, primarily made up of young Latino and working-class youth. The ...
The documentary highlights how punk becomes more than just music—it's a means of self-expression, resistance, and survival in neighborhoods often marked by poverty, violence, and lack of opportunity. Through personal stories and raw performance foota...
With its emphasis on identity, youth culture, and grassroots energy, the film is both a celebration of punk’s spirit and a powerful snapshot of L.A.'s underground resilience.
The documentary highlights how punk becomes more than just music—it's a means of self-expression, resistance, and survival in neighborhoods often marked by poverty, violence, and lack of opportunity. Through personal stories and raw performance foota...
With its emphasis on identity, youth culture, and grassroots energy, the film is both a celebration of punk’s spirit and a powerful snapshot of L.A.'s underground resilience.
Los Punks: We Are All We Have | PRIME
The Taqwacores (2010), directed by Eyad Zahra, is a fictional drama based on Michael Muhammad Knight’s novel of the same name. The film follows Yusef, a conservative Muslim engineering student who moves into a house in Buffalo, New York, shared by a ...
As Yusef becomes immersed in this anarchic community, he’s introduced to characters who blend punk ideals with Islamic identity—like a tattooed Sufi rocker, a burqa-wearing riot grrrl, and a queer Muslim activist. The house serves as a chaotic space ...
The film explores themes of religious rebellion, cultural conflict, and personal transformation, highlighting the tension between tradition and modernity. The Taqwacores offers a bold, thought-provoking look at how punk rock and Islam can collide to ...
As Yusef becomes immersed in this anarchic community, he’s introduced to characters who blend punk ideals with Islamic identity—like a tattooed Sufi rocker, a burqa-wearing riot grrrl, and a queer Muslim activist. The house serves as a chaotic space ...
The film explores themes of religious rebellion, cultural conflict, and personal transformation, highlighting the tension between tradition and modernity. The Taqwacores offers a bold, thought-provoking look at how punk rock and Islam can collide to ...
The Taqwacores | Prime Video
Green Room (2015), directed by Jeremy Saulnier, is a tense, visceral horror-thriller that follows a struggling punk band who accidentally witnesses a murder at a remote neo-Nazi-run venue deep in the Oregon woods. Trapped in the club’s green room, th...
What begins as a typical low-budget gig quickly spirals into a brutal, claustrophobic standoff. The film builds dread through sharp pacing, intense violence, and moral ambiguity, as the band members confront both external threats and their own will t...
Known for its gritty realism, minimalist dialogue, and explosive tension, Green Room is a gripping blend of punk ethos and survival horror, exploring the fragility of life, the randomness of violence, and the raw edge of underground counterculture.
What begins as a typical low-budget gig quickly spirals into a brutal, claustrophobic standoff. The film builds dread through sharp pacing, intense violence, and moral ambiguity, as the band members confront both external threats and their own will t...
Known for its gritty realism, minimalist dialogue, and explosive tension, Green Room is a gripping blend of punk ethos and survival horror, exploring the fragility of life, the randomness of violence, and the raw edge of underground counterculture.
Green Room | Prime Video
We Are the Best! (2013), directed by Lukas Moodysson, is a heartwarming coming-of-age film about three young girls—Bobo, Klara, and Hedvig—growing up in 1980s Stockholm who decide to start a punk band despite having no instruments or musical experien...
Bobo and Klara, two misfit friends with short hair and strong opinions, recruit the shy, classically trained Hedvig to join their group. Together, they challenge expectations about gender, conformity, and adolescence, fueled by punk’s DIY spirit and ...
With warmth, humor, and raw charm, We Are the Best! captures the joy of youthful defiance and self-discovery, proving that punk isn't about talent—it's about attitude and heart.
Bobo and Klara, two misfit friends with short hair and strong opinions, recruit the shy, classically trained Hedvig to join their group. Together, they challenge expectations about gender, conformity, and adolescence, fueled by punk’s DIY spirit and ...
With warmth, humor, and raw charm, We Are the Best! captures the joy of youthful defiance and self-discovery, proving that punk isn't about talent—it's about attitude and heart.
We Are The Best! | Prime Video
Control (2007) is a black-and-white biographical drama that tells the story of Ian Curtis, the lead singer of the iconic post-punk band Joy Division. Directed by Anton Corbijn, the film is based on the memoir Touching from a Distance by Curtis’s wido...
The film explores Curtis's complex emotional world, including his strained marriage, extramarital affair, and artistic isolation, culminating in his tragic suicide at the age of 23. Control is noted for its intimate cinematography, authentic period d...
The film explores Curtis's complex emotional world, including his strained marriage, extramarital affair, and artistic isolation, culminating in his tragic suicide at the age of 23. Control is noted for its intimate cinematography, authentic period d...
Control | Prime Video
Northern Soul (2014) is a British drama film that captures the energy, rebellion, and obsession surrounding the Northern Soul music and dance movement of the 1970s. Set in working-class Lancashire, the story follows two teenage friends, John and Matt...
As they rise in the ranks of the Northern Soul community, their friendship is tested by ambition, drugs, and personal struggles. The film vividly recreates the sweaty clubs, fierce dance battles, and crate-digging culture that defined the era, all so...
Northern Soul is both a coming-of-age story and a tribute to a subculture built on rhythm, identity, and working-class youth defiance.
As they rise in the ranks of the Northern Soul community, their friendship is tested by ambition, drugs, and personal struggles. The film vividly recreates the sweaty clubs, fierce dance battles, and crate-digging culture that defined the era, all so...
Northern Soul is both a coming-of-age story and a tribute to a subculture built on rhythm, identity, and working-class youth defiance.
Northern Soul
Sing Street (2016) is a coming-of-age musical drama set in 1980s Dublin. It follows Conor, a teenage boy who starts a band to impress a mysterious, older girl named Raphina. Navigating a troubled home life, a strict Catholic school, and the harsh rea...
The film blends youthful rebellion, romantic longing, and brotherly love, especially through Conor’s relationship with his older brother Brendan, who guides him musically and emotionally. As Conor’s confidence grows, so does the band’s ambition, culm...
With an infectious soundtrack and heartfelt storytelling, Sing Street celebrates music as a form of resistance, expression, and escape.
The film blends youthful rebellion, romantic longing, and brotherly love, especially through Conor’s relationship with his older brother Brendan, who guides him musically and emotionally. As Conor’s confidence grows, so does the band’s ambition, culm...
With an infectious soundtrack and heartfelt storytelling, Sing Street celebrates music as a form of resistance, expression, and escape.
Sing Street | Prime Video
Romper Stomper (1992) is an Australian drama that follows a violent group of neo-Nazi skinheads in Melbourne, led by the volatile Hando. The film explores the gang's racist ideology, their brutal attacks on the local Vietnamese community, and their i...
As their world begins to collapse—due to police pressure, shifting loyalties, and mounting violence—the film exposes the emptiness and destructiveness at the core of their hate-fueled existence. Gritty, confrontational, and often disturbing, Romper S...
Russell Crowe’s intense performance as Hando drew international attention, and the film remains controversial for its unflinching portrayal of far-right youth violence.
As their world begins to collapse—due to police pressure, shifting loyalties, and mounting violence—the film exposes the emptiness and destructiveness at the core of their hate-fueled existence. Gritty, confrontational, and often disturbing, Romper S...
Russell Crowe’s intense performance as Hando drew international attention, and the film remains controversial for its unflinching portrayal of far-right youth violence.
Romper Stomper | Prime Video
Rock 'n' Roll High School (1979) is a campy, rebellious teen comedy that celebrates punk rock and youthful defiance. Set in the fictional Vince Lombardi High School, the story follows Riff Randell, a Ramones-obsessed student and aspiring songwriter, ...
With help from her best friend Kate and the Ramones themselves, Riff leads a wild musical rebellion against the oppressive school system. The movie blends slapstick humor, cartoonish chaos, and a full-on punk soundtrack, anchored by on-screen perform...
Rock 'n' Roll High School is a cult classic that captures the energy of late ’70s punk and the spirit of teenage resistance. It’s loud, absurd, and endlessly fun—a punk rock fantasy for the anti-authority crowd.
With help from her best friend Kate and the Ramones themselves, Riff leads a wild musical rebellion against the oppressive school system. The movie blends slapstick humor, cartoonish chaos, and a full-on punk soundtrack, anchored by on-screen perform...
Rock 'n' Roll High School is a cult classic that captures the energy of late ’70s punk and the spirit of teenage resistance. It’s loud, absurd, and endlessly fun—a punk rock fantasy for the anti-authority crowd.
Rock 'n' Roll High School