I Used to Be Famous is a British musical drama about the unlikely friendship that develops between the two main characters, Vince and Stevie. A former member of one of the biggest boy bands, Vince is now a depraved pop singer living alone and desperate for a second chance at his job. Therefore, expecting an important figure in the industry to listen to him, he begins to perform on the street. At one of those gigs, the extraordinarily talented drummer Stevie, who also has autism, engages in an impromptu session with him. As a result of this event, an instant bond develops between the two misunderstood musicians.
Eddie Sternberg, who also directed and co-wrote the film, which can be found on Netflix, explores many intriguing themes in the film. Some of these themes include the transience of celebrities, the unpredictability of friendships, and the power of music to bring two people together. The presence of all of these aspects increases the likelihood of keeping viewers engaged throughout the film. So, if you are into music dramas, you might find that the selection we have provided below suits your desires. You can watch most of these movies, including I Used to Be Famous, on streaming services like Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
7. Teenage Spirit (2018)
Written and directed by Max Minghella, Teen Spirit is a musical drama film that tells the story of an introverted young woman named Violet who, despite coming from a broken family, aspires to be a famous pop singer. Become an icon and live in a small town. Teen Spirit was written and directed by Max Minghella. She receives guidance from one of the most unlikely strangers to get her through a singing competition that will test her skills, determination and honesty. Both “I Used to Be Famous” and “Teen Spirit” share the same concept of two unrelated individuals brought together by music forming an unexpected friendship.
6. The Songs and Their Lyrics (2007)
The story of a former member of the band PoP! and a young aspiring author who write a song for a duet together is told in the film Music and Lyrics, written and directed by Marc Lawrence. The protagonist of this musical romantic comedy is a former singer who teams up with another aspiring artist to get back into the music industry. The plot is quite similar to that of the movie “I Used to Be Famous”. Aside from the intriguing premise, what fascinates you throughout the film are the riveting performances by the lead actors Hugh Grant and Drew Barrymore.
5. The Climax of It All (2020)
Directed by Nisha Ganatra, The High Note follows famed singer Grace Davis and her overhauled personal assistant, Maggie. Nisha Ganatra is the director of the show. The latter is currently relegated to the role of the singer’s personal assistant; However, she has not given up her ambition to work in the music industry. Maggie and Grace devise a strategy that, if successful, will allow them to take their lives in a different direction, given the choice. The fact that both The High Note and I Used to Be Famous are musical dramas isn’t the only thing that ties these two films together; In both, the main characters have ambitions to be successful in the music business as well.
4. Yesterday (2019)
Yesterday is a musical romantic comedy hitting theaters in 2019 and tells the story of struggling singer Jack Malik. The film was directed by Danny Boyle. After being involved in an accident during a power outage, he finally regains consciousness and discovers that he is the only person who remembers The Beatles. As a result, he decides to make the best of the circumstances and reintroduce the band’s songs in order to gain fame. A struggling musician tries to make his name and become a famous singer in the song “Yesterday” which is quite similar to the plot of the song “I Used to Be Famous”.
3. The Heartbeat Can Be Heard (2018)
Hearts Beat Loud, a musical comedy-drama film co-written and directed by Brett Haley and starring Nick Offerman, tells the story of a father, Frank, and his daughter Sam, who spend the summer before Sam’s first spend the academic year forming a band together. Frank is the lead singer of the band. However, when the duo’s song becomes a massive online sensation, Frank finds himself in the difficult position of having to decide whether to pursue his own ambitions or allow his daughter to pursue hers. The unexpectedness of the bond that Vince and Stevie form is comparable to the unexpectedness of the bond that father and daughter form, which ties the two films together.
2. In This Place A Star (2018)
The musical romantic drama A Star Is Born is directed by Bradley Cooper, who also plays Jackson “Jack” Maine in the film alongside Lady Gaga, who plays Ally Maine. This is the fourth time that the short story of the same name by William Wellman, Robert Carson, Dorothy Parker and Alan Campbell has been adapted for the big screen. The story focuses on Jack, a well-known musician, and Ally, a young singer who, with Jack’s help, is working her way up the ladder of the music industry. Meanwhile, Jack’s drunkenness continues to drag his career down the drain. Both “A Star Is Born” and “I Used to Be Famous” are about musicians working together to make the most of their skills and achieve fame. This is the common thread that connects these two films.
1. Start Over (2013)
In the film Begin Again, directed by John Carney, the protagonists are an aspiring singer-songwriter named Gretta and a struggling record label executive named Dan. By a stroke of luck, the two meet and make the spontaneous decision to work on an album together, recording the tracks in various public venues across New York. Both “I Used to Be Famous” and “Begin Again” share a number of similarities, including depicting a chance meeting between two artists, one of whom is an aspiring artist while the other is struggling, and the successful collaboration results of theirs meeting.
Begin again plot
Dan Mulligan, a formerly successful record label executive now based in New York City and separated from his wife Miriam, is finding it difficult to keep up with the rapidly evolving music business. After being fired, he drinks alcohol, which leads him to a pub on the Lower East Side, where he meets Gretta James.
Gretta, a young, highly independent composer from England, recently broke up with Dave Kohl, her longtime songwriting companion and friend. He’s a young, successful musician who slept with a production assistant. Gretta initially declines Dan’s request to sign her to his former record label as he is intrigued by her music, but she changes her mind and accepts.
Saul, Dan’s business partner and co-founder of the record label, meets up with Dan and Gretta, but he doesn’t see the same promise in her and rejects her. Undeterred, Dan suggests they work together to create their own album, which will be recorded live at various public venues across the city over the course of the summer. Dan sets out to create an album that will be released by bringing together a group of experienced musicians including Steve (a street musician and an old best friend of Gretta’s). Dan and Gretta develop a close personal and professional relationship during this time, and she mentors Violet, his adolescent daughter and aspiring guitarist, urging her to contribute to the record.
When Gretta sees Dave accepting an award on TV, she accuses him of slacking off in the music business. With Steve’s help, she records a song on Dave’s voicemail airing her grievances with him. Back in New York promoting his new album, a remorseful Dave answers her call and asks to meet her. She decides to meet up with him after giving it some thought and they discuss each other’s albums.
Gretta feels betrayed by Dave’s overtly marketed performance of “Lost Stars,” a love song she wrote and performed for him as a Christmas present, and believes the original intent of the song has been tampered with. He claims the crowd is hooked and enjoying the way he plays it. He thinks it’s about sharing music with others, but Gretta argues that’s not what she had in mind when she wrote this song. However, Dave encourages her to attend his performance of the song at the Gramercy Theater this weekend so she can see his followers’ reactions.
When the recording is complete, Dan, Gretta, and Saul reconnect. Saul is very happy with their teamwork. She reclaims Dan’s job from Saul in exchange for a bigger cut in profits. Without making a decision, they part ways, but Dan is certain that Saul will finally agree to marry Gretta. Later, after much thought, and after receiving a text message from Dave reminding her of his show, Gretta makes it to the venue in time to see Dave perform her original arrangement of the song.
Greta is initially pleased to hear her music as she imagined it as she listens to him play, but as the song comes to an end and the audience begins to applaud, she realizes that too much has changed. As a disappointed Dave continues to sing, the woman leaves the concert and pedals around town with a sense of newfound optimism and completion.
After reconciling with his wife, Gretta pays Dan a visit at his apartment as he prepares to return home. She tells him that she prefers to sell her record online for $1 rather than have him publish it. Dan returns to work with Saul, but he allows Gretta to distribute the album online and helps with his promotion. The next day, Saul jokingly fires Dan for supporting Gretta’s album and tells him that it had 10,000 sales on the first day.