Rentals
Sonic
Personal, powerful and lyrical, this is where music and film collide, a meeting place for rock biopics, probing documentaries, groundbreakers and old stagers.
The hugely popular sonic cinema strand from the BFI London Film Festival and BFI Southbank can now be enjoyed on BFI Player.

White RiotWhite Riot
Documentary201981 minsDirector: Rubika Shah
Revolution rock! Rubika Shah’s vital documentary profiles punky reggae protest movement Rock Against Racism, from grassroots beginnings through to a major multicultural event.

Mystify: Michael HutchenceMystify: Michael Hutchence
Documentary2019102 minsDirector: Richard Lowenstein
Capturing his rise to super-stardom and subsequent tragic fall, Mystify gives remarkable insight into INXS lead singer Michael Hutchence and a truth he took to the grave.

On the RecordOn the Record
Documentary202097 minsDirector: Kirby Dick
A searing exploration of the costs of coming forward, turning up the volume on one of the biggest #MeToo stories in the music industry.

Amazing GraceAmazing Grace
Documentary201989 minsDirector: Alan Elliott
Aretha Franklin, at the height of her powers, returns to the music which nurtured her prodigious talent.

Bros: After the Screaming StopsBros: After the Screaming Stops
Documentary201897 minsDirector: David Soutar
Matt and Luke Goss take on the big screen – and each other – in this candid documentary charting the reunion of 80s pop sensations Bros; an affectionate portrait that generates more than a touch of Spinal Tap-esque hilarity.

The Man from Mo'WaxThe Man from Mo'Wax
Documentary2017116 minsDirector: Matthew Jones
The exhilarating, no holds-barred story of Mo'Wax records founder James Lavelle, one of the most enigmatic yet influential figures in British music culture.

SupersonicSupersonic
Documentary2016117 minsDirector: Mat Whitecross
Relive the stratospheric rise of the kings of Britpop in this rousing nostalgic trip from the producers of Amy.

ControlControl
Biopic2007122 minsDirector: Anton Corbijn
The life story of Ian Curtis, the tortured singer of Joy Division who suffered epilepsy and crippling self-doubt, filmed in stunning monochrome.

England Is MineEngland Is Mine
Biopic201794 minsDirector: Mark Gill
A deeply insecure young Morrissey dreams of escaping drudgery but seeks the confidence to bloom, in this captivating account of The Smiths' genesis.

Grace Jones: Bloodlight and BamiGrace Jones: Bloodlight and Bami
Documentary2017115 minsDirector: Sophie Fiennes
Grace Jones is laid bare in this intimate and electrifying insight into the fascinating world of a pop-cultural phenomenon.

WhitneyWhitney
Documentary2018120 minsDirector: Kevin Macdonald
Stunning revelations and captivating reminiscences paint a picture of the extraordinary life of singer Whitney Houston, in this in-depth portrait by acclaimed filmmaker Kevin MacDonald (Touching the Void, Marley).

Whitney: Can I Be MeWhitney: Can I Be Me
Documentary2017101 minsDirector: Nick Broomfield
Documentary titan Nick Broomfield turns his gaze to the troubled pop star whose sensational voice masked an inner identity crisis.

20 Feet from Stardom20 Feet from Stardom
Documentary201387 minsDirector: Morgan Neville
This moving documentary shines a spotlight on the backing singers behind some of the great musical hits of the 21st century.

Chi-RaqChi-Raq
Musical2015127 minsDirector: Spike Lee
Spike Lee’s bold and vivacious hip-hop musical restages an ancient Greek battle-of-the-sexes in 21st-century Chicago.

The WizThe Wiz
Fantasy1978134 minsDirector: Sidney Lumet
NYC becomes Oz in the cult, urban reimagining of the family favourite, featuring an all-African American cast including Diana Ross and Michael Jackson.

Being Frank: The Chris Sievey StoryBeing Frank: The Chris Sievey Story
Documentary2019101 minsDirector: Steve Sullivan
Frank Sidebottom was a pillar of alternative comedy of the late 80s/early 90s, this charming documentary remembers the man behind the papier-mâché head.

FrankFrank
Comedy201395 minsDirector: Lenny Abrahamson
Michael Fassbender is the man inside the papier-mâché head, in this fictionalised reimagining of the story of northern entertainer Frank Sidebottom.

We Are the Best!We Are the Best!
Drama201398 minsDirector: Lukas Moodysson
A raucous coming-of-age comedy about three schoolgirls who form a punk band in 1982 Stockholm, from director Lukas Moodysson (Show Me Love).

The Stone Roses: Made of StoneThe Stone Roses: Made of Stone
Performance201396 minsDirector: Shane Meadows
Avid Stone Roses fan Shane Meadows records the reunion of the pivotal 1990s rock band, in this heartfelt and inspiring documentary

Pulp: A Film about Life, Death and SupermarketsPulp: A Film about Life, Death and Supermarkets
Documentary201490 minsDirector: Florian Habicht
Jarvis and co’s farewell concert is captured in Florian Habicht’s affectionate and intriguing documentary, which also acts as a profile of Pulp’s home city of Sheffield and its residents.

The Big MeltThe Big Melt
Documentary201371 minsDirector: Martin Wallace
Jarvis Cocker and acclaimed director Martin Wallace's feature-length elegy to the men and women who toiled in Sheffield's steelworks is a hymn to Britain's proud industrial past.

The Possibilities Are EndlessThe Possibilities Are Endless
Documentary201483 minsDirector: Edward Lovelace
A moving and haunting account of singer Edwyn Collins’s long and difficult recovery from a stroke.

Song of GraniteSong of Granite
Biopic201797 minsDirector: Pat Collins
A formally audacious account of the life and times of traditional Irish folk singer Joe Heaney, combining ‘fictional’ drama, documentary footage and musical sequence

BabymotherBabymother
Musical199877 minsDirector: Julian Henriques
Neeta and her crew rise to dancehall fame in North West London's Caribbean community, in the first Black British musical.

Sing StreetSing Street
Drama2015106 minsDirector: John Carney
The third in John Carney’s trilogy of musical films is the utterly charming story a boy who escapes his troubles through fronting a pop band.

Only Lovers Left AliveOnly Lovers Left Alive
Romance2013123 minsDirector: Jim Jarmusch
Tom Hiddleston and Tilda Swinton star as ageless, blood-drinking lovers in Jim Jarmusch’s clever, funny and sexy vampire tale.

David Brent: Life on the RoadDavid Brent: Life on the Road
Comedy201696 minsDirector: Ricky Gervais
The long-awaited big-screen outing for Slough’s premier paper salesman finds Ricky Gervais’ genius comic creation cashing in his pension for one last shot at rock ‘n’ roll success.

Searching for Sugar ManSearching for Sugar Man
Documentary201286 minsDirector: Malik Bendjelloul
The BAFTA and Oscar-winning documentary sensation uncovers the mystery behind Sixto Rodriguez, a forgotten musical hero of apartheid-era South Africa.

Some PeopleSome People
Drama196290 minsDirector: Clive Donner
Cult 1960s musical drama about a leather boy who forms a Shadows-style guitar band.

PrivilegePrivilege
Science Fiction1967103 minsDirector: Peter Watkins
An exalted pop star holds the country's youth in his thrall, but secretly his popularity is being carefully managed by the state.

RayRay
Biopic2004152 minsDirector: Taylor Hackford
Jamie Foxx won an Oscar for his extraordinary performance as Ray Charles, in a film that revived the potency of the musical biopic.

The Music MachineThe Music Machine
Drama197990 minsDirector: Ian Sharp
Get Saturday night fever - North London style - with Patti Boulaye and Gerry Sundquist in this bubbly British disco drama.

Lambert & StampLambert & Stamp
Documentary2014118 minsDirector: James D. Cooper
The fascinating story of how two aspiring filmmakers set out to capture swinging 1960s London, but instead inadvertently helped create The Who.

Ryuichi Sakamoto: CodaRyuichi Sakamoto: Coda
Documentary2017101 minsDirector: Stephen Schible
A graceful, intimate study of a the legendary Japanese musician, composer, actor, writer and activist.

Midnight BreaksMidnight Breaks
1988113 minsDirector: Laurens C. Postma
Big Audio Dynamite’s Don Letts made his acting debut in this gripping, gritty 1990 drama of dreads, drugs, and music business corruption.

YesterdayYesterday
Comedy2019116 minsDirector: Danny Boyle
Danny Boyle's winning, escapist fantasy images a world where nobody remembers the Beatles' songbook except a struggling singer-songwriter.

Jimi All Is by My SideJimi All Is by My Side
Biopic2013118 minsDirector: John Ridley
OutKast’s André Benjamin stars as Jimi Hendrix on the cusp of greatness, honing his act in Swinging London, in this revealing and alternative take on the rock biopic.

VS.VS.
Drama201899 minsDirector: Ed Lilly
A foster teen channels his rage into rap in Ed Lilly’s urgent freestyling drama.

On the RoadOn the Road
Drama-documentary2016121 minsDirector: Michael Winterbottom
Michael Winterbottom’s sexy and idiosyncratic tour film follows 2018 Mercury Prize winners Wolf Alice, merging thrilling live footage with a fictional backstage romance.

Cleo and JohnCleo and John
198255 minsDirector: Vernon Lawrence
Cleo Laine and Johnny Dankworth cook up red hot jazz together live on stage, chat about married life together, and recall lengthy musical careers.

Cool for CatsCool for Cats
195826 minsDirector: Brian Taylor
The only known existent edition of this long-running 1950s ITV pop show features songs by Tommy Steele, Paul Anka and Connie Francis.

Fan FeverFan Fever
195622 minsDirector: Peter Morley
Straight from the earliest days of teenage pop-star adulation, an eye-opening investigation into the strange and startling world of obsessional fans.

Expresso BongoExpresso Bongo
Drama1960111 minsDirector: Val Guest
Val Guest's 1959 London-shot Brit Beat classic charts the fortunes of aspiring musician Bert Rudge (Cliff Richard)

Oh Boy!Oh Boy!
195925 minsDirector: Rita Gillespie
Rock ‘n’ roll fuels Jack Good’s groundbreaking music TV show, with songs by Billy Fury, Cliff Richard and Marty Wilde.

I've Gotta HorseI've Gotta Horse
Musical196592 minsDirector: Kenneth Hume
Great British rock and roller Billy Fury buys himself a racehorse in this colourful musical for all the family.

Blinded by the LightBlinded by the Light
Comedy2019118 minsDirector: Gurinder Chadha
In 1987 during the austere days of Thatcher's Britain, a teenager learns to live life, understand his family and find his own voice through the music of Bruce Springsteen.

More music films in our Subscription collection, Sonic: Music in Movies.