3 Movies Every Country Music Fan Should See

The history of country music is vast and rich. You could open your favorite streaming service and find the genre so extensive that you might run out of days, months, or even years trying to listen to all of its records.

And the same goes for the amount of film on the subject. There is just so much out there between the lineages, the traditional songs, the innovations, the characters, and the pivotal evolutionary moments. While navigating through it all can be challenging, we’ve made our best effort to sift through and curate the highlights.

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Below, are three movies that showcase some of the best of what country music has to offer, from one drama to two documentaries.

1. Crazy Heart (2009)

This 2009 movie, starring Jeff Bridges as a country artist, is based on a 1987 novel of the same name. While something of a Hollywood film, this offering is authentic down to the bone thanks to the songwriting contributions from T Bone Burnett. Bridges stars as a down-on-his-luck and heavy-drinking former country star barely making a living in bars. It’s an excellent film and one worth seeing through to the heartbreaking end. Check out the trailer below.

2. Country: Portraits of an American Sound (2015)

This documentary, which can be seen on Netflix, follows the history of country music through images and stories told by some of its greats, including Garth Brooks, Lyle Lovett, and Rosanne Cash. Directed by Steven Kochones, the movie is a must-see for any music historian or even casual lover of the genre known for its three chords and the truth. Check out the trailer below.

3. Country Music (2019)

Directed by Ken Burns, who is known for his lengthy, super-detailed works on subjects like baseball, bridges, and more, this exhaustive documentary series features interviews with anyone and everyone involved in the genre as it showcases its evolution through the years from the Carter Family to Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, Charlie Pride and more. Check out the trailer for this extensive chronicling of country music below.

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