Movie

True Stories

1986 · 89 min

A quirky, musical drift through small-town oddballs, more like a series of deadpan postcards than a story.

Directed by: David Byrne
Genres: Comedy, Music
Starring: David Byrne, John Goodman, Annie McEnroe

Tagline: A Completely Cool, Multi-Purpose Movie.
Overview: A small but growing Texas town, filled with strange and musical characters, celebrates its sesquicentennial and converge on a local parade and talent show.

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Rent or buy in the UK

Apple TV Store
Amazon Video
Sky Store

More options Data from JustWatch

Directed by: David Byrne
Genres: Comedy, Music
Starring: David Byrne, John Goodman, Annie McEnroe

In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone: whimsicalstrength 3 of 3
satiricalstrength 2 of 3
absurdstrength 2 of 3
warmstrength 1 of 3
Pacing: measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention: engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes: identity
class
media
celebrity
family
Places: small town
workplace
Era: contemporary
Audience: adult
Form: ensemble
nonlinear
musical
Content intensity: Gore none
Language mild
Violence none
Sex mild

All scales, 0 to 10

Scales, 0 to 10
Scale	Value	0 to 10
Action	1
Horror	0
Humour	7
Realism	5
Romance	3
Tension	2
Darkness	2
Complexity	6
Emotional weight	4

Titles like True Stories

Movie

Waiting for Guffman

1997

A deadpan, affectionate mockumentary that finds gentle absurdity in small-town dreams, making you cringe and smile at the same time.

Whimsical, satirical · about identity · ensemble

Via: whimsical
satirical
identity
ensemble
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 84 min

Details

Waiting for GuffmanHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch Bunch

2019

A silly, sweet variety show that mixes catchy songs and deadpan jokes with surprisingly honest kid talk about fear and death.

Whimsical, absurd · about identity and family · ensemble

Via: whimsical
absurd
identity
family
ensemble
Pacing: brisk
Attention: easy-watch
Runtime: 70 min

Details

John Mulaney & The Sack Lunch BunchHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

The People's Choice

1946

A gentle, low-stakes small-town comedy with a silly vocal gimmick, easy to watch and forget.

Whimsical · about identity and class

Via: whimsical
identity
class
Pacing: measured
Attention: background
Runtime: 67 min

Details

The People's ChoiceHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day Special

2017

A silly, star-studded variety show that feels like a fever dream of cheesy love songs and deadpan jokes.

Satirical, absurd · about media and celebrity · musical

Via: satirical
absurd
media
celebrity
musical
Pacing: brisk
Attention: easy-watch
Runtime: 54 min

Details

Michael Bolton's Big, Sexy Valentine's Day SpecialHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Scrambled Feet

1982

A loose, silly revue that ambles from sketch to song, buoyed by a playful performer's comic energy and a genial, hit-or-miss charm.

Whimsical, satirical · about identity and class · ensemble

Via: whimsical
satirical
identity
class
ensemble
Pacing: measured
Attention: easy-watch
Runtime: 100 min

Details

Scrambled FeetHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Stop Making Sense

1984

A joyful, hypnotic concert that builds from a bare stage into a euphoric, artful celebration of rhythm and performance.

Same composer: David Byrne · Whimsical · about identity and celebrity

Also: Same composer: David Byrne
Via: whimsical
identity
celebrity
Pacing: brisk
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 88 min

Details

Stop Making SenseHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Crazy Magical Mexico

2026

A scrappy, good-natured comedy that coasts on local charm and the giddy chaos of amateur filmmaking, leaving you smiling without asking much of you.

Whimsical · about identity

Via: whimsical
identity
Pacing: brisk
Attention: easy-watch
Runtime: 105 min

Details

Crazy Magical MexicoHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

The Big Lebowski

1998

A shaggy, deadpan comedy that drifts through a convoluted mystery with eccentric characters and dreamlike detours, rewarding patience with quotable absurdity.

Whimsical, satirical · about identity · ensemble

Via: whimsical
satirical
identity
ensemble
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 117 min

Details

The Big LebowskiHidden from your suggestions.

Short film

Elvis Gratton

1981

A deadpan, low-budget satire that quietly skewers its deluded hero, amusing in a dry, awkward, distinctly regional way.

Satirical, absurd · about identity and class

Via: satirical
absurd
identity
class
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 30 min

Details

Elvis GrattonHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Welcome Mr. Marshall!

1953

A gentle, sly satire that ambles through village life before turning quietly, stingingly sad about dashed hopes.

Whimsical, satirical · about identity and class · ensemble

Via: whimsical
satirical
identity
class
ensemble
Pacing: measured
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 78 min

Details

Welcome Mr. Marshall!Hidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Slacker

1990

A drifting, talky ramble through oddball conversations that feels like people-watching on a lazy afternoon, amusing and aimless.

Whimsical, satirical · about identity · ensemble

Via: whimsical
satirical
identity
ensemble
Pacing: slow-burn
Attention: engaged
Runtime: 97 min

Details

SlackerHidden from your suggestions.

Movie

Li'l Abner

1959

A bright, silly musical full of cartoonish characters and catchy songs, with gentle satire and a lot of goofy charm.

Whimsical, satirical · about identity and class · ensemble

Via: whimsical
satirical
identity
class
ensemble
Pacing: brisk
Attention: easy-watch
Runtime: 113 min

Details

Li'l AbnerHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy

Apple TV Store
Amazon Video
Sky Store
YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres: comedy, music
Directed by: David Byrne
Written by: Stephen Tobolowsky, David Byrne, Beth Henley
Starring: David Byrne, John Goodman, Annie McEnroe, Jo Harvey Allen, Spalding Gray, Alix Elias, Roebuck 'Pops' Staples, Tito Larriva
Music: David Byrne
Cinematography: Edward Lachman
Runtime: 89 min
Country: United States of America
Languages: English, Portuguese, Spanish

TMDB IMDb Letterboxd Wikipedia Wikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.

True Stories

How it feels

More like this

Titles like True Stories

Where to watch in the UK

Details