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Alejandro González Iñárritu’s Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) follows a washed-up actor (played by Michael Keaton), known primarily for his role in a big-budget superhero franchise, who is making an attempt to restore his image by writing, directing, and starring in a Broadway production of an adaptation of a Raymond Carver short story. Featuring electrifying performances from Emma Stone, Naomi Watts, and Edward Norton, Birdman covers all of the backstage deals and disasters of a Broadway play. It owes a lot to plenty of films that came before it, movies that also examined what goes on behind the scenes of the theater and film. Here are ten movies worth checking that had major influence on Birdman‘s backstage sensibilities.

'All About Eve' (1950)

all-about-eve-grandparents — Photo: Everett Collection

This is the definitive movie about all the backstabbing, the cheating, and dirty deeds that happen behind-the-scenes at a Broadway play with Bette Davis and Anne Baxter going head-to-head as an aging actress and the young woman trying to steal her throne. [Where to stream All About Eve]

'All That Jazz' (1979)

Bob Fosse’s incredible anti-musical is a mind-bending autobiographical ode to musical theater, at times both sexy and tragic. It features incredible performances from Roy Scheider, Anne Bancroft, and Jessica Lange, as well as exciting musical numbers incorporating Fosse’s signature style. [Where to stream All That Jazz]

'Opening Night' (1977)

John Cassavettes once again directs his wife Gena Rowlands (and himself) in a tale of an actress haunted both by a tragic fan and her own age as she struggles with her own sanity and the role she plays on stage. [Where to stream Opening Night]

'42nd Street' (1933)

The quintessential backstage musical features some classic musical numbers as well as canonical Busby Berkley dance numbers that set the standard for every film (and musical) that depicts what happens behind the curtain. [Where to stream 42nd Street]

'The Company' (2003)

Robert Altman’s ensemble film follows the members of a Chicago ballet troupe as they prepare to open another season with a new production. [Where to stream The Company]

'Day for Night' (1973)

François Truffaut’s satirical look at the movie business is a comic masterpiece made up of several vignettes featuring movie-star tropes and the unglamorous side of making a movie. [Where to stream Day for Night]

'8 1/2' (1963)

eight-and-a-half — Photo: Everett Collection

Federico Fellini’s classic film is a gorgeous, cerebral depiction of Italian cinema and one director’s struggle to achieve his cinematic vision while balancing the women who influence his life. [Where to stream 8 1/2]

'Synecdoche, New York' (2008)

Charlie Kaufman’s directorial debut follows a theater director whose new work is an ambitious, elaborate play begins to blur the lines of fact and fiction. [Where to stream Synecdoche, New York]

'Funny Girl' (1968)

Barbra Streisand brings her star-making role from Broadway to the big screen as the great vaudevillian Fanny Brice, an early musical comedienne who achieved fame and stardom in the Ziegfeld Follies. [Where to stream Funny Girl]

'Kiss Me Kate' (1953)

Cole Porter’s Broadway musical follows the production of an adaptation of William Shakespeare’s The Taming of the Shrew, a musical that closely resembles the goings-on backstage between the show’s stars, an acclaimed actor and his ex-wife. [Where to stream Kiss Me Kate]