La Bamba (1987)
Overview · Where to watch · Cast & crew · Reviews
Born into poverty. Destined for stardom. He lived the American dream.
Los Angeles teenager Ritchie Valens becomes an overnight rock 'n' roll success in 1958, thanks to a love ballad called "Donna" that he wrote for his girlfriend. But as his star rises, Valens has conflicts with his jealous brother, Bob, and becomes haunted by a recurring nightmare of a plane crash just as he begins his first national tour alongside Buddy Holly.
- Released: 1987-07-24
- Genres: Drama, Music
- Runtime: 1h 48m
- Status: Released
- TMDB rating: 7.3/10 from 833 votes
Directed by Luis Valdez.
Top cast
- Lou Diamond Phillips as Ritchie Valens
- Danielle von Zerneck as Donna Ludwig
- Elizabeth Peña as Rosie Morales
- Rosanna DeSoto as Connie Valenzuela
- Esai Morales as Bob Morales
- Joe Pantoliano as Bob Keane
- Marshall Crenshaw as Buddy Holly
- Brian Setzer as Eddie Cochran
- Daniel Valdez as Lelo
- Howard Huntsberry as Jackie Wilson
Where to watch La Bamba
- United States: stream on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel; watch free on Tubi TV; rent on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home; buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- United Kingdom: stream on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel; rent on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Sky Store, YouTube; buy on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, Sky Store, YouTube
- India: rent on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video; buy on Apple TV Store
- Canada: stream on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads, Crave Amazon Channel; rent on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, CosmoGo, YouTube, Amazon Video; buy on Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, CosmoGo, YouTube, Amazon Video
- Australia: stream on Sony Pictures Core Amazon Channel; rent on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube; buy on Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Movies like La Bamba
If you enjoyed La Bamba, these movies have a similar feel:
- Elvis (2022)
- James Dean (2001)
- Elvis (1979)
- I Saw the Light (2016)
- Whitney Houston: I Wanna Dance with Somebody (2022)
- Almost Famous (2000)
- Coda (2020)
- Beyond the Sea (2004)
- Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere (2025)
- Inside Llewyn Davis (2013)
- Back to Black (2024)
- What's Love Got to Do with It (1993)
Can't decide what to watch?
FlickPicker recommends movies from your own taste and the services you subscribe to, and Pick Together lets a whole group vote on tonight's pick. Try the free random movie generator, find movies with AI, or browse trending movies.
Download FlickPicker on the App Store Explore the iPhone app