The Beatles had a limited but largely successful film career beginning with A Hard Day's Night (1964), a loosely scripted comic farce, sometimes compared to the Marx Brothers in style. It focused on their hectic touring lifestyle and was directed in a black-and-white documentary style by an up-and-coming Richard Lester, who was already known for directing the television version of the Goon Show.

In 1965 came Help!, a Technicolor extravaganza shot in exotic locations with the style of a James Bond spoof..

Magical Mystery Tour, a McCartney idea adapted from Ken Kesey's Merry Pranksters LSD-oriented bus tour of the UK, was critically slammed when it aired on British television in 1967, but it is now considered a cult classic.

The animated Yellow Submarine followed in 1968, but had little input from the Beatles themselves, except for a live-action epilogue, and the contribution of four new songs. There was one holdover from the Sgt. Pepper sessions, "Only A Northern Song". Nonetheless, it was acclaimed for its boldly innovative graphic style, and clever humor along with the soundtrack. The Beatles are said to have been pleased with the result, and attended its highly publicized London premiere.

"Let It Be" was a troubled documentary capturing The Beatles during their tumultuous final chapter, filmed over an extended period in 1969. The music featured in the film became the basis for an album of the same name. Although the recordings predated Abbey Road, contractual disputes and the heavily debated production alterations by Phil Spector delayed its release until 1970.

But in November 2021, Peter Jackson's "The Beatles: Get Back" a three-part documentary series, was released that explores the making of the Beatles' 1970 album "Let It Be" (originally titled "Get Back"), using previously unseen footage and audio from the 1969 recording sessions, and features the band's last live performance, the rooftop concert.

Production of The Beatles: Get Back employed film restoration techniques developed for Jackson's “They Shall Not Grow Old”. His production company, WingNut Films, also utilized its audio restoration technology to isolate recordings of instruments, vocals, and individual conversations onto separate audio tracks.