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Movies like The Missing Nail (2019)

The best movies like The Missing Nail (2019) are The Untold History Of The United States (2012), Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019) and Cover-Up (2025). If The Missing Nail hooked you with its documentary and history, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. The Untold History Of The United States (2012)

    Oliver Stone charts the history of the United States from the Second World War to the present.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  2. Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019)

    The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Cover-Up (2025)

    He's devoted his career to uncovering stories the powerful want buried. From My Lai to Abu Ghraib, dig into the life's work of journalist Seymour Hersh.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)

    Documentary about the art of film editing. Clips are shown from many groundbreaking films with innovative editing styles.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. Ronaldo (2015)

    Filmed over 14 months with unprecedented access into the inner circle of the man and the sport, this is the first official and fully authorised film of one of the most celebrated figures in football. For the first time ever, the world gets vividly candid and un-paralleled, behind-closed-doors access to the footballer, father, family-man and friend in this moving & fascinating documentary. Through in-depth conversations, state of the art football footage and never before seen archival footage, the film gives an astonishing insight into the sporting and personal life of triple Ballon D'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo at the peak of his career. From the makers of ‘Senna’ and ‘Amy’, Ronaldo takes audiences on an intimate and revealing journey of what it’s like to live as an iconic athlete in the eye of the storm.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. The Princess (2022)

    Decades after her untimely death, Princess Diana continues to evoke mystery, glamour, and the quintessential modern fairy tale gone wrong. As a symbol of both the widening fissures weakening the British monarchy and the destructive machinery of the press, the Princess of Wales navigated an unparalleled rise to fame and the corrosive challenges that came alongside it. Crafted entirely from immersive archival footage and free from the distraction of retrospective voices, this hypnotic and audaciously revealing documentary takes a distinctive formal approach, allowing the story of the People’s Princess to unfold before us like never before.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. The War Room (1993)

    A behind-the-scenes documentary about the Clinton for President campaign, focusing on the adventures of spin doctors James Carville and George Stephanopoulos.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. Visions of Light (1992)

    Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button (2009)

    A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. Directed by John Ford (1971)

    A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. Fuck (2006)

    A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Deliver Us from Evil (2006)

    Documentary filmmaker Amy Berg investigates the life of 30-year pedophile Father Oliver O'Grady and exposes the corruption inside the Catholic Church that allowed him to abuse countless children. Victims' stories and a disturbing interview with O'Grady offer a view into the troubled mind of the spiritual leader who moved from parish to parish gaining trust ... all the while betraying so many.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. David Bowie: Five Years (2013)

    Featuring a wealth of previously unseen archive, this film looks at how Bowie continually evolved: from Ziggy Stardust to the Soul Star of Young Americans, to the ‘Thin White Duke’. It explores his regeneration in Berlin with the critically acclaimed album Heroes, his triumph with Scary Monsters and his global success with Let’s Dance. With interviews with all his closest collaborators, David Bowie - Five Years presents a unique account of why Bowie has become an ‘icon of our times’.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000)

    A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. The Godfather Family: A Look Inside (1990)

    A documentary on the making of the three Godfather films, with interviews and recollections from the film makers and cast. This feature also includes the original screen tests of some of the actors for "The Godfather" film, and some candid moments on the set of "The Godfather: Part III."

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. Naqoyqatsi (2002)

    A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. McQueen (2018)

    Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. No Half Measures: Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad (2013)

    A documentary about the making of season five of the acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  19. Harmontown (2014)

    A comedic, brutally honest documentary following self-destructive TV writer Dan Harmon as he takes his live podcast on a national tour.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. My Mom Jayne (2025)

    Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this

Like The Missing Nail and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Missing Nail?

The closest matches to The Missing Nail are The Untold History Of The United States (2012), Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019) and Cover-Up (2025). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Missing Nail?

Start with The Untold History Of The United States (2012), the closest match to The Missing Nail.

What is the highest-rated movie like The Missing Nail?

Deliver Us from Evil (2006), rated 7.2/10 by 215 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The Missing Nail?

Cover-Up (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like The Missing Nail?

Yes: The Untold History Of The United States (2012), Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019) and Cover-Up (2025).

How are movies similar to The Missing Nail chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Missing Nail, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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