Movies like Pearl Islands (2022)
The best movies like Pearl Islands (2022) are The Deepest Breath (2023), Deep Blue (2003) and Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb (2020). If Pearl Islands hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedGhosts of the Abyss (2003)6.8/10 from 240 votes
- NewestShipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea (2026)Released 2026
The Deepest Breath (2023)
Bonded by their love of freediving, a record-setting champion and a heroic safety diver try to make history with a remarkable feat, ready to risk it all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDeep Blue (2003)
Deep Blue is a major documentary feature film shot by the BBC Natural History Unit. An epic cinematic rollercoaster ride for all ages, Deep Blue uses amazing footage to tell us the story of our oceans and the life they support.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSecrets of the Saqqara Tomb (2020)
This documentary follows a team of local archaeologists excavating never before explored passageways, shafts, and tombs, piecing together the secrets of Egypt’s most significant find in almost 50 years in Saqqara.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea (2026)
Never-before-seen footage and survivor accounts trace the 2012 shipwreck of a luxury cruise and the disaster that ensued, in this immersive documentary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDeepsea Challenge 3D (2014)
Described as being a film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, James Cameron's "Deepsea Challenge 3D" tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer. The movie offers a unique insight into Cameron's world as he makes that dream reality – and makes history – by becoming the first person to travel solo to the deepest point on the planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShark Whisperer (2025)
Marine conservationist and social media activist Ocean Ramsey fearlessly swims with sharks in this documentary about her risky mission to protect them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhere in the World Is Osama Bin Laden? (2008)
Morgan Spurlock tours the Middle East to discuss the war on terror with Arabic people.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGirl Rising (2013)
Nine filmmakers each profile a young girl from a different part of the world to weave a global tapestry of youth in the 21st century.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019)
Go behind the scenes with stars, puppeteers and creators as they bring Jim Henson's magical world of Thra back to life in a sweeping fantasy series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBeing James Bond (2021)
Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOne Soldier's Story: The Journey of American Sniper (2015)
Join director Clint Eastwood and his creative team, along with Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller, as they overcome enormous creative and logistic obstacles to make a film that brings the truth of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's story to the screen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
SnoozefestMovies like thisGhosts of the Abyss (2003)
With a team of the world's foremost historic and marine experts as well as friend Bill Paxton, James Cameron embarks on an unscripted adventure back to the wreck of the Titanic where nearly 1,500 souls lost their lives almost a century ago.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLooking for Richard (1996)
Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAliens of the Deep (2005)
James Cameron teams up with NASA scientists to explore the Mid-Ocean Ridge, a submerged chain of mountains that band the Earth and are home to some of the planet's most unique life forms.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGod Grew Tired of Us (2006)
Filmmaker Christopher Quinn observes the ordeal of three Sudanese refugees -- Jon Bul Dau, Daniel Abul Pach and Panther Bior -- as they try to come to terms with the horrors they experienced in their homeland, while adjusting to their new lives in the United States.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOur Planet: Behind the Scenes (2019)
Years spent recording footage of creatures from every corner of the globe is bound to produce a bit of drama. Here's a behind-the-scenes look.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLast Breath (2019)
A commercial diver is stranded on the seabed with only five minutes of oxygen supply, but with no chance of rescue for more than 30 minutes. With access to amazing archival footage, this is the true story of one man’s impossible fight for survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDeep Sea 3D (2006)
Sea life in a whole new way. Deep Sea 3D, an underwater adventure from the filmmakers behind the successful IMAX® 3D film Into the Deep, transports audiences deep below the ocean surface. Through the magic of IMAX®; and IMAX 3D, moviegoers will swim with some of the planets most unique, dangerous and colorful creatures, and understand this inspiring underworld.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Meerkats (2008)
A coming of age story following a young meerkat pup, Kolo, growing up in the Kalahari desert; and an inspiring look at how one family's connection to each other and their surroundings is a model of resilience and fortitude for us all. Shot using ground-breaking techniques, this dramatised documentary is a one-of-a-kind presentation from The Weinstein Company and the BBC, featuring narration by Paul Newman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPuff: Wonders of the Reef (2021)
A baby pufferfish travels through a wondrous microworld full of fantastical creatures as he searches for a home on the Great Barrier Reef.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Pearl Fishers (1960)
Documentary about Japanese pearl fishers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Qatar, une dynastie à la conquête du monde (2022)
For three decades now, Qatar, this small desert kingdom, has not stopped being talked about; because of its financial power and the secrecy that surrounds it, the royal family that runs it fascinates as much as it frightens.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Heat (2026)
Climate change disrupts lives and relationships – especially in the Persian Gulf, where temperatures can exceed 50°C and society is divided between the privileged few who can protect themselves, and migrants who have no choice but to endure the heat in order to make ends meet.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Bahrain: Shouting in the Dark (2011)
As the "Arab Spring" protests for justice and democracy spread through the middle east in early 2011, people long repressed by the Bahrain monarchy spontaneously gathered at the central Pearl Square to join in the call for their rights.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Operation Welcome Home (1991)
An original documentary, this film contains previously classified footage provided by the Defense Department. Included is an exclusive on-camera "host" appearance by General Colin Powell, actual archival and pictorial footage, interviews, narrative with celebrities and key military personnel and the returning home after Desert Storm.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Fixed (2020)
A friendly football match between Bahrein and Togo in 2010, turns out to be rigged, as the team representing Togo is a fake team set up by international gamblers. The bad guys turn out to be victims, the good guy is revealed as the international gambling criminal while the top crooks stay out of sight since they have the power to determine who’ll be convicted. A revealing peek into a hidden world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Beyond Borders with Bear Grylls: Bahrain (TBA)
Bear Grylls takes His Highness Nasser bin Hamad Al Khalifa on a mission across the Bahraini kingdom. Their journey will involve jumping from helicopters, journeying on camels and horses, hunting for prey to help a local tribe, improvisation when it comes to making a meal and diving for pearls.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Secrets & Deals (2022)
In 1971, Bahrain, Qatar and the UAE ceased to be part of Britain’s empire in the Middle East and became fully independent states. BBC News Persia and BBC Arabic collaborate in this gripping film, to uncover the secrets and shady deals that underpinned the decolonization process. From eye-witness accounts of a British-organised coup to Iran being left in control of disputed islands, it's a fascinating insight to a murky history.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Desert Seas (2011)
Sir David Attenborough unveils the two stunning underwater realms of Saudi Arabia - the flamboyant Red Sea and the contrasting hot muddy Gulf, capturing for the first time the rare event of Palolo worms spawning at night.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Bahrain: Breaking the Silence (2020)
In this exclusive documentary BBC News Arabic investigates cases of alleged human rights abuses in Bahrain that have taken place against the backdrop of the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Speaking on camera for the first time, one woman tells the BBC she was tortured and raped in a security complex after protesting against the Grand Prix in 2017. The Bahraini government disputes her claims. The documentary also investigates whether Britain and the US have been complicit in the regimes alleged human rights abuses by providing training and funding to Bahrain’s security forces. A warning that there are some descriptions of sexual violence in this report.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Pearl Islands?
The closest matches to Pearl Islands are The Deepest Breath (2023), Deep Blue (2003) and Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Pearl Islands?
Start with The Deepest Breath (2023), the closest match to Pearl Islands.
What is the highest-rated movie like Pearl Islands?
Ghosts of the Abyss (2003), rated 6.8/10 by 240 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Pearl Islands?
Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Pearl Islands?
Yes: The Deepest Breath (2023), Deep Blue (2003) and Secrets of the Saqqara Tomb (2020).
How are movies similar to Pearl Islands chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Pearl Islands, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.