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Movies like The Pacifist and the Khmer Rouge (2011)

The best movies like The Pacifist and the Khmer Rouge (2011) are First They Killed My Father (2017), A Prayer Before Dawn (2018) and Murder in the First (1995). If The Pacifist and the Khmer Rouge hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. First They Killed My Father (2017)

    A 5-year-old girl embarks on a harrowing quest for survival amid the sudden rise and terrifying reign of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. A Prayer Before Dawn (2018)

    The amazing true story of Billy Moore, an English boxer incarcerated in Thailand’s most notorious prison. Thrown into a world of drugs and violence, he finds his best chance to escape is to fight his way out in prison Muay Thai tournaments.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Murder in the First (1995)

    A young, inexperienced public defender is assigned to defend an inmate accused of committing murder while behind bars.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. Knock on Any Door (1949)

    An attorney defends a hoodlum of murder, using the oppressiveness of the slums to appeal to the court.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton (2017)

    Through the lens of his stunningly immersive performance as Andy Kaufman, Jim Carrey ponders the meaning of life, reality, identity and career.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. A Thousand Words (2012)

    Jack McCall is a fast-talking literary agent, who can close any deal, any time, any way. He has set his sights on New Age guru Dr. Sinja for his own selfish purposes. But Dr. Sinja is on to him, and Jack’s life comes unglued after a magical Bodhi tree mysteriously appears in his backyard. With every word Jack speaks, a leaf falls from the tree and he realizes that when the last leaf falls, both he and the tree are toast. Words have never failed Jack McCall, but now he’s got to stop talking and conjure up some outrageous ways to communicate or he’s a goner.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. Cape Fear (1962)

    Sam Bowden witnesses a rape committed by Max Cady and testifies against him. When released after 8 years in prison, Cady begins stalking Bowden and his family but is always clever enough not to violate the law.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. The Look of Silence (2014)

    An Indonesian man with a communist background named Ramli was brutally murdered when the "Communist" purge occurred in 1965. His remaining family members lived in fear and silence until the making of this documentary. Adi, a brother of his, decided to revisit the horrific incident and visited the men who were responsible for the killings and one survivor of the purge. These meetings uncovered sadistic details of the murders and exposed raw emotions and reactions of the killers' family members about what happened in the past - much to Adi's disappointment.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025)

    Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Roman J. Israel, Esq. (2017)

    Hard-nosed liberal lawyer Roman J. Israel has been fighting the good fight forever while others take the credit. When his partner – the firm's frontman – has a heart attack, Israel suddenly takes on that role. He soon discovers some unsettling truths about the firm – truths that conflict with his values of helping the poor and dispossessed – and finds himself in an existential crisis that leads to extreme actions.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Skin Trade (2014)

    After his family is killed by a Serbian gangster with international interests. NYC detective Nick goes to S.E. Asia and teams up with a Thai detective to get revenge and destroy the syndicates human trafficking network.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. The Mauritanian (2021)

    The true story of the Mauritanian Mohamedou Ould Slahi, who was held at the U.S military's Guantanamo Bay detention center without charges for over a decade and sought help from a defense attorney for his release.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. Casualties of War (1989)

    During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. Not Quite Hollywood (2008)

    As Australian cinema broke through to international audiences in the 1970s through respected art house films like Peter Weir's "Picnic At Hanging Rock," a new underground of low-budget exploitation filmmakers were turning out considerably less highbrow fare. Documentary filmmaker Mark Hartley explores this unbridled era of sex and violence, complete with clips from some of the scene's most outrageous flicks and interviews with the renegade filmmakers themselves.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. The Killing Fields (1984)

    New York Times reporter Sydney Schanberg is on assignment covering the Cambodian Civil War, with the help of local interpreter Dith Pran and American photojournalist Al Rockoff. When the U.S. Army pulls out amid escalating violence, Schanberg makes exit arrangements for Pran and his family. Pran, however, tells Schanberg he intends to stay in Cambodia to help cover the unfolding story — a decision he may regret as the Khmer Rouge rebels move in.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. Land of the Blind (2006)

    A soldier recounts his relationship with a famous political prisoner attempting to overthrow their country's authoritarian government.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

  17. National Theatre Live: Prima Facie (2022)

    Tessa is a young, brilliant barrister. From working class origins, she has reached the top of her game. An unexpected event forces her to confront the lines where the patriarchal power of the law, burden of proof and morals diverge.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  18. David and Lisa (1962)

    Teenager David Clemens develops a hysterical fear that he will die if he comes into physical contact with another person. Perturbed, David's overbearing mother places him in a home for mentally disturbed young people, but David remains withdrawn from the other patients and his psychiatrist. Over time, however, David grows interested in 15-year-old Lisa, who suffers from multiple personalities – one who can only speak in rhyme, and the other, a mute.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. I Care a Lot (2021)

    A court-appointed legal guardian defrauds her older clients and traps them under her care. But her latest mark comes with some unexpected baggage.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Taxi to the Dark Side (2008)

    An in-depth look at the torture practices of the United States in Afghanistan, Iraq and Guantanamo Bay, focusing on an innocent taxi driver in Afghanistan who was tortured and killed in 2002.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Pacifist and the Khmer Rouge?

The closest matches to The Pacifist and the Khmer Rouge are First They Killed My Father (2017), A Prayer Before Dawn (2018) and Murder in the First (1995). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Pacifist and the Khmer Rouge?

Start with First They Killed My Father (2017), the closest match to The Pacifist and the Khmer Rouge.

What is the highest-rated movie like The Pacifist and the Khmer Rouge?

The Look of Silence (2014), rated 7.8/10 by 329 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The Pacifist and the Khmer Rouge?

Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like The Pacifist and the Khmer Rouge?

Yes: First They Killed My Father (2017), A Prayer Before Dawn (2018) and Murder in the First (1995).

How are movies similar to The Pacifist and the Khmer Rouge chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Pacifist and the Khmer Rouge, 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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