Movies like The Hour (2020)
The best movies like The Hour (2020) are Looking for Richard (1996), The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) and Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022). If The Hour hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- NewestGastronomy of The Eye (2026)Released 2026
Looking 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 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 thisAvatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022)
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHamilton's America (2016)
This documentary delves deeper into the creation of the Hamilton musical, revealing Lin-Manuel Miranda's process of absorbing and then adapting Hamilton's epic story into ground-breaking musical theater.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like this28 Up (1985)
Just two years away from turning 30, participants in Michael Apted's documentary series are facing serious questions of identity and purpose, wondering whether they've found their place in the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMarvel's Behind the Mask (2021)
A documentary special that explores the power of identity behind the iconic superheroes we know and love today. These legendary Marvel creations and stories have not only reflected the world outside our window – they have become a reflection of our own identities and who we truly are.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012)
Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all way to the Vatican.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMarvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye (2022)
Join the likes of Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D’Onofrio as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” was conceived and created. Witness firsthand what it took to pull off the show’s pulse-pounding action set pieces, and discover how iconic characters from the pages of Marvel Comics such as Kate Bishop were adapted and brought to life for the six-episode series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAvatar: Creating the World of Pandora (2010)
The Making-of James Cameron's Avatar. It shows interesting parts of the work on the set.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCome See Me in the Good Light (2025)
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMy 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 this35 Up (1991)
Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGilbert (2017)
The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Class of ‘92 (2013)
A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLionel Messi: Destiny (2023)
Behind-the-scenes documentary about how Lionel Messi succeeded in lifting the World Cup – the only trophy to have eluded him in an incredible career.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisElstree 1976 (2015)
A documentary about ten very different lives connected by having appeared onscreen wearing masks or helmets in Star Wars.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisExtremis (2016)
A purely observational non-fiction film that takes viewers into the ethically murky world of end-of-life decision making in a public hospital.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCharlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003)
Brilliant, long in-the-works story of the life and art of the world's greatest comedian and the cinema's first genius, Charlie Chaplin. Produced, written and directed by renowned film critic Richard Schickel.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStruggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018)
Artists in LA discover the work of forgotten Polish sculptor Stanislav Szukalski, a mad genius whose true story unfolds chapter by astounding chapter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAs 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 thisBunk #7 (2022)
Documentary about the production of Bunk #7.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Mad About the Boy: The Noël Coward Story (2023)
The extraordinary life of playwright, singer, actor, composer, and director Noël Coward, who rose from poverty to stardom while keeping his sexuality a secret. Featuring Laurence Olivier, Maggie Smith, Frank Sinatra, Michael Caine and Lucille Ball. Narrated by Alan Cumming. With Rupert Everett as the voice of Noël Coward. Directed by Academy Award Nominee Barnaby Thompson.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
A un lloc de la Ment (2025)
José Corbacho and Catalina Solivellas met thirty years ago sharing stages, dressing rooms, laughter and also some sadness. They they began to be aware of how therapeutic theater can be in difficult times. Years later, and inspired by Don Quixote, they decided to put together a free version of the chivalric novel, together with Mallorcan amateur actors and actresses with a mental health diagnosis. The documentary proposes a journey in which José, Catalina and the wonderful company created for the occasion, share stages, dressing rooms, laughter and also some tears.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Name of Action (2026)
A look at why Hamlet, a play that’s over 400 years old, holds a mirror up to society today. Filmed across four days of workshops with youth theatre groups across London: The Big House, Bush Theatre Young Companies, Centre 59, and Open Door.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Theatre from Mud (2026)
On the 45th anniversary of the Grange Theatre in Vojvodina, its two legendary founders - director György Hernyák and actor Frigyes Kovács - have reunited. It was a unique occasion seeing these two masters create art under the open sky once again. Through this rehearsal process, the documentary draws a vivid portrait of the Grange Theatre’s past and present, the community built around it, and the unique energy that binds Vojvodina Hungarian identity with the troupe’s history. The film is not merely a retrospective; it reveals how liberating and life-affirming theater-making can be, and how the joy of free creation remains indispensable today.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Gypsy en el Soho. El sueño de Antonio Banderas (2025)
To mark the premiere of his theatrical version of the musical GYPSY at the Teatro del Soho Caixbank, Antonio Banderas reviews his life, his motivations, and his dream of returning to Malaga to direct a theater in an extensive interview.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Aunt Iki (2022)
Sigrid Koetse, award-winning actor and grande dame of Dutch theater, lived most of her life in the public eye and was always surrounded by a crowd of admirers. With this short documentary, filmmaker Wytse Koetse shows how his aunt spends her days nowadays, lonely in her Amsterdam home.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Show of Titles (2021)
An evening of celebrated stars performing the titles songs from Broadway’s best.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Laterna Magica (2025)
A film by Séverine Barde, adapted from Dorian Rossel's play, based on Ingmar Bergman's fictional autobiography. A powerful self-portrait, at the crossroads of theater and cinema, from the collection De la scène à l'écran.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Gastronomy of The Eye (2026)
As they wander through São Paulo, two actors talk about life, death, and theater, until their walk begins to blur with the rehearsal and they become Bibelot and Aurora, characters from The Seven Kittens, just hours before stepping onto the stage at Teatro Oficina.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Hour?
The closest matches to The Hour are Looking for Richard (1996), The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) and Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Hour?
Start with Looking for Richard (1996), the closest match to The Hour.
What is the newest movie like The Hour?
Gastronomy of The Eye (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Hour?
Yes: Looking for Richard (1996), The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) and Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022).
How are movies similar to The Hour chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Hour, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.