Movies like Coming Up For Air (2023)
The best movies like Coming Up For Air (2023) are Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023), Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022) and Aquaman: Heroines of Atlantis (2019). If Coming Up For Air hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Coming Up For Air
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMaking Squid Game: The Challenge (2023)8.0/10 from 241 votes
- NewestTrainwreck: The Real Project X (2025)Released 2025
Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023)
From the heights of her modeling fame to her tragic death, this documentary reveals Anna Nicole Smith through the eyes of the people closest to her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisAquaman: Heroines of Atlantis (2019)
Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman discuss their characters Mera and Atlanna.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 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 thisJohn Wick Chapter 2: Wick-vizzed (2017)
A candid look at rehearsal footage in support of a focus on pre-viz.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSeduced and Abandoned (2013)
SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPublic Speaking (2011)
Martin Scorsese’s portrait of writer and social commentator Fran Lebowitz, celebrated for her sharp wit and observations on modern life. Filmed at New York’s Waverly Inn and intercut with archival footage and interviews, the documentary captures Lebowitz’s distinctive worldview through her spontaneous monologues and public appearances.
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 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 thisEx Libris: The New York Public Library (2017)
A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmbrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022)
A feature length documentary about the all-women team at the helm of Pixar's original feature, Turning Red. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Director Domee Shi and her core leadership crew, this story shines a light on the powerful professional and personal journeys that brought this incredibly comical, utterly relatable, and deeply heartfelt story to the screen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAir Force Elite: Thunderbirds (2025)
The elite pilots of the Air Force Thunderbirds display exceptional skill, trust and courage during a high-stakes training season.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNaqoyqatsi (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 thisDangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (2007)
The definitive 3½-hour documentary about the troubled creation and enduring legacy of the science fiction classic 'Blade Runner', culled from 80 interviews and hours of never-before-seen outtakes and lost footage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisInterstellar: Nolan's Odyssey (2014)
A look behind the lens of Christopher Nolan's space epic.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMaking Squid Game: The Challenge (2023)
Go behind the scenes and witness how the "Squid Game"-inspired reality show transformed from a scripted drama to a cutthroat, nail-biting competition.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisTrainwreck: The Real Project X (2025)
A night of drunken chaos rocks a quiet Dutch town in this shocking documentary about a teen's birthday invite that accidentally went viral on Facebook.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
SnoozefestMovies 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 thisDeliver 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 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 thisThe Hidden (2018)
There are currently more people living in slavery than at any other time in human history. One such family has been enslaved in a rock quarry in southern India for 10 years-over a paltry debt of $70 USD. Indian government representatives, supported by the human rights group International Justice Mission, plot a daring raid to free the family.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Protectors (2017)
A short VR documentary exposing the dangerous and grueling reality faced by rangers protecting African elephants from ivory poachers. Over 30,000 African elephants die each year at the hands of poachers, and despite global outcry the trafficking continues. The biggest key to saving these elephants from extinction is the rangers working on the ground within Africa's national parks.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Sanctuaries of Silence (2018)
Silence just might be on the verge of extinction and acoustic ecologist Gordon Hempton believes that even the most remote corners of the globe are impacted by noise pollution. In Sanctuaries of Silence, join Hempton on an immersive listening journey into Olympic National Park, one of the quietest places in North America.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Surviving 9/11 - 27 Hours Under the Rubble (2021)
Take a dive into the story of Genelle Guzman-McMillan, the last 9/11 survivor rescued from Ground Zero after spending 27 hours trapped under the rubble. Twenty years later, she returns to the Twin Towers, and shares the defining moments of her life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
After Solitary (2017)
Go inside the Maine State Prison to hear the harrowing story of one man’s time in solitary and what happened when he got out.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Omaha Beach (2021)
Three veterans share their personal stories from D-Day when they were young, inexperienced soldiers and sailors heading for Omaha Beach.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Hold at All Costs (2022)
The last great battle of the 101st US Airborne Division in World War II during the battle of the bulge.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Battle of Hamel VR (2018)
Be transported back to 1918 and the battlefields of Le Hamel, France in this free and historically accurate digital experience at the Australian War Memorial.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Genesis (2023)
GENESIS embarks on an emotionally intense virtual reality journey to experience the dramatic milestones in the evolution of earth and mankind.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Komodo (2021)
Komodo: A Paradise Under Pressure' is a 20-minute VR Nature documentary which takes you on an incredible journey through the waters and islands of Komodo National Park; a unique ecosystem situated in the Indonesian archipelago.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Like Coming Up For Air and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Coming Up For Air?
The closest matches to Coming Up For Air are Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023), Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022) and Aquaman: Heroines of Atlantis (2019). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Coming Up For Air?
Start with Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023), the closest match to Coming Up For Air.
What is the highest-rated movie like Coming Up For Air?
Making Squid Game: The Challenge (2023), rated 8.0/10 by 241 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Coming Up For Air?
Trainwreck: The Real Project X (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Coming Up For Air?
Yes: Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023), Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022) and Aquaman: Heroines of Atlantis (2019).
How are movies similar to Coming Up For Air chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Coming Up For Air, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.