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Movies like Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration

The best movies like Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration are Creating The Queen's Gambit (2021), Untold: Chess Mates (2026) and Queen of Katwe (2016). If Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Creating The Queen's Gambit (2021)

    A fascinating character. Exquisite sets. A wig for every era. The stars, creators and crew reveal how the hit series about a chess prodigy came to life.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. Untold: Chess Mates (2026)

    Magnus Carlsen, widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all time, is challenged by Hans Niemann, a rising star who capitalizes on the meteoric growth of online chess. Niemann’s ascension culminated in an epic, controversy-shrouded victory over Carlsen at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, which eventually led to allegations and revelations of cheating. Determined to clear his name, Niemann fights his way back to the top of the chess world, setting the stage for a high-stakes rematch with Carlsen in 2024.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  3. Queen of Katwe (2016)

    A young girl overcomes her disadvantaged upbringing in the slums of Uganda to become a Chess master.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. Computer Chess (2013)

    At the American Computer Chess Convention, enthusiasts gather to pit their programs against other computer chess programs and human players in a tournament for a grand prize of $7500.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. Critical Thinking (2020)

    Based on a true story from 1998, five Latino and Black teenagers from the toughest underserved ghetto in Miami fight their way into the National Chess Championship under the guidance of their unconventional but inspirational teacher.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. Making "The Matrix" (1999)

    A promotional making-of documentary for the film The Matrix (1999) that devotes its time to explaining the digital and practical effects contained in the film. This is very interesting, seeing as how they're giving away the cinematic secrets that they created solely for the this movie, that have now been spoofed and referenced in countless other films.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  7. Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2019)

    Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. The Luzhin Defence (2000)

    Based upon the novel by Vladimir Nabokov, a chess grandmaster travels to Italy in the 1920s to play in a tournament and falls in love.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. Bobby Fischer Against the World (2011)

    The first documentary feature to explore the tragic and bizarre life of the late chess master Bobby Fischer.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Queen of Chess (2026)

    A Hungarian girl dreams of conquering international men’s chess. After a 15-year battle against world champion Garry Kasparov and her domineering father, Judit Polgár revolutionizes the sport’s patriarchal culture to become one of the greatest chess prodigies in history and the greatest woman chess player of all time.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. Life of a King (2013)

    The true story of one man's mission to give inner city kids of Washington DC something he never had - a future. After being incarcerated for eighteen years, Eugene Brown established the Big Chair Chess Club to get kids off the streets and working towards lives they never believed they were capable of. This is his inspirational story.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  12. Tyson (2008)

    Director James Toback takes an unflinching, uncompromising look at the life of Mike Tyson--almost solely from the perspective of the man himself. TYSON alternates between the controversial boxer addressing the camera and shots of the champion's fights to create an arresting picture of the man.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Federer: Twelve Final Days (2024)

    Originally a home video never intended for public viewing, this film captures the final chapter in Roger Federer's legendary tennis career, featuring Roger, his family, and his three main rivals: Rafael Nadal, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. WAR IS OVER! Inspired by the Music of John & Yoko (2023)

    Set in an alternate WWI reality where a senseless war rages on, two soldiers on opposite sides of the conflict play a joyful game of chess. A heroic carrier pigeon delivers the soldiers' chess moves over the battlefield as the fighting escalates. Neither soldier knows his opponent as the game and the war builds to its climatic final move. Whoever wins the game, one thing is for certain: there are no winners in war.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. Room 237 (2012)

    A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. The Dark Horse (2014)

    One-time Maori speed-chess champ, Genesis Potini, lives with a bi-polar disorder and must overcome prejudice and violence in the battle to save his struggling chess club, his family and ultimately, himself.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. A Brief History of Time (1991)

    Partly adapted from cosmologist Stephen Hawking's popular book about his theories of the universe, this in-depth documentary also presents Hawking's daily life as he deals with the ALS that renders him virtually immobile and unable to speak without the use of a computer. Hawking's friends, family, former classmates and peers are interviewed about not only his theories but the man himself.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. Girl 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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. 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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. Champs (2015)

    A documentary about the sport of boxing, as seen through the eyes of champions Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Bernard Hopkins.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration?

The closest matches to Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration are Creating The Queen's Gambit (2021), Untold: Chess Mates (2026) and Queen of Katwe (2016). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration?

Start with Creating The Queen's Gambit (2021), the closest match to Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration.

What is the highest-rated movie like Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration?

Life of a King (2013), rated 7.3/10 by 221 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration?

Untold: Chess Mates (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration?

Yes: Creating The Queen's Gambit (2021), Untold: Chess Mates (2026) and Queen of Katwe (2016).

How are movies similar to Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Through the Mirror of Chess: A Cultural Exploration, 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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