Movies like I Lived, But... (1983)
The best movies like I Lived, But... (1983) are Being James Bond (2021), As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000) and The Class of ‘92 (2013). If I Lived, But... hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedI Am Heath Ledger (2017)7.4/10 from 233 votes
- NewestCome See Me in the Good Light (2025)Released 2025
Being 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 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 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 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 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 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 thisI Am Heath Ledger (2017)
The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMcQueen (2018)
Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story (2019)
A documentary chronicling Queen and Lambert's incredible journey since they first shared the stage together on "American Idol" in 2009.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDrew: The Man Behind the Poster (2013)
A documentary on legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisDavid Bowie: Five Years (2013)
Featuring a wealth of previously unseen archive, this film looks at how Bowie continually evolved: from Ziggy Stardust to the Soul Star of Young Americans, to the ‘Thin White Duke’. It explores his regeneration in Berlin with the critically acclaimed album Heroes, his triumph with Scary Monsters and his global success with Let’s Dance. With interviews with all his closest collaborators, David Bowie - Five Years presents a unique account of why Bowie has become an ‘icon of our times’.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBruce Lee, the Legend (1984)
The Official Golden Harvest tribute to the Master of the Martial Arts Film, Bruce Lee.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies 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 thisIn the Realms of the Unreal (2004)
In the Realms of the Unreal is a documentary about the reclusive Chicago-based artist Henry Darger. Henry Darger was so reclusive that when he died his neighbors were surprised to find a 15,145-page manuscript along with hundreds of paintings depicting The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glodeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Cased by the Child Slave Rebellion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFuck (2006)
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like this42 Up (1999)
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 thisDavid Byrne's American Utopia (2020)
A filmed version of David Byrne's Broadway show, a unifying musical celebration that inspires audiences to connect to each other and to the global community.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnna 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 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 Ozu Diaries (2025)
Unveiling Yasujiro Ozu’s legacy through his personal diaries, letters, and interviews, the documentary delves into his life, creative process, and lasting impact on filmmaking.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
A Train Arrives at the Station (2016)
Created from material developed during "The Thoughts That Once We Had," this short film presents an anthology of 26 scenes from films made between 1904 and 2015, each depicting trains arriving at stations. The sequences are arranged in a serial structure, with black-and-white scenes in the first half paired with corresponding color sequences in the second half, forming a symmetrical visual progression.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
North Bergen, North Bergen (2022)
Footage shot in and around North Bergen, New Jersey presented in a minimalist series of fixed camera angles and long-takes accompanied by the ambient noise of city streets.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Show Must Go On (2019)
The Show Must Go On is a personal journey behind the scenes that confronts the epidemic of mental health issues in the Australian entertainment industry.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Chefs des Chefs : Dans les coulisses du Palais de Monaco (2012)
Politics divides people, but food brings them together. Working for the royal couple, H.S.H. Prince Albert II and H.S.H. Princess Charlene of Monaco, chef Christian Garcia prepares special meals for the Grimaldi family and organizes large receptions at the Palace. We follow the daily lives of the Chamberlain, the valets, the laundresses, the gardeners, the silversmiths, and all the staff of the Palace of Monaco, who preserve centuries-old traditions in the art of hospitality.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Porgy and Bess in Wien (1953)
Featuring the opera star Leontyne Price, the concert baritone William Warfield, and the irrepressible jazz bandleader Cab Calloway, this virtually unknown short film documents the first stop on what would become a four-year US State Department–sponsored tour of the Everyman Opera Company's production of the Gershwin-Heyward opera Porgy and Bess.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
We Get to Win This Time (2002)
Documentary about the making of "Rambo : First Blood Part II," and how Rambo became a household name. Featuring Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier, director George P. Cosmatos, writer David Morrell, producers Mario Kassar and Andrew Vanja. Produced for the "Rambo" Special Edition DVD box set.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of "Jason X" (2002)
Produced for the "Jason X" Special Edition DVD.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Mackin’ Ain’t Easy (2002)
Documentary celebrating the making of this 70’s cult favorite featuring interviews with Max Julien, director Michael Campus, producer Harvey Bernhard, filmmakers the Hughes Brothers, professor Todd Boyd, and writer Jessie Rhines, actors Anizette Chase, Dick Anthony Williams and Don Gordon. Produced for "The Mack" Special Edition DVD.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Mysterium Gotik - Als die Kathedralen in den Himmel wuchsen (2021)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like I Lived, But...?
The closest matches to I Lived, But... are Being James Bond (2021), As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000) and The Class of ‘92 (2013). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after I Lived, But...?
Start with Being James Bond (2021), the closest match to I Lived, But....
What is the highest-rated movie like I Lived, But...?
I Am Heath Ledger (2017), rated 7.4/10 by 233 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like I Lived, But...?
Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like I Lived, But...?
The closest matches are in other languages.
How are movies similar to I Lived, But... chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside I Lived, But..., then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.