Movies like Esper's Light (2025)
The best movies like Esper's Light (2025) are The Captains (2011), Chaos on the Bridge (2014) and The Art of Flight (2011). If Esper's Light hooked you with its documentary and fantasy, these 11 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedFree Solo (2018)7.9/10 from 1,611 votes
- NewestSkyscraper Live (2026)Released 2026
The Captains (2011)
The Captains is a feature-length documentary film written and directed by William Shatner. The film follows Shatner as he interviews the other actors who have portrayed starship captains in the Star Trek franchise.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChaos on the Bridge (2014)
Canadian acting legend William Shatner takes viewers inside the creation of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the bold attempt in 1986 to recreate the success of the original television series, in which Shatner played Captain James T. Kirk.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Art of Flight (2011)
Iconic snowboarder Travis Rice and friends redefine what is possible in the mountains. Experience the highs, as new tricks are landed and new zones opened, alongside the lows, where avalanches, accidents, and wrong-turns strike.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Eagle Huntress (2016)
Follow Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter, and rise to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been typically been handed down from father to son for centuries.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAfrican Cats (2011)
African Cats captures the real-life love, humor and determination of the majestic kings of the savanna. The story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother’s strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a once banished lion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSkyscraper Live (2026)
No ropes. No fear. Free solo legend Alex Honnold risks it all in a high-stakes, live ascent of one of the world's tallest skyscrapers in Taipei, Taiwan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBlack Holes: The Edge of All We Know (2020)
Black holes stand at the limit of what we can know. To explore that edge of knowledge, the Event Horizon Telescope links observatories across the world to simulate an earth-sized instrument. With this tool the team pursues the first-ever picture of a black hole, resulting in an image seen by billions of people in April 2019. Meanwhile, Hawking and his team attack the black hole paradox at the heart of theoretical physics—Do predictive laws still function, even in these massive distortions of space and time? Weaving them together is a third strand, philosophical and exploratory using expressive animation. “Edge” is about practicing science at the highest level, a film where observation, theory, and philosophy combine to grasp these most mysterious objects.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisElephant (2020)
Disneynature’s Elephant follows African elephant Shani and her spirited son Jomo as their herd make an epic journey hundreds of miles across the vast Kalahari Desert. Led by their great matriarch, Gaia, the family faces brutal heat, dwindling resources and persistent predators, as they follow in their ancestors’ footsteps on a quest to reach a lush, green paradise.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFree Solo (2018)
Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock climbing history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & adventure
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisRacing Extinction (2015)
An unlikely team of activists and innovators hatches a bold mission to save endangered species.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMaking Fun: The Story of Funko (2018)
From a small garage in Redmond, Washington, to the furthest corners of the earth, Funko's story is one that is centered around the fans and the global community that arose from their unique passion - a story that spans twenty years full of joy, ambition, adversity, and... well... toys.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Esper's Light?
The closest matches to Esper's Light are The Captains (2011), Chaos on the Bridge (2014) and The Art of Flight (2011). Below are 8 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Esper's Light?
Start with The Captains (2011), the closest match to Esper's Light.
What is the highest-rated movie like Esper's Light?
Free Solo (2018), rated 7.9/10 by 1,611 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Esper's Light?
Skyscraper Live (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Korean movies like Esper's Light?
The closest matches are in other languages.
How are movies similar to Esper's Light chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Esper's Light, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.