Movies like Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism (2012)
The best movies like Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism (2012) are Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006), Walk with Me (2017) and Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience (2016). If Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedKoyaanisqatsi (1983)7.9/10 from 814 votes
- NewestBillie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) (2026)Released 2026
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)
Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWalk with Me (2017)
Narrated by Benedict Cumberbatch, Walk With Me is a cinematic journey into the world of a monastic community who practice the art of mindfulness with Zen Buddhist master Thich Nhat Hanh.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
SnoozefestMovies like thisVoyage of Time: The IMAX Experience (2016)
A celebration of the universe, displaying the whole of time, from its start to its final collapse. This film examines all that occurred to prepare the world that stands before us now: science and spirit, birth and death, the grand cosmos and the minute life systems of our planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPowaqqatsi (1988)
An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Secret (2006)
Interviews with leading authors, philosophers and scientists, with an in-depth discussion of the Law of Attraction. The audience is shown how they can learn and use 'The Secret' in their everyday lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHeart of a Dog (2015)
Musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother and her beloved dog.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Life Directed by Nicolas Winding Refn (2015)
A documentary directed by Winding Refn's wife, Liv Corfixen, and it follows the Danish-born filmmaker during the making of his 2013 film Only God Forgives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 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 thisFor the Love of Spock (2016)
The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCapital 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 · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDownloaded (2013)
A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisDeepsea Challenge 3D (2014)
Described as being a film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, James Cameron's "Deepsea Challenge 3D" tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer. The movie offers a unique insight into Cameron's world as he makes that dream reality – and makes history – by becoming the first person to travel solo to the deepest point on the planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMeeting Gorbachev (2019)
Mikhail Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union, sits down with filmmaker Werner Herzog to discuss his many achievements. Topics include the talks to reduce nuclear weapons, the reunification of Germany and the dissolution of his country.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKoyaanisqatsi (1983)
Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisAn Inconvenient Truth (2006)
A documentary on Al Gore's campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBillie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) (2026)
Captured during Billie Eilish's sold-out world tour, a concert experience from one of the most celebrated and successful artists of her generation, presented in immersive 3D.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisAfter Truth: Disinformation and the Cost of Fake News (2020)
An investigation into the ongoing threat caused by the phenomenon of “fake news” in the U.S., focusing on the real-life consequences that disinformation, conspiracy theories and false news stories have on the average citizen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBecoming Warren Buffett (2017)
The story of the evolution of a boy from Nebraska who became one of the most respected men in the world, and the heroes who helped guide him along the way. By allowing access to his life and never-before-released home videos, Buffett offers a glimpse into his unique mind to help us understand what is truly important when money no longer has meaning.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJ-hope TOUR [HOPE ON THE STAGE] in Japan (2025)
j-hope's debut world tour "HOPE ON THE STAGE" concludes with a live cinema broadcast. Watch him perform hits from his solo albums and new releases across a spectacular 31-show run through Asia and North America.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Dia de los muertos (2022)
This documentary analyzes why Dia de Los Muertos (the day of the dead) is considered one of the Mexican tradition's most important cultural phenomenons.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Picture Proof (2023)
Examines the intergenerational impact of addiction by chronicling the love, labor, loss, and uncertainty of one woman’s struggle to live a life of sobriety. Weaving together moments of glee, fulfillment, acceptance, sorrow, and disappointment, this documentary takes an intimate look at the bonds that hold one family together and a disease that threatens to tear them apart.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Seeking The Lost Paradise (2025)
Facing one of humanity’s biggest questions, ‘what is left of us after our death?’, this haunting documentary covers the author’s thought process on the idea of what might remains of us after we die, supported by the vision of an artist who decided to come back in Italy after spending forty-seven years in New York and turn his little apartment into a mausoleom where his death-filled artworks will lay along with his ashes. Raising questions like ‘are the things we create in our lifetime the mark of our existance?’ and ‘can the artist escape death trough the art objects?’ the documentary touches a vast variety of themes and ideas as well as paying a visit to one of the oldest mausoleums in ancient mythology, the Acheron River.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Enrico Mattei, le rebelle du pétrole (2026)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Brilliant Moon: Glimpses of Dilgo Khyentse Rinpoche (2010)
Brilliant Moon chronicles the life of the writer, poet, and meditation master Khyentse Rinpoche, one of Tibet's most revered 20th-century Buddhist teachers. Spiritual guide to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the Royal Family of Bhutan, his life and teachings were an inspiration to all who encountered him. Richard Gere and Lou Reed provide the narration for his dangerous journey out of China, the subsequent spread of his influence and the search for his reincarnation after his death.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Nepal Quake: Terror on Everest (2015)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Lady Samurai (2019)
This is the story of Kaori Kawabuchi, a samurai sword performer, singer and motion capture actor. An inspiring woman keeping alive ancient traditions and spirituality in modern Japan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Whereabouts of Sound (2022)
As they play carefree music, their musicianship is met with surprise, wonder, and sometimes even laughter. Captivating all who watch, Otoasobi Project’s rich variety of expression reshapes the concept of improvised music. Formed in 2005 in Kobe, Japan, Otoasobi Project has some 50 members, including people with intellectual disabilities, musicians, and music therapists, who pursue music and well-being through improvised performances. After many years of numerous workshops, concerts, and other activities, they even held their first tour in the UK in September 2013. The movie “Whereabouts of Sound” depicts the appeal of the improvised music Otoasobi creates, and the beauty of its natural, honest expression.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
![J-hope TOUR [HOPE ON THE STAGE] in Japan (2025) poster](https://image.tmdb.org/t/p/w342/tHQyHo9MyrLBVa3KLssu2h0frMt.jpg)
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism?
The closest matches to Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism are Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006), Walk with Me (2017) and Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience (2016). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism?
Start with Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006), the closest match to Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism.
What is the highest-rated movie like Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism?
Koyaanisqatsi (1983), rated 7.9/10 by 814 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism?
Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism?
Yes: Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006), Walk with Me (2017) and Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience (2016).
How are movies similar to Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.