Movies like Rivers of Darkness / Rivers of Light (1972)
The best movies like Rivers of Darkness / Rivers of Light (1972) are Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010), Jodorowsky's Dune (2013) and Nothing Personal (2009). If Rivers of Darkness / Rivers of Light hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Gold Rush (1925)8.0/10 from 1,936 votes
- NewestBlue Moon (2025)Released 2025
Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010)
A documentary on the life and career of Joan Rivers, made as the comedienne turns 75 years old.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJodorowsky's Dune (2013)
In 1974, Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on the quixotic project of adapting Frank Herbert's influential novel Dune (1969) for the big screen. After investing two years, and millions of dollars, the gigantic project ended in failure; but the artists Jodorowsky brought together to carry it out continued to work together, and ended up laying the foundations for modern science fiction cinema.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNothing Personal (2009)
Alone in her empty flat, from her window Anne observes the people passing by who nervously snatch up the personal belongings and pieces of furniture she has put out on the pavement. Her final gesture of taking a ring off her finger signals she is leaving her previous life in Holland behind. She goes to Ireland, where she chooses to lead a solitary, wandering existence, striding through the austere landscapes of Connemara. During her travels, she discovers a house that is home to a hermit, Martin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlue (1993)
Against a plain, unchanging blue screen, a densely interwoven soundtrack of voices, sound effects and music attempt to convey a portrait of Derek Jarman's experiences with AIDS, both literally and allegorically, together with an exploration of the meanings associated with the colour blue.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBlue Moon (2025)
On the evening of March 31, 1943, legendary lyricist Lorenz Hart confronts his shattered self-confidence in Sardi’s bar as his former collaborator, Richard Rodgers, celebrates the opening night of his ground-breaking hit musical, “Oklahoma!”
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRiver of No Return (1954)
An itinerant farmer and his young son help a heart-of-gold saloon singer search for her estranged husband.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Gold Rush (1925)
A gold prospector in Alaska struggles to survive the elements and win the heart of a dance hall girl.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Notebook (2004)
An epic love story centered around an older man who reads aloud to a woman with Alzheimer's. From a faded notebook, the old man's words bring to life the story about a couple who is separated by World War II, and is then passionately reunited, seven years later, after they have taken different paths.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisCauseway (2022)
A US soldier suffers a traumatic brain injury while fighting in Afghanistan and struggles to adjust to life back home in New Orleans. When she meets local mechanic James, the pair begin to forge an unexpected bond.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Believe in Unicorns (2015)
Feeling awkward and isolated, an imaginative and strong-willed teenage girl runs away from home with an older punk rock drifter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGarden of Evil (1954)
A trio of American adventurers marooned in rural Mexico are recruited by a beautiful woman to rescue her husband from Apaches.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Book of Love (2017)
After tragedy strikes Henry and Penny, he befriends a tenacious young girl and discovers she is constructing a raft to sail across the Atlantic to find her lost father. Together, along with some unlikely friends, they set forth to construct the vessel and subsequently rebuild their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJoan Didion: The Center Will Not Hold (2017)
Literary icon Joan Didion reflects on her remarkable career and personal struggles in this intimate documentary directed by her nephew, Griffin Dunne.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMen of Honor (2000)
Against formidable odds -- and an old-school diving instructor embittered by the U.S. Navy's new, less prejudicial policies -- Carl Brashear sets his sights on becoming the Navy's first African-American master diver in this uplifting true story. Their relationship starts out on the rocks, but fate ultimately conspires to bring the men together into a setting of mutual respect, triumph and honor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAmericana (2025)
After a rare Native American artifact falls onto the black market, a shy waitress with big dreams teams up with a lovelorn military veteran to gain possession of it, putting them in the crosshairs of a ruthless criminal working on behalf of a Western antiquities dealer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMackenna's Gold (1969)
A bandit kidnaps a Marshal who has seen a map showing a gold vein on Indian lands, but other groups are looking for it too, while the Apache try to keep the secret location undisturbed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Safety of Objects (2002)
In a suburban landscape, the lives of several families interlace with loss, despair and personal crisis. Esther Gold has lost focus on all but caring for her comatose son, Paul, and neglects her daughter and husband. Lawyer Jim Train is devoted to his career, not his family. Helen Christianson wants to find a new spark in life, while Annette Jennings tries to rebuild hers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisReturn to Me (2000)
It took a lot of persuading to get Bob, a recently widowed architect, to go on a blind date at a quirky Irish-Italian eatery. Once there, he’s instantly smitten, not with his date, but with the sharp-witted waitress. Everything seems to be going great until an unbelievable truth is revealed, one that could easily break both of their hearts for good.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRails & Ties (2007)
A deadly collision between a train and car lead to an unlikely bond between the train engineer and a young boy who escapes the carnage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJohnny Guitar (1954)
On the outskirts of town, the hard-nosed Vienna owns a saloon frequented by the undesirables of the region, including Dancin' Kid and his gang. Another patron of Vienna's establishment is Johnny Guitar, a former gunslinger and her lover. When a heist is pulled in town that results in a man's death, Emma Small, Vienna's rival, rallies the townsfolk to take revenge on Vienna's saloon – even without proof of her wrongdoing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Rivers of Darkness / Rivers of Light?
The closest matches to Rivers of Darkness / Rivers of Light are Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010), Jodorowsky's Dune (2013) and Nothing Personal (2009). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Rivers of Darkness / Rivers of Light?
Start with Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010), the closest match to Rivers of Darkness / Rivers of Light.
What is the highest-rated movie like Rivers of Darkness / Rivers of Light?
The Gold Rush (1925), rated 8.0/10 by 1,936 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Rivers of Darkness / Rivers of Light?
Blue Moon (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Rivers of Darkness / Rivers of Light?
Yes: Joan Rivers: A Piece of Work (2010), Jodorowsky's Dune (2013) and Nothing Personal (2009).
How are movies similar to Rivers of Darkness / Rivers of Light chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Rivers of Darkness / Rivers of Light, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.