Movies like The Ties That Bind Us (2008)
The best movies like The Ties That Bind Us (2008) are The Captains (2011), The Matrix Recalibrated (2004) and Star Wars Biomes (2021). If The Ties That Bind Us hooked you with its documentary and science fiction, 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
- NewestMy Mom Jayne (2025)Released 2025
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 thisThe Matrix Recalibrated (2004)
The making of Matrix Revolutions, The (2003) is briefly touched on here in this documentary. Interviews with various cast and crew members inform us how they were affected by the deaths of Gloria Foster and Aaliyah, and also delve into the making of the visual effects that takes up a lot of screen time. Written by Rhyl Donnelly
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStar Wars Biomes (2021)
Take a virtual vacation to some of the Star Wars films' most iconic and beloved locations like Hoth, Tatooine, and Sorgan, as this charming series whisks you off for fly-through tours of the Galaxy Far, Far Away.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAbove Majestic (2018)
A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhat We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018)
A documentary exploring the legacy of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the reasons it went from the black sheep of Star Trek to a beloved mainstay of the franchise, and a brainstorm with the original writers on what a theoretical eighth season of the show could look like.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisElstree 1976 (2015)
A documentary about ten very different lives connected by having appeared onscreen wearing masks or helmets in Star Wars.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisUnder the Helmet: The Legacy of Boba Fett (2021)
A special celebrating the origins and legacy of Star Wars' legendary bounty hunter, Boba Fett.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHalloween: 25 Years of Terror (2006)
Follow the evolution of the 'Halloween' movies over the past twenty-five years. It examines why the films are so popular and revisits many of the original locations used in the films - seeing the effects on the local community. For the first time, cast, crew, critics and fans join together in the ultimate 'Halloween' retrospective.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEx Libris: The New York Public Library (2017)
A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLove, Marilyn (2013)
Using the book 'Fragments', which collects Marilyn Monroe's poems, notes and letters, and with participation from the Arthur Miller and Truman Capote estates who have contributed more material, each of the actresses will embody the legend at various stages in her life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 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 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 this180° South (2010)
The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019)
Go behind the scenes with stars, puppeteers and creators as they bring Jim Henson's magical world of Thra back to life in a sweeping fantasy series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisThe Mole: Undercover in North Korea (2020)
A real-life undercover thriller about two ordinary men who embark on an outrageously dangerous ten-year mission to penetrate the world's most secretive and brutal dictatorship: North Korea.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like this56 Up (2012)
When a cross-section of seven-year-olds were interviewed for 7 Up in 1964 it was immediately evident that their social backgrounds influenced their attitudes towards life. While the upper class children were confident and self-assured, those from middle and working class backgrounds were resigned to a challenging life of hard work. This premise was put to the test every seven years when the same group were interviewed about the progression of their lives. 49 years in the making, the changes that occurred to the original 14 make for fascinating television and are in many ways the stories of all our lives. From success and disappointment, marriage and childbirth, to poverty and illness, nearly every facet of life has been captured on film. Now, at the age of 56, the group are once more brought together and, with the benefit of hindsight, assess whether their lives have been ruled by circumstance or self-determination.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisDoctor Who: Endgame (2007)
A detailed look at the reasons why Doctor Who ended in 1989, and what plans were being made by the Production Team had there been a season 27 of the series in 1990 and what might have happened.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & science fiction
Earthshocked (2018)
Featuring cast and crew interviews, recreated sets, and newly shot 16mm film inserts starring the Cybermen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & science fiction
Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965)
Scientist Doctor Who accidentally activates his new invention, the Tardis, a time machine disguised as a police telephone box. Who, his two granddaughters Barbara and Susan, and Barbara's boyfriend Ian are transported through time and space to the planet Skaro, where a peaceful race of Thals are under threat of nuclear attack from the planet's other inhabitants: the robotic mutant Daleks.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisEye on... Blatchford (2005)
Meet Sardoth - the second-to-last of the Jagaroth. Sardoth tries his best to fit into the community of Blatchford and raise money to build a time machine.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Oh Mummy! (2004)
After the destruction of his home, Sutkeh the Destroyer struggles to find work and acceptance in an unforgiving world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
The Silurian Disruption (1987)
The Doctor is on trial... again but this time he is disputed by some Silurians, or more accurately the people who played them.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
The Foe from the Future (2010)
A look at the unmade story, The Foe from the Future, which formed the basis of The Talons of Weng-Chiang.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Cybermen (2009)
A history of the Cybermen, presented by writer and broadcaster Matthew Sweet.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Warriors of Mars (2010)
A brief history of the Ice Warriors in Doctor Who by the people who designed and brought them to life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
A Weekend with Waterhouse (2019)
Toby Hadoke gets an insight into the life of Adric actor Matthew Waterhouse when he moves in for the weekend.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Ties That Bind Us?
The closest matches to The Ties That Bind Us are The Captains (2011), The Matrix Recalibrated (2004) and Star Wars Biomes (2021). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Ties That Bind Us?
Start with The Captains (2011), the closest match to The Ties That Bind Us.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Ties That Bind Us?
I Am Heath Ledger (2017), rated 7.4/10 by 233 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Ties That Bind Us?
My Mom Jayne (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Ties That Bind Us?
Yes: The Captains (2011), The Matrix Recalibrated (2004) and Star Wars Biomes (2021).
How are movies similar to The Ties That Bind Us chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Ties That Bind Us, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.