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Movies like Matisse: A Sort of Paradise

The best movies like Matisse: A Sort of Paradise are As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000), The Art of the Steal (2010) and Justin Bieber's Believe (2013). If Matisse: A Sort of Paradise hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. As 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 this
  2. The Art of the Steal (2010)

    A gripping tale of intrigue and mystery in the art world, this film traces the history of a collection of Post-Impressionist paintings - worth billions - which became the subject of a power struggle after the death of its owner. Dr. Albert Barnes.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Justin Bieber's Believe (2013)

    A backstage and on-stage look at Justin Bieber during his rise to super stardom.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. McQueen (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 this
  5. Ronaldo (2015)

    Filmed over 14 months with unprecedented access into the inner circle of the man and the sport, this is the first official and fully authorised film of one of the most celebrated figures in football. For the first time ever, the world gets vividly candid and un-paralleled, behind-closed-doors access to the footballer, father, family-man and friend in this moving & fascinating documentary. Through in-depth conversations, state of the art football footage and never before seen archival footage, the film gives an astonishing insight into the sporting and personal life of triple Ballon D'Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo at the peak of his career. From the makers of ‘Senna’ and ‘Amy’, Ronaldo takes audiences on an intimate and revealing journey of what it’s like to live as an iconic athlete in the eye of the storm.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. Come 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 this
  7. Visions of Light (1992)

    Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022)

    An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes (2021)

    Serial killer Dennis Nilsen narrates his life and horrific crimes via a series of chilling audiotapes recorded from his jail cell.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. David Bowie: The Last Five Years (2017)

    In the last five years of his life, David Bowie ended nearly a decade of silence to engage in an extraordinary burst of activity, producing two groundbreaking albums and a musical. David Bowie: The Last Five Years explores this unexpected end to a remarkable career. Made with remarkable access, Francis Whately’s documentary is a revelatory follow-up to his acclaimed 2013 documentary David Bowie: Five Years, which chronicled Bowie’s golden ‘70s and early-‘80s period.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. Voyeur (2017)

    Legendary journalist Gay Talese unmasks a motel owner who spied on his guests for decades. But his bombshell story soon becomes a scandal of its own.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

  12. The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006)

    A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Lionel Messi: Destiny (2023)

    Behind-the-scenes documentary about how Lionel Messi succeeded in lifting the World Cup – the only trophy to have eluded him in an incredible career.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. Chris Brown: Welcome to My Life (2017)

    This compelling Documentary moves beyond the spotlight and past the attention-grabbing headlines to give pop superstar Chris Brown a chance to tell his own story. New interviews with the international phenomenon reveal long-awaited answers about his passion for making music, his tumultuous and much publicized relationships, and the pitfalls of coming of age in the public eye. Also included is new concert footage, behind-the-scenes access, and special interviews from Usher, Jennifer Lopez, DJ Khaled, Mike Tyson, Jamie Foxx and others.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018)

    Artists in LA discover the work of forgotten Polish sculptor Stanislav Szukalski, a mad genius whose true story unfolds chapter by astounding chapter.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. Naqoyqatsi (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 this
  17. I 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 this
  18. The Director and the Jedi (2018)

    An intimate documentary delving into Rian Johnson's process as he comes in as a director new to the Star Wars universe.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. Shawn Mendes: In Wonder (2020)

    A portrait of singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes' life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  20. Mea 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 this
  21. La Danse et Degas (2004)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  22. Charlotte Salomon: Life and the Maiden (2022)

    In 1940, the German artist Charlotte Salomon (1917-43) undertook an extraordinary artistic adventure, during which she combined painting, text and music: in only eighteen months, she painted more than a thousand paintings. In 1943, she was arrested by the Nazis and sent to the Auschwitz extermination camp.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  23. The Lost Portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie: A Culture Show Special (2014)

    In 2009, art detective Dr Bendor Grosvenor caused a national scandal by proving that the Scottish National Portrait Gallery's iconic portrait of Bonnie Prince Charlie, the rebel Stuart who almost seized power in 1745, was not in fact him. Keen to make amends, and suspecting that a long-lost portrait of the prince by one of Scotland's greatest artists, Allan Ramsay, might still survive, Bendor decides to retrace Charles's journey in the hope of unravelling one of the greatest mysteries in British art.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  24. Empire of the Nude: The Victorian Nude (2001)

    The Victorian era is often cited for its lack of sexuality, but as this documentary reveals, the period's artists created a strong tradition surrounding the classical nude figure, which spread from the fine arts to more common forms of expression. The film explains how 19th-century artists were inspired by ancient Greek and Roman works to highlight the naked form, and how that was reflected in the evolving cultural attitudes toward sex.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  25. Cartoon College (2012)

    Every fall, The Center for Cartoon Studies invites 20 aspiring cartoonists to White River Junction, Vermont for a no-holds-barred education in comics. Those who complete the two-year program earn a Master of Fine Arts degree and are ready to face the hardship of a career in one of the world's most drudgery-inducing art forms. This is their story.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  26. Hinter dem Vorhang: Das Geheimnis Vermeer (2021)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  27. The Painting (2019)

    For three and a half centuries, from the same day that Diego Velázquez (1599-1660) applied his last brushstroke to the canvas, the enigma of “Las meninas, o La familia de Felipe IV” (1656) has not been deciphered. The secret story of a painting unveiled as if it was the resolution of a perfect crime.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  28. Angkor et Les Mystères de L'Empire Khmer (2022)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  29. Max Ernst: Journey into the Subconscious (1964)

    The inner world of the great painter Max Ernst is the subject of this film. One of the principal founders of Surrealism, Max Ernst explores the nature of materials and the emotional significance of shapes to combine with his collages and netherworld canvases. The director and Ernst together use the film creatively as a medium to explain the artist's own development.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  30. El universo en una caja (2022)

    An account of the life and work of the multidisciplinary Spanish artist Mariano Fortuny Madrazo (1871-1949), textile and fashion designer, set designer, photographer, painter and engraver, known as the Leonardo Da Vinci of the 20th century.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Matisse: A Sort of Paradise?

The closest matches to Matisse: A Sort of Paradise are As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000), The Art of the Steal (2010) and Justin Bieber's Believe (2013). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Matisse: A Sort of Paradise?

Start with As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000), the closest match to Matisse: A Sort of Paradise.

What is the highest-rated movie like Matisse: A Sort of Paradise?

I Am Heath Ledger (2017), rated 7.4/10 by 233 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Matisse: A Sort of Paradise?

Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Matisse: A Sort of Paradise?

Yes: As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000), The Art of the Steal (2010) and Justin Bieber's Believe (2013).

How are movies similar to Matisse: A Sort of Paradise chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Matisse: A Sort of Paradise, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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