Movies like Costa Rica: Child of the Wind (1988)
The best movies like Costa Rica: Child of the Wind (1988) are Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017), The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button (2009) and The Class of ‘92 (2013). If Costa Rica: Child of the Wind hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Costa Rica: Child of the Wind
Quick picks
- NewestA Toxic Love Story (2026)Released 2026
Ex 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 thisThe Curious Birth of Benjamin Button (2009)
A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Class of ‘92 (2013)
A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJim: The James Foley Story (2016)
In August, 2014, a video of the public execution of American photojournalist James Foley rippled across the globe. Foley wore an orange jumpsuit as he knelt beside an ISIS militant dressed in black. That image challenged the world to deal with a new face of terror. And it tested one American family. Seen through the lens of filmmaker Brian Oakes, Foley’s close childhood friend, Jim takes us from small-town New England to the adrenaline-fueled front lines of Libya and Syria, where Foley pushed the limits of danger to report on the plight of civilians impacted by war.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFuck (2006)
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAs 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 thisDirected by John Ford (1971)
A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.
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 thisMarvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye (2022)
Join the likes of Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D’Onofrio as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” was conceived and created. Witness firsthand what it took to pull off the show’s pulse-pounding action set pieces, and discover how iconic characters from the pages of Marvel Comics such as Kate Bishop were adapted and brought to life for the six-episode series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCome 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 thisA Toxic Love Story (2026)
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisBeing James Bond (2021)
Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 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 thisThe Curse of the Dragon (1993)
A 1993 documentary film about Bruce Lee. The film includes interviews from some of his fellow students and opponents who worked alongside him in his movies.
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 thisBoys State (2020)
This raucous journey into the heart of democracy captures an unusual rite of passage: 1,100 teenage boys from across Texas coming together to build a representative government from the ground up.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNo Half Measures: Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad (2013)
A documentary about the making of season five of the acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSeduced and Abandoned (2013)
SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Small Section of the World (2014)
An inspirational story about a group of women from a remote farming region of Costa Rica whose ideas sparked a revolution in the coffee growing world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Birds in Paradise (TBA)
By some measures, it’s a tiny country, just .03% of the Earth’s landmass. But when it comes to wildlife, Costa Rica is an ecological giant, bursting with a density of species and diverse habitats unparalleled anywhere else in the world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Oscar Arias: Without a Shot Fired (2017)
This is the story of a tiny country that made a decision to do something that no other country had ever done -- it decided to abolish its army and declare peace to the world. And this is the story of a young boy who grew up in that country, and how he ended up challenging -- and sometimes even convincing -- the greatest powers in the world to follow Costa Rica's example. "Oscar Arias: Without a Shot Fired" is a Don Quixote-like saga with great historical touchstones -- Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev, Cold War politics and Communism, Central American War and Peace. It follows a slight, academic, and most unlikely hero over the course of more than fifty years, as he travels the world in a quest to stop the spread of the weapons of war. In the end, it is a story about the triumph of reason, of the sparrow triumphing over the eagle, and how the impossible dream can sometimes come true.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Hummingbirds of Costa Rica (2016)
Half of the species of Hummingbirds of Costa Rica assembled with direct sounds, comments on varied features of the birds, leading to their identification, enjoyable entertainment, and educational video for the amateur and the connoisseur.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Leaf Architects (2025)
Leaf Architects unveils bats as you’ve never seen them before—tiny, furry, bright-white creatures that transform rainforest leaves into extraordinary living architectural designs. Through the eyes of biologist Bernal Rodríguez, who has dedicated decades to studying these hidden home builders, the film reveals astonishing behaviors captured on camera for the very first time: from delicate construction techniques to the vital role bats play in regenerating tropical forests. Blending breathtaking imagery with a story of passion and discovery, Leaf Architects invites audiences to witness the secret lives of bats and the wonders of nature they sustain.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Women of the mangrove (2024)
Women of the Mangrove is the story of the Mudecoop Cooperative. Manzanillo is a small fishing town on the Pacific coast of Costa Rica that struggles with poverty and government neglect. In response to this adversity, the women of Manzanillo joined forces to found the Mudecop cooperative.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Memorias Encuadradas (2025)
One hundred years of the cinematic memory of a small country told through motion graphics. A brief tour of previously unseen images and forgotten fragments of Costa Rican cinema, which, amid state efforts and industrial ambitions, prevailed throughout the 20th century.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Through the Gaze of the Cockfighter (2022)
What motivates a cock-fighter to fight a rooster he loves? In Costa Rica, cockfighting is considered a crime and has been banned for 99 years. A large part of society rejects this tradition and those who practice it, but is it fair to morally judge a cock-fighter as a criminal? We will get to know the other side of the coin through the gaze of the cock-fighter.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Ícaros (2014)
In the late 1970s, Marcel fled Catalonia to avoid conscription into the Spanish military. For 30 years he has been living in the tropical forests of Costa Rica, where he hosts ayahuasca ceremonies for young seekers from the West.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Wild Costa Rica (2000)
Cost Rica is one of the most diverse places on Earth. This exploration features Costa Rica's unique animal inhabitants, including various monkeys, birds, frogs, even caimans and fruit-eating bats.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Costa Rica: Child of the Wind?
The closest matches to Costa Rica: Child of the Wind are Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017), The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button (2009) and The Class of ‘92 (2013). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Costa Rica: Child of the Wind?
Start with Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017), the closest match to Costa Rica: Child of the Wind.
What is the newest movie like Costa Rica: Child of the Wind?
A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Costa Rica: Child of the Wind?
Yes: Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017), The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button (2009) and The Class of ‘92 (2013).
How are movies similar to Costa Rica: Child of the Wind chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Costa Rica: Child of the Wind, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.