Movies like Video Essay/The Essay Film: Some Thoughts of Discontent (2013)

Vampir Cuadecuc (1972)

An atmospheric essay, which is an alternative version of Count Dracula, a film directed by Jess Franco in 1970; a ghostly narration between fiction and reality.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Being 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

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

Side by Side (2012)

Since the invention of cinema, the standard format for recording moving images has been film. Over the past two decades, a new form of digital filmmaking has emerged, creating a groundbreaking evolution in the medium. Keanu Reeves explores the development of cinema and the impact of digital filmmaking via in-depth interviews with Hollywood masters, such as James Cameron, David Fincher, David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Soderbergh, and many more.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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

Aquaman: Heroines of Atlantis (2019)

Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman discuss their characters Mera and Atlanna.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Voyage 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

The Irishman: In Conversation (2019)

Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino in conversation about The Irishman.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Fuck (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

The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing (2004)

Documentary about the art of film editing. Clips are shown from many groundbreaking films with innovative editing styles.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Seduced 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

Room 237 (2012)

A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Powaqqatsi (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

Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019)

The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

A Decade Under the Influence (2003)

A documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential directors of that time.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

X-Rated: The Greatest Adult Movies of All Time (2015)

The evolution of adult cinema through the most influential films in history, a journey that begins in the 1970s and ends nowadays. An in-depth analysis of the success of the most prestigious erotic films, their impact on industry and society, and their influence on cinema and contemporary culture.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Love, Antosha (2019)

From a prolific career in film and television, Anton Yelchin left an indelible legacy as an actor. Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, this film looks not just at Anton's impressive career, but at a broader portrait of the man.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition (2026)

With unprecedented access to the official archives and intimate recollections from the band, both current and past, Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition invites fans to experience one of the most iconic journeys in music history. Spanning five decades, this electrifying documentary charts the band’s rise from the pubs of East London to the world’s biggest stadiums. Featuring exclusive interviews with band members and contributors such as Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich and Chuck D, as well as all-new animated sequences of the band's legendary mascot, Eddie, the film offers a rare and intimate look at Iron Maiden’s uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their truly global army of fans.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Katy Perry: Part of Me (2012)

Giving fans unprecedented access to the real life of the music sensation, Katy Perry: Part of Me exposes the hard work, dedication and phenomenal talent of a girl who remained true to herself and her vision in order to achieve her dreams. Featuring rare behind-the-scenes interviews, personal moments between Katy and her friends, and all-access footage of rehearsals, choreography, Katy’s signature style and more, Katy Perry: Part of Me reveals the singer’s unwavering belief that if you can be yourself, then you can be anything.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

Drew: The Man Behind the Poster (2013)

A documentary on legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan.

Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

The Making of Transformers the Premake (2020)

The mind process behind the film, Transformers the Premake, explained by Kevin B Lee himself.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

The Sound of Crickets (2022)

After the disappearance of Aldemar his wife decided to get overall uncertainty by including him in the list of deaths in the 1938 Colombian National Census. Today, 83 years later, I repeat her. I try to find myself among the numbers in the digital database in order to finish the torture that has also implied my own disappearance.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Rastros que Deixamos (2021)

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Watching the Pain of Others (2019)

In this deeply personal video diary, a young researcher tries to make sense of her fascination for the film "The Pain of Others" by Penny Lane. A deep dive into the discomforting world of YouTube and online conspiracies, that challenges traditional notions of what documentary cinema is, or should be.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Exergo (2024)

Departing from peripheral details of some paintings of the Bilbao Fine Arts Museum, a female narrator unravels several stories related to the economic, social and psychological conditions of past and current artists.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Metropia (2025)

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Vowellet - An Essay by Sarah Vowell (2005)

This Pixar documentary short follows Sarah Vowell, who plays herself as the title character, on why she is a superhero in her own way. (This short piece is included on the 2-Disc DVD for "The Incredibles", which was released in 2005.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Zaniklý svět Karla Pecky (2000)

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Electric Eye (2021)

An experimental short film, shot during the COVID-19 pandemic, made by one person. Using recorded scenes and archival footage, the short presents an unorthodox narrative to explore the themes of self-identification, identity, gender expression and androgyny.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Linklater: On Cinema and Time (2013)

If cinema is the art of time, Linklater is one of its most thoughtful and engaged directors. Unlike other filmmakers identified as auteurs, Linklater’s distinction is not found on the surface of his films, in a visual style or signature shot, but rather in their DNA, as ongoing conversations with cinema, which is to say, with time itself. A visual essay produced by Sight and Sound.

Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary