Movies like How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made (1939)
The best movies like How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made (1939) are Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022), Joker: Put on a Happy Face (2020) and One Soldier's Story: The Journey of American Sniper (2015). If How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedObi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return (2022)6.8/10 from 1,028 votes
- Newest0004ngel (2025)Released 2025
Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022)
A feature length documentary about the all-women team at the helm of Pixar's original feature, Turning Red. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Director Domee Shi and her core leadership crew, this story shines a light on the powerful professional and personal journeys that brought this incredibly comical, utterly relatable, and deeply heartfelt story to the screen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJoker: Put on a Happy Face (2020)
Featuring interviews with filmmakers and industry legends, discover the origins and evolution of The Joker, and learn why The Clown Prince of Crime is universally hailed as the greatest comic-book supervillain of all time.
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 thisAquaman: Heroines of Atlantis (2019)
Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman discuss their characters Mera and Atlanna.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAvatar: 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 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 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 thisDangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (2007)
The definitive 3½-hour documentary about the troubled creation and enduring legacy of the science fiction classic 'Blade Runner', culled from 80 interviews and hours of never-before-seen outtakes and lost footage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisExtremis (2016)
A purely observational non-fiction film that takes viewers into the ethically murky world of end-of-life decision making in a public hospital.
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 thisGuillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema (2022)
With mesmerizing footage and time lapses of animators at work, this behind-the-scenes special captures the artistry of a unique tale years in the making.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Fan's Guide to Ms. Marvel (2022)
A documentary short that gives you an exclusive look behind the groundbreaking original series, "Ms. Marvel", from its comic book origins to its development and production as Marvel Studios’ next hit series on Disney+. It features interviews with its award winning filmmaking team and the show’s captivating star, newcomer Iman Vellani.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisObi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return (2022)
This special explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the screen, as well as Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their classic roles. Director Deborah Chow leads the cast and crew as they create new heroes and villains that live alongside new incarnations of beloved Star Wars characters, and an epic story that dramatically bridges the saga films.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023)
From the heights of her modeling fame to her tragic death, this documentary reveals Anna Nicole Smith through the eyes of the people closest to her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAvatar: Creating the World of Pandora (2010)
The Making-of James Cameron's Avatar. It shows interesting parts of the work on the set.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 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 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 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 thisThe Making of 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' (1991)
Documentary of the making of the sequel to the popular Schwarzenegger film, The Terminator.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLe Théâtre National Populaire (1956)
The T.N.P., the Théâtre National Populaire, an important experimental theater directed by Jean Vilar. Franju combines sequences from theatrical performances with documentary images, creating links and confrontations between theater and the real world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
La noirceur souterraine des racines (2022)
Shot in Quebec, Canada, The Subterranean Blackness of Roots is a 16mm film triptych which uses several processes specific to analog cinema (hand processing, optical printing, photochemical alteration). The film seeks to show the sensory experience of the invisible life of stones, plants and the nature that surrounds us. It’s a dive into the heart of matter, the essence of the vegetal world and the nourishing earth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Die Hausspitzmaus (1991)
Characteristics and behavior of the house shrew are illustrated.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Changing Forest (1958)
A brief essay on the ecology of a forest along the Laurentian Shield, in Quebec.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
0004ngel (2025)
To support his mother in Mexico, Angel, a nude dancer, turns the web into his new stage.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Your Friend, Ranger Doug (2020)
A 94-year-old Glacier National Park ranger confronts the decline of the park he calls home as he reflects on his life and the legacy he will leave behind.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Visions of Europe (2004)
Twenty-five films from twenty-five European countries by twenty-five European directors.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Biosphere! Time to Apprehend (1974)
A journalistic story inspired by Volodymyr Vernadsky about the genesis of life in the universe — from the physical elements of the primordial broth to the civilization of intelligent man.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Putito (2014)
Putito is a production with no specific genre, where reality and fiction blend through a testimony written by José Carlos Henríquez - a feminist activist and male prostitute who plays himself in the project. Available in a censored and uncensored version.
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
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made?
The closest matches to How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made are Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022), Joker: Put on a Happy Face (2020) and One Soldier's Story: The Journey of American Sniper (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made?
Start with Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022), the closest match to How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made.
What is the highest-rated movie like How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made?
Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return (2022), rated 6.8/10 by 1,028 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made?
0004ngel (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made?
Yes: Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022), Joker: Put on a Happy Face (2020) and One Soldier's Story: The Journey of American Sniper (2015).
How are movies similar to How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside How Walt Disney Cartoons Are Made, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.