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Movies like The Downfall of an Island (2026)

The best movies like The Downfall of an Island (2026) are Fuck (2006), Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017) and Houston, We Have a Problem! (2016). If The Downfall of an Island hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. 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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  2. 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 this
  3. Houston, We Have a Problem! (2016)

    The cold war, the space race, and NASA’s moon landing are landmark events that defined an era. But they are also fodder for conspiracy theories. In Houston, We Have a Problem! filmmaker Žiga Virc adds new material to the discussion on both fronts. This intriguing docu-fiction explores the myth of the secret multi-billion-dollar deal behind America’s purchase of Yugoslavia’s clandestine space program in the early 1960s.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. 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
  5. Feminists: What Were They Thinking? (2018)

    In 1977, a book of photographs captured an awakening - women shedding the cultural restrictions of their childhoods and embracing their full humanity. This documentary revisits those photos, those women and those times and takes aim at our culture today that alarmingly shows the need for continued change.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. 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
  7. Joshua: Teenager vs. Superpower (2017)

    When the Chinese Communist Party backtracks on its promise of autonomy to Hong Kong, teenager Joshua Wong decides to save his city. Rallying thousands of kids to skip school and occupy the streets, Joshua becomes an unlikely leader in Hong Kong and one of China’s most notorious dissidents.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. The War Room (1993)

    A behind-the-scenes documentary about the Clinton for President campaign, focusing on the adventures of spin doctors James Carville and George Stephanopoulos.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. S4: The Bob Lazar Story (2026)

    Over 35 years after Bob Lazar's revelations, this documentary exposes secrets of a facility the government still denies. Featuring Lazar's testimony, recreations, and new evidence, it reopens a case that continues to spark global curiosity

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  10. Deliver 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 this
  11. My 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 this
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. Above 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 this
  15. Cover-Up (2025)

    He's devoted his career to uncovering stories the powerful want buried. From My Lai to Abu Ghraib, dig into the life's work of journalist Seymour Hersh.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. Anna 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 this
  17. The Godfather Family: A Look Inside (1990)

    A documentary on the making of the three Godfather films, with interviews and recollections from the film makers and cast. This feature also includes the original screen tests of some of the actors for "The Godfather" film, and some candid moments on the set of "The Godfather: Part III."

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. 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
  19. Directed 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 this
  20. Elstree 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 this
  21. 300 ans des 4 saisons de Vivaldi (2025)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  22. Shark Terror: The Real Jaws (2019)

    On a hot summer day, a young man from Philadelphia goes for an afternoon dip; when he is 40 feet from shore he gets attacked and dies; five days later, the Bell Captain at a popular beachside resort is also attacked.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  23. Čičmany (1975)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  24. Las Preguntas que Perdimos (2023)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  25. Red Desert Nights: Making Ghosts of Mars (2001)

    Documentary about the making of John Carpenter's sci-fi horror movie, "Ghosts of Mars." Produced for the "Ghosts of Mars" DVD.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  26. L'énigme Céline Dion (2022)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  27. Twiggy (2025)

    Twiggy takes a comprehensive look at the life story of UK model and cultural icon Twiggy, real name Lesley Lawson, whose career kickstarted in the 1960s. It features interviews with Twiggy and her husband Leigh Lawson, as well as commentary from Erin O’Connor, Paul McCartney, Lulu, Poppy Delavigne, Brooke Shields, Pattie Boyd and Zandra Rhodes.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  28. Polisario: Liberation of the Western Sahara (TBA)

    A historical analysis of the on-going war in the Western Sahara. Liza Bear interviews Abdullah Majdid, the Polisario Front's United Nations representative. The tape addresses Morocco's U.S.-backed military effort to subjugate the indigenous Sahrawi population and annex one of the world's largest phosphate deposits, as well as the Sahrawis' conditions for a referendum.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  29. Deck Sports in the Celebes Sea (1920)

    1920 travelogue.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  30. ODS - Construindo um Futuro Melhor (2013)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Downfall of an Island?

The closest matches to The Downfall of an Island are Fuck (2006), Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017) and Houston, We Have a Problem! (2016). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Downfall of an Island?

Start with Fuck (2006), the closest match to The Downfall of an Island.

What is the highest-rated movie like The Downfall of an Island?

Deliver Us from Evil (2006), rated 7.2/10 by 216 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The Downfall of an Island?

S4: The Bob Lazar Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

How are movies similar to The Downfall of an Island chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Downfall of an Island, 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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