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Movies like Cuba: An Island Out of Time (2012)

The best movies like Cuba: An Island Out of Time (2012) are Cuba and the Cameraman (2017), Buena Vista Social Club (1999) and Comandante (2003). If Cuba: An Island Out of Time hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Cuba and the Cameraman (2017)

    This revealing portrait of Cuba follows the lives of Fidel Castro and three Cuban families affected by his policies over the last four decades.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. Buena Vista Social Club (1999)

    In this fascinating Oscar-nominated documentary, American guitarist Ry Cooder brings together a group of legendary Cuban folk musicians (some in their 90s) to record a Grammy-winning CD in their native city of Havana. The result is a spectacular compilation of concert footage from the group's gigs in Amsterdam and New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, with director Wim Wenders capturing not only the music -- but also the musicians' life stories.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  3. Comandante (2003)

    Oliver Stone spends three days filming with Fidel Castro in Cuba, discussing an array of subjects with the president such as his rise to power, fellow revolutionary Che Guevara, the Cuban Missile crisis, and the present state of the country.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Zeitgeist: Moving Forward (2011)

    A presentation of a case for a needed transition out of the current socioeconomic monetary paradigm which governs the entire world society. This subject matter will transcend the issues of cultural relativism and traditional ideology and move to relate the core, empirical 'life ground' attributes of human and social survival, extrapolating those immutable natural laws into a new sustainable social paradigm called a 'Resource-Based Economy'.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. Avatar: 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 this
  6. 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
  7. Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King (2020)

    A tribute to Chadwick Boseman, celebrating his life and legacy.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  8. Bruce Lee, the Legend (1984)

    The Official Golden Harvest tribute to the Master of the Martial Arts Film, Bruce Lee.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  9. Batman Unmasked: The Psychology of The Dark Knight (2008)

    Delve into the world of Batman and the vigilante justice that he brought to the city of Gotham. Batman is a man who, after experiencing great tragedy, devotes his life to an ideal--but what happens when one man takes on the evil underworld alone? Examine why Batman is who he is--and explore how a boy scarred by tragedy becomes a symbol of hope to everyone else.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear (2022)

    Explore the evolution of Buzz Lightyear from toy to human in the making of Pixar’s Lightyear. Dive into the origin and cultural impact of everyone’s favorite Space Ranger, the art of designing a new “human Buzz,” and the challenges faced by the Lightyear crew along the way.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. The 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 this
  12. Star Wars: The Legacy Revealed (2007)

    The special focuses on how Star Wars is relevant today and the history that inspired it, and also makes various connections to Greek mythology. It consists of several interviews with well-known politicians, journalists, and critics, along with historical content and clips from all six of the Star Wars movies.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014)

    Hollywood veteran Bing Russell creates the only independent baseball team in the country—alarming the baseball establishment and sparking the meteoric rise of the 1970s Portland Mavericks.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. Downfall: The Case Against Boeing (2022)

    Investigators reveal how Boeing’s alleged priority of profit over safety could have contributed to two catastrophic crashes within months of each other.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. Capital 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 this
  16. 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
  17. There's Something Wrong with Aunt Diane (2011)

    Filmmaker Liz Garbus investigates the mysterious tragedy of Diane Schuler in an effort to understand what went wrong.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. South of the Border (2009)

    A road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media's misperception of South America while interviewing seven of its elected presidents.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. 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
  20. Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present (2012)

    Performance artist Marina Abramovic prepares for a major retrospective of her work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  21. 100 Years (2021)

    As the Communist Party of China celebrates its 100th anniversary, this documentary looks back at the party’s history, from the 1920’s, to the Civil War, the Great Leap Forward, the Great Famine, the Cultural Revolution and the reforms by Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping. Did the Great Famine cost more than 15 million lives? How does the Cultural Revolution continue to shape Chinese politics today? What was capitalism like after Mao’s death? Through rare and never-before-seen historical footage, expert interviews and eyewitness accounts of the Great Famine, Tiananmen incident, and the Cultural Revolution, get to know how one party has so profoundly shaped China.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  22. Rendez-vous de l'espérance (1950)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  23. Gold of Cuba (1965)

    "Gold of Cuba" is a documentary by Argentine filmmaker Alejandro Saderman that shows the development of Cuba through the promotion of its main industry: sugar. From the discovery of America to the figure of Reinaldo Castro, National Hero of Labor as a sugarcane cutter, the film discusses the introduction of mechanical harvesters, including the African slave labor that would later be replaced, with the abolition of slavery, by Chinese sugarcane cutters.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  24. Balseros (2002)

    In the summer of 1994, a team of public television reporters filmed and interviewed seven Cubans a few days before their risky venture of setting out to sea in homemade rafts to reach the coast of the United States. Six made it far enough to be picked up at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard. When these balseros (rafters) were finally allowed to go to the United States, the film crew went with them to a string of several cities. Seven years later, the film crew visits them again, to discover that their destiny has been in the United States. Theirs is a true story about some of the authentic survivors of our times, the human adventure of people who are shipwrecked between two worlds.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  25. Cuba, a People Armed (1961)

    Shot in Cuba in 1961, this documentary follows a volunteer militia brigade organized in defense of the Cuban Revolution. Joris Ivens and his crew observe military training, daily life, and collective discipline among civilian volunteers. The film emphasizes popular mobilization as a defining feature of the revolutionary state.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  26. The Russian Cracker (1999)

    Russia is grappling with a critical issue: they have become the country with the most at large serial killers in the world particularly concentrated in Rostov, the same city that witnessed Andrei Chikatilo's infamous killing spree. In response, law enforcement has turned to Dr. Alexander Bukhanovsky, a prominent psychiatrist and criminal profiler, who is implementing radical measures to understand the root causes of this phenomenon and develop effective solutions. Within Dr. Bukhanovsky's clinic, we encounter three of his young patients: Edward and Igor, whose families express deep concerns about their disturbing fantasies, and 'Mischa', who has perpetrated acts of torture and sexual assault. Dr. Bukhanovsky's approach is groundbreaking, offering treatment to potential serial offenders. However, critics argue that by keeping individuals like 'Mischa' anonymous, he may inadvertently shield them from public awareness and accountability, prompting debate over the ethics of his methods.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  27. Ernest Hemingway: Wrestling with Life (1997)

    A&E's long-running biography series takes a look at one of the 20th century's most emblematic figures, Ernest Hemingway. Through a collection of still photography, narration by granddaughter Mariel Hemingway, commentary from author A.E. Hotchner and publisher Charles Scribner, and readings from Hemingway's writing (including personal letters and unpublished works) by Scott Glenn, the film takes us from the man's Midwestern childhood roots up through the tragic suicide that serves as a bittersweet exclamation on what is otherwise considered to be a life of profound accomplishment.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  28. Georges Marchais, l’homme qui avait choisi son camp (2022)

    Both a political narrative and a psychological reflection, this documentary explores the personal journey of a quarry worker’s son from Calvados who rose to become the last great figure of the French Communist Party. It delves into the logic that shaped his path and his lasting impact on France’s history.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  29. Red Storm Rising: The Struggle for the American Communist Party (2025)

    Red Storm Rising” looks at the rise and fall of the American Communist Party, examining its political context, its leadership, its appeal to the American public, and why it never became mainstream.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  30. I Have Lived Many Lives (1983)

    A portrait of the leading female Bolshevik (and later Worker’s Opposition) revolutionary leader Alexandra Kollontai using her own words.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Like Cuba: An Island Out of Time and something else?

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Cuba: An Island Out of Time?

The closest matches to Cuba: An Island Out of Time are Cuba and the Cameraman (2017), Buena Vista Social Club (1999) and Comandante (2003). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Cuba: An Island Out of Time?

Start with Cuba and the Cameraman (2017), the closest match to Cuba: An Island Out of Time.

What is the highest-rated movie like Cuba: An Island Out of Time?

Buena Vista Social Club (1999), rated 7.5/10 by 394 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Cuba: An Island Out of Time?

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

Are there English movies like Cuba: An Island Out of Time?

Yes: Cuba and the Cameraman (2017), Buena Vista Social Club (1999) and Comandante (2003).

How are movies similar to Cuba: An Island Out of Time chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Cuba: An Island Out of Time, 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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