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Movies like The Thunder Road: Making 'Explorers'

The best movies like The Thunder Road: Making 'Explorers' are The Skywalker Legacy (2020), Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023) and The Making of Star Wars (1977). If The Thunder Road: Making 'Explorers' hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. The Skywalker Legacy (2020)

    The story lives forever in this feature-length documentary that charts the making of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  2. 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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. The Making of Star Wars (1977)

    Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2 which includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. 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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. Dangerous 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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. Maria by Callas (2017)

    Told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs, the film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  7. 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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. The Director and the Jedi (2018)

    An intimate documentary delving into Rian Johnson's process as he comes in as a director new to the Star Wars universe.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. Secrets of the Force Awakens: A Cinematic Journey (2016)

    An inside look at the making of the movie Star Wars: Episode VII - The Force Awakens (2015), featuring footage and exclusive interviews with the actors and filmmakers.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. Diego Maradona (2019)

    Constructed from over 500 hours of never-before-seen footage, this documentary centers on the personal life and career of the controversial football player Diego Maradona who played for SSC Napoli and Argentina in the 1980s.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018)

    As his life comes to its end, famous Hollywood director Orson Welles puts it all on the line at the chance for renewed success with the film The Other Side of the Wind.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  12. Lost in La Mancha (2002)

    Fulton and Pepe's 2000 documentary captures Terry Gilliam's attempt to get The Man Who Killed Don Quixote off the ground. Back injuries, freakish storms, and more zoom in to sabotage the project.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025)

    The authorized documentary celebrating the film that redefined Hollywood, 50 years after its premiere. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors alongside Steven Spielberg, top shark scientists, and conservationists, the film uncovers the behind-the-scenes chaos and how the film launched the summer blockbuster, inspired a new wave of filmmakers, and paved the way for shark conservation that continues today.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. What We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018)

    A documentary exploring the legacy of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the reasons it went from the black sheep of Star Trek to a beloved mainstay of the franchise, and a brainstorm with the original writers on what a theoretical eighth season of the show could look like.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. Guillermo 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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. 42 Up (1999)

    Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies 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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. One 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

  19. 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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Skin: A History of Nudity in the Movies (2020)

    The definitive documentary on the history of nudity in feature films from the early silent days to the present, studying the changes in morality that led to the use of nudity in films while emphasizing the political, sociological and artistic changes that shaped that history. Skin will also study the gender inequality in presenting nude images in motion pictures and will follow the revolution that has created nude gender equality in feature films today.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Thunder Road: Making 'Explorers'?

The closest matches to The Thunder Road: Making 'Explorers' are The Skywalker Legacy (2020), Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023) and The Making of Star Wars (1977). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Thunder Road: Making 'Explorers'?

Start with The Skywalker Legacy (2020), the closest match to The Thunder Road: Making 'Explorers'.

What is the highest-rated movie like The Thunder Road: Making 'Explorers'?

Diego Maradona (2019), rated 7.4/10 by 455 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The Thunder Road: Making 'Explorers'?

Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like The Thunder Road: Making 'Explorers'?

Yes: The Skywalker Legacy (2020), Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023) and The Making of Star Wars (1977).

How are movies similar to The Thunder Road: Making 'Explorers' chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Thunder Road: Making 'Explorers', 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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