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Movies like Innovators of Japan Anime (2025)

The best movies like Innovators of Japan Anime (2025) are Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron (2024), Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023) and The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006). If Innovators of Japan Anime hooked you with its documentary, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron (2024)

    A documentary that chronicles the making of The Boy and the Heron, filmed with exclusive access to Studio Ghibli across an astonishing seven years.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies 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 · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. 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
  4. 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
  5. Marvel 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 this
  6. 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 · both documentary

    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 · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. Avatar: 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 this
  9. The Class of ‘92 (2013)

    A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. Casting By (2012)

    This essential new documentary pays tribute to the legacy of the late, legendary casting director Marion Dougherty and shines a light on one of the most overlooked and least understood crafts in filmmaking.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. 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 this
  12. 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
  13. 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
  14. Steve Jobs: Billion Dollar Hippy (2011)

    Broadly considered a brand that inspires fervour and defines cool consumerism, Apple has become one of the biggest corporations in the world, fuelled by game-changing products that tap into modern desires. Its leader, Steve Jobs, was a long-haired college dropout with infinite ambition, and an inspirational perfectionist with a bully's temper. A man of contradictions, he fused a Californian counterculture attitude and a mastery of the art of hype with explosive advances in computer technology. Insiders including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, the chairman who ousted Jobs from the company he founded, and Jobs' chief of software, tell extraordinary stories of the rise, fall and rise again of Apple with Steve Jobs at its helm. With Stephen Fry, world wide web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee and branding guru Rita Clifton, Evan Davis decodes the formula that took Apple from suburban garage to global supremacy.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. 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
  16. The Curse of the Dragon (1993)

    A 1993 documentary film about Bruce Lee. The film includes interviews from some of his fellow students and opponents who worked alongside him in his movies.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. Downloaded (2013)

    A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Halloween: 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 this
  19. 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 · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. The 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 this

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Innovators of Japan Anime?

The closest matches to Innovators of Japan Anime are Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron (2024), Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023) and The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Innovators of Japan Anime?

Start with Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron (2024), the closest match to Innovators of Japan Anime.

What is the highest-rated movie like Innovators of Japan Anime?

Beyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear (2022), rated 7.0/10 by 246 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Innovators of Japan Anime?

My Mom Jayne (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there Japanese movies like Innovators of Japan Anime?

Yes: Hayao Miyazaki and the Heron (2024).

How are movies similar to Innovators of Japan Anime chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Innovators of Japan Anime, 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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