Movies like Nostalgia
The best movies like Nostalgia are The Metamorphosis of Birds (2021), All That Breathes (2022) and Van Gogh: Painted with Words (2010). If Nostalgia hooked you with its documentary and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedLife in a Day (2011)7.2/10 from 259 votes
- NewestO Que Acontece Por Trás Das Câmeras (2026)Released 2026
The Metamorphosis of Birds (2021)
Filmmaker Catarina Vasconcelos sifts through the memories of her ancestors. Her naval officer grandfather, Henrique, who married her grandmother, Beatriz, on her 21st birthday, spent extended periods at sea, leaving her with six children. This is the beginning of a generational saga.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAll That Breathes (2022)
Against the darkening backdrop of New Delhi's apocalyptic air and escalating violence, two brothers devote their lives to protecting one casualty of the turbulent times: the bird known as the black kite.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVan Gogh: Painted with Words (2010)
A drama-documentary presented by Alan Yentob, with Benedict Cumberbatch in the lead role. Every word spoken by the actors in this film is sourced from the letters that Van Gogh sent to his younger brother Theo, and of those around him. What emerges is a complex portrait of a sophisticated, civilised and yet tormented man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTen Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002)
Ten Minutes Older is a 2002 film project consisting of two compilation feature films entitled The Trumpet and The Cello. The project was conceived by the producer Nicolas McClintock as a reflection on the theme of time at the turn of the Millennium. Fifteen celebrated film-makers were invited to create their own vision of what time means in ten minutes of film.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTyson (2008)
Director James Toback takes an unflinching, uncompromising look at the life of Mike Tyson--almost solely from the perspective of the man himself. TYSON alternates between the controversial boxer addressing the camera and shots of the champion's fights to create an arresting picture of the man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLife in a Day (2011)
A documentary shot by filmmakers all over the world that serves as a time capsule to show future generations what it was like to be alive on the 24th of July, 2010.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story (2019)
A documentary chronicling Queen and Lambert's incredible journey since they first shared the stage together on "American Idol" in 2009.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisCome See Me in the Good Light (2025)
In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 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 thisLionel Messi: Destiny (2023)
Behind-the-scenes documentary about how Lionel Messi succeeded in lifting the World Cup – the only trophy to have eluded him in an incredible career.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHarmontown (2014)
A comedic, brutally honest documentary following self-destructive TV writer Dan Harmon as he takes his live podcast on a national tour.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012)
Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all way to the Vatican.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOLIVIA RODRIGO: driving home 2 u (a SOUR film) (2022)
Grammy® winner singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo takes a familiar road trip from Salt Lake City, where she began writing her debut album “SOUR,” to Los Angeles. Along the way, Rodrigo recounts the memories of writing and creating her record-breaking debut album and shares her feelings as a young woman navigating a specific time in her life. Through new live arrangements of her songs, intimate interviews and never-before-seen footage from the making of the album, audiences will follow Olivia along on a cinematic journey exploring the story of “SOUR.”
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Toxic Love Story (2026)
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisDavid Bowie: Five Years (2013)
Featuring a wealth of previously unseen archive, this film looks at how Bowie continually evolved: from Ziggy Stardust to the Soul Star of Young Americans, to the ‘Thin White Duke’. It explores his regeneration in Berlin with the critically acclaimed album Heroes, his triumph with Scary Monsters and his global success with Let’s Dance. With interviews with all his closest collaborators, David Bowie - Five Years presents a unique account of why Bowie has become an ‘icon of our times’.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDrew: The Man Behind the Poster (2013)
A documentary on legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDavid Byrne's American Utopia (2020)
A filmed version of David Byrne's Broadway show, a unifying musical celebration that inspires audiences to connect to each other and to the global community.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisQuando Eu Conheci o Cinema (2026)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & drama
O Que Acontece Por Trás Das Câmeras (2026)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Moon River (2026)
In the Amazon, Fábio and Igor experience a territory of discovery during their youth. This journey is interrupted by the departure of Fábio to another city. Twenty years later they meet again and, between memories and silences, they realize that they no longer remember the territory they once lived, only the fragmented and constantly shifting sentimental map, like the waters of the Benfica River.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
What Lies Between (2026)
In Taquaritinga, a small city in the countryside of São Paulo, Brazil, old movie theaters were once places of gathering, memory, and access to culture. Through the stories of these places, What Lies Between explores what remains when the screens go dark and the theaters disappear, reflecting on memory, urban transformation, and the democratization of cinema in Brazil.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Um Lugar, o Menino e o Vento (TBA)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
In the footsteps of Sérgio Cardoso (2026)
A century after his birth, Sérgio Cardoso — one of the greatest stars of Brazilian theater and television — still inhabits the country’s cultural imagination. A symbol of a generation that helped shape modern stage language in Brazil, his presence endures as an artistic, political, and emotional legacy. Through archives, memories, and the rehearsals of the play “Six Actors in Search of Sérgio Cardoso,” the documentary moves between past and present to explore not only the trajectory of a monumental actor, but also what remains of an artist when time transforms men into myth. As a new generation of performers attempts to rediscover his voice, rigor, and restless spirit, the film reveals how Sérgio Cardoso continues to resonate within contemporary theater — as a ghost, an inspiration, and a founding force of a stage tradition still trying to understand itself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Acid Rain: Stories from Crepúsculo de Cubatão (2026)
A documentary that brings together personal memories and rare footage of the nightclub that operated in Copacabana from 1984 to 1989. Featuring interviews with DJs, staff, and patrons of Crepúsculo de Cubatão, the film explores the influence of British culture on the music and behavior of young people who were then labeled “darks.” More than simply telling the story of a venue, the documentary reveals the origins and behind-the-scenes dynamics of the vibrant cultural scene in Rio de Janeiro that emerged during Brazil’s political opening.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
pequenos grandes momentos (2026)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Towar: The Melody of Rocas (TBA)
Through the memories of Fernando Towar, we journey into the life and legacy of a man born in Rocas who left an indelible mark on the city of Natal (RN) through politics, music, and the power of memory.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Like Nostalgia and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Nostalgia?
The closest matches to Nostalgia are The Metamorphosis of Birds (2021), All That Breathes (2022) and Van Gogh: Painted with Words (2010). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Nostalgia?
Start with The Metamorphosis of Birds (2021), the closest match to Nostalgia.
What is the highest-rated movie like Nostalgia?
Life in a Day (2011), rated 7.2/10 by 259 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Nostalgia?
O Que Acontece Por Trás Das Câmeras (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Nostalgia chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Nostalgia, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.