Movies like Just What Can You Do? (1972)
The best movies like Just What Can You Do? (1972) are David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived (2023), Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024) and Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003). If Just What Can You Do? hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)8.1/10 from 229 votes
- NewestVieillir et jouir sans entraves (2026)Released 2026
David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived (2023)
As Daniel Radcliffe's stunt double in the Harry Potter films, David Holmes' work has been seen worldwide by millions of people. Tragically an on-set accident ended what David calls "the best job in the world," leaving him paralyzed. Like the on-screen character he helped bring to life, David is determined to continue seeking adventure and living life to the fullest despite mounting obstacles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)
Christopher Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After becoming a quadriplegic, he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and care.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisCharlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003)
Brilliant, long in-the-works story of the life and art of the world's greatest comedian and the cinema's first genius, Charlie Chaplin. Produced, written and directed by renowned film critic Richard Schickel.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe 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 thisStruggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018)
Artists in LA discover the work of forgotten Polish sculptor Stanislav Szukalski, a mad genius whose true story unfolds chapter by astounding chapter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDisclosure (2020)
An investigation of how Hollywood's fabled stories have deeply influenced how Americans feel about transgender people, and how transgender people have been taught to feel about themselves.
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 thisDirected 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 thisSTILL: A Michael J. Fox Movie (2023)
A short kid from a Canadian army base becomes the international pop culture darling of the 1980s—only to find the course of his life altered by a stunning diagnosis. What happens when an incurable optimist confronts an incurable disease?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSense8: Creating the World (2015)
Go behind the scenes and around the world with the "Sense8" cast and crew in this in-depth look at how the hit series is made.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSeduced and Abandoned (2013)
SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.
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 thisI Am Vanessa Guillen (2022)
Vanessa Guillen was 20 years old when she was found murdered at a US Army base. Rather than submit to silence, her family fought for justice and change.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMy Date with Drew (2005)
Ever since the second grade when he first saw her in E.T. The Extraterrestrial, Brian Herzlinger has had a crush on Drew Barrymore. Now, 20 years later he's decided to try to fulfill his lifelong dream by asking her for a date. There's one small problem: She's Drew Barrymore and he's, well, Brian Herzlinger, a broke 27-year-old aspiring filmmaker from New Jersey.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
SnoozefestMovies like thisChris Brown: Welcome to My Life (2017)
This compelling Documentary moves beyond the spotlight and past the attention-grabbing headlines to give pop superstar Chris Brown a chance to tell his own story. New interviews with the international phenomenon reveal long-awaited answers about his passion for making music, his tumultuous and much publicized relationships, and the pitfalls of coming of age in the public eye. Also included is new concert footage, behind-the-scenes access, and special interviews from Usher, Jennifer Lopez, DJ Khaled, Mike Tyson, Jamie Foxx and others.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPowaqqatsi (1988)
An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisGilbert (2017)
The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhat Is a Woman? (2022)
Matt Walsh's controversial doc challenges radical gender ideology through provocative interviews and humor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe September Issue (2009)
A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPuberty: Sexual Education For Boys and Girls (1991)
This sex education movie explore themes of body development, sexual hygiene, masturbation, menstruation, puberty, sex and giving birth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Asking For It: the Ethics & Erotics of Sexual Consent (2010)
The line between sexual consent and sexual coercion is not always as clear as it seems -- and according to Harry Brod, this is exactly why we should approach our sexual interactions with great care. Brod, a professor of philosophy and leader in the pro-feminist men's movement, offers a unique take on the problem of sexual assault, one that complicates the issue even as it clarifies the bottom-line principle that consent must always be explicitly granted, never simply assumed. In a nonthreatening, non-hectoring discussion that ranges from the meanings of "yes" and "no" to the indeterminacy of silence to the way alcohol affects our ethical responsibilities, Brod challenges young people to envision a model of sexual interaction that is most erotic precisely when it is most thoughtful and empathetic.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Vieillir et jouir sans entraves (2026)
One of society’s last taboos is elderly desire, which remains strong for many: half of older adults remain sexual. Advances in medicine and lifestyle mean people in their 70s, 80s, or 90s can still explore and enjoy intimacy. Yet society often ignores this—aged bodies are deemed unattractive, and sexual desire beyond tenderness is stigmatized, sometimes leading to mistreatment in care homes where couples are separated. The documentary Vieillir et jouir sans entraves confronts this taboo. Featuring celebrities and real-life couples—including Francine and Marc (60 years together) and gay couple Jean-Marc and Alain (34 years together)—it explores aging bodies, love, sexuality, and the challenges of libido and illness. The film highlights initiatives supporting sexual expression for older adults, including LGBT-friendly housing and sex-positive care, urging society to rethink its view of aging intimacy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Pas d'excuses, pas de limites (2016)
Luca Patuelli is an internationally renown Bboy dancer known as LazyLegz. He born with Arthrogryposis, a disorder that makes the use of his legs almost impossible. For the past few years, he has been the head of a Hip Hop dance program: Projet RAD, an urban dance program in which he gives people with disabilities a chance to follow inclusive classes in a safe environment adapted to their needs.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Is There Anybody Out There? (2023)
While navigating daily discrimination, a filmmaker who inhabits and loves her unusual body searches the world for another person like her, and explores what it takes to love oneself fiercely despite the pervasiveness of ableism.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Dream Touch Believe (2025)
Dream Touch Believe is an award-winning, critically acclaimed feature documentary that follows the inspiring story of Santa Clara Pueblo sculptor Michael Naranjo. As a young man Naranjo lost his eyesight in the Vietnam War, but not his vision. He fought past critics and a war injury to achieve his lifelong dream of becoming an acclaimed artist.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Man & Wife: An Educational Film for Married Adults (1969)
Hosted by some unnamed escapee from a twelve-step program, Man and Wife, moves from anatomy charts and Asian erotic art into actual footage of two couples demonstrating nearly fifty different sexual positions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
SnoozefestMovies like thisVoices from the Shadows (TBA)
‘Voices from the Shadows’ shows the brave and sometimes heartrending stories of five ME patients and their carers, along with input from Dr Nigel Speight, Prof Leonard Jason and Prof Malcolm Hooper. These were filmed and edited between 2009 and 2011, by the brother and mother of an ME patient in the UK. It shows the devastating consequences that occur when patients are disbelieved and the illness is misunderstood. Severe and lasting relapse occurs when patients are given inappropriate psychological or behavioural management: management that ignores the severe amplification of symptoms that can be caused by increased physical or mental activity or exposure to stimuli, and by further infections. A belief in behavioural and psychological causes, particularly when ME becomes very severe and chronic, following mismanagement, is still taught to medical students and healthcare professionals in the UK. As a consequence, situations similar to those shown in the film continue to occur.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
This Film Is Not Yet Rated (2006)
Kirby Dick's provocative documentary investigates the secretive and inconsistent process by which the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) rates films, revealing the organization's underhanded efforts to control culture. Dick questions whether certain studios get preferential treatment and exposes the discrepancies in how the MPAA views sex and violence.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLa teoría del espiralismo (2009)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Like Just What Can You Do? and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Just What Can You Do??
The closest matches to Just What Can You Do? are David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived (2023), Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024) and Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Just What Can You Do??
Start with David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived (2023), the closest match to Just What Can You Do?.
What is the highest-rated movie like Just What Can You Do??
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024), rated 8.1/10 by 229 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Just What Can You Do??
Vieillir et jouir sans entraves (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Just What Can You Do??
Yes: David Holmes: The Boy Who Lived (2023), Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024) and Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003).
How are movies similar to Just What Can You Do? chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Just What Can You Do?, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.