Movies like River Warrior (2026)
The best movies like River Warrior (2026) are Explorer: The Last Tepui (2022), African Cats (2011) and Free Solo (2018). If River Warrior hooked you with its documentary and adventure, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedPrincess Mononoke (1997)8.3/10 from 9,454 votes
- NewestPrompt: Make a Documentary (2026)Released 2026
Explorer: The Last Tepui (2022)
This documentary starring climber Alex Honnold and famous biologist Bruce Means document their expedition to the South American sky islands in search of new species and discoveries. Follows elite climber Alex Honnold and a world-class climbing team led by National Geographic Explorer and climber Mark Synnott on a grueling mission deep in the Amazon jungle as they attempt a first-ascent climb up a 1000 foot sheer cliff.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAfrican Cats (2011)
African Cats captures the real-life love, humor and determination of the majestic kings of the savanna. The story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother’s strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a once banished lion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFree Solo (2018)
Follow Alex Honnold as he attempts to become the first person to ever free solo climb Yosemite's 3,000 foot high El Capitan wall. With no ropes or safety gear, this would arguably be the greatest feat in rock climbing history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & adventure
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Dawn Wall (2017)
In an unbelievable story of perseverance, free climber Tommy Caldwell and climbing partner Kevin Jorgeson attempt to scale the impossible 3000ft Dawn Wall of El Capitan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & adventure
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisRacing Extinction (2015)
An unlikely team of activists and innovators hatches a bold mission to save endangered species.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBorn to Be Wild (2011)
Born to Be Wild observes various orphaned jungle animals and their day-to-day behavioural interactions with the individuals who rescue them and raise them to adulthood. The film unfurls in two separate geographic spheres. Half of it takes place in the rain forests of Borneo, where celebrated primatologist Dr. Birute Galdikas assists baby orangutans; the other half takes place on the arid savannahs of Kenya, where zoologist Dame Daphne Sheldrick works with baby elephant calves.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBaraka (1992)
A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global vision—an odyssey through landscape and time—that attempts to capture the essence of life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDeepsea Challenge 3D (2014)
Described as being a film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, James Cameron's "Deepsea Challenge 3D" tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer. The movie offers a unique insight into Cameron's world as he makes that dream reality – and makes history – by becoming the first person to travel solo to the deepest point on the planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKoyaanisqatsi (1983)
Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like this180° South (2010)
The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNaqoyqatsi (2002)
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOur Planet: Behind the Scenes (2019)
Years spent recording footage of creatures from every corner of the globe is bound to produce a bit of drama. Here's a behind-the-scenes look.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAn Inconvenient Truth (2006)
A documentary on Al Gore's campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGirl Rising (2013)
Nine filmmakers each profile a young girl from a different part of the world to weave a global tapestry of youth in the 21st century.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKiss the Ground (2020)
Sheds light on an alternative approach to farming called “regenerative agriculture” that could balance our climate, replenish our vast water supplies, and feed the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAlone in the Wilderness (2004)
Dick Proenneke retired at age 50 in 1967 and decided to build his own cabin in the wilderness at the base of the Aleutian Peninsula, in what is now Lake Clark National Park. Using color footage he shot himself, Proenneke traces how he came to this remote area, selected a homestead site and built his log cabin completely by himself. The documentary covers his first year in-country, showing his day-to-day activities and the passing of the seasons as he sought to scratch out a living alone in the wilderness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMountain (2017)
An epic cinematic and musical collaboration between SHERPA filmmaker Jennifer Peedom and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, that explores humankind's fascination with high places.
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 thisThe Deepest Breath (2023)
Bonded by their love of freediving, a record-setting champion and a heroic safety diver try to make history with a remarkable feat, ready to risk it all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisTHE QUEST: Everest VR (2024)
'THE QUEST: Everest VR' is a one-of-a-kind "real-life" Virtual Reality documentary to climb and reveal the most legendary mountain on earth, Mt. Everest, in stunning 360 degree video! It is the only real-life Virtual Reality experience that puts you directly in the boots with filmmaker and explorer, Alex Harz, on an epic 52 day quest to the Top of the World (29,032 feet / 8849 meters), and the closest thing to climbing Everest without all the rigorous training, planning and high risk needed to physically step foot on the mountain! 'THE QUEST: Everest VR' can be experienced worldwide in Virtual Reality headsets, and on computers, phones, tablets, etc...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & adventure
Warriors of the Wind (1984)
After a global war, the seaside kingdom known as the Valley of the Wind remains one of the last strongholds on Earth untouched by a poisonous jungle and the powerful insects that guard it. Led by the courageous Princess Nausicaä, the people of the Valley engage in an epic struggle to restore the bond between humanity and Earth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisCode Name Lucy: Spies Against Nazis (TBA)
The greatest secret of the Second World War has remained a mystery for the last 80 years: a Jewish Communist, Sandor Rado, led a spy network that proved essential to the victory of Allied Forces. Rado received details of strictly confidential strategies from the highest echelons of the Nazi State through Rudolf Roessler, a dedicated anti-Nazi he'd only known as code name "Lucy." Aided by key German industry leaders, Roessler transmitted timely information from high-ranking collaborators within the German army headquarters. Despite their achievement, Rado, Roessler and their sources remained unacknowledged heroes until today. Thanks to the recent declassification of secret archives, we are now able to step behind the scenes of this incredible story.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Monkey on a Stick (2024)
The story of the Hare Krishna movement in the West, contrasting the spiritual exploration of its devotees with the leadership's systemic, long-term cover-up of criminality, moral decay and abuse of power.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Prompt: Make a Documentary (2026)
Prompt: Make a Documentary investigates the growing influence of artificial intelligence on the film industry. The documentary places the rise of AI within the broader historical context of cinema’s evolution, drawing parallels with earlier technological shifts such as the introduction of sound, colour, and digital visual effects. By revisiting landmark moments in film history, the film demonstrates that disruption has always been part of cinema’s DNA, while questioning whether AI represents a fundamentally different kind of change. Featuring insights from directors, academics, and practitioners, Prompt: Make a Documentary explores the tension between innovation and integrity, the democratisation of creative tools, and the ethical implications of automation in the arts. The film ultimately asks whether artificial intelligence will empower the next generation of storytellers or redefine creativity itself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Princess Mononoke (1997)
Ashitaka, a prince of the disappearing Emishi people, is cursed by a demonized boar god and must journey to the west to find a cure. Along the way, he encounters San, a young human woman fighting to protect the forest, and Lady Eboshi, who is trying to destroy it. Ashitaka must find a way to bring balance to this conflict.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisComala (2021)
A man’s journey to learn the story of his estranged father, a failed hitman killed several years ago. A man's journey to face the scattered members of his dysfunctional family and understand the life of his absent father, a failed hit man murdered years ago in a Mexican border town. While the story of the father takes shape, each family member comments on the behavioral patterns that influenced his criminal actions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
400km à pied jusqu'à Amsterdam (le plus gros défi de ma vie) (2023)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Milwaukee Cannibal (2026)
With documentary cartoonist Derf Backderf, a poignant look back at the story of ‘My Friend Dahmer’, an investigative graphic novel exploring existential issues. The author sets out to explore his adolescence, which was overshadowed by Jeffrey Dahmer, a former high school friend who went on to become a serial killer.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Can't Stop Eating (2006)
This documentary follows a small number of British people with an incurable genetic disease called Prader-Willi syndrome. This rare disorder makes the sufferer unable to control their eating habits. Prader–Willi syndrome is a rare genetic disorder in which seven genes (or some subset thereof) on chromosome 15 (q 11-13) are deleted or unexpressed (chromosome 15q partial deletion) on the paternal chromosome. The film is set in Gretton House, near Kettering in England, which is a government-funded care home deliberately constructed to assist people with PWS. The film focuses on a new resident, Joe Blackburn, who is 21 and begins the documentary weighing over 30 stone (190 kg, 420 lbs) and with fears for his health. Resident Tamara Allwood is also featured, who was at one point close to death from overeating.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Like River Warrior and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like River Warrior?
The closest matches to River Warrior are Explorer: The Last Tepui (2022), African Cats (2011) and Free Solo (2018). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after River Warrior?
Start with Explorer: The Last Tepui (2022), the closest match to River Warrior.
What is the highest-rated movie like River Warrior?
Princess Mononoke (1997), rated 8.3/10 by 9,454 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like River Warrior?
Prompt: Make a Documentary (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like River Warrior?
Yes: Explorer: The Last Tepui (2022), African Cats (2011) and Free Solo (2018).
How are movies similar to River Warrior chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside River Warrior, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.