Movies like Bacon's Arena (2006)
The best movies like Bacon's Arena (2006) are My Mom Jayne (2025), Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022) and Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King (2020). If Bacon's Arena hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedI Am Heath Ledger (2017)7.4/10 from 233 votes
- NewestS4: The Bob Lazar Story (2026)Released 2026
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 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 thisChadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King (2020)
A tribute to Chadwick Boseman, celebrating his life and legacy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisIn the Realms of the Unreal (2004)
In the Realms of the Unreal is a documentary about the reclusive Chicago-based artist Henry Darger. Henry Darger was so reclusive that when he died his neighbors were surprised to find a 15,145-page manuscript along with hundreds of paintings depicting The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glodeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Cased by the Child Slave Rebellion.
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 thisBeyond 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 thisPublic Speaking (2011)
Martin Scorsese’s portrait of writer and social commentator Fran Lebowitz, celebrated for her sharp wit and observations on modern life. Filmed at New York’s Waverly Inn and intercut with archival footage and interviews, the documentary captures Lebowitz’s distinctive worldview through her spontaneous monologues and public appearances.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
Documentary about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans, based on his famous 1994 autobiography.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisS4: The Bob Lazar Story (2026)
Over 35 years after Bob Lazar's revelations, this documentary exposes secrets of a facility the government still denies. Featuring Lazar's testimony, recreations, and new evidence, it reopens a case that continues to spark global curiosity
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies 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 thisLove, Marilyn (2013)
Using the book 'Fragments', which collects Marilyn Monroe's poems, notes and letters, and with participation from the Arthur Miller and Truman Capote estates who have contributed more material, each of the actresses will embody the legend at various stages in her life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 this35 Up (1991)
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 · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like this42 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 · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLooking for Richard (1996)
Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 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 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 thisOne of Us (2017)
Penetrating the insular world of New York's Hasidic community, focusing on three individuals driven to break away despite threats of retaliation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Am Heath Ledger (2017)
The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFrancis Bacon: Fragments of a Portrait (1966)
Francis Bacon: Fragments of a Portrait explores the recurring themes in Bacon’s work, his influences and his life. The documentary is accompanied by a haunting score specially composed by Edwin Astley for the production.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Francis Bacon in His Own Words (2009)
A collection of BBC archive material about painter Francis Bacon, including a previously unseen interview recorded in 1965.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Píseň o sletu – II. část – Bratři a sestry (1949)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Last 24 Hours: Michael Jackson (2019)
The ultimate king of pop Michael Jackson spent his last hours battling insomnia and pleading with his personal physician. We explore the truth behind this and discover the real facts, with exclusive footage and testimonials.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Superbats (2022)
Director (USA), November 2022 TV hour science documentary on Bats for PBS NOVA and ARTE.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Un otage en liberté (TBA)
A documentary film crew investigates whether Richard Cloutier, who went missing for five months in the summer of 2020, was actually kidnapped or not, as he claims in media and on the Internet. But as the investigation progresses and new facts emerge, reality itself seems to start crumbling.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Mouse (2012)
Mouse: An autobiographical film (7min, sound, spring 2011). This autobiographical short documentary is made before and during the Iranian New Year (spring of 2011). This film also examines the imprisonment of Iranians inside Iran through featuring a mouse that seems to have taken control of everything.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Facing the Mirror (2012)
Dr. Kaveh Alizadeh, an Iranian born American plastic surgeon, has dedicated his life to offering hope and healing to those whose lives and bodies have been ravaged by war. Through the stories of a four-year-old boy and a middle-aged man, both disfigured in the recent war in Iraq, this film puts a human face on war's collateral damage and presents a lyrical journey of a doctor whose 'past' enables him to relate to the 'present' of his patients.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
El meu avi va anar a Cuba (2024)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Magma - Mattarella, the perfect murder (2025)
Through distinguished testimonies, Magma - Matteotti, the Perfect Crime reconstructs a tumultuous period in our country's history, still shrouded in unresolved shadows. Starting from the murder of Christian Democrat politician Piersanti Mattarella, President of the Sicilian Region and brother of our current President, Sergio Mattarella—still without a culprit after 45 years—the film investigates the dark plots, the Red Brigades, rogue intelligence services, Gladio, and everything that simmered in the magma (chosen as a powerful symbol and narrative counterpoint) behind the violent deaths of Honorable Aldo Moro, magistrate and university professor Vittorio Bachelet (with firsthand testimony from Rosy Bindi, his assistant and direct witness to the attack), and the massacre at Bologna station—all events that occurred within the span of two years.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Bacon's Arena?
The closest matches to Bacon's Arena are My Mom Jayne (2025), Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022) and Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Bacon's Arena?
Start with My Mom Jayne (2025), the closest match to Bacon's Arena.
What is the highest-rated movie like Bacon's Arena?
I Am Heath Ledger (2017), rated 7.4/10 by 233 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Bacon's Arena?
S4: The Bob Lazar Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Bacon's Arena?
Yes: My Mom Jayne (2025), Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022) and Chadwick Boseman: A Tribute for a King (2020).
How are movies similar to Bacon's Arena chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Bacon's Arena, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.