Movies like First Descent (2005)
The best movies like First Descent (2005) are Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (2022), Riding Giants (2004) and Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023). If First Descent hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSelena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)8.4/10 from 624 votes
- NewestA Toxic Love Story (2026)Released 2026
Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (2022)
A wide-ranging, definitive look at Hawk’s life and iconic career, and his relationship with the sport with which he’s been synonymous for decades, featuring unprecedented access, never-before-seen footage, and interviews with Hawk and prominent figures in the sport including Stacy Peralta, Rodney Mullen, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Steve Caballero, Neil Blender, Andy MacDonald, Duane Peters, Sean Mortimer, and Christian Hosoi.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRiding Giants (2004)
Riding Giants is story about big wave surfers who have become heroes and legends in their sport. Directed by the skateboard guru Stacy Peralta.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnna 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 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 thisSelena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)
After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisEvil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025)
Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAthlete A (2020)
Follow the Indianapolis Star reporters that broke the story about USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's abuse and hear from gymnasts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGrizzly Man (2005)
Follows the story of "Grizzly Man" Timothy Treadwell and what the thirteen summers in a National Park in Alaska were like in his attempt to protect the grizzly bears. The film is full of unique images and a look into the spirit of a man who sacrificed himself for nature.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWick Is Pain (2025)
Witness the never-before-seen footage and true story behind the John Wick phenomenon – from independent film to billion-dollar franchise.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Beach Boys (2024)
A celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized pop music, and the iconic, harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream, captivating fans for generations and generations to come.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTravis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly (2019)
While crafting his Grammy-nominated album "Astroworld," Travis Scott juggles controversy, fatherhood and career highs in this intimate documentary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIcarus (2017)
While investigating the furtive world of illegal doping in sports, director Bryan Fogel connects with renegade Russian scientist Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov—a pillar of his country's "anti-doping" program. Over dozens of Skype calls, urine samples, and badly administered hormone injections, Fogel and Rodchenkov grow closer despite shocking allegations that place Rodchenkov at the center of Russia's state-sponsored Olympic doping program.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShawn Mendes: In Wonder (2020)
A portrait of singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes' life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies 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 thisOne Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 (2026)
An inside look at the years of effort and craft that went into the final installment of the Duffer Brothers' generation-defining series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Final: Attack on Wembley (2024)
As England reach the final of the Euros at last, 6,000 ticketless football fans storm Wembley stadium, leaving destruction in their wake.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGeneration Iron 2 (2017)
From the director of Generation Iron, comes the anticipated sequel that will depict 5 of the top bodybuilding and fitness mega-stars on a quest of achieving the ultimate physique and taking it to the next extreme level. In the world of social media and internet, the rules have changed as to what makes an iconic bodybuilding mass-monster. Starring Kai Greene, Calum Von Moger, Rich Piana, among others, this film will explore an all new generation of bodybuilders and how this new world, and new people, carve their own path to physique perfection.
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 thisGame of Thrones: The Last Watch (2019)
For a year, acclaimed British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay was embedded on the set of the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones,” chronicling the creation of the show’s most ambitious and complicated season. Debuting one week after the series 8 finale, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH delves deep into the mud and blood to reveal the tears and triumphs involved in the challenge of bringing the fantasy world of Westeros to life in the very real studios, fields and car-parks of Northern Ireland. Made with unprecedented access, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH is an up-close and personal portrait from the trenches of production, following the crew and the cast as they contend with extreme weather, punishing deadlines and an ever-excited fandom hungry for spoilers. Much more than a “making of” documentary, this is a funny, heartbreaking story, told with wit and intimacy, about the bittersweet pleasures of what it means to create a world – and then have to say goodbye to it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMeru (2015)
Meru is the electrifying story of three elite American climbers—Conrad Anker, Jimmy Chin, and Renan Ozturk—bent on achieving the impossible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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
Mind/Game: The Unquiet Journey of Chamique Holdsclaw (2015)
Women's college basketball player Chamique Holdsclaw battles mental illness.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Floating in the River of Time (2020)
A meditative observation of the poetry present in the world of Pedrito, an elderly man of the mountains and relic of a time that no longer exists, while he comes to an understanding of his physical mortality and becomes aware of his spiritual immortality.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Be Legendary: A Devin Booker Documentary (2021)
The journey of Devin Booker is one of loyalty and patience. After years of being under the radar, receiving little national recognition due to playing for a team at the bottom of the NBA, Booker has helped lead the Phoenix Suns to the Western Conference Finals. Very few saw this transformation coming, but if you look back at his story...you wouldn't expect anything different.
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
The Equalizer (2016)
Virtual competition of athletes from the past and present.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Comala (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
THE 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
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
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like First Descent?
The closest matches to First Descent are Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (2022), Riding Giants (2004) and Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after First Descent?
Start with Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (2022), the closest match to First Descent.
What is the highest-rated movie like First Descent?
Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022), rated 8.4/10 by 624 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like First Descent?
A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like First Descent?
Yes: Tony Hawk: Until the Wheels Fall Off (2022), Riding Giants (2004) and Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023).
How are movies similar to First Descent chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside First Descent, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.