Movies like National Geographic: The Story of Earth (2011)
The best movies like National Geographic: The Story of Earth (2011) are Naqoyqatsi (2002), Powaqqatsi (1988) and Earth: One Amazing Day (2017). If National Geographic: The Story of Earth hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
National Geographic: The Story of Earth
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBaraka (1992)8.2/10 from 735 votes
- NewestWildlife on the Edge 2: Bears (2025)Released 2025
Naqoyqatsi (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 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 thisEarth: One Amazing Day (2017)
An astonishing journey revealing the awesome power of the natural world. Over the course of one single day, we track the sun from the highest mountains to the remotest islands to exotic jungles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
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 thisOne Life (2011)
One Life captures unprecedented and beautiful sequences of animal behaviour guaranteed to bring you closer to nature than ever before, as well as a second disc packed full of never before seen extras including an exclusive making of featurette narrated by Daniel Craig.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCharles Darwin and the Tree of Life (2009)
Darwin's great insight – that life has evolved over millions of years by natural selection – has been the cornerstone of all David Attenborough’s natural history series. In this documentary, he takes us on a deeply personal journey which reflects his own life and the way he came to understand Darwin’s theory.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisBehind the Planet of the Apes (1998)
Roddy McDowall takes you, film by film, from production meetings to make-up sessions, then right onto the movie set to see the actual filming of the science fiction masterpiece. The most comprehensive history of Planet of the Apes ever created, this fascinating 127-minute documentary explores one of the most imaginative and influential series in movie history.
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 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 thisEarth (2007)
An epic story of adventure, starring some of the most magnificent and courageous creatures alive, awaits you in EARTH. Disneynature brings you a remarkable story of three animal families on a journey across our planet – polar bears, elephants and humpback whales.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Year Earth Changed (2021)
Never-before-seen footage shows how our living in lockdown opened the door for nature to bounce back and thrive. Across the seas, skies, and lands, Earth found its rhythm when we came to a stop.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies 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 thisCapital in the Twenty-First Century (2019)
Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 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 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 thisThe Summers of It - Chapter Two: It Ends (2019)
This documentary focuses on the actors and their journey over two summers to create the remake to the original IT, by Stephen King. The documentary originally released as bonus material, bundled with IT: Chapter Two.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Irishman: In Conversation (2019)
Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino in conversation about The Irishman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Peter Kay Story (2016)
Documentary tracing the remarkable career of one of Britain’s best-loved and most successful comedians. Charting Peter’s journey from humble beginnings to superstardom featuring contributions from people who know him or have worked with him, as well as his fans and biographers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Wildlife on the Edge 2: Bears (2025)
Narrated by actor Tim Daly, the show looks at the dilemma of Black Bears living so close Los Angeles. Film features homeowners Brian and Rick who are dealing with Bears swimming in their pool; and features state Fish and Wildlife Officers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
National Parks Exploration Series: The Black Hills and The Badlands - Gateway to the West (2012)
Nestled in the heart of America s great plains are contrasting tastes of a sacred land that beckons the visitor to enter the nation's mysterious and glorious West. A land of soaring pinnacles, deep canyons, hidden caves, national monuments and countless wildlife sanctuaries. It is also the place of the inglorious death of famed gunslinger, Wild Bill Hickok and the most sacred spot for the Lakota Sioux. Enjoy breathtaking aerial views and amazing tours with park rangers. Discover the wonder and awe of these contrasting spectacles of the West, one soaring, rich in forest and water and other barren and deeply eroded, which are brought to together by a shared geology and history. They are the Gateway to the Great American West. They are the Black Hills and the Badlands.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Kingdom of the Apes: Battle Lines (2014)
Gorillas and Chimpanzees struggle for power and dominance within their clans.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Man Among Cheetahs (2017)
A wildlife filmmaker tries to keep up with a Cheetah mom determined to keep her cubs alive.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Secrets of the King Cobra (2010)
A new scientific expedition follows the King Cobra into the wild for the first time.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Sharks of Lost Island (2013)
A team of explorers set out to explore the sea and land of the remote Pitcairn Islands
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Metamorphosis 2024 (2024)
METAMORPHOSIS brought to you by Tanuj Samaddar FRSA in collaboration with the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Art of Health Zim and Ardent Creative addressing issues on mental health faced by the youths today. The video series is a series focusing on mental health issues faced by the youths in general. The series will include individual episodes on a separate subtopic on mental health issue released on a monthly basis. The production has been done in collaboration with the Art of Health Zimbabwe by Tanuj Samaddar FRSA.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Salt in their Veins (2024)
This short film focuses on the Bajo of Southeast Sulawesi, Indonesia, highlighting their strong bond with the sea and the challenges small-scale fishing communities face. Impacted by overfishing, pollution, and biodiversity loss, they are struggling to survive.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Antarctica, in the footsteps of the Emperor (2016)
Gombessa Expedition 3 Protected by an international treaty Antarctica has been spared the effects of hunting and fishing. But signs in ice’s cyclical patterns and its biodiversity have become worrying. Connected to the planet’s global ecosystem via atmospheric circulation and ocean currents, this white haven is suffering the effects of human activities. To document and explain what is unfolding in Antarctica, photographer, diver, and marine biologist Laurent Ballesta and photographer of extreme environments Vincent Munier will be blending their artistic perspectives of a rapidly changing continent. Laurent will tackle technical and human prowess below the ice to bear witness to its remarkable underwater life. His photographs will advance knowledge on Antarctica’s unique and little-known biodiversity. On land, his eye riveted to the lens of his camera, Vincent captures snapshots of life in an Emperor Penguin colony.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like National Geographic: The Story of Earth?
The closest matches to National Geographic: The Story of Earth are Naqoyqatsi (2002), Powaqqatsi (1988) and Earth: One Amazing Day (2017). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after National Geographic: The Story of Earth?
Start with Naqoyqatsi (2002), the closest match to National Geographic: The Story of Earth.
What is the highest-rated movie like National Geographic: The Story of Earth?
Baraka (1992), rated 8.2/10 by 735 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like National Geographic: The Story of Earth?
Wildlife on the Edge 2: Bears (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like National Geographic: The Story of Earth?
Yes: Naqoyqatsi (2002), Powaqqatsi (1988) and Earth: One Amazing Day (2017).
How are movies similar to National Geographic: The Story of Earth chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside National Geographic: The Story of Earth, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.