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Movies like Thursday's Children (1954)

The best movies like Thursday's Children (1954) are Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017), The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006) and Downloaded (2013). If Thursday's Children hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017)

    A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  2. The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006)

    A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  3. Downloaded (2013)

    A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  4. Elstree 1976 (2015)

    A documentary about ten very different lives connected by having appeared onscreen wearing masks or helmets in Star Wars.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  5. Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022)

    A feature length documentary about the all-women team at the helm of Pixar's original feature, Turning Red. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Director Domee Shi and her core leadership crew, this story shines a light on the powerful professional and personal journeys that brought this incredibly comical, utterly relatable, and deeply heartfelt story to the screen.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  6. The 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

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  7. Being James Bond (2021)

    Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  8. 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

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  9. Halloween: 25 Years of Terror (2006)

    Follow the evolution of the 'Halloween' movies over the past twenty-five years. It examines why the films are so popular and revisits many of the original locations used in the films - seeing the effects on the local community. For the first time, cast, crew, critics and fans join together in the ultimate 'Halloween' retrospective.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  10. The 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

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  11. I Am Ali (2014)

    Unprecedented access to Muhammad Ali's personal archive of "audio journals" as well as interviews and testimonials from his inner circle of family and friends are used to tell the legend's life story.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  12. American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince (1978)

    Martin Scorsese spends an evening with larger-than-life raconteur Steven Prince—a former drug addict, road manager for Neil Diamond, and actor—as he recounts stories from his colorful life.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  13. Heart of a Dog (2015)

    Musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother and her beloved dog.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  14. Capital 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

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  15. I 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

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  16. 56 Up (2012)

    When a cross-section of seven-year-olds were interviewed for 7 Up in 1964 it was immediately evident that their social backgrounds influenced their attitudes towards life. While the upper class children were confident and self-assured, those from middle and working class backgrounds were resigned to a challenging life of hard work. This premise was put to the test every seven years when the same group were interviewed about the progression of their lives. 49 years in the making, the changes that occurred to the original 14 make for fascinating television and are in many ways the stories of all our lives. From success and disappointment, marriage and childbirth, to poverty and illness, nearly every facet of life has been captured on film. Now, at the age of 56, the group are once more brought together and, with the benefit of hindsight, assess whether their lives have been ruled by circumstance or self-determination.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  17. One Soldier's Story: The Journey of American Sniper (2015)

    Join director Clint Eastwood and his creative team, along with Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller, as they overcome enormous creative and logistic obstacles to make a film that brings the truth of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's story to the screen.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

  18. Looking 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

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  19. Voyage of Time: The IMAX Experience (2016)

    A celebration of the universe, displaying the whole of time, from its start to its final collapse. This film examines all that occurred to prepare the world that stands before us now: science and spirit, birth and death, the grand cosmos and the minute life systems of our planet.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  20. The Captains (2011)

    The Captains is a feature-length documentary film written and directed by William Shatner. The film follows Shatner as he interviews the other actors who have portrayed starship captains in the Star Trek franchise.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  21. Chicken Real (1970)

    One of Les Blank's industrial films, which follows a Holly Farms "broiler" chicken from factory incubation to the county fair barbecue pit. A hilarious, disturbing and surreal look at a large-scale chicken farm producing 156 million chickens a year! Film includes lots of chicken songs and music recorded live in the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2013.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  22. Primary (1960)

    Primary is a documentary film about the primary elections between John F. Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey in 1960. Primary is the first documentary to use light equipment in order to follow their subjects in a more intimate filmmaking style. This unconventional way of filming created a new look for documentary films where the camera’s lens was right in the middle of what ever drama was occurring. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in partnership with The Film Foundation in 1998.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

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  23. The Sun's Gonna Shine (1969)

    A lyrical recreation of Lightnin’ Hopkins’ decision at age eight to stop chopping cotton and start singing for a living. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2013.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  24. Hoop Dreams (1994)

    Every school day, African-American teenagers William Gates and Arthur Agee travel 90 minutes each way from inner-city Chicago to St. Joseph High School in Westchester, Illinois, a predominately white suburban school well-known for the excellence of its basketball program. Gates and Agee dream of NBA stardom, and with the support of their close-knit families, they battle the social and physical obstacles that stand in their way. This acclaimed documentary was shot over the course of five years.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

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  25. Between East and West (1949)

    Short by Stuart Schulberg. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  26. Angels of Mercy (1940)

    Short film in support of the Red Cross showing civilian volunteers'work, radio and movie personalities at a fund-raising gala and encouraging recruitment. Deanna Durbin performs a song dedicated to the nurses. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  27. One Hand Don't Clap (1991)

    Kavery Kaul’s engaging documentary traces the history of calypso and soca music from their birth in the African-East Indian traditions of Trinidad and Tobago through its worldwide diaspora, including its popularization in the 1950s by Harry Belafonte and the new independent distribution networks that arose to serve the expatriate community in the 1980s.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  28. The Art Director (1949)

    A film's art director is in charge of the set, from conception to construction to furnishing. This short film walks the viewer through art directors' responsibilities and the demands on their talents. They read a script carefully and design a set to capture the time and place, the social strata, and the mood. They must be scholars of the history of architecture, furnishings, and fashion. They choose the colors on a set in anticipation of the lighting and the mood. Their work also sets styles, from Art Deco in the 20's to 30s modernism. Then it's on to the next project. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  29. Seeing Them Through (1945)

    Documentary short film reporting on the activities of the American Red Cross and the useage made of contributed funds for the previous year. Preserved by the Academy Film Archive in 2012.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  30. Gyromorphosis (1954)

    According to the director, "Gyromorphosis strives to bring into actuality the inherent kinetic qualities seen in the construction-sculpture of Constant Nieuwenhuys of Amsterdam. To realize this aim I have put into motion, one by one, pieces of this sculpture and, with colored lighting, filmed them in various detail, overlaying the images on the film as they appear and disappear. In this way, I have hoped to produce sensations of acceleration and suspension which are suggested to me by the sculpture itself."

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Like Thursday's Children and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Thursday's Children?

The closest matches to Thursday's Children are Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017), The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006) and Downloaded (2013). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Thursday's Children?

Start with Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017), the closest match to Thursday's Children.

What is the highest-rated movie like Thursday's Children?

Hoop Dreams (1994), rated 7.6/10 by 348 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Thursday's Children?

Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Thursday's Children?

Yes: Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017), The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006) and Downloaded (2013).

How are movies similar to Thursday's Children chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Thursday's Children, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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