Movies like An Apology to Elephants (2013)
The best movies like An Apology to Elephants (2013) are Monkey Kingdom (2015), Naledi: A Baby Elephant's Tale (2016) and Wings of Life (2011). If An Apology to Elephants hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedEarthlings (2005)8.1/10 from 352 votes
- NewestA Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough (2026)Released 2026
Monkey Kingdom (2015)
A newborn monkey and its mother struggle to survive within the competitive social hierarchy of the Temple Troop, a dynamic group of monkeys who live in ancient ruins found deep in the storied jungles of South Asia.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNaledi: A Baby Elephant's Tale (2016)
The incredible, true-life story of a baby elephant born into a rescue camp in the wilderness of Botswana. When she's suddenly orphaned at one month of age, it's up to the men who look after her herd to save her life.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Wings of Life (2011)
A beautiful love story in danger. Our future depends on an amazing love story between the flowers and fauna consisting of bees, butterflies, birds and bats, which allow these species to reproduce. Delicate and graceful, the flowers are not content to be the ultimate symbol of beauty. On the contrary, their vibrant colors and their exotic flavors are so many wonders that attract pollinators and drunk with desire. All these animals are involved in a complex dance of seduction on which one third of our crops, a dance without which we could survive ... Pollen presents the unsung heroes of the global food chain. Their fantastic worlds are full of stories, drama and beauty. While a fragile and threatened, essential for the balance of the planet, it should now actively protect ...
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKingdom of the Apes: Battle Lines (2014)
Gorillas and Chimpanzees struggle for power and dominance within their clans.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Secret Lives of Orangutans (2024)
Follow a multi-generational orangutan family through their treetop triumphs and travails in this immersive documentary narrated by David Attenborough.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Born in China (2016)
Venturing into the wilds of China, "Born in China" captures intimate moments with a panda bear and her growing cub, a young golden monkey who feels displaced by his baby sister, and a mother snow leopard struggling to raise her two cubs.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Last Lions (2011)
In Botswana's Okavango Delta, an ostracized lioness and her two cubs must fight alone to survive - overcoming all manner of hazards. Their only defense is to escape to Duba Island -- and with that, an unknown future. The setting for this epic tale is one of the last regions where lions can live in the wild. Faced with dwindling land and increasing pressure from hunting, lions - like our lone lioness and her cubs - are approaching the brink of extinction.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPangolin: Kulu's Journey (2025)
Rescued from poachers, an endangered baby pangolin embarks on a journey back to the wild with help from a devoted human guardian in this documentary.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Expedition China (2017)
Expedition China invites you on location in some of the world's most intense, hard-to-reach environments with the filmmakers of Disneynature's big-screen adventure Born in China.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Earth (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: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChimpanzee (2012)
A nature documentary centered on a family of chimps living in the Ivory Coast and Ugandan rain forests. Through Oscar, a little chimpanzee, we discover learning about life in the heart of the African tropical forest and follow his first steps in this world with humor, emotion and anguish. Following a tragedy, he finds himself separated from his mother and left alone to face the hostility of the jungle. Until he is picked up by an older chimpanzee, who will take him under her protection.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Secret Life of Cats (2014)
It is believed that cats are just indifferent and egotistic; but they are more complex, interesting and even cuter than is commonly imagined. The astonishing process by which a newborn kitten becomes a fully grown cat reveals the amazing and true secret life of cats.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Why on Earth (2022)
Travel the globe to experience the vital connection between humans, animals, and our planet through stunning, rarely before seen footage which exposes the effects that deforestation and the illegal trade of threatened and endangered species have on elephants, lions, sharks, orangutans, and more. By caring for these beautiful animals, we begin a healing process that will eventually help us all.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Vanishing of the Bees (2009)
This documentary takes a piercing investigative look at the economic, political and ecological implications of the worldwide disappearance of the honeybee. The film examines our current agricultural landscape and celebrates the ancient and sacred connection between man and the honeybee. The story highlights the positive changes that have resulted due to the tragic phenomenon known as "Colony Collapse Disorder." To empower the audience, the documentary provides viewers with tangible solutions they can apply to their everyday lives. Vanishing of the Bees unfolds as a dramatic tale of science and mystery, illuminating this extraordinary crisis and its greater meaning about the relationship between humankind and Mother Earth. The bees have a message - but will we listen?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough (2026)
Veteran naturalist Sir David Attenborough tells the story of a remarkable group of gorillas, from his first encounter in the '70s to the present day.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisJade Eyed Leopard (2020)
A small leopard with aquamarine eyes learns the fundamental skills of survival during her first three years.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Jane (2017)
Drawing from never-before-seen footage that has been tucked away in the National Geographic archives, director Brett Morgen tells the story of Jane Goodall, a woman whose chimpanzee research revolutionized our understanding of the natural world.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPlanet Earth II: A World of Wonder (2017)
A compilation episode of the wildlife documentary series presented by David Attenborough, uncovering the secrets of animals across the globe.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The Elephant Queen (2019)
Embark on an epic journey of family, courage, and coming home in this feature-length documentary. Join Athena, the majestic matriarch, as she leads her elephant herd across an unforgiving African landscape filled with vibrant wildlife.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPangolins: The World's Most Wanted Animal (2018)
In Namibia, conservationist Maria Diekmann found herself on the frontline of the battle to save these wanted animals after unexpectedly becoming a surrogate mother to an orphaned baby pangolin named Honey Bun. On an emotional journey, Diekmann travels to Asia to better understand the global issues facing pangolins, before joining forces with a Chinese megastar to help build a campaign to bring awareness to the plight of these surprisingly charming creatures.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Blackfish (2013)
Notorious killer whale Tilikum is responsible for the deaths of three individuals, including a top killer whale trainer. Blackfish shows the sometimes devastating consequences of keeping such intelligent and sentient creatures in captivity.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKoko: The Gorilla Who Talks to People (2016)
Documentary telling the extraordinary story of Koko, the only 'talking' gorilla in the world, and her lifelong relationship with Penny Patterson. Project Koko started as a PhD project to teach sign language to a baby gorilla, but as Koko began to communicate with Penny, an intense bond formed between them. Penny has now been with Koko for over 40 years and claims Koko can reveal fresh insights into the workings of an animal's mind. Koko's unique life with Penny has been filmed every step of the way. Over 2,000 hours of footage chart the most dramatic moments - Penny's battle to keep Koko from being taken back to the zoo in which she was born, Penny's clash with academic critics who doubted her claims and the image of Koko mourning the death of her kitten.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The Plastic Detox (2026)
This eye-opening documentary follows six couples with unexplained infertility as they lower their exposure to plastics in hopes it helps them conceive.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos (2008)
In the remote and forgotten wilderness of Lake Natron, in northern Tanzania, one of nature's last great mysteries unfolds: the birth, life and death of a million crimson-winged flamingos.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBorn Wild: The Next Generation (2020)
In celebration of the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, National Geographic presents BORN WILD: THE NEXT GENERATION hosted by “Good Morning America’s” co-anchor Robin Roberts. The one-hour television event presents stories of hope and gives viewers a revealing look at our planet’s next generation of baby animals and their ecosystems, which face daunting environmental changes. Filmed in stunning locations around the globe such as Australia, California, Hawaii, Minnesota, Sri Lanka and Kenya, National Geographic Explorers and ABC News correspondents take viewers on a journey to fascinating, breathtaking environments to witness and celebrate the diversity and splendor of charismatic baby animals, their families and habitats. The special is a worldwide celebration of our vibrant planet and the animals that inhabit it.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Lucy the Human Chimp (2021)
The profound story of Lucy Temerlin, a female chimpanzee raised as human from birth in a domestic environment, and Janis Carter, the woman who took on the seemingly impossible task of giving her a new life in the wild.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Earthlings (2005)
Using hidden cameras and never-before-seen footage, Earthlings chronicles the day-to-day practices of the largest industries in the world, all of which rely entirely on animals for profit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisFuck (2006)
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press (2017)
The courtroom and publicity battles between the superstar wrestler and the notorious website explode in a sensational trial all about the limits of the First Amendment and the new no holds barred nature of celebrity life in an internet dominated society.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLove, Antosha (2019)
From a prolific career in film and television, Anton Yelchin left an indelible legacy as an actor. Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, this film looks not just at Anton's impressive career, but at a broader portrait of the man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like An Apology to Elephants?
The closest matches to An Apology to Elephants are Monkey Kingdom (2015), Naledi: A Baby Elephant's Tale (2016) and Wings of Life (2011). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after An Apology to Elephants?
People who watched An Apology to Elephants most often go on to Monkey Kingdom (2015), Naledi: A Baby Elephant's Tale (2016) and Wings of Life (2011).
What is the highest-rated movie like An Apology to Elephants?
Earthlings (2005), rated 8.1/10 by 352 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like An Apology to Elephants?
A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like An Apology to Elephants?
Yes: Monkey Kingdom (2015), Naledi: A Baby Elephant's Tale (2016) and Wings of Life (2011).
How are movies similar to An Apology to Elephants chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside An Apology to Elephants, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.