Movies like Mao, the Real Man (1995)
The best movies like Mao, the Real Man (1995) are Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead (2015), Roger & Me (1989) and An Honest Liar (2014). If Mao, the Real Man hooked you with its documentary and history, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedRoger & Me (1989)7.1/10 from 329 votes
- NewestHachazo (2026)Released 2026
Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead (2015)
A look at the history of the American comedy publication and production company, National Lampoon, from its beginning in the 1970s to 2010, featuring rare and never before seen footage, this is the mind boggling story of The National Lampoon from its subversive and electrifying beginnings, to rebirth as an unlikely Hollywood heavyweight, and beyond. A humour empire like no other, the impact of the magazines irreverent, often shocking, sensibility was nothing short of seismic: this is an institution whose (drunk stoned brilliant) alumni left their fingerprints all over popular culture. Both insanely great and breathtakingly innovative, The National Lampoon created the foundation of modern comic sensibility by setting the bar in comedy impossibly high.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRoger & Me (1989)
A documentary about the closure of General Motors' plant at Flint, Michigan, which resulted in the loss of 30,000 jobs. Details the attempts of filmmaker Michael Moore to get an interview with GM CEO Roger Smith.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAn Honest Liar (2014)
An Honest Liar tells the incredible story of the world-famous magician, escape artist, and world-renowned enemy of deception, James 'The Amazing' Randi. The film brings to life Randi's intricate investigations that publicly exposed psychics, faith healers, and con-artists with quasi-religious fervor. A master deceiver who came out of the closet at the age of 81, Randi created fictional characters, fake psychics, and even turned his partner of 25 years, Jose Alvarez, into a sham guru named Carlos.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both history & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Amazing Johnathan Documentary (2019)
What begins as a documentary following the final tour of a dying magician - "The Amazing Johnathan" - becomes an unexpected and increasingly bizarre journey as the filmmaker struggles to separate truth from illusion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTropic Thunder: Rain of Madness (2008)
A behind-the-scenes mockumentary of Tropic Thunder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Accountant of Auschwitz (2018)
Oskar Gröning, known as the "Accountant of Auschwitz," was charged with the murder of 300,000 Jews. When he took the stand in 2015, at the age of 94, his trial made headlines worldwide.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mystery of D.B. Cooper (2020)
This documentary brings to life the stories of four people believed by their family and friends to be “DB Cooper,” a man who hijacked a 727 flying out of Seattle and jumped from the plane over the wilds of Washington State with a parachute and $200,000, never to be heard from again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Making of Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog (2007)
The making of 'Dr. Horrible's Sing-Along Blog'.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBlue Collar Comedy Tour: The Movie (2003)
The comedic stylings of four sort-of famous funnymen are brought to the big screen courtesy of this 2002 documentary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWindy City Heat (2003)
A man caught up in the glamor of being a Hollywood celebrity has no idea that the production he's in is a fake.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAmerican Pie: Revealed (2004)
Documentary about the making of American Pie (1999), American Pie 2 (2001) and American Wedding (2003).
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrevor Noah: You Laugh But It's True (2011)
In the world of stand-up comedy in South Africa, Trevor Noah uses his childhood experiences in a biracial family during apartheid to prepare for his first one-man show.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park (2011)
Viewers will get a look at Parker and Stone's thought process as they approach a new episode and the 24/7 grind they subject themselves to each time the show is in production. The documentary also includes in-depth interviews with Parker and Stone about their working partnership and reflections on highlights from their careers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPatton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping (2016)
Patton Oswalt delivers a fresh hour plus of stand-up, covering everything from misery to defeat to hopelessness. It's his most upbeat special to date.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJackass Presents: Bad Grandpa .5 (2014)
Bad Grandpa .5 gives you a whole new perspective on the world of Irving Zisman with bonus scenes and pranks also featuring Spike Jonze as "Gloria" and Catherine Keener as Irving's wife "Ellie", plus a look at the evolution of Johnny Knoxville's naughty alter-ego, the makeup effects, and a behind-the-scenes peek at the idiocy it takes to make a hidden camera movie in public.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDeath to 2021 (2021)
This comedic retrospective mixes archival footage and scripted sketches as it revisits all the dread — and occasional delight — that 2021 had to offer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)
Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Unknown Known (2013)
Former United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld discusses his career in Washington D.C. from his days as a congressman in the early 1960s to planning the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisComedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff (2010)
Time to hassle the Hoff at the rudest, raunchiest television event of the year--The Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff. From running in slo-mo on the beach to inspiring Germany with the power of cheesy pop--it's almost too easy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisComedy Central Roast of Bruce Willis (2018)
Bruce Willis goes from "Die Hard" to dead on arrival as some of the biggest names in entertainment serve up punches of their own to Hollywood's go-to action star. And with Roast Master Joseph Gordon-Levitt at the helm, nobody is leaving the dais unscathed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Sad Girls of the Mountains (2019)
Four depressed girls in a mountain hideout transform their misery into porn films. The arrival of two gonzo reporters threatens to upset the fragile balance of this feminist micro-utopia.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & comedy
Soneriada 5: Crime and Punishment (2025)
Chronicles the events that lead to Charlie Charlison's untimely death employing a cinéma vérité approach.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & documentary
Cosmetic Criminals (2024)
A short mockumentary detailing the rise of intergenerational cosmetic theft through the eyes of an affected family.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & documentary
Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places of My Life (2012)
Alan Partridge attempts a celebrity travelogue around his beloved Norwich.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
War in Vienna (1989)
A film about news, life and death. Before the media became so prevalent, we were concerned about our immediate neighborhood. At the end of the day, news was the subject of our conversations, but now it's possible to converse with someone at the other end of the globe. We do it all the time. It's simple. The world has become one big neighborhood. Now Headline News has replaced the back fence. That's the news service of the eigthies. It's a new idea and a new approach.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
SEAMUS. Now, Then and Before (2024)
An intertwining story of coincidence and closure. Now, then and before the "death" of his YouTube partner and best friend, Seamus tries to come to terms with his new predicament and create a final video for the channel, a sendoff to the last five years of friendship.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
A Mighty Wind (2003)
Three eclectic, never-quite-famous folk bands come together for the first time in decades following the death of their manager to put on an reunion concert in his honor, at the request of his son.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGuns on the Clackamas (1995)
Nigel Nado, the notable documentary filmmaker, is trying to make a movie about some people trying to make a movie. But everything is going wrong. The subject of his documentary, the western 'Guns on the Clackamas' is plagued with problems. The lead actress has a severe stutter. And since she also happens to be the Executive Producer's mistress, there's not much that can be done to remedy the situation. Unsuccessful in turning the movie into a yodeling extravaganza, they decide to fire the actress. This results in having her irate beau pull the plug on the film's financing. The beginning of the end is marked by cast members dropping like flies due to any number of reasons. Bad macaroni salad. Bad chili. Bad caterer. A camera dolly runs over a crew member, severing some key limb or another. Then since no cast member has survived, and the film's producers can't hire replacements, the 'Guns on Clackamas' makers must resort to solutions at once startling and hilarious.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Was halten Sie vom Tod der Wilma Montesi? (1977)
The life and death of the fictional star Wilma Montesi is reported in the form of a staged newsreel. Excerpts from films of various genres and eras are juxtaposed with "documentary material" about the star's public and private life. By stringing together clichés and cinematic quotations, a certain reporting and narrative style about the glamor and misery of show business is presented in a critical and ironic, but at the same time entertaining way.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Hachazo (2026)
A bachelor party becomes a mystery when the groom disappears without a trace.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Mao, the Real Man?
The closest matches to Mao, the Real Man are Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead (2015), Roger & Me (1989) and An Honest Liar (2014). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Mao, the Real Man?
Start with Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead (2015), the closest match to Mao, the Real Man.
What is the highest-rated movie like Mao, the Real Man?
Roger & Me (1989), rated 7.1/10 by 329 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Mao, the Real Man?
Hachazo (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Mao, the Real Man?
Yes: Drunk Stoned Brilliant Dead (2015), Roger & Me (1989) and An Honest Liar (2014).
How are movies similar to Mao, the Real Man chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Mao, the Real Man, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.