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Movies like The Journey (1987)

The best movies like The Journey (1987) are Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013), The Untold History Of The United States (2012) and Live Aid (1985). If The Journey hooked you with its documentary, these 24 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013)

    Taking inspiration from Peter M. Bracke's definitive book of the same name, this seven-hour documentary dives into the making of all twelve Friday the 13th films, with all-new interviews from the cast and the crew.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. The Untold History Of The United States (2012)

    Oliver Stone charts the history of the United States from the Second World War to the present.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  3. Live Aid (1985)

    Live Aid was held on 13 July 1985, simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, United States. It was one of the largest scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: watched live by an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion, across 150 nations. "It's twelve noon in London, seven AM in Philadelphia, and around the world it's time for Live Aid...!"

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. O.J.: Made in America (2016)

    A chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  5. Motel (2017)

    As Niagara Falls transformed from honeymoon capital of the world to Las Vegas North, corporate hotel chains and casinos cast a long shadow over the independent motels that once populated the town. The Continental survived the transition by converting its rooms into affordable housing units, becoming a home for those with few places to go. The night manager, Brian, once a freelance photographer who survived the horrors of war in Vietnam, shares his duties with his colleague Linda. Together they manage both the Continental and the individual struggles of its tenants, providing more than a roof over the heads of those who live under their supervision. Bringing a fresh focus to one of the most photographed places on Earth, director and cinematographer Jesse McCracken develops an intimate and caring portrait of the residents of this modest micro-community set against the backdrop of neon-lit tourist attractions.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  6. Slums: Cities of Tomorrow (2014)

    One billion people on our planet—one in six—live in shantytowns, slums or squats. Slums: Cities of Tomorrow challenges conventional thinking to propose that slums are in fact the solution, not the problem, to urban overcrowding caused by the massive migration of people to cities. (Lynne Fernie, HotDocs)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  7. Ten Seconds that Shook the World (1963)

    This film is a factual and chronological account of the events preceding the atomic bombing of Hiroshima during World War II and the significant effect of the atomic bomb on peacetime projects and events of the atomic age.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  8. Hell (2019)

    Chennu committed his first crime when he was 15 years old: being a street kid. And he entered hell: Pademba Road. The adult prison in Freetown. In hell, Mr. Sillah is in charge, and there is no hope. Chennu got out after four years. Now he wants to go back.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  9. Cuba and the Cameraman (2017)

    This revealing portrait of Cuba follows the lives of Fidel Castro and three Cuban families affected by his policies over the last four decades.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. Methadonia (2005)

    Shot over the course of 18 months in New York City's Lower East Side, METHADONIA sheds light on the inherent flaws of legal methadone treatments for heroin addiction by profiling eight addicts, in various stages of recovery and relapse, who attend the New York Center for Addiction Treatment Services (NYCATS).

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  11. Who Owns New Zealand Now? (2017)

    Award-winning documentary maker Bryan Bruce investigates New Zealand's housing crisis and what might be done to solve it. Bruce consults with recognised world experts (in Canada, Ireland and Germany) to discuss their global research – this time on foreign capital and housing affordability and the effect of immigration on house prices. Bruce also looks at some of the many possible solutions (available particularly in Germany) that would provide families with stability of tenure that don’t involve private ownership.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  12. Plano B (2014)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  13. Iran, Israel and the Bomb (2026)

    On February 28, 2026, the US and Israel launched massive strikes on Iran, claiming an imminent nuclear threat. This film traces how the world reached this point after more than three decades of shadow war over “the bomb”. Israel has tried to block Tehran’s nuclear drive with sabotage, assassinations and cyberwar – from the Stuxnet virus wrecking Natanz centrifuges to the AI-assisted killing of nuclear programme “father” Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, and a commando raid stealing 1.5 tonnes of secret nuclear archive files. Iran insists uranium enrichment is its sovereign right and key to national identity and regional power. As Israel pounded Iran’s nuclear facilities in June 2025 and systematically weakened its allies in Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and Yemen, nuclear talks continued in Geneva. Iran was edging towards diluting weapons-grade uranium – but Israel wasn’t prepared to wait, and pulled Washington into open war whose global consequences are only now beginning to unfold.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  14. The Salt Mines (1990)

    Explores the lives of Sara, Gigi and Giovanna, three Latino transvestites who for years have lived on the streets of Manhattan supporting their drug addictions through prostitution. They made their temporary home inside broken garbage trucks that the Sanitation Department keeps next to the salt deposits used in the winter to melt the snow. The three friends share the place known as "The Salt Mines".

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  15. The Point (1978)

    This documentary is a portrait of Point St. Charles, one of Montreal’s notoriously bleak neighbourhoods. Many of the residents are English-speaking and of Irish origin; many of them are also on welfare. Considered to be one of the toughest districts in all of Canada, Point St. Charles is poor in terms of community facilities, but still full of rich contrasts and high spirits – that is, most of the time.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  16. HOMELESS (2026)

    HOMELESS is a documentary that humanizes unhoused people and explores their backgrounds, dreams and struggles to find the way home. The film aims to raise awareness and funds to end homelessness, which is an ever more urgent global challenge: The United Nations Human Settlements Program estimates that 1.6 billion people live in inadequate housing, and the best available data suggests that more than 100 million people have no housing at all.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  17. Psywar (2010)

    This film explores the evolution of propaganda and public relations in the United States, with an emphasis on the elitist theory of democracy and the relationship between war, propaganda and class. Includes original interviews with a number of dissident scholars including Noam Chomsky, Howard Zinn, Michael Parenti, Peter Phillips (Project Censored), John Stauber (PR Watch), Christopher Simpson (The Science of Coercion) and others. A deep, richly illustrated study of the nature and history of propaganda, featuring some of the world’s most insightful critics, Psywar exposes the propaganda system, providing crucial background and insight into the control of information and thought.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  18. Rhino Man (2024)

    RHINO MAN follows the courageous field rangers who risk their lives every day to protect South Africa's rhinos from being poached to extinction.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  19. L'antimiracolo (1965)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  20. Bitter Lake (2015)

    An experimental documentary that explores Saudi Arabia's relationship with the U.S. and the role this has played in the war in Afghanistan.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  21. Something Better to Come (2014)

    Right outside of Moscow – home to the highest number of billionaires pr. capita – you’ll find the largest junkyard in the world: The Svalka. It’s a hard place run by the Russian mafia. And it's where Yula lives with her mother, her friends and many other people. Life is tough in the Svalka, but it’s also a place where beauty and humanity can arise from the most unlikely conditions. It is from this place that Yula dreams of escaping and changing her life, even if it seems impossible. Oscar-nominated director Hanna Polak followed Yula for 14 years, bringing us along on Yula's journey to achieve this dream.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  22. Seattle Freeway Revolt (2020)

    In the 1950s, Seattle had plans to build one of the densest networks of freeways in the world. It would have displaced thousands, especially the poor and people of color. Over the next two decades, a broad coalition of communities came together and halted these plans. Testimonies from that era are juxtaposed with interviews of activists who participated in the revolt, giving a picture of what Seattle could have been had the people not stood up to the highway lobby and their representatives.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  23. Tie Xi Qu: West of the Tracks (2004)

    A detailed look at the gradual decline of Shenyang’s industrial Tiexi district, an area that was once a vibrant example of China’s socialist economy. But industry is changing, and the factories of Tiexi are closing. Director Wang Bing introduces us to some of the workers affected by the closures, and to their families.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  24. The Phenomenon (2020)

    This documentary examines unidentified aerial phenomenon. With testimony from high-ranking government officials and NASA Astronauts, Senator Harry Reid says it "makes the incredible credible."

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like The Journey and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Journey?

The closest matches to The Journey are Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013), The Untold History Of The United States (2012) and Live Aid (1985). Below are 21 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Journey?

Start with Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013), the closest match to The Journey.

What is the highest-rated movie like The Journey?

O.J.: Made in America (2016), rated 8.4/10 by 271 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The Journey?

Iran, Israel and the Bomb (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like The Journey?

Yes: Crystal Lake Memories: The Complete History of Friday the 13th (2013), The Untold History Of The United States (2012) and Live Aid (1985).

How are movies similar to The Journey chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Journey, 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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