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Movies like Bedford: The Town They Left Behind (2009)

The best movies like Bedford: The Town They Left Behind (2009) are 35 Up (1991), A Toxic Love Story (2026) and Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now (2019). If Bedford: The Town They Left Behind hooked you with its documentary, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. 35 Up (1991)

    Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. A Toxic Love Story (2026)

    A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now (2019)

    Oprah Winfrey talks with the exonerated men once known as the Central Park Five, plus the cast and producers who tell their story in "When They See Us."

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. Night Will Fall (2014)

    When Allied forces liberated the Nazi concentration camps in 1944-45, their terrible discoveries were recorded by army and newsreel cameramen, revealing for the first time the full horror of what had happened. Making use of British, Soviet and American footage, the Ministry of Information’s Sidney Bernstein (later founder of Granada Television) aimed to create a documentary that would provide lasting, undeniable evidence of the Nazis’ unspeakable crimes. He commissioned a wealth of British talent, including editor Stewart McAllister, writer and future cabinet minister Richard Crossman – and, as treatment advisor, his friend Alfred Hitchcock. Yet, despite initial support from the British and US Governments, the film was shelved, and only now, 70 years on, has it been restored and completed by Imperial War Museums under its original title "German Concentration Camps Factual Survey".

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. The Curse of the Dragon (1993)

    A 1993 documentary film about Bruce Lee. The film includes interviews from some of his fellow students and opponents who worked alongside him in his movies.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. Birth of the Living Dead (2013)

    A behind the scenes look into George Romero's groundbreaking horror classic Night of the Living Dead.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  7. 21 Up (1977)

    After another 7 year wait, director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born children from Seven Up! and 7 Plus Seven. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. Directed by John Ford (1971)

    A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014)

    Hollywood veteran Bing Russell creates the only independent baseball team in the country—alarming the baseball establishment and sparking the meteoric rise of the 1970s Portland Mavericks.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. Come See Me in the Good Light (2025)

    In an intimate and joyful story of love in the face of loss, celebrated poets Andrea Gibson and Megan Falley find strength—and unexpected hilarity—in what might be their final year together.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. Above Majestic (2018)

    A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  12. Drew: The Man Behind the Poster (2013)

    A documentary on legendary movie-poster artist Drew Struzan.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. Public Speaking (2011)

    Martin Scorsese’s portrait of writer and social commentator Fran Lebowitz, celebrated for her sharp wit and observations on modern life. Filmed at New York’s Waverly Inn and intercut with archival footage and interviews, the documentary captures Lebowitz’s distinctive worldview through her spontaneous monologues and public appearances.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. 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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. The Mole: Undercover in North Korea (2020)

    A real-life undercover thriller about two ordinary men who embark on an outrageously dangerous ten-year mission to penetrate the world's most secretive and brutal dictatorship: North Korea.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. 4 Little Girls (1997)

    On September 15, 1963, a bomb destroyed a black church in Birmingham, Alabama, killing four young girls who were there for Sunday school. It was a crime that shocked the nation--and a defining moment in the history of the civil-rights movement. Spike Lee re-examines the full story of the bombing, including a revealing interview with former Alabama Governor George Wallace.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. 28 Up (1985)

    Just two years away from turning 30, participants in Michael Apted's documentary series are facing serious questions of identity and purpose, wondering whether they've found their place in the world.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. 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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like Bedford: The Town They Left Behind and something else?

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Bedford: The Town They Left Behind?

The closest matches to Bedford: The Town They Left Behind are 35 Up (1991), A Toxic Love Story (2026) and Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now (2019). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Bedford: The Town They Left Behind?

Start with 35 Up (1991), the closest match to Bedford: The Town They Left Behind.

What is the newest movie like Bedford: The Town They Left Behind?

A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Bedford: The Town They Left Behind?

Yes: 35 Up (1991), A Toxic Love Story (2026) and Oprah Winfrey Presents: When They See Us Now (2019).

How are movies similar to Bedford: The Town They Left Behind chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Bedford: The Town They Left Behind, 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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