Movies like The Times of Harvey Milk (1984)
The best movies like The Times of Harvey Milk (1984) are RBG (2018), Coded Bias (2020) and Best of Enemies (2015). If The Times of Harvey Milk hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)8.1/10 from 229 votes
- NewestUntold: Chess Mates (2026)Released 2026
RBG (2018)
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg now 84, and still inspired by the lawyers who defended free speech during the Red Scare, Ginsburg refuses to relinquish her passionate duty, steadily fighting for equal rights for all citizens under the law. Through intimate interviews and unprecedented access to Ginsburg’s life outside the court, RBG tells the electric story of Ginsburg’s consuming love affairs with both the Constitution and her beloved husband Marty—and of a life’s work that led her to become an icon of justice in the highest court in the land.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCoded Bias (2020)
Exploring the fallout of MIT Media Lab researcher Joy Buolamwini's startling discovery that facial recognition does not see dark-skinned faces accurately, and her journey to push for the first-ever legislation in the U.S. to govern against bias in the algorithms that impact us all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBest of Enemies (2015)
A documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. Intended as commentary on the issues of their day, these vitriolic and explosive encounters came to define the modern era of public discourse in the media, marking the big bang moment of our contemporary media landscape when spectacle trumped content and argument replaced substance. Best of Enemies delves into the entangled biographies of these two great thinkers, and luxuriates in the language and the theater of their debates, begging the question, "What has television done to the way we discuss politics in our democracy today?"
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Pigeon Tunnel (2023)
Academy Award winner Errol Morris pulls back the curtain on the storied life and career of David Cornwell, the former spy known to the literary world as John le Carré.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Last Repair Shop (2024)
In a warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain more than 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind. Meet four unforgettable characters whose broken-and-repaired lives have been dedicated to bringing so much more than music to the schoolchildren of this city.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisI 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
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Red Pill (2016)
When a feminist filmmaker sets out to document the mysterious and polarizing world of the Men’s Rights Movement, she begins to question her own beliefs. Chronicling Cassie Jaye’s journey exploring an alternate perspective on gender equality, power and privilege.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSidney (2022)
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLooking 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Figo Affair: The Transfer That Changed Football (2022)
This documentary spotlights one of the most contentious deals in football history and the extraordinary player at the center of the storm: Luís Figo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHoward (2018)
Though legendary lyricist Howard Ashman died far too young, his impact on Broadway, movies, and the culture at large were incalculable. Told entirely through rare archival footage and interviews with Ashman’s family, friends, associates, and longtime partner Bill Lauch, Howard is an intimate tribute to a once-in-a-generation talent and a rousing celebration of musical storytelling itself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSalinger (2013)
An in-depth investigation into the private world of the American writer J. D. Salinger (1919-2010), who lived most of his life behind the impenetrable wall of a self-imposed seclusion: how his dramatic experiences during World War II influenced his life and work, his relationships with very young women, his obsessive writing methods, his many literary secrets.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Am Not Your Negro (2017)
Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAll the Empty Rooms (2025)
A journalist and a photographer set out to memorialize the bedrooms left behind by children killed in school shootings.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEcho in the Canyon (2019)
A look at the roots of the historic music scene in L.A.'s Laurel Canyon featuring the music of iconic music groups such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, Buffalo Springfield, and The Mamas and the Papas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Art of Flight (2011)
Iconic snowboarder Travis Rice and friends redefine what is possible in the mountains. Experience the highs, as new tricks are landed and new zones opened, alongside the lows, where avalanches, accidents, and wrong-turns strike.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFor the Love of Spock (2016)
The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUntold: Chess Mates (2026)
Magnus Carlsen, widely regarded as the greatest chess player of all time, is challenged by Hans Niemann, a rising star who capitalizes on the meteoric growth of online chess. Niemann’s ascension culminated in an epic, controversy-shrouded victory over Carlsen at the 2022 Sinquefield Cup, which eventually led to allegations and revelations of cheating. Determined to clear his name, Niemann fights his way back to the top of the chess world, setting the stage for a high-stakes rematch with Carlsen in 2024.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAvatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022)
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSuper/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024)
Christopher Reeve portrayed the Man of Steel in four Superman films and played dozens of other roles that displayed his talent and range as an actor, before being injured in a near-fatal horse-riding accident in 1995 that left him paralyzed from the neck down. After becoming a quadriplegic, he became a charismatic leader and activist in the quest to find a cure for spinal cord injuries, as well as a passionate advocate for disability rights and care.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBarbara ou ma plus belle histoire d'amour (1973)
In the early 70s, Barbara discovered herself backstage on her French tour. The artist plays with intimacy and camera glances. Between concerts, she talks to herself and the men in her life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Telling Schoolgirl Tales: The Making of 'The Getting of Wisdom’ (2006)
First there was ‘Picnic at Hanging Rock’, then ‘My Brilliant Career’, and now best of all ‘The Getting of Wisdom’. It is incomparably moving and powerful.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Nicole Brothers, Born To Climb (2020)
This film by Yannick Bacher tells the passion of brothers Frédéric and François Nicole for climbing. Through the sites of Cuzzago (Italy), Zurich, Murg, Pelzli, Montreux, St-Loup, Yverdon-les-Bains, Saint-Triphon or Erde, we learn to know these 2 living legends better, their life choices, their philosophy... United by blood ties, those of fraternity but also by the same passion, that of the rock, of climbing. Fred made climbing history by pushing back the difficulty ladder in the discipline of bouldering. François him, founded a family and carried out a parallel professional career. But both have never stopped exploring, traveling and climbing.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Mash SF (2007)
Mash is a testament to the efficacy of the frame, wheels, cockpit, and drive-train that carry us through SF's labyrinth of lanes, alleys, and everything in between. This video recognizes those who have inspired us with their unique presence in the streets, who have created an accelerated style of riding bikes built for the track but tailored for daily abuse. The synthesis of this video sprang from a desire to show the world how these locals take ownership of San Franciscos dense landscape and display an incredible amount of focus, fluidity, and grace in the process.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Hero's Journey: Myth or Delusion (TBA)
A librarian explores the mythical landscape of a timeless storytelling concept and reveals a revelation about a critical key stage.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Controlling Britney Spears (2021)
Britney Spears has said that her conservatorship had become “an oppressive and controlling tool against her”. This New York Times investigation reveals much of how it worked, including an intense surveillance apparatus that monitored every move she made.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Mylène Farmer - Dans Le Cœur Des Français (2021)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Дорога в облаках (1987)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Braddock's Road: A Legacy Unearthed (2022)
Built in 1755 at the height of the French and Indian War, Braddock's Road was one of the nation's most infamous military roads. Traces of this historic route, in western Maryland, still remain, buried beneath soil and brush, and a team of archaeologists is on the hunt.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Times of Harvey Milk?
The closest matches to The Times of Harvey Milk are RBG (2018), Coded Bias (2020) and Best of Enemies (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Times of Harvey Milk?
Start with RBG (2018), the closest match to The Times of Harvey Milk.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Times of Harvey Milk?
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story (2024), rated 8.1/10 by 229 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Times of Harvey Milk?
Untold: Chess Mates (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Times of Harvey Milk?
Yes: RBG (2018), Coded Bias (2020) and Best of Enemies (2015).
How are movies similar to The Times of Harvey Milk chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Times of Harvey Milk, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.