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Movies like The Archives (1940)

The best movies like The Archives (1940) are As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000), My Mom Jayne (2025) and Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022). If The Archives hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000)

    A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. My Mom Jayne (2025)

    Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  3. Avatar: 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 this
  4. The Class of ‘92 (2013)

    A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. Fuck (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 this
  6. 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
  7. Justin Bieber's Believe (2013)

    A backstage and on-stage look at Justin Bieber during his rise to super stardom.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. David Byrne's American Utopia (2020)

    A filmed version of David Byrne's Broadway show, a unifying musical celebration that inspires audiences to connect to each other and to the global community.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. Naqoyqatsi (2002)

    A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Western Stars (2019)

    The incomparable Bruce Springsteen performs his critically acclaimed latest album and muses on life, rock, and the American dream, in this intimate and personal concert film co-directed by Thom Zimny and Springsteen himself.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. 42 Up (1999)

    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
  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. Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) (2026)

    Captured during Billie Eilish's sold-out world tour, a concert experience from one of the most celebrated and successful artists of her generation, presented in immersive 3D.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  14. 180° South (2010)

    The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. 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
  16. 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
  17. Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora (2010)

    The Making-of James Cameron's Avatar. It shows interesting parts of the work on the set.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Aquaman: Heroines of Atlantis (2019)

    Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman discuss their characters Mera and Atlanna.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction (2013)

    An impressionistic portrait of the iconic actor Harry Dean Stanton comprised of intimate moments, film clips from some of his 250 films and his renditions of American folk songs.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006)

    A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. The Outer Circle: Melbourne's Forgotten Railway (2014)

    In the 1870s Victorian politicians debated the virtues of constructing a 20km-long railway through Melbourne's east, simply to circumvent a privately-owned railway from South Yarra to Flinders Street Station. By 1878 the private railway had been purchased by the Victorian Government and there was no longer a need to build the orbital railway. But greedy politicians pushed legislation through parliament, authorising the construction of the railway through their own private land holdings. This is the story of Melbourne's Outer Circle Railway.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  22. Last Hours of Pompeii (2020)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  23. National Geographic: Lost Kingdoms of the Maya (1993)

    Long before Columbus, the Maya established one of the most highly developed civilizations of their time in the jungles of Mexico and Central America. Yet this advanced society of priests, astronomers, artisans, and farmers suddenly and mysteriously collapsed more than a thousand years ago. Accompany archaeologists to Copan, Dos Pilas, and other spectacular Classic Maya ruins as they unearth artifacts and huge temples of incredible beauty. Recently deciphered hieroglyphics and other new discoveries offer astounding clues to the lives of these ancient people. You'll hear the startling story of one kingdom's downfall and its final desperate hours of violent warfare. Through spine-tingling recreations, witness ancient rituals reenacted on sites where they originally occured. And meet the enduring Maya who still maintain many of their ancestor's traditions. You'll hear the voices of a magnificent civilization as you uncover LOST KINGDOMS OF THE MAYA.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  24. Revolution, Riot Grrrl Style (2014)

    Today, we see a new style of feminism springing up everywhere - young, provocative and radical. To get their message across, these women have decided to rely on rock music! While the Pussy Riot shock Russia and fascinate the West, the concerts of Peaches or Grimes are sold out, while artists such as Kathleen Hanna make their comeback to remind us that it all began in 1990 in some backwater of the United States. The RIOT GRRRLS revolutionized rock and inspired entire generations of young artists around the world. This film will explore today s feminist scene while revisiting the little known history of this revolution that shook the early 90s.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  25. The Battle of the Somme (1916)

    A documentary and propaganda film which shows the British Army's preparations for, and the early stages of, the battle of the Somme.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  26. Before Stonewall (1984)

    New York City's Stonewall Inn is regarded by many as the site of gay and lesbian liberation since it was at this bar that drag queens fought back against police June 27-28, 1969. This documentary uses extensive archival film, movie clips and personal recollections to construct an audiovisual history of the gay community before the Stonewall riots.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  27. Trotsky: Rise and Fall of a Revolutionary (2009)

    This film examines Trotsky, the revolutionary; venerated and reviled, loved, hated, feared. Archive material compiled from all over the world, citations and new shoots create an electrifying proximity to the historical person and to the man Leo Trotsky. Stages in his life and eventual flight are carefully examined, from St. Petersburg, to Mexico City. This is the riveting political biography of the Revolution's onetime hero.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  28. La Plata Yvyguy - Enterros e Guardados (2016)

    The Legend of the Paraguay War Legend tells that during the Paraguay War (1864-1870), families that lived near the border and soldiers who were leaving for battle used to hide their valuable belongings by burying them in secret spots, in order to safely recover them after the war. In several cases, though, the only people who knew about the secret spots of those personal treasures died before they could go back to recover them. According to inhabitants of that region, the spirits of those tormented men would reveal the location of those "buried and hidden" treasures to chosen people in their dreams, visions or by haunting them. "The Legend of the Paraguay War" approaches local legends in a historic and literary way. Those legends were born from within the biggest conflict in South America, and were developed and influenced by the local imaginary view of the world and which can be considered a relevant part of those people's identity up to this day

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  29. The Vasulka Effect (2020)

    The opening of The Vasulka Effect couldn’t be more apt: Steina Vasulka addresses her husband Woody through various TV screens. He does the same and replies. A perfect image of the relationship between the free-spirited, groundbreaking pioneers of video art. After meeting in Prague in the early 1960s, they relocated from Czechoslovakia to New York, where they later founded The Kitchen, their legendary art and performance gallery.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  30. Tenkrát 2 – Šance pro Slovensko (2000)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Like The Archives and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Archives?

The closest matches to The Archives are As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000), My Mom Jayne (2025) and Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Archives?

Start with As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000), the closest match to The Archives.

What is the highest-rated movie like The Archives?

Justin Bieber's Believe (2013), rated 6.9/10 by 213 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The Archives?

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

Are there English movies like The Archives?

Yes: As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000), My Mom Jayne (2025) and Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022).

How are movies similar to The Archives chosen?

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