Skip to content

Movies like American Dream/American Knightmare (2018)

The best movies like American Dream/American Knightmare (2018) are Beastie Boys Story (2020), Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012) and Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell (2021). If American Dream/American Knightmare hooked you with its documentary and music, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Beastie Boys Story (2020)

    Here's a little story they're about to tell... Mike Diamond and Adam Horovitz share the story of their band and 40 years of friendship in a live documentary experience directed by friend, collaborator, and their former grandfather, Spike Jonze.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012)

    SOMETHING FROM NOTHING: THE ART OF RAP is a feature length performance documentary about the runaway juggernaut that is Rap music. At the wheel of this unstoppable beast is the film's director and interviewer Ice-T. Taking us on a deeply personal journey Ice-T uncovers how this music of the street has grown to dominate the world. Along the way Ice-T meets a whole spectrum of Hip-Hop talent, from founders, to new faces, to the global superstars like Eminem, Dr Dre, Snoop Dogg and Kanye West. He exposes the roots and history of Rap and then, through meeting many of its most famous protagonists, studies the living mechanism of the music to reveal 'The Art Of Rap'. This extraordinary film features unique performances from the entire cast, without resorting to archive material, to build a fresh and surprising take on the phenomenon that is Rap.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell (2021)

    Christopher Wallace, AKA The Notorious B.I.G., remains one of Hip-Hop’s icons, renowned for his distinctive flow and autobiographical lyrics. This documentary celebrates his life via rare behind-the-scenes footage and the testimonies of his closest friends and family.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. Biggie & Tupac (2002)

    In 1997, rap superstars Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (aka Biggie Smalls, The Notorious B.I.G.) were gunned down in separate incidents, the apparent victims of hip hop's infamous east-west rivalry. Nick Broomfield's film introduces Russell Poole, an ex-cop with damning evidence that suggests the LAPD deliberately fumbled the case to conceal connections between the police, LA gangs and Death Row Records, the label run by feared rap mogul Marion "Suge" Knight.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)

    After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  6. Tupac: Resurrection (2003)

    Home movies, photographs, and recited poetry illustrate the life of Tupac Shakur, one of the most beloved, revolutionary, and volatile hip-hop MCs of all time.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  7. Until the Light Takes Us (2008)

    Chronicles the history, ideology and aesthetic of Norwegian black metal, a musical subculture infamous as much for a series of murders and church arsons as it is for its unique musical and visual aesthetics. This is the first film to truly shed light on a movement that has heretofore been shrouded by rumor and obscured by inaccurate and shallow depictions. Featuring exclusive interviews with the musicians themselves, Until the Light Takes Us explores every aspect of the controversial movement that has captured the attention of the world.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. The Beach Boys (2024)

    A celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized pop music, and the iconic, harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream, captivating fans for generations and generations to come.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. The Velvet Underground (2021)

    Experience the iconic rock band's legacy in the first major documentary to tell their story. Directed with the era’s avant-garde spirit by Todd Haynes, this kaleidoscopic oral history combines exclusive interviews with dazzling archival footage.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Metallica: Some Kind of Monster (2004)

    After bassist Jason Newsted quits the band in 2001, heavy metal superstars Metallica realize that they need an intervention. In this revealing documentary, filmmakers follow the three rock stars as they hire a group therapist and grapple with 20 years of repressed anger and aggression. Between searching for a replacement bass player, creating a new album and confronting their personal demons, the band learns to open up in ways they never thought possible.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. Hated: GG Allin and The Murder Junkies (1993)

    An overview of the life of the most shocking, vile, and notorious of punk rock legends.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & music

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. I Called Him Morgan (2016)

    Part jazz history, part true-crime tale, Kasper Collin’s new documentary employs extensive archival footage and new interviews to tell the tragic story of the magnificently talented trumpeter Lee Morgan and his common-law wife Helen, who murdered him in a New York bar in 1972.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. The Menendez Brothers (2024)

    Serving life in prison for murdering their parents, Lyle and Erik Menendez speak out in this documentary explaining the shocking crime and ensuing trials.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. ReMastered: The Two Killings of Sam Cooke (2019)

    This investigation examines the mysterious shooting of soul icon Sam Cooke, whose death silenced one of the most vital voices in the civil rights movement.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025)

    Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Maternal Instinct (2026)

    Police pull over a woman who claims she just gave birth. But the baby — and the blood — aren't hers. Twisted lies unravel in this true-crime documentary.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. Ted Bundy: Mind of a Monster (2019)

    New exclusive access and never before heard testimony gives a unique insight into the mind of America's most notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy. Breathtaking archive from the time and the voice of Bundy himself, reveals the monster inside the man.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)

    Documentary about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans, based on his famous 1994 autobiography.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Bikram: Yogi, Guru, Predator (2019)

    The spectacular rise and scandalous fall of hot-yoga evangelist Bikram Choudhury is chronicled through archival footage and extensive insider interviews.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. 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
  21. The Work of Director Mark Romanek (2005)

    More than two-dozen music-videos directed by filmmaker Mark Romanek (One-Hour Photo) are collected together in this compilation from Palm Pictures. Among the songs featured in The Work of Director Mark Romanek are "Novocaine for the Soul" by Eels, "99 Problems" by Jay-Z, and "Hurt" by Johnny Cash.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music & documentary

  22. Auschwitz: Countdown to Liberation (2025)

    The last weeks in the Nazi concentration camp revealed through the touching stories of survivors such as Eva Kor and Samuel Modiano. Between suffering and resistance, the documentary explores human courage in inhumane conditions, revealing the hope that flourished even in the darkest moments. A powerful tribute to memory and freedom, essential for not forgetting.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  23. Those Days with Lucio (2016)

    An interview with actress Florinda Bolkan about her performances in the films "Don't Torture a Duckling" and "Lizard in a Woman's Skin".

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  24. To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story (2017)

    To Hell and Back: The Kane Hodder Story is the harrowing story of a stuntman overcoming a dehumanizing childhood filled with torment and bullying in Sparks, Nevada. After surviving a near-death burn accident, he worked his way up through Hollywood, leading to his ultimate rise as Jason Voorhees in the Friday the 13th series and making countless moviegoers forever terrified of hockey masks and summer camp. Featuring interviews with cinema legends, including Bruce Campbell (Ash vs. Evil Dead), Robert Englund (Freddy Krueger), and Cassandra Peterson (Elvira: Mistress of the Dark), To Hell and Back peels off the mask of Kane Hodder, cinema's most prolific killer, in a gut-wrenching, but inspiring, documentary. After decades of watching Kane Hodder on screen, get ready to meet the man behind the mask in To Hell and Back - an uniquely human story about one of cinema's most vicious monsters.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  25. Black Box BRD (2001)

    Black Box BRD steps back into German history, showing the Federal Republic of Germany of the 70s and 80s. The country is polarized due to the power struggle of the German state and the "Red Army Faction". Society is torn, the fronts are irreconcilable. The life stories of both Wolfgang Grams and Alfred Herrhausen are tragically linked to this era. Grams is the one who takes up arms for moral rigor; Herrhausen however seizes power and dies when powerful.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  26. L'énigme Céline Dion (2022)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  27. Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare (2026)

    The definitive account of Japan’s struggle as it faced a nuclear catastrophe while still reeling from the devastation of an earthquake and tsunami.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  28. Love You to Death: Mommy's Missing (2024)

    The case of a missing mother reveals twisted family secrets that leave a trail of flames, arrests and deaths in their wake.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  29. Behind the Crime: The Nipsey Hussle Murder (2023)

    As told by the people involved, and using real footage from the tragic event, we take a deep dive into the murder trial, story, and case of rap icon and street legend Nipsey Hussle.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  30. The Lives of Albert Camus (2020)

    Albert Camus died at 46 years old on January 4, 1960, two years after his Nobel Prize in literature. Author of “L'Etranger”, one of the most widely read novels in the world, philosopher of the absurd and of revolt, resistant, journalist, playwright, Albert Camus had an extraordinary destiny. Child of the poor districts of Algiers, tuberculosis patient, orphan of father, son of an illiterate and deaf mother, he tore himself away from his condition thanks to his teacher. French from Algeria, he never ceased to fight for equality with the Arabs and the Kabyle, while fearing the Independence of the FLN. Founded on restored and colorized archives, and first-hand accounts, this documentary attempts to paint the portrait of Camus as he was.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Like American Dream/American Knightmare and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like American Dream/American Knightmare?

The closest matches to American Dream/American Knightmare are Beastie Boys Story (2020), Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012) and Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell (2021). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after American Dream/American Knightmare?

Start with Beastie Boys Story (2020), the closest match to American Dream/American Knightmare.

What is the highest-rated movie like American Dream/American Knightmare?

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022), rated 8.4/10 by 623 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like American Dream/American Knightmare?

Maternal Instinct (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like American Dream/American Knightmare?

Yes: Beastie Boys Story (2020), Something from Nothing: The Art of Rap (2012) and Biggie: I Got a Story to Tell (2021).

How are movies similar to American Dream/American Knightmare chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside American Dream/American Knightmare, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

↑ ↓ to move · Enter to open · Full search page