Movies like The Surrounding Game (2017)
The best movies like The Surrounding Game (2017) are AlphaGo (2017), The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) and Looking for Richard (1996). If The Surrounding Game hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Last Waltz (1978)7.7/10 from 329 votes
- NewestThe AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026)Released 2026
AlphaGo (2017)
The ancient Chinese game of Go has long been considered a grand challenge for artificial intelligence. Yet in 2016, Google's DeepMind team announced that they would be taking on Lee Sedol, the world's most elite Go champion. AlphaGo chronicles the team as it prepares to test the limits of its rapidly-evolving AI technology. The film pits man against machine, and reveals as much about the workings of the human mind as it does the future of AI.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019)
Go behind the scenes with stars, puppeteers and creators as they bring Jim Henson's magical world of Thra back to life in a sweeping fantasy series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 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 thisMy 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 this180° 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 thisThe 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 thisLeague of Legends Origins (2019)
Fans, experts and creators of “League of Legends” detail the game’s rise from free demo to global esports titan.
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 thisThe AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026)
A father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity, and explores the most powerful technology humanity has ever created... and what's at stake if we get it wrong.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAbove 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 thisEx 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 thisMaradona by Kusturica (2008)
A documentary on Argentinean soccer star Diego Maradona, regarded by many as the world's greatest modern player.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCristiano Ronaldo: World at His Feet (2014)
Cristiano Ronaldo: The World at His Feet follows the footballer from his beginnings in Portugal, breakthrough start with Manchester United and current career at Real Madrid.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBeing James Bond (2021)
Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNational Geographic: Journey to the Edge of the Universe (2008)
In one single, epic camera move we journey from Earth's surface to the outermost reaches of the universe on a grand tour of the cosmos, to explore newborn stars, distant planets, black holes and beyond.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHalloween: 25 Years of Terror (2006)
Follow the evolution of the 'Halloween' movies over the past twenty-five years. It examines why the films are so popular and revisits many of the original locations used in the films - seeing the effects on the local community. For the first time, cast, crew, critics and fans join together in the ultimate 'Halloween' retrospective.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLemmy (2010)
Over four decades, Motorhead frontman Lemmy Kilmister has registered an immeasurable impact on music history. Nearly 65, he remains the living embodiment of the rock and roll lifestyle, and this feature-length documentary tells his story, one of a hard-living rock icon who continues to enjoy the life of a man half his age.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Last Waltz (1978)
Martin Scorsese's documentary intertwines footage from The Band's incredible farewell tour with probing backstage interviews and featured performances by Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Van Morrison, Eric Clapton, and other rock legends.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHarry 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 thisUnder the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story (2010)
Under the Boardwalk: The Monopoly Story shows how the classic board game has become a worldwide cultural phenomenon and follows the colorful players who come together to compete for the coveted title of Monopoly World Champion.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Go Through the Dark (2021)
Guanglin is a blind boy in China who displays great skill at the ancient board game called Go, in which two players place black and white pieces on a grid in an attempt to dominate their opponent. Raised by a single father with limited means, Guanglin faces deep societal prejudice against the blind. First-time filmmaker Yunhong Pu, supported by veteran producer Jean Tsien (76 Days), follows the father and son trying to make a better future for themselves.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Píseň o sletu – II. část – Bratři a sestry (1949)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Last 24 Hours: Michael Jackson (2019)
The ultimate king of pop Michael Jackson spent his last hours battling insomnia and pleading with his personal physician. We explore the truth behind this and discover the real facts, with exclusive footage and testimonials.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Superbats (2022)
Director (USA), November 2022 TV hour science documentary on Bats for PBS NOVA and ARTE.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Un otage en liberté (TBA)
A documentary film crew investigates whether Richard Cloutier, who went missing for five months in the summer of 2020, was actually kidnapped or not, as he claims in media and on the Internet. But as the investigation progresses and new facts emerge, reality itself seems to start crumbling.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Mouse (2012)
Mouse: An autobiographical film (7min, sound, spring 2011). This autobiographical short documentary is made before and during the Iranian New Year (spring of 2011). This film also examines the imprisonment of Iranians inside Iran through featuring a mouse that seems to have taken control of everything.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Facing the Mirror (2012)
Dr. Kaveh Alizadeh, an Iranian born American plastic surgeon, has dedicated his life to offering hope and healing to those whose lives and bodies have been ravaged by war. Through the stories of a four-year-old boy and a middle-aged man, both disfigured in the recent war in Iraq, this film puts a human face on war's collateral damage and presents a lyrical journey of a doctor whose 'past' enables him to relate to the 'present' of his patients.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Bushido (2024)
Kakunoshin, renowned for his skills with a sword and in the game of go, embodies the samurai code. Falsely accused of a theft, he is forced to become a lowly ronin. Years later, when a case of missing gold pulls him into a new web of intrigue, Kakunoshin uncovers the truth behind his downfall. With the real culprit exposed, the go board flips, and a hellstorm of righteous vengeance follows.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Stone (2014)
A gang boss Nam-hae meets a young Go player Min-su, who rekindles his interest in the game. Despite his outstanding talent, Min-su has been wasting his days as a gambler without pursuing a real career out of it. Nam-hae orders his second in command to persuade Min-su and Min-su becomes Nam-hae’s private Go tutor. In learning Go from Min-su, Nam-hae looks back on his own life. While Min-su discovers the coarse masculine underworld, the meaning of life and true victory through Nam-hae. However, when Nam-hae’s competition starts to expand their territory, Nam-hae is forced into a path to destruction.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Surrounding Game?
The closest matches to The Surrounding Game are AlphaGo (2017), The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) and Looking for Richard (1996). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Surrounding Game?
Start with AlphaGo (2017), the closest match to The Surrounding Game.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Surrounding Game?
The Last Waltz (1978), rated 7.7/10 by 329 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Surrounding Game?
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Surrounding Game?
Yes: AlphaGo (2017), The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) and Looking for Richard (1996).
How are movies similar to The Surrounding Game chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Surrounding Game, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.