Movies like The Desert People (1974)
The best movies like The Desert People (1974) are In the Realms of the Unreal (2004), 13th (2016) and Koyaanisqatsi (1983). If The Desert People hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedKoyaanisqatsi (1983)7.9/10 from 814 votes
- NewestEvil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025)Released 2025
In the Realms of the Unreal (2004)
In the Realms of the Unreal is a documentary about the reclusive Chicago-based artist Henry Darger. Henry Darger was so reclusive that when he died his neighbors were surprised to find a 15,145-page manuscript along with hundreds of paintings depicting The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glodeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Cased by the Child Slave Rebellion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this13th (2016)
An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKoyaanisqatsi (1983)
Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSongs My Brothers Taught Me (2015)
This complex portrait of modern-day life on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation explores the bond between a brother and his younger sister, who find themselves on separate paths to rediscovering the meaning of home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCapturing Avatar (2010)
Capturing Avatar is a feature length behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of Avatar. It uses footage from the film's development, as well as stock footage from as far back as the production of Titanic in 1995. Also included are numerous interviews with cast, artists, and other crew members. The documentary was released as a bonus feature on the extended collector's edition of Avatar.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAmerican Pie: Revealed (2004)
Documentary about the making of American Pie (1999), American Pie 2 (2001) and American Wedding (2003).
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Age of Stupid (2009)
Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated future world of 2055, looking at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Paleface (1922)
A butterfly collector unwittingly wanders into an Indian encampment while chasing a butterfly, but the tribe has resolved to kill the first white man who enters their encampment because white oil tycoons are trying to force them from their land.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Brave (1997)
A down-on-his-luck American Indian recently released from jail is offered the chance to "star" as the victim of a snuff film, the resulting pay of which could greatly help his poverty stricken family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWindy City Heat (2003)
A man caught up in the glamor of being a Hollywood celebrity has no idea that the production he's in is a fake.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPunishment Park (1971)
In this fictional documentary, U.S. prisons are at capacity, and President Nixon declares a state of emergency. All new prisoners, most of whom are connected to the antiwar movement, are now given the choice of jail time or spending three days in Punishment Park, where they will be hunted for sport by federal authorities. The prisoners invariably choose the latter option, but learn that, between the desert heat and the brutal police officers, their chances of survival are slim.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEvil 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Disaster Artist (2017)
An aspiring actor in Hollywood meets an enigmatic stranger by the name of Tommy Wiseau, the meeting leads the actor down a path nobody could have predicted; creating the worst movie ever made.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRoom 237 (2012)
A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInterstellar: Nolan's Odyssey (2014)
A look behind the lens of Christopher Nolan's space epic.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Skywalker Legacy (2020)
The story lives forever in this feature-length documentary that charts the making of Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSmoke Signals (1998)
Young Native American man Thomas is a nerd in his reservation, wearing oversize glasses and telling everyone stories no-one wants to hear. His parents died in a fire in 1976, and Thomas was saved by Arnold. Arnold soon left his family, and Victor hasn't seen his father for 10 years. When Victor hears Arnold has died, Thomas offers him funding for the trip to get Arnold's remains.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCloud 9 (2014)
Set high atop snow-capped mountains in the adrenaline-fueled world of competitive snowboarding, the Disney Channel Original Movie “Cloud 9″ tells the inspiring story of two snowboarders who must overcome self-doubt to learn that achieving their dreams is possible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSide by Side (2012)
Since the invention of cinema, the standard format for recording moving images has been film. Over the past two decades, a new form of digital filmmaking has emerged, creating a groundbreaking evolution in the medium. Keanu Reeves explores the development of cinema and the impact of digital filmmaking via in-depth interviews with Hollywood masters, such as James Cameron, David Fincher, David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Soderbergh, and many more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNapoleon Dynamite (2004)
A listless and alienated teenager decides to help his new friend win the class presidency in their small western high school, while he must deal with his bizarre family life back home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Desert People?
The closest matches to The Desert People are In the Realms of the Unreal (2004), 13th (2016) and Koyaanisqatsi (1983). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Desert People?
Start with In the Realms of the Unreal (2004), the closest match to The Desert People.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Desert People?
Koyaanisqatsi (1983), rated 7.9/10 by 814 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Desert People?
Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Desert People?
Yes: In the Realms of the Unreal (2004), 13th (2016) and Koyaanisqatsi (1983).
How are movies similar to The Desert People chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Desert People, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.