Movies like Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World (2016)
The best movies like Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World (2016) are London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder (2012), Iron Maiden: Rock In Rio (2002) and Elstree 1976 (2015). If Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedStop Making Sense (1984)8.4/10 from 407 votes
- NewestA Toxic Love Story (2026)Released 2026
London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder (2012)
The London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony took place at 9pm on 27 July 2012. Titled 'Isles of Wonder', the Ceremony welcomed the finest athletes from more than 200 nations for the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, marking an historic third time the capital has hosted the world’s biggest and most important sporting event. The Opening Ceremony reflected the key themes and priorities of the London 2012 Games, based on sport, inspiration, youth and urban transformation. It was a Ceremony 'for everyone' and celebrated contributions the UK has made to the world through innovation and revolution, as well as the creativity and exuberance of British people.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIron Maiden: Rock In Rio (2002)
Rock In Rio Festival 2001 - Iron Maiden headlines one of the biggest shows on Earth to a massive sell-out 250,000 crowd and a global TV audience of millions. The explosive two hour set, shot using 18 cameras and edited by Steve Harris, is Maiden at its best, performing their biggest show ever on the final date of their Brave New World Tour.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisElstree 1976 (2015)
A documentary about ten very different lives connected by having appeared onscreen wearing masks or helmets in Star Wars.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Captains (2011)
The Captains is a feature-length documentary film written and directed by William Shatner. The film follows Shatner as he interviews the other actors who have portrayed starship captains in the Star Trek franchise.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisValentino: The Last Emperor (2008)
Film which travels inside the singular world of one of Italy's most famous fashion designers, Valentino Garavani, documenting the colourful and dramatic closing act of his celebrated career and capturing the end of an era in global fashion. However, at the heart of the film is a love story - the unique relationship between Valentino and his business partner and companion of 50 years, Giancarlo Giammetti. Capturing intimate moments in the lives of two of Italy's richest and most famous men, the film lifts the curtain on the final act of a nearly 50-year reign at the top of the glamorous and fiercely competitive world of fashion. (Storyville)
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRonnie Coleman: The King (2018)
Ronnie Coleman is known as "The King" and for good reason. He is the 8x Mr. Olympia champion in the world of bodybuilding - sharing the world record for most Olympia wins. Now retired, he has undergone over 6 surgeries leaving him unable to walk without crutches but his desire to train like a pro bodybuilder has not dissipated. Exploring the history of his career as a bodybuilding legend and following his journey to recovery; for the first time ever discover the true man behind The King.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWaste Land (2010)
An uplifting feature documentary highlighting the transformative power of art and the beauty of the human spirit. Top-selling contemporary artist Vik Muniz takes us on an emotional journey from Jardim Gramacho, the world's largest landfill on the outskirts of Rio de Janeiro, to the heights of international art stardom. Vik collaborates with the brilliant catadores, pickers of recyclable materials, true Shakespearean characters who live and work in the garbage quoting Machiavelli and showing us how to recycle ourselves.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRoger Waters: Us + Them (2019)
Filmed in Amsterdam on the European leg of his 2017 – 2018 Us + Them tour which saw Waters perform to over two million people worldwide, the film features songs from his legendary Pink Floyd albums (The Dark Side of the Moon, The Wall, Animals, Wish You Were Here) and from his last album, Is This The Life We Really Want?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMurder to Mercy: The Cyntoia Brown Story (2020)
After 16-year-old Cyntoia Brown is sentenced to life in prison, questions about her past, physiology and the law itself call her guilt into question.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLive Aid (1985)
Live Aid was held on 13 July 1985, simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, United States. It was one of the largest scale satellite link-ups and television broadcasts of all time: watched live by an estimated global audience of 1.9 billion, across 150 nations. "It's twelve noon in London, seven AM in Philadelphia, and around the world it's time for Live Aid...!"
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 thisHitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows (1998)
This documentary follows superstar Bret Hart during his last year in the WWF. The film documents the tensions that resulted in The Montreal Screwjob, one of the most controversial events in the history of professional wrestling, in which Vince McMahon, Shawn Micheals, and others, legitimately conspired behind the scenes to go against the script and remove Bret Hart as champion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGeneration Iron (2013)
Generation Iron - examines the professional sport of bodybuilding today and gives the audience front row access to the lives of the top 7 bodybuilders in the sport as they train to compete in the world's most premiere bodybuilding stage - Mr. Olympia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMichael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration (2001)
Celebrating the 30 year anniversary of Michael Jackson's solo career, this legendary performance took place on September 10, 2001.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisStop Making Sense (1984)
A concert film documenting Talking Heads at the height of their popularity, on tour for their 1983 album "Speaking in Tongues." The band takes the stage one by one and is joined by a cadre of guest musicians for a career-spanning and cinematic performance that features creative choreography and visuals.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisJustin Timberlake + The Tennessee Kids (2016)
In January 2015, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the final nights of the "20/20 Experience World Tour", director Jonathan Demme captures what makes the show soar: gifted musicians, deft dancers and a magnetic star.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA 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 thisIcarus (2017)
While investigating the furtive world of illegal doping in sports, director Bryan Fogel connects with renegade Russian scientist Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov—a pillar of his country's "anti-doping" program. Over dozens of Skype calls, urine samples, and badly administered hormone injections, Fogel and Rodchenkov grow closer despite shocking allegations that place Rodchenkov at the center of Russia's state-sponsored Olympic doping program.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRoger Waters: The Wall (2014)
A concert film that the former Pink Floyd singer-songwriter made on various tour dates between 2010 and 2013, when he was playing his former group's 1980 double-album in its entirety.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBehind the Planet of the Apes (1998)
Roddy McDowall takes you, film by film, from production meetings to make-up sessions, then right onto the movie set to see the actual filming of the science fiction masterpiece. The most comprehensive history of Planet of the Apes ever created, this fascinating 127-minute documentary explores one of the most imaginative and influential series in movie history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBus 174 (2002)
On 12 June 2000, in Rio de Janeiro, Ônibus 174 was taken by an armed young man, threatening to kill all the passengers. Transmitted live on all national networks, this shocking and tragic event became one of violence's most shocking portraits, and one of the most terrifying examples of police incompetence and abuse in recent years.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWho Trains My Hands to War (TBA)
Founding a social Muay Thai project in the North Zone of Rio de Janeiro, Mestre BG and his competitors face the adversities of an underfunded project and fight to win their place on the podium. The challenges intensify when one of the students, Raíssa Pacheco, secures a spot to compete in a South American championship in Uruguay.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
We Beat the Dream Team (2025)
Discover the little-known story of a group of college basketball players who were tasked with preparing Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Michael Jordan and the rest of the legendary "Dream Team" for their Olympic debut in 1992.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Fifth Facade: The Making of the Sydney Opera House (1973)
On 20 October 1973, the Sydney Opera House was officially opened by Queen Elizabeth II. From conception to completion, it had taken more than 15 years and over $100 million dollars. In the years since its completion, the Sydney Opera House has become one of the most identifiable of Australia’s icons - ranking with the Sydney Harbour Bridge, Uluru, the koala and kangaroo - and is considered by many to be among the world's great architectural masterpieces.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Pull Like A Dog (2016)
A documentary film looking back at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, including rowing brothers Gary and Paul O'Donovan, who won silver medals at the games. In August 2016 Gary and Paul O’Donovan, two young rowers from West Cork in Ireland, came from nowhere to become household names after bolting their way to silver medal success at the Rio Olympics. Not only did they become the first ever Irish rowers to bring home Olympic medals but within a week Paul also went on to become the fastest singles lightweight rower on the planet by winning gold at the World Championships. With catch phrases like ‘Pull Like A Dog’ and ‘Stheak and Spuds’ these two young men have succeeded in warming the hearts of a nation.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Marathon (1993)
For this documentary, the renowned Spanish filmmaker Carlos Saura created a structure as unconventional as the Gaudí buildings that adorn the host city of Barcelona. Coverage of the men's marathon appears at intervals throughout the narrative, highlighting the Games' most iconic event. While charismatic winners—from 400m champion Michael Johnson to weightlifter Ivan Ivanov—take center stage, Saura observes rigorous training sessions with as much passion as the finals themselves. Composers such as Ryuichi Sakamoto, Mikis Theodorakis, and Angelo Badalamenti contribute to the shifting atmosphere of this excellent film.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Shaman & Ayahuasca: Journeys to Sacred Realms (2010)
Filmed in the jungles of Peru, shaman Don Jose Campos introduces the practices and benefits of Ayahuasca, the psychoactive plant brew that has been used for healing and visionary journeys by Amazonian shamans for at least a thousand years.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
88/18 (2018)
A special documentary produced for the 30th anniversary of the Seoul Olympics, 88/18 looks back at South Korea in the 1980s as the nation raced toward the Games. Through archival footage and reflection, the film examines how the 1988 Seoul Olympics brought profound changes that extended far beyond sport, reshaping Korean society itself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations (1938)
Starting with a long and lyrical overture, evoking the origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, Riefenstahl covers twenty-one athletic events in the first half of this two-part love letter to the human body and spirit, culminating with the marathon, where Jesse Owens became the first track and field athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOlympia Part Two: Festival of Beauty (1938)
Part two of Leni Riefenstahl's monumental examination of the 1938 Olympic Games, the cameras leave the main stadium and venture into the many halls and fields deployed for such sports as fencing, polo, cycling, and the modern pentathlon, which was won by American Glenn Morris.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World?
The closest matches to Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World are London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder (2012), Iron Maiden: Rock In Rio (2002) and Elstree 1976 (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World?
Start with London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder (2012), the closest match to Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World.
What is the highest-rated movie like Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World?
Stop Making Sense (1984), rated 8.4/10 by 407 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World?
A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Rio 2016 Olympic Opening Ceremony: A New World, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.