Movies like Shoah (1985)
The best movies like Shoah (1985) are The Untold History Of The United States (2012), Human (2015) and Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017). If Shoah hooked you with its documentary and history, these 26 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedHuman (2015)8.4/10 from 317 votes
- NewestCriminals (2026)Released 2026
- In FrenchHuman (2015)Also in French
The Untold History Of The United States (2012)
Oliver Stone charts the history of the United States from the Second World War to the present.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisHuman (2015)
A collection of stories about and images of our world, offering an immersion to the core of what it means to be human. Through these stories full of love and happiness, as well as hatred and violence, it brings us face to face with the Other, making us reflect on our lives. From stories of everyday experiences to accounts of the most unbelievable lives, these poignant encounters share a rare sincerity and underline who we are – our darker side, but also what is most noble in us, and what is universal. Our Earth is shown at its most sublime through never-before-seen aerial images accompanied by soaring music, resulting in an ode to the beauty of the world, providing a moment to draw breath and for introspection. This film is a politically engaged work which allows us to embrace the human condition and to reflect on the meaning of our existence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies 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 thisWoody Allen: A Documentary (2011)
An intense portrait of the iconic filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian and musician Woody Allen: his life, family and friends; his writing and directing habits, and his relationship with performers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNo Direction Home: Bob Dylan (2005)
A chronicle of Bob Dylan's strange evolution between 1961 and 1966 from folk singer to protest singer to "voice of a generation" to rock star.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNever Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy (2010)
For decades, Freddy Krueger has slashed his way through the dreams of countless youngsters, scaring up over half a billion dollars at the box office across eight terrifying, spectacular films.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUnsinkable: Japan's Lost Battleship (2020)
October 24, 1944, the world’s greatest battle at sea begins in the Philippines. Japan’s navy gambles on a decisive victory against the United States to turn the tide of World War II. Instead, Musashi, its top-secret super battleship, ends up at the bottom of the ocean.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & history
Last Hours of Pompeii (2020)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & history
The Hell of Auschwitz: Maus by Art Spiegelman (2024)
Art Spiegelman's graphic novel Maus (1980-91) was the first comic to address the Shoah in mainstream culture and is still considered a landmark in art history.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & history
Lise Meitner: The Mother of the Atom Bomb (2013)
To historians, physicist Lise Meitner deserves to be placed on a par with Einstein, Heisenberg and Otto Hahn. In the 1930s on the verge of World War II, she led a small group of scientists who discovered that splitting the atomic nucleus of uranium releases enormous energy. This extraordinary film tells the story of a woman who was far ahead of her time as a scientist and a pioneer of feminism.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & history
The Death Train (2019)
In Iasi, Romania, from June 28 to July 6, 1941, nearly 15 000 Jews were murdered in the course of a horrifying pogrom. At the time, the programmed extermination of European Jews had not yet began. After the war, the successive communist governments did all they could to ensure the Iasi pogrom would be forgotten. It was not until November of 2004 that Romania recognized for the first time its direct responsibility in the pogrom. All that remains of this massacre are about a hundred photographs taken as souvenirs by german and romanian soldiers, and a few remaining survivors.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & history
The Liberation of Prague (1977)
On 20th of April 1945 the Soviet army launches its attack on Berlin. The end has come for Nazi Germany and Hitler decides to commit suicide. In Prague K.H. Frank (Nazi Secretary of State and Chief of police in the Protectorate of Bohemia a Moravia) discusses with his commanders how to transform the city into an impregnable fortress, but the Praguers do not intend to wait any longer. From the early hours of 4th of May people start assembling in the streets and tearing down German signs. On the next day, the 5th of May, the uprising begins.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
The Blitz: London's Longest Night (2007)
Details the German bombing of London the night of the 29th of December, in 1940.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Who Shall Live and Who Shall Die? (1982)
A documentary about America's knowledge of the Holocaust during the Second World War dares to ask, ""Could the Jews of Europe have been saved?"
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
European Tour '73 (2020)
A 15 minute documentary utilizing archival Super 8 film footage and original animation about a father fulfilling his dream of reconnecting his 5 small children to the steps of his own father when he fought for the Canadian military in WW2 through a trip to Europe in 1973.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Němci měli tanky, Češi barikády (2025)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
A Hand of Peace: Pope Pius XII and the Holocaust (2008)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Martha (2020)
Documentary of Daniel Schubert's grandmother, Martha Katz, a Holocaust survivor.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Fighting Sullivans (1944)
The lives of a close-knit group of brothers growing up in Iowa during the days of the Great Depression and of World War II and their eventual deaths in action in the Pacific theater are chronicled in this film based on a true story.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
L'Armée rouge (2021)
For 70 years, the Red Army was one of the pillars of the USSR, an object of both fear and admiration, a symbol of both liberation and coercion. This documentary explores its history, combining epic storytelling with the deconstruction of myth. While everyone knows that Trotsky's name is attached to his creation, contrary to popular belief, the bulk of his story is made up of defeats and military failures. Thanks to an all-archival montage, this film is a veritable immersion in the heart of...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
Forever and a Day (1943)
In World War II, American Gates Trimble Pomfret is in London during the Blitz to sell the ancestral family house. The current tenant, Leslie Trimble, tries to dissuade him from selling by telling him the 140-year history of the place and the connections between the Trimble and Pomfret families.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
Mighty Mo: The Battleship USS Missouri (1998)
Explore the history of the world's most famous battleship, the USS Missouri, with this revealing documentary that chronicles the ship's distinguished career that spanned more than 50 years of service. Narrated by decorated Navy officer Wes Carey, this portrait combines archival film footage, photographs and personal accounts to paint a vivid picture of the celebrated ship, affectionately known as "Mighty Mo."
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Driver Is Red (2017)
Argentina, 1960: a true crime story of how secret agent Zvi Aharoni hunts down one of the highest-ranking Nazi war criminals on the run.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Last Breath of War (2025)
From empire to ashes-Japan's rise, war, and reckoning. A gripping journey through ambition, conflict, and the cost of a nation's destiny.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Criminals (2026)
June, 1944, German-occupied Denmark. It has never been so dangerous to be part of the resistance. In a safe house, five fighters wait for comrades on a sabotage mission. When they do not return, and no news comes, fear begins to take hold.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Shoah?
The closest matches to Shoah are The Untold History Of The United States (2012), Human (2015) and Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017). Below are 23 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Shoah?
Start with The Untold History Of The United States (2012), the closest match to Shoah.
What is the highest-rated movie like Shoah?
Human (2015), rated 8.4/10 by 317 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Shoah?
Criminals (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like Shoah?
Yes: Human (2015), Last Hours of Pompeii (2020) and The Hell of Auschwitz: Maus by Art Spiegelman (2024).
How are movies similar to Shoah chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Shoah, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.