Movies like The Man Who Wanted to Change the World (2016)
The best movies like The Man Who Wanted to Change the World (2016) are The Ivory Game (2016), Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003) and Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022). If The Man Who Wanted to Change the 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 ratedI Am Heath Ledger (2017)7.4/10 from 233 votes
- NewestA Toxic Love Story (2026)Released 2026
The Ivory Game (2016)
Wildlife activists and investigators put their lives on the line to battle the illegal African ivory trade, in this suspenseful on-the-ground documentary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCharlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003)
Brilliant, long in-the-works story of the life and art of the world's greatest comedian and the cinema's first genius, Charlie Chaplin. Produced, written and directed by renowned film critic Richard Schickel.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAvatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022)
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDarwin's Nightmare (2005)
Africa in the sixties. The Nile perch, a ravenous predator, is introduced into Lake Victoria as a scientific experiment, causing the extinction of many native species. Its meat is exported everywhere in exchange for weapons, creating a globalized evil alliance on the lake shores. An infernal nightmare in the real world that wipes out Darwin's Theory of Evolution.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like this35 Up (1991)
Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
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 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 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 thisCome 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 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 this28 Up (1985)
Just two years away from turning 30, participants in Michael Apted's documentary series are facing serious questions of identity and purpose, wondering whether they've found their place in the world.
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 thisAfrican Cats (2011)
African Cats captures the real-life love, humor and determination of the majestic kings of the savanna. The story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother’s strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a once banished lion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAs I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000)
A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOrgasm Inc: The Story of OneTaste (2022)
A sexual wellness company gains fame and followers, then members come forward with shocking allegations.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAmazing Grace (2018)
A behind-the-scenes documentary about the recording of Aretha Franklin's best-selling album finally sees the light of day more than four decades after the original footage was shot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)
Fueled by a raging libido, Wild Turkey, and superhuman doses of drugs, Thompson was a true "free lance, " goring sacred cows with impunity, hilarity, and a steel-eyed conviction for writing wrongs. Focusing on the good doctor's heyday, 1965 to 1975, the film includes clips of never-before-seen (nor heard) home movies, audiotapes, and passages from unpublished manuscripts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJane (2017)
Drawing from never-before-seen footage that has been tucked away in the National Geographic archives, director Brett Morgen tells the story of Jane Goodall, a woman whose chimpanzee research revolutionized our understanding of the natural world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisReMastered: 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 thisLost Soul: The Doomed Journey of Richard Stanley's Island of Dr. Moreau (2014)
The story of the insane scandals related to the remake of “Island of Dr. Moreau” —originally a novel by H. G. Wells—, which was brought to the big screen in 1996. How director Richard Stanley spent four years developing the project just to find an abrupt end to his work while leading actor Marlon Brando pulled the strings in the shadows. Now for the first time, the living key players recount what really happened and why it all went so spectacularly wrong.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBuckskin (2026)
Carroll B. Williams Jr. (1929-2024) was the first African-American to receive a doctorate in forestry and entomology, the first African-American scientist to be hired by the U.S. Forest Service, and among the first African-Americans to be a part of the environmental science and forestry faculties at both Yale and UC Berkeley. Featuring stunning 16mm cinematography, this experimental documentary explores the life and legacy of a groundbreaking scientist through intimate conversation with his daughter and grandchild.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Divertimento (1968)
BP documentary film exploring the natural beauty of oil under the microscope, and through a variety of other techniques.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Back To Africa (2008)
An Austrian director followed five successful African music and dance artists with his camera and followed their lives for a year. The artists, from villages in Ghana, Gambia and Congo, were the subjects of Africa! Africa! touring across Europe, but they have unbreakable roots to their homeland and their families. Schmiderer lovingly portrays his heroes, who tell their stories about themselves, their art and what it means to them to be African with captivating honesty. The interviews are interwoven with dance scenes and colourful vignettes set to authentic music.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
SANCTUARY - Safeguarding Australia's Oceans (2024)
Our 2024 short film ‘Sanctuary’ explores why Australia needs marine parks, especially strong marine sanctuaries, to safeguard our oceans. AMCS would like to acknowledge The Charles Warman Foundation and Patagonia for their generous support of our marine parks campaign.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Les nouveaux guerriers des champs (2016)
For years, chemical pesticides were considered an efficient method of killing off agricultural pests. However, in the long term, they not only harm the supposed attackers, but also people and the environment. Biological pest control offers an alternative, because who could fight pests more efficiently than their own natural enemies?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Plagues and Pleasures on the Salton Sea (2006)
The Salton Sea: An inland ocean of massive fish kills, rotting resorts, and 120 degree nights located just minutes from urban Southern California. This film details the rise and fall of the Salton Sea, from its heyday as the "California Riviera" where boaters and Beach Boys mingled in paradise to its present state of decaying, forgotten ecological disaster.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Atomic Africa: Clean Energy's Dirty Secrets (2013)
Africa's development is being held back by poor infrastructure and undersized power plants. Countries like Uganda can only produce only 1/4 of the energy needed, leading to daily power cuts with disastrous economic impacts. It's a golden opportunity for nuclear giants who lobby aggressively for more power plants in Africa. But how safe are these new reactors? And what do they mean for the locals?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Le Big bang, mes ancêtres et moi (2009)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Man Who Wanted to Change the World?
The closest matches to The Man Who Wanted to Change the World are The Ivory Game (2016), Charlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003) and Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Man Who Wanted to Change the World?
Start with The Ivory Game (2016), the closest match to The Man Who Wanted to Change the World.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Man Who Wanted to Change the World?
I Am Heath Ledger (2017), rated 7.4/10 by 233 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Man Who Wanted to Change the World?
A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to The Man Who Wanted to Change the World chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Man Who Wanted to Change the World, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.