Skip to content

Movies like 8½ Circles (2016)

The best movies like 8½ Circles (2016) are Black Gold (2011), The Warrior (2001) and I Am David (2003). If 8½ Circles hooked you with its adventure and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Black Gold (2011)

    On the Arabian Peninsula in the 1930s, two warring leaders come face to face. The victorious Nesib, Emir of Hobeika, lays down his peace terms to rival Amar, Sultan of Salmaah. The two men agree that neither can lay claim to the area of no man’s land between them called The Yellow Belt. In return, Nesib adopts Amar’s two boys Saleeh and Auda as a guarantee against invasion. Twelve years later, Saleeh and Auda have grown into young men. Saleeh, the warrior, itches to escape his gilded cage and return to his father’s land. Auda cares only for books and the pursuit of knowledge. One day, their adopted father Nesib is visited by an American from Texas. He tells the Emir that his land is blessed with oil and promises him riches beyond his wildest imagination. Nesib imagines a realm of infinite possibility, a kingdom with roads, schools and hospitals all paid for by the black gold beneath the barren sand. There is only one problem. The precious oil is located in the Yellow Belt.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  2. The Warrior (2001)

    In feudal India, a warrior who renounces his role as the longtime enforcer to a local lord becomes the prey in a murderous hunt through the Himalayan mountains.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. I Am David (2003)

    A 12-year-old boy manages to flee a Communist concentration camp on his own, through sheer will and determination. All he has in his possession is a loaf of bread, a letter to deliver to someone in Denmark, and a compass to help get him there.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Limbo (1999)

    Traumatized by a fishing boat accident many years before, Joe Gastineau has given up his hopes for a life beyond the odd jobs he takes to support himself. That quickly changes when nomadic club singer Donna de Angelo and her troubled teen-age daughter enter Joe’s life. Both mother and daughter fall for Joe, increasing the friction between them. The tension continues to build when Joe invites them on a pleasure cruise up the Alaskan coast, discovering too late that the trip may cost them their lives.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. End of Sentence (2019)

    Newly widowed Frank Fogle embarks on a journey to Ireland to scatter his late wife’s ashes. His estranged son, Sean, recently released from prison, agrees to join only when his father promises that they’ll never see each other again following the trip. After revelations surface about an old flame of Frank’s wife and a charming hitchhiker with plans of her own intervenes, father and son find themselves drawn together in unexpected ways.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. Thunder Bay (1953)

    Shrimpers and oilmen clash when an ambitious wildcatter begins constructing an off-shore oilrig.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. Jack Hunter and the Quest for Akhenaten's Tomb (2008)

    Adventurer Jack Hunter sets off in pursuit of a legendary tomb, meeting dangerous old adversaries, and even more dangerous old flames, along the way.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. The 355 (2022)

    A group of top female agents from American, British, Chinese, Colombian, and German government agencies are drawn together to try and stop an organization from acquiring a deadly weapon to send the world into chaos.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. Embattled (2020)

    The eldest son of a ruthlessly tough MMA champion must fight his way out of the abusive cycle his father has continued.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Seized (2020)

    Hiding out with his son Taylor on the Mexican coast, Nero hopes to put his violent Special Forces career behind him. But after Nero’s home is attacked and Taylor is abducted, the mysterious Mzamo orders Nero to slaughter the members of three rival crime syndicates. If he fails, Taylor will die. Now, with bullets flying and bodies dropping as Nero completes his mission, he races to find Mzamo’s hideout and seek revenge.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Pirates of the Caribbean: Tales of the Code: Wedlocked (2011)

    Wenches Scarlett and Giselle fix each other up for their wedding, in which they would each marry their groom. Upon realizing that both their grooms were the same man, Jack Sparrow, the two wenches found themselves in an auction led by the Auctioneer. This short film serves as a prequel to The Curse of the Black Pearl, and explains just why Jack Sparrow's boat the Jolly Mon was seen sinking at the beginning of the whole story; why the wenches were so upset with him; and how Cotton lost his tongue.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Babylon 5: The Legend of the Rangers - To Live and Die in Starlight (2002)

    After being punished for retreat from combat, Ranger David Martel is given command of the Liandra, a haunted 20-year old Minbari fighting ship. He's escorting ambassadors to a secret archaeological site, the oldest city on record and a clue to a dangerous ancient race.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Interceptor (2022)

    A U.S. Army Captain uses her years of tactical training to save humanity from sixteen nuclear missiles launched at the U.S. as a violent attack threatens her remote missile interceptor station.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

    The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again as the journey of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle begins.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. Stolen Girl (2025)

    In 1993, Maureen’s six-year-old daughter Amina is snuck out of the country by her ex-husband, Karim. After years of unsuccessful attempts to find her, Maureen intersects with a professional retriever of internationally abducted children who promises to help her find Amina in exchange for her collaboration.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. River Wild (2023)

    Follows a pair of siblings who love but distrust each other as they embark on a white-water rafting trip with a small group. One of their friends from childhood turns out to be more dangerous than he appears.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. Street Fighter: Assassin's Fist The Movie (2014)

    If one man changes his path, will he be able to change his destiny...or will he only delay the inevitable? Ryu and Ken are two traditional warriors who find themselves isolated in some corner of Japan to carry out their training as fighters, trying to master an ancient style of fighting, known as "Ansatsuken" (The Killing Fist). There they will begin to learn about the mysterious past of their trainer, Goken, and the tragic and dark legacy that the Ansatsuken style hides. Will they be able to choose their destiny or will history repeat itself once again?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. Gold (2022)

    In the not-too-distant future, two drifters traveling through the desert stumble across the biggest gold nugget ever found and the dream of immense wealth and greed takes hold. They hatch a plan to excavate their bounty, with one man leaving to secure the necessary tools while the other remains with the gold. The man who remains must endure harsh desert elements, ravenous wild dogs, and mysterious intruders, while battling the sinking suspicion that he has been abandoned to his fate.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. 6 Below: Miracle on the Mountain (2017)

    An adrenaline seeking snowboarder gets lost in a massive winter storm in the back country of the High Sierras where he is pushed to the limits of human endurance and forced to battle his own personal demons as he fights for survival....

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama

  20. Come Away (2020)

    Before Alice went to Wonderland, and before Peter became Pan, they were brother and sister. When their eldest brother dies in a tragic accident, they each seek to save their parents from their downward spirals of despair until finally they are forced to choose between home and imagination, setting the stage for their iconic journeys into Wonderland and Neverland.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

  21. The Ascent of Mont Blanc (1907)

    Joseph Vallot and his team of guides and porters climb Mont Blanc in 1906. Their ascent will take three days. They spent their nights at the Grands Mulets refuge and the Grand Plateau refuge. This is the very first successfully filmed ascent. Joseph Vallot (1854-1925), rich heir of Lodève in Occitania. He devotes part of his fortune to the observation of the Alps, sometimes opposing the scientific community. He built an observatory, still standing today.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

  22. Sadpara The Mountaineer (2021)

    The film is based on the expedition of mountaineer Muhammad Ali Sadpara to K2 in Pakistan, which cost him his life in 2021 at the age of 45. The film opens with him passing the bottleneck with his companions, successfully climbing it, and then returning when he is caught in an avalanche or storm and ultimately loses his life. As his life fades from memory, the film shifts to flashbacks as he recalls the events of his life.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  23. Sensation Alpen (1966)

    From Trento to Chamonix, via Zermatt; from the Morgiou cove to the Eiger's north face; from Planica to the Lavaredo peaks, the Alps are depicted, illustrated, and magnified in all their unique and sublime beauty, through the sports practiced there and the most typical customs and traditions of their inhabitants. A helicopter rescue and a parachute jump from the Red Wall by Wolfgang Weizenbocks are experiences not to be missed.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

  24. Women of K2 (2003)

    On some peaks in 2003, the statistics are impressive. For the K2 dubbed "wild mountain" or "ruthless mountain", only 240 reached the summit and more than 60 perished in the ascent. An unimaginable rate of one death in four to survive. And these statistics are even worse At the start of the 2004 climbing season, only five talented and determined women had reached the 8,616-meter summit of K2, but only two made it out alive. , they too perished while climbing other peaks of 8000 meters, these five women all disappeared in the mountains.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

  25. Annapurna 88 (1988)

    An international expedition led by French mountaineer Benoit Chamoux reached the summit of Annapurna (8091 m) on Tuesday, May 10, 1988, via its south face, one of the most difficult routes in the Himalayas. The expedition, named "L'Esprit d'Equipe" (The Spirit of Team), financed by the computer company Bull (Chamoux thus secured one of the largest contracts in the history of mountaineering: twenty million francs to carry out his project), aimed to reach six peaks over 8,000 meters, as a full team, within three years: Annapurna, Everest, Manaslu, Cho Oyu, Makalu, and Kangchenjunga. The challenge results: in 1988: Annapurna (8091 m) - 5 out of 6 men reached the summit, 1988: failed on Everest, 200 m below the summit, 1989: Manaslu (8183 m) - 8 out of 8 men reached the summit in 4 teams of 2, 1990: Cho Oyu (8201 m) - 7 out of 7 men reached the summit, 1990: Shisha Pangma (8013 m) - 7 out of 7 men reached the summit.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

  26. K2 La Montagne Inachevée (1980)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

  27. A Man, A Woman, An 8000 (1983)

    Maurice Barrard and Liliane Bontemps met in 1973 in Peru. Four years later, they are married and start their life together in the Loire Valley. She is a physiotherapist, he is an educator. For them, although settled not far from Chartres, the mountains are never far away. Whenever the opportunity presents itself, they embark on high-altitude expeditions. First individually, then together. In 1982, they were at the top of Gasherbrum 2, an ascent filmed in this documentary prelude to other future ascents including the Nanga Parbat in 1984, after an aborted attempt a year earlier, which made Liliane Barrardi the first woman to climb this mountain. of Karakoram. The "tallest couple in the world" will not stop there. After the Makalu in 1985, in the spring of 1986 they will attempt the ascent of K2 and its 8,611 meters... Un Homme, Une Femme, Un 8000 was broadcast in the program Les Carnets de L'Aventure in 1983.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

  28. Between Heaven and Earth (1961)

    This is Gaston Rebuffat's fourth film, in which, with several close friends, he discovers the sublime landscapes of the Alps. “Mont-Blanc is beautiful. I climbed it several times depending on the time, the color of the sky and the shape of the cornices and ridges. Because of the weather and also because of this feeling of altitude, Mont-Blanc provides great pleasure. For the guide, Mont Blanc is his garden, but the garden becomes more beautiful when shown to a friend. Personally, I really like the bivouacs; only there one penetrates a little the mystery of the altitude. That's why I immediately accepted when Tazieff expressed the desire to spend the night at the top of Mont Blanc in an igloo. The film won the Grand Prix at the Trento Film Festival in 1961.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

  29. Sul Tetto del Mondo - Walter Bonatti e Rossana Podestà (2021)

    The extraordinary, complex, nuanced, restless, and rebellious personality of Walter Bonatti is recounted in a docufiction that traces the life of the greatest mountaineer of all time, without neglecting his overwhelming love story with movie star Rossana Podestà.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

  30. Hoggar (1959)

    A 1959 documentary about climbing in the Hoggar Mountains of Algeria. For the first time, a mountain expedition was organized for 60 young aspiring climbers, accompanied by renowned mountaineers such as Lionel Terray, Lucien Bérardini, Maurice Herzog, and Jean-Paul Gardinier. In two weeks, dozens of new routes, often extremely difficult, were established. Jacques Ertaud's camera followed the climbers through all the challenging sections of the first ascent of the south spur of Assekrem.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

Like 8½ Circles and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like 8½ Circles?

The closest matches to 8½ Circles are Black Gold (2011), The Warrior (2001) and I Am David (2003). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after 8½ Circles?

Start with Black Gold (2011), the closest match to 8½ Circles.

What is the highest-rated movie like 8½ Circles?

Seized (2020), rated 6.7/10 by 209 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like 8½ Circles?

Stolen Girl (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

How are movies similar to 8½ Circles chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside 8½ Circles, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

↑ ↓ to move · Enter to open · Full search page