Movies like Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat (2018)
The best movies like Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat (2018) are Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (2010), Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr. (2014) and Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018). If Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMinding the Gap (2018)7.7/10 from 206 votes
- NewestMarc by Sofia (2026)Released 2026
Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (2010)
A thoughtful portrait of a renowned artist, this documentary shines the spotlight on New York City painter Jean-Michel Basquiat. Featuring extensive interviews conducted by Basquiat's friend, filmmaker Tamra Davis, the production reveals how he dealt with being a black artist in a predominantly white field. The film also explores Basquiat's rise in the art world, which led to a close relationship with Andy Warhol, and looks at how the young painter coped with acclaim, scrutiny and fame.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr. (2014)
Robert De Niro, Sr., was a celebrated painter obscured by the pop-art movement. His life and career are chronicled in the artist's own words by his contemporaries and, movingly, by his son, the actor Robert De Niro.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018)
Artists in LA discover the work of forgotten Polish sculptor Stanislav Szukalski, a mad genius whose true story unfolds chapter by astounding chapter.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWho the #$&% Is Jackson Pollock? (2006)
After semi-truck driver Teri Horton bought a large splatter painting for her friend for $5, she was forced to sell it in her own garage sale when her friend said she had no place for it. Eventually someone commented on the painting stating it might be an original Jackson Pollock. This documentary follows Teri, her son, and a forensics specialist as they attempt to prove to the world, or more specifically the art community, her painting is a true Jackson Pollock
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Eva Hesse (2016)
German American artist Eva Hesse (1936 – 1970) created her innovative art in latex and fiberglass in the whirling aesthetic vortex of 1960s New York. Her flowing forms were in part a reaction to the rigid structures of then-popular minimalism, a male-dominated movement. Hesse’s complicated personal life encompassed not only a chaotic 1930s Germany, but also illness and the immigrant culture of New York in the 1940s. One of the twentieth century’s most intriguing artists, she finally receives her due in this film, an emotionally gripping journey with a gifted woman of great courage.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Ailey (2021)
Alvin Ailey was a visionary artist who found salvation through dance. Told in his own words and through the creation of a dance inspired by his life, this immersive portrait follows a man who, when confronted by a world that refused to embrace him, determined to build one that would.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Nude (2017)
NUDE explores perceptions of nudity in art by chronicling the creative process of photographer David Bellemere as he's commissioned by NU Muses founder Steve Shaw to shoot a fine art calendar of nude photographs.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThere Are No Fakes (2019)
Norval Morrisseau was the first Indigenous Canadian artist to be taken seriously in the art world. By the turn of this century his work commanded tens of thousands of dollars. So when Barenaked Ladies keyboardist Kevin Hearn learned his prized painting was a forgery, he sued. But as Jamie Kastner's doc reveals, there was a cottage industry in fake Morrisseaus, an industry that flourished unchecked for years, feeding on greed, exploitation, racism and contempt.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Marc by Sofia (2026)
An intimate, unconventional portrait of Marc Jacobs, crafted by Sofia Coppola to capture the genius and singular universe of the iconic American designer.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Banksy and the Rise of Outlaw Art (2020)
Banksy is the world's most infamous street artist, whose political art, criminal stunts and daring invasions have outraged the establishment for over two decades. Featuring rare interviews with Banksy, this is the story of how an outlaw artist led a revolutionary new movement and built a multi-million dollar empire, while his identity remained shrouded in mystery.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Peggy Guggenheim: Art Addict (2015)
Bouncing between Europe and the United States as often as she would between lovers, Peggy Guggenheim’s life was as swirling as the design of her uncle’s museum, and reads more like fiction than any reality imaginable. Peggy Guggenheim – Art Addict offers a rare look into Guggenheim’s world: blending the abstract, the colorful, the surreal and the salacious, to portray a life that was as complex and unpredictable as the artwork Peggy revered and the artists she pushed forward.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Minding the Gap (2018)
Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBad Reputation (2018)
The life and career of rock n' roll icon Joan Jett from her early years ripping it up onstage as the founder and backbone of hard-rock legends The Runaways, to her long time collaboration with Kenny Laguna as Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, and her enduring presence in pop culture as a rock pioneer and mentor. With her inimitable singles "I Love Rock n Roll," and "Bad Reputation" Joan Jett inspired a generation of young women to rock.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Universe of Keith Haring (2008)
A portrait of New York artist Keith Haring. The film looks to Haring as an artistic role model for his preternatural talent, of course, but also for his infectious lust for life that had him as committed to social activism and teaching children as to his latest painting.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present (2012)
Performance artist Marina Abramovic prepares for a major retrospective of her work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEverybody Street (2013)
Celebrated filmmaker and photographer Cheryl Dunn turns her lens on the pioneers and masters of New York street photography. Dunn profiles artists spanning six decades, including Bruce Davidson, Mary Ellen Mark, Jill Freedman, Jeff Mermelstein and Martha Cooper, revealing that these shooters are as colourful and unique as the subjects they’ve relentlessly documented. Everybody Street explores the passion that compelled Freedman to spend years riding in squad cars during the most violent years in the city; Bruce Gilden’s drive to thrust his camera in people’s faces to capture a moment; and Martha Cooper’s dedication to chasing graffiti on passing subway cars in the Bronx. The film is a definitive look at the iconic visionaries of this often imitated art form.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Bill Cunningham New York (2011)
Doubling as a cartography of the ever-changing city, Bill Cunningham New York portrays the secluded pioneer of street fashion with grace and heart.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWestwood: Punk, Icon, Activist (2018)
The remarkable story of iconoclastic fashion designer Vivienne Westwood as she fights to maintain her brand’s integrity, her principles and her legacy.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Obey Giant (2017)
A documentary that profiles the life and work of artist Shepard Fairey. We follow his roots through punk rock and skateboarding to his creation of the iconic Obama HOPE poster, and the controversy that surrounds it.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Basquiat: Rage to Riches (2017)
This film tells Jean-Michel's story through exclusive interviews with his two sisters Lisane and Jeanine, who have never before agreed to be interviewed for a TV documentary. With striking candour, Basquiat's art dealers - including Larry Gagosian, Mary Boone and Bruno Bischofberger - as well as his most intimate friends, lovers and fellow artists, expose the cash, the drugs and the pernicious racism which Basquiat confronted on a daily basis. As historical tableaux, visual diaries of defiance or surfaces covered with hidden meanings, Basquiat's art remains the beating heart of this story.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Sketches of Frank Gehry (2006)
First and foremost, Frank Gehry is an artist. Described as a young child as having golden hands, Frank begins his creation through sketch. Forming thought into substantive sculpture, the marriage of art and architechure is brought to life. Join director Sydney Pollack on a journey into the world and work of the most important architect of our Age.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Art for Everybody (2023)
Thomas Kinkade’s pastoral landscapes made him the most collected and despised painter of all time. After his shocking death, his family discovers a vault of unseen paintings that reveal a complex artist whose life and work embody our divided America.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry (2012)
An account of the many tribulations that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, known for his subversive art and political activism, endured between 2008 and 2011, from his rise to world fame via the Internet to his highly publicized arrest due to his frequent and daring confrontations with the Chinese authorities.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBob Ross: The Happy Painter (2011)
A behind-the-scenes look at the beloved public television personality's journey from humble beginnings to an American pop-culture icon. "The Happy Painter" reveals the public and private sides of Bob Ross through loving accounts from close friends and family, childhood photographs and rare archival footage. Interviewees recount his gentle, mild-mannered demeanor and unwavering dedication to wildlife, and disclose little-known facts about his hair, his fascination with fast cars and more. Film clips feature Bob Ross with mentor William Alexander and the rough-cut of the first "Joy of Painting" episode from 1982. Famous Bob Ross enthusiasts, including talk-show pioneer Phil Donahue, film stars Jane Seymour and Terrence Howard, chef Duff Goldman and country music favorites Brad Paisley and Jerrod Niemann, provide fascinating insights into the man, the artist and his legacy.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Maria by Callas (2017)
Told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs, the film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSaving Banksy (2017)
Internationally known graffiti artist, Banksy, left his mark on San Francisco in April 2010. Little did he know that this act of vandalism would spark a chain of events that includes one of his rats being removed from a wall, Museums ignorantly turning down a free Banksy street work, and a NY gallerist who has made it his business model to remove Banksy street works from all over the globe doing whatever it takes to get the rat in his possession.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLove Means Zero (2017)
An in-depth look at famed tennis coach Nick Bollettieri. No other coach has matched his success, his dominance or his fame. His greatness, though, came at a terrible price.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Breslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists (2018)
Directors Jonathan Alter, John Block and Steve McCarthy bring New York columnists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill’s courageous writing to life, celebrating the acclaimed journalists and the city they loved.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Bob Ross: Happy Accidents, Betrayal & Greed (2021)
Bob Ross brought joy to millions as the world's most famous art instructor. But a battle for his business empire cast a shadow over his happy trees.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat?
The closest matches to Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat are Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (2010), Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr. (2014) and Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat?
People who watched Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat most often go on to Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (2010), Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr. (2014) and Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018).
What is the highest-rated movie like Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat?
Minding the Gap (2018), rated 7.7/10 by 206 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat?
Marc by Sofia (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat?
Yes: Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (2010), Remembering the Artist: Robert De Niro, Sr. (2014) and Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018).
How are movies similar to Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Boom for Real: The Late Teenage Years of Jean-Michel Basquiat, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.