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Movies like The Drinking Life (2017)

The best movies like The Drinking Life (2017) are A Toxic Love Story (2026), Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022) and Harmontown (2014). If The Drinking Life hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. A 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 this
  2. Avatar: 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 this
  3. Harmontown (2014)

    A comedic, brutally honest documentary following self-destructive TV writer Dan Harmon as he takes his live podcast on a national tour.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019)

    Go behind the scenes with stars, puppeteers and creators as they bring Jim Henson's magical world of Thra back to life in a sweeping fantasy series.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. The Battered Bastards of Baseball (2014)

    Hollywood veteran Bing Russell creates the only independent baseball team in the country—alarming the baseball establishment and sparking the meteoric rise of the 1970s Portland Mavericks.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. Come 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 this
  7. Looking 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 this
  8. Showrunners: The Art of Running a TV Show (2014)

    “Showrunners” is the first ever feature length documentary film to explore the fascinating world of US television showrunners and the creative forces aligned around them. These are the people responsible for creating, writing and overseeing every element of production on one of the United State’s biggest exports – television drama and comedy series. Often described as the most complex job in the entertainment business, a showrunner is the chief writer / producer on a TV series and, in most instances, the show’s creator. Battling daily between art and commerce, showrunners manage every aspect of a TV show’s development and production: creative, financial and logistical.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. One of Us (2017)

    Penetrating the insular world of New York's Hasidic community, focusing on three individuals driven to break away despite threats of retaliation.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Seduced and Abandoned (2013)

    SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God (2012)

    Alex Gibney explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all way to the Vatican.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  12. My 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 this
  13. Murder 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 this
  14. 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: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. Orgasm 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 this
  16. Ex 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 this
  17. Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora (2010)

    The Making-of James Cameron's Avatar. It shows interesting parts of the work on the set.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Lionel Messi: Destiny (2023)

    Behind-the-scenes documentary about how Lionel Messi succeeded in lifting the World Cup – the only trophy to have eluded him in an incredible career.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. Gilbert (2017)

    The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. The Class of ‘92 (2013)

    A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  21. IOT : The Most Problematic Woman Behind The Bar (TBA)

    A documentary about the life of a female inmate named Ria Megawati, often called IOT. Once known as the most problematic prisoner in Bandung Women’s Prison, she has since transformed into a better version of herself by immersing in artistic practices such as painting, batik-making, and songwriting. Art ultimately becomes her way out of a dark past, and a vessel for expressing emotions long kept inside.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  22. Yellow Bar - A Night with Zorza (TBA)

    A group of friends hangs out at a bar, having fun and drinking beer.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  23. Schumann's Bar Talks (2017)

    Charles Schumann is a bartender par excellence—known the world over for his iconic Munich-based Schumann's Bar— and best-selling author of a cocktail guide the New York Times called "the drink-mixer's bible." Here Schumann is your tour guide through some of the finest bars the world has to offer, traveling from New York to Tokyo with numerous stops in between to explore the fascinating history and rich culture behind these monuments to social imbibing, a pursuit all Milwaukeeans agree is in need of extensive documentary study.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  24. The day he decided to leave (2015)

    My grandfather Tuiu decides for the second time to leave his house and start a life elsewhere, he lives with the street hardships, and the fact of leaving is linked to the depredation of that place.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  25. Pictures of a Dog at the Bar (2024)

    just some pictures of a dog at the bar.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  26. The Lesbian Bar Project: FLINTA (2024)

    The Lesbian Bar Project: FLINTA documents the complex and triumphant stories of the FLINTA communities in Cologne & Berlin; a reflection of where the queer community is headed internationally. Despite Lesbian Bars disappearing in Germany, there’s a growing FLINTA movement that epitomizes the evolution of queer culture. Featuring Boize Bar owner Payman Neziri, comedian Ricarda Hofmann, human rights activist Anbid Zaman, politician Tessa Ganserer, and party collectives Bebex and Girlstown.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  27. In Caupona Veritas – Baarissa on totuus (1993)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  28. Ballhaus Barmbek - Let's Kiss and Say Goodbye (1988)

    A study of the alienated people who frequent the Ballhaus Barmbek dance hall, including an obese El groupie, an old man reciting poetry, two young women and a regular dance employee.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  29. Epidemic of Loneliness (2025)

    Three episodes of the unfinished series commissioned by the now-defunct Corporation for Public Broadcasting, examining how and why people fail to make meaningful connections in the early 21st century. Hosted by amateur filmmaker Kurtis Matthew Russell who was given a budget of 5 dollars.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  30. The Cranker: A Bar on Borrowed Time (2025)

    A short documentary following the story of a local pub in Adelaide facing threats of demolition.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Like The Drinking Life and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Drinking Life?

The closest matches to The Drinking Life are A Toxic Love Story (2026), Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022) and Harmontown (2014). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Drinking Life?

Start with A Toxic Love Story (2026), the closest match to The Drinking Life.

What is the newest movie like The Drinking Life?

A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like The Drinking Life?

Yes: A Toxic Love Story (2026), Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022) and Harmontown (2014).

How are movies similar to The Drinking Life chosen?

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

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