Movies like Upside Down (2016)
The best movies like Upside Down (2016) are Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022), Sidney (2022) and Naqoyqatsi (2002). If Upside Down hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedRBG (2018)7.5/10 from 318 votes
- NewestShipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea (2026)Released 2026
- In KoreanLife Goes On (2024)Also in Korean
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 thisSidney (2022)
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNaqoyqatsi (2002)
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like this180° South (2010)
The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisExtremis (2016)
A purely observational non-fiction film that takes viewers into the ethically murky world of end-of-life decision making in a public hospital.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEarth: One Amazing Day (2017)
An astonishing journey revealing the awesome power of the natural world. Over the course of one single day, we track the sun from the highest mountains to the remotest islands to exotic jungles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPowaqqatsi (1988)
An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSouth of the Border (2009)
A road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media's misperception of South America while interviewing seven of its elected presidents.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 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 thisLove, Marilyn (2013)
Using the book 'Fragments', which collects Marilyn Monroe's poems, notes and letters, and with participation from the Arthur Miller and Truman Capote estates who have contributed more material, each of the actresses will embody the legend at various stages in her life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFor the Love of Spock (2016)
The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · 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: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Captains (2011)
The Captains is a feature-length documentary film written and directed by William Shatner. The film follows Shatner as he interviews the other actors who have portrayed starship captains in the Star Trek franchise.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026)
A father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity, and explores the most powerful technology humanity has ever created... and what's at stake if we get it wrong.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea (2026)
Never-before-seen footage and survivor accounts trace the 2012 shipwreck of a luxury cruise and the disaster that ensued, in this immersive documentary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRBG (2018)
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg now 84, and still inspired by the lawyers who defended free speech during the Red Scare, Ginsburg refuses to relinquish her passionate duty, steadily fighting for equal rights for all citizens under the law. Through intimate interviews and unprecedented access to Ginsburg’s life outside the court, RBG tells the electric story of Ginsburg’s consuming love affairs with both the Constitution and her beloved husband Marty—and of a life’s work that led her to become an icon of justice in the highest court in the land.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 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 thisElstree 1976 (2015)
A documentary about ten very different lives connected by having appeared onscreen wearing masks or helmets in Star Wars.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHalloween: 25 Years of Terror (2006)
Follow the evolution of the 'Halloween' movies over the past twenty-five years. It examines why the films are so popular and revisits many of the original locations used in the films - seeing the effects on the local community. For the first time, cast, crew, critics and fans join together in the ultimate 'Halloween' retrospective.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLife Goes On (2024)
Yoo Kyung-geun, who lost her daughter Ye-eun in the Sewol Ferry Disaster, sits down at the podcast production studio. It is to meet with the bereaved families of numerous social disasters before and after the Sewol Ferry Disaster. They are Hwang Myung-ae, the mother of Han Sang-im who died in the 2003 Daegu Subway Fire, Ko Seok, the father of Gahyun and Nahyun who died in the 1999 Sealand Youth Training Center Fire, and Bae Eunsim, the mother of Lee Hanyeol who died in 1987's June Struggle. The bereaved families talk about "the life after" and their daily lives, and Yoo Kyung-geun learns to live without Ye-eun.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
10 Years After the Sinking, Zero-Sum (2024)
Ten years ago, 304 innocent people aboard the Sewol ferry in Korea lost their lives at sea. The reason for the sinking and the complete failure of the rescue are crucial factors yet to be revealed. But the government continues to withhold key evidence, citing national security reasons. This documentary finds a conclusion of why all the matters have gone wrong.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Three Sides to Every Story (2024)
This documentary tells the story of people who were at the scene of the 2014 Sewol Ferry disaster: journalists, bereaved families of the victims, and the survivors. Ten years after the disaster, what did it leave them? These are three omnibus documentaries with different perspectives.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Truth Shall Not Sink with Sewol (2014)
A documentary on the South Korean ferry disaster that claimed the lives of more than 300 passengers in April, 2014.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Relay Race (2025)
Ten years have passed since the Sewol ferry disaster. The life of KIM Dong-soo, who came back alive from the disaster, has changed a lot from before. KIM Dong-soo, who used to live as a truck driver, lost his truck in a disaster and now guards the Hallasan trail everyday. He is repeatedly hospitalized and discharged from the psychiatric ward and suffers from pain all over his body. Still, he struggles to restore his daily life by participating in the marathon event. KIM Dong-soo's wife, KIM Hyung-sook, and his two daughters support him in his daily life. The eyes looking at KIM Dong-soo with a desperate expression, asking for help, revive every moment and shake his heart, but he still lives by holding the hands of his family who stand by his side.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
SEWOL: Years in the Wind (2024)
The 10-year struggle of the families who lost their children from the Sewol Ferry Disaster.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Ghost Ship (2020)
A thousand lies to conceal the truth of the Sewol Ferry. As many as 1,000 ships, 160,000 AIS data, were manipulated to hide the truth behind the sinking of the Sewol Ferry on April 16, 2014. Who are the organizers of this and why did they build a ghost ship! We must ask persistent questions. Since that day, nothing has been revealed yet. Government AIS data of a thousand lies. Now it is time for the Korean prosecution to answer.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Intention (2018)
A documentary that scientifically analyses and tracks down the route of the Sewol Ferry that sank on the 16th of April in 2014 using its AIS to discover the cause of the unconfirmed sinking.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
After Diving Bell (2018)
A documentary that reports on the the rescue failure of the Sewol incident. In the days of media control, Park Geun-hye and her government sabotaged the screening of "Diving Bell" at the Busan International Film Festival.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
K-Family Affairs (2025)
In her first feature-length documentary, filmmaker Nam Arum turns her camera on her parents, two members of South Korea’s 386 Generation. The political activism of this generation came to a head in June 1987 with major protests that forced the authoritarian government to hold universal suffrage elections and implement key democratic reforms. Over 35 years later, the filmmaker reflects on the state of this democracy through a warm-hearted family portrait set against the backdrop of the country’s recent history. Using a personal and intimate cinematic style, Arum examines her father's adherence to conventionality as a high-ranking civil servant and her mother's fervent enthusiasm as a feminist activist. In the midst of these two contrasting dynamics, Arum seeks to discover her own role and how she can contribute to social change.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Upside Down?
The closest matches to Upside Down are Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022), Sidney (2022) and Naqoyqatsi (2002). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Upside Down?
Start with Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022), the closest match to Upside Down.
What is the highest-rated movie like Upside Down?
RBG (2018), rated 7.5/10 by 318 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Upside Down?
Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Korean movies like Upside Down?
Yes: Life Goes On (2024), 10 Years After the Sinking, Zero-Sum (2024) and Three Sides to Every Story (2024).
How are movies similar to Upside Down chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Upside Down, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.