Movies like First Contact (2016)
The best movies like First Contact (2016) are The Secret (2006), The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) and Above Majestic (2018). If First Contact hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedAn Inconvenient Truth (2006)6.9/10 from 1,020 votes
- NewestSleeping Dog (2026)Released 2026
The Secret (2006)
Interviews with leading authors, philosophers and scientists, with an in-depth discussion of the Law of Attraction. The audience is shown how they can learn and use 'The Secret' in their everyday lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 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 thisAbove Majestic (2018)
A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAn Inconvenient Truth (2006)
A documentary on Al Gore's campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisWhat We Left Behind: Looking Back at Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (2018)
A documentary exploring the legacy of Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, the reasons it went from the black sheep of Star Trek to a beloved mainstay of the franchise, and a brainstorm with the original writers on what a theoretical eighth season of the show could look like.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisNational Geographic: Journey to the Edge of the Universe (2008)
In one single, epic camera move we journey from Earth's surface to the outermost reaches of the universe on a grand tour of the cosmos, to explore newborn stars, distant planets, black holes and beyond.
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 thisVoyage of Time: The IMAX Experience (2016)
A celebration of the universe, displaying the whole of time, from its start to its final collapse. This film examines all that occurred to prepare the world that stands before us now: science and spirit, birth and death, the grand cosmos and the minute life systems of our planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHeart of a Dog (2015)
Musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother and her beloved dog.
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 thisThe U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006)
A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBehind the Planet of the Apes (1998)
Roddy McDowall takes you, film by film, from production meetings to make-up sessions, then right onto the movie set to see the actual filming of the science fiction masterpiece. The most comprehensive history of Planet of the Apes ever created, this fascinating 127-minute documentary explores one of the most imaginative and influential series in movie history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe September Issue (2009)
A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 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 thisThe Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos (2008)
In the remote and forgotten wilderness of Lake Natron, in northern Tanzania, one of nature's last great mysteries unfolds: the birth, life and death of a million crimson-winged flamingos.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGuillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema (2022)
With mesmerizing footage and time lapses of animators at work, this behind-the-scenes special captures the artistry of a unique tale years in the making.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)
Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Silent Revolution of Truth (2007)
The award-winning film documents the amazing, true-life adventures of Billy Meier, the only proven UFO contactee.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Calabasas 1/26/20 (2021)
A dense fog in the San Fernando Valley cancels a meeting of UFO hunters and causes an unexpected tragedy in the nearby mountains.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Aztec 1948: UFO Crash (2005)
On March 25, 1948 a UFO spacecraft of extraterrestrial origin crashed in a place called Aztec, New Mexico. Sixteen alien bodies were discovered dead inside. The alien bodies and all evidence of their spacecraft were soon transported by government officials to Wright Patterson Air force Base where all traces of this event disappeared in secrecy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Data Limite segundo Chico Xavier (2014)
UFO experts claim that after the explosion of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, there was an increase in the number of sightings of UFO'S (Unidentified Flying Objects) worldwide. Just over two decades later, the Brazilian medium Chico Xavier confided to close friends that when man reached the moon on July 20, 1969, happened a meeting with the celestial beings of our solar system to check the progress of humanity. They decided to grant a period of 50 years for humanity to evolve morally and live in peace, without provoking a third world war. If we live in peace until the Deadline, humanity would be ready to enter a new era of its existence, and magnificent feats would be checked everywhere, including our brothers from other planets would be expressly authorized to present themselves publicly and officially to Earth's residents.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Sleeping Dog (2026)
Investigative journalist Jeremy Corbell emerges as a key figure in a dangerous fight to uncover the truth about UAPs, driven by rare access and knowledge few possess. As his pursuit deepens, so do the risks of exposing what was never meant to be seen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Sprisahanie šedej rasy (2017)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
UFO From Earth to the Moon (2016)
Interviewing cast and crew behind the scenes on UFO, this documentary lifts the lid on Gerry and Sylvia Anderson's first venture into live action science fiction.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
UFO Over the Village of Kljuch (TBA)
A documentary about a sighting of unidentified flying objects (UFO) over the Village of Kljuch. Reports from the local priest, as well as some of the residents of the village. Pictures of the UFO can be seen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Heaven's Gate: The Untold Story (1999)
Documentary chronicling the history of the Heaven's Gate cult, including actual home video footage and interviews with surviving members.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
A Prison on Earth (2016)
A documentary purporting to expose the interdimensional alien beings who have enslaved humanity for centuries.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like First Contact?
The closest matches to First Contact are The Secret (2006), The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) and Above Majestic (2018). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after First Contact?
Start with The Secret (2006), the closest match to First Contact.
What is the highest-rated movie like First Contact?
An Inconvenient Truth (2006), rated 6.9/10 by 1,020 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like First Contact?
Sleeping Dog (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like First Contact?
Yes: The Secret (2006), The Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019) and Above Majestic (2018).
How are movies similar to First Contact chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside First Contact, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.