Movies like Time Splits in the River (2016)
The best movies like Time Splits in the River (2016) are In the Realms of the Unreal (2004), Heart of a Dog (2015) and As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000). If Time Splits in the River hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDeliver Us from Evil (2006)7.2/10 from 215 votes
- NewestA Toxic Love Story (2026)Released 2026
- In ChineseZero To Zero (2022)Also in Chinese
In the Realms of the Unreal (2004)
In the Realms of the Unreal is a documentary about the reclusive Chicago-based artist Henry Darger. Henry Darger was so reclusive that when he died his neighbors were surprised to find a 15,145-page manuscript along with hundreds of paintings depicting The Story of the Vivian Girls, in What is Known as the Realms of the Unreal, of the Glodeco-Angelinnian War Storm, Cased by the Child Slave Rebellion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisAs I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000)
A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA 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 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 this42 Up (1999)
Director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe 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 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 thisFuck (2006)
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUntold: Jake Paul the Problem Child (2023)
Pro boxing sensation — and perennial troublemaker — Jake Paul shares his unlikely journey from online prankster to power puncher in this documentary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
SnoozefestMovies like thisGonzo: The Life and Work of Dr. Hunter S. Thompson (2008)
Fueled by a raging libido, Wild Turkey, and superhuman doses of drugs, Thompson was a true "free lance, " goring sacred cows with impunity, hilarity, and a steel-eyed conviction for writing wrongs. Focusing on the good doctor's heyday, 1965 to 1975, the film includes clips of never-before-seen (nor heard) home movies, audiotapes, and passages from unpublished manuscripts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHarry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction (2013)
An impressionistic portrait of the iconic actor Harry Dean Stanton comprised of intimate moments, film clips from some of his 250 films and his renditions of American folk songs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDeliver Us from Evil (2006)
Documentary filmmaker Amy Berg investigates the life of 30-year pedophile Father Oliver O'Grady and exposes the corruption inside the Catholic Church that allowed him to abuse countless children. Victims' stories and a disturbing interview with O'Grady offer a view into the troubled mind of the spiritual leader who moved from parish to parish gaining trust ... all the while betraying so many.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisStrip Down, Rise Up (2021)
The feature documentary follows women of all walks of life, all ages and ethnic backgrounds, as they shed trauma, body image shame, sexual abuse and other issues locked in their bodies, and embark on a journey to reclaim themselves. The film also gives a rare window into the world of Pole artistry and expression.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisS4: The Bob Lazar Story (2026)
Over 35 years after Bob Lazar's revelations, this documentary exposes secrets of a facility the government still denies. Featuring Lazar's testimony, recreations, and new evidence, it reopens a case that continues to spark global curiosity
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBeyoncé: Life Is But a Dream (2013)
Life Is But a Dream is a HBO documentary about the life of US singer Beyoncé Knowles during the years 2011 and 2012 and on the recording of her fifth album. The film was directed by Beyoncé herself. The film shows Beyoncé from intimate moments of her pregnancy to behind the scenes and rehearsals of the main concerts of that time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like this3 ½ Minutes, 10 Bullets (2015)
Black Friday, the day after Thanksgiving November 2012, four boys in a red SUV pull into a gas station after spending time at the mall buying sneakers and talking to girls. With music blaring, one boy exits the car and enters the store, a quick stop for a soda and a pack of gum. A man and a woman pull up next to the boys in the station, making a stop for a bottle of wine. The woman enters the store and an argument breaks out when the driver of the second car asks the boys to turn the music down. 3½ minutes and ten bullets later, one of the boys is dead. 3½ MINUTES dissects the aftermath of this fatal encounter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (2016)
An intimate portrait of Hollywood royalty featuring Debbie Reynolds, Todd Fisher, and Carrie Fisher.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCome 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 thisZero To Zero (2022)
A documentary about Taiwanese legislator.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
TPE-Tics (2015)
Huang Da-wang , an extravaganza from Taiwan sound/ performance art scene, is also known as Black Wolf or Yingfan-Psalmanazar. He has developed a distinctive style of improvisation and electronic noise, and has a unique performance - the "Black Wolf Nakashi" show. This film follows him in the city, from sound to body, from bedroom to ruins.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Rui-Ming Band (1997)
The abandoned farmhouse beside Shuangxi outside Taipei seems to be wandering on the edge of the city. This is the base of Ruiming Band. During the day, these people have their own identities. The lead guitarist Zheng Zhaoting (Abo) is in the daycare class, the bassist Yang Dongliang (Dong Niang) is a photojournalist, the drummer Han Ligang has no specific job, and the rhythm guitar player Dai Chongyuan (Senior) drives a taxi. Every night on holiday, they come here to rehearse. With their dreams of music, they relieve their discomfort with society. Can music be a meal? Is there any other meaning to life besides making money? The director fell into this fog with them, revealing nihilistic yet true confessions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Show Must Go On (2019)
The Show Must Go On is a personal journey behind the scenes that confronts the epidemic of mental health issues in the Australian entertainment industry.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Chefs des Chefs : Dans les coulisses du Palais de Monaco (2012)
Politics divides people, but food brings them together. Working for the royal couple, H.S.H. Prince Albert II and H.S.H. Princess Charlene of Monaco, chef Christian Garcia prepares special meals for the Grimaldi family and organizes large receptions at the Palace. We follow the daily lives of the Chamberlain, the valets, the laundresses, the gardeners, the silversmiths, and all the staff of the Palace of Monaco, who preserve centuries-old traditions in the art of hospitality.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Porgy and Bess in Wien (1953)
Featuring the opera star Leontyne Price, the concert baritone William Warfield, and the irrepressible jazz bandleader Cab Calloway, this virtually unknown short film documents the first stop on what would become a four-year US State Department–sponsored tour of the Everyman Opera Company's production of the Gershwin-Heyward opera Porgy and Bess.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
We Get to Win This Time (2002)
Documentary about the making of "Rambo : First Blood Part II," and how Rambo became a household name. Featuring Sylvester Stallone, Richard Crenna, Charles Napier, director George P. Cosmatos, writer David Morrell, producers Mario Kassar and Andrew Vanja. Produced for the "Rambo" Special Edition DVD box set.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
By Any Means Necessary: The Making of "Jason X" (2002)
Produced for the "Jason X" Special Edition DVD.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Mackin’ Ain’t Easy (2002)
Documentary celebrating the making of this 70’s cult favorite featuring interviews with Max Julien, director Michael Campus, producer Harvey Bernhard, filmmakers the Hughes Brothers, professor Todd Boyd, and writer Jessie Rhines, actors Anizette Chase, Dick Anthony Williams and Don Gordon. Produced for "The Mack" Special Edition DVD.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Mysterium Gotik - Als die Kathedralen in den Himmel wuchsen (2021)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Time Splits in the River?
The closest matches to Time Splits in the River are In the Realms of the Unreal (2004), Heart of a Dog (2015) and As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Time Splits in the River?
Start with In the Realms of the Unreal (2004), the closest match to Time Splits in the River.
What is the highest-rated movie like Time Splits in the River?
Deliver Us from Evil (2006), rated 7.2/10 by 215 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Time Splits in the River?
A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like Time Splits in the River?
Yes: Zero To Zero (2022), TPE-Tics (2015) and Rui-Ming Band (1997).
How are movies similar to Time Splits in the River chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Time Splits in the River, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.