Movies like Living Universe (2018)
The best movies like Living Universe (2018) are The Captains (2011), National Geographic: Journey to the Edge of the Universe (2008) and Elstree 1976 (2015). If Living Universe hooked you with its documentary and science fiction, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedKoyaanisqatsi (1983)7.9/10 from 814 votes
- NewestArtemis: To the Moon and Back (2026)Released 2026
The 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 & science fiction
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 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 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 thisA Trip to Infinity (2022)
Does infinity exist? Can we experience the Infinite? In an animated film (created by artists from 10 countries) the world's most cutting-edge scientists and mathematicians go in search of the infinite and its mind-bending implications for the universe. Eminent mathematicians, particle physicists and cosmologists dive into infinity and its mind-bending implications for the universe.
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 thisLo and Behold: Reveries of the Connected World (2016)
Werner Herzog's exploration of the Internet and the connected world.
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 thisDeepsea Challenge 3D (2014)
Described as being a film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, James Cameron's "Deepsea Challenge 3D" tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer. The movie offers a unique insight into Cameron's world as he makes that dream reality – and makes history – by becoming the first person to travel solo to the deepest point on the planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisFireball: Visitors from Darker Worlds (2020)
This remarkable journey across our planet and universe explores how meteorites, shooting stars, and deep impacts have awoken our wonder about other realms—and make us rethink our destinies.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJourney to Space (2015)
A sweeping overview of humanity’s accomplishments in space, as well as our ongoing activities and future plans.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKoyaanisqatsi (1983)
Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe 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 thisGood Night Oppy (2022)
The inspirational true story of Opportunity, a rover that was sent to Mars for a 90-day mission but ended up surviving for 15 years. Follow Opportunity’s groundbreaking journey on Mars and the remarkable bond forged between a robot and her humans millions of miles away.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUnknown: Cosmic Time Machine (2023)
The James Webb Telescope stirs imaginations with vivid photos of distant galaxies. This documentary tracks its historic journey from inception to launch.
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 thisDavid Byrne's American Utopia (2020)
A filmed version of David Byrne's Broadway show, a unifying musical celebration that inspires audiences to connect to each other and to the global community.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMy Octopus Teacher (2020)
After years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for months on end he eventually wins the animal’s trust and they develop a never-before-seen bond between human and wild animal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDeep Blue (2003)
Deep Blue is a major documentary feature film shot by the BBC Natural History Unit. An epic cinematic rollercoaster ride for all ages, Deep Blue uses amazing footage to tell us the story of our oceans and the life they support.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisArtemis: To the Moon and Back (2026)
The inside story of the Artemis II mission - filmed over three and a half years at NASA. How did four astronauts travel to the moon, going deeper into space than ever before?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Journey to the West (2023)
Tang Zhijun, an editor of a science fiction magazine, attempts to find signs of an alien civilisation. When a strange young man claims to have received instructions from aliens, Tang and his team follow him in search of extraterrestrial creatures.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Secret of the Third Planet (1981)
At the end of the 22nd century Alisa Seleznyova, her father Professor Seleznyov and pilot Zelyony go on a space expedition to find rare animals for Moscow Zoo. On the way they seem to encounter a mysterious conspiracy led by Doctor Verhovtsev against legendary Two Captains Kim and Buran. The only clue is a talking bird Сhatterer [Govorun] that our heroes accidentally took possession of.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFly Rocket Fly (2018)
A long time ago, years before Elon Musk reached for the stars with his Space X project, a young man had his own childhood dream about a journey into space. This documentary tells the fantastic story of German astrophysicist Lutz Kayser who developed the world's first private space company. He did this under the curious and concerned eyes of secret services around the world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Aliens Living Among Us (2025)
Mysterious lights in the sky have fueled wonder and speculation throughout history. From Rendlesham Forest to the Roswell Incident, Marfa Lights to the Battle of Los Angeles, are these phenomena natural, man-made, or proof of extraterrestrial visitors?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Hitler's Secret Science (2010)
During the Second World War, to give himself every chance of winning the conflict, Adolf Hitler instructed the most brilliant German scientists to develop advanced technology weapons of mass destruction. Among them were the V1, the first cruise missile, and the V2, the first ballistic missile. The document looks back at the context in which their creators worked and succeeded in designing innovations that laid the foundations of modern aviation and aerospace.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Voyage to the Prehistoric Planet (1965)
In 2020, following the colonization of the moon, the spaceships Vega, Sirius and Capella are launched from Lunar Station 7. They're to explore Venus under the command of Professor Hartman, but an asteroid collides and explodes Capella. Vega stays orbiting and sends the astronauts Kern and Sherman with the robot John to the surface of Venus, but they have problems with communication with Dr. Marsha Evans in Vega. The Sirius lands in Venus and Commander Brendan Lockhart, Andre Ferneau and Hans Walter are attacked by prehistoric animals. They use a vehicle to seek Kern and Sherman while collecting samples from the planet. Meanwhile, John helps the two cosmonauts to survive. (Re-edited version of Pavel Klushantsev's 1962 Soviet sci-fi Planet of Storms, dubbed into English with additional scenes.)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisNova (2022)
On a mission to set up a robot colony on Mars, Android Officer Nova is caught between her human crew-mates and her own kind when a mutiny erupts during the flight.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Nova Star (2021)
Set in an 80s retro future world, Mack, and her robot co-worker Spanners, clean toilets aboard the majestic spaceship Nova Queen. When an ancient star fragment is embedded in Mack’s skull by a dying space princess, the space sh*t hits the space fan. Mack and Spanners are chased across the galaxy by Kill-Bots, Space Pirates, Bounty Hunters and an evil Space Queen who plans to use the Star to flush the entire cosmos out of reality through a black hole. Using everything she knows from a life working in sanitation it’s up to Mack to save the star, and save the galaxy!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Wild Wild Space (2024)
Follow three rocket and satellite companies – Astra Space, Rocket Lab, and Planet Labs – and the quests of their idiosyncratic founders to conquer the burgeoning space industry.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Living Universe?
The closest matches to Living Universe are The Captains (2011), National Geographic: Journey to the Edge of the Universe (2008) and Elstree 1976 (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Living Universe?
Start with The Captains (2011), the closest match to Living Universe.
What is the highest-rated movie like Living Universe?
Koyaanisqatsi (1983), rated 7.9/10 by 814 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Living Universe?
Artemis: To the Moon and Back (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Living Universe?
Yes: The Captains (2011), National Geographic: Journey to the Edge of the Universe (2008) and Elstree 1976 (2015).
How are movies similar to Living Universe chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Living Universe, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.