Movies like John Ford: The Man Who Invented America (2019)
The best movies like John Ford: The Man Who Invented America (2019) are The Godfather Family: A Look Inside (1990), Kubrick by Kubrick (2020) and They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018). If John Ford: The Man Who Invented America hooked you with its documentary and tv movie, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks
- NewestPétain et les francs-maçons (2022)Released 2022
- In FrenchKubrick by Kubrick (2020)Also in French
The Godfather Family: A Look Inside (1990)
A documentary on the making of the three Godfather films, with interviews and recollections from the film makers and cast. This feature also includes the original screen tests of some of the actors for "The Godfather" film, and some candid moments on the set of "The Godfather: Part III."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKubrick by Kubrick (2020)
American filmmaker Stanley Kubrick (1928–1999), one of the greatest in history, but also one of the most reserved, gave few interviews throughout his long career, and none of them were filmed. A first-person journey through his life and work, based on a recorded conversation with French film critic Michel Climent.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThey'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018)
As his life comes to its end, famous Hollywood director Orson Welles puts it all on the line at the chance for renewed success with the film The Other Side of the Wind.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisReel Injun (2010)
The evolution of the depiction of the various Native American peoples in cinema, from the silent era to the present day: how their image on the screen has changed the way to understand their history and culture.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMifune: The Last Samurai (2016)
An account of the life and work of legendary Japanese actor Toshirō Mifune (1920-97), the most prominent actor of the Golden Age of Japanese cinema.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFilmworker (2018)
The story of Leon Vitali, who surrendered his promising acting career to become Stanley Kubrick's devoted right-hand man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAltman (2014)
Robert Altman's life and career contained multitudes. This father of American independent cinema left an indelible mark, not merely on the evolution of his art form, but also on the western zeitgeist. With its use of rare interviews, representative film clips, archival images, and musings from his family and most recognizable collaborators, Altman is a dynamic and heartfelt mediation on an artist whose expression, passion and appetite knew few bounds.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDe Palma (2016)
An intimate conversation between filmmakers, chronicling De Palma’s 55-year career, his life, and his filmmaking process, with revealing anecdotes and, of course, a wealth of film clips.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA. K. (1985)
An intimate chronicle of the shooting of Ran (1985), a film directed by the legendary Japanese filmmaker Akira Kurosawa.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Eyes of Orson Welles (2018)
A poetic journey into the visual world of the legendary filmmaker and actor Orson Welles (1915-85) that reveals a new portrait of a unique genius, both of his life and of his monumental work: through his own eyes, drawn by his own hand, painted with his own brush.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisTread (2020)
Pushed to his breaking point, a master welder in a small town at the foot of the Rocky Mountains quietly fortifies a bulldozer with 30 tons of concrete and steel and seeks to destroy those he believes have wronged him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMilius (2013)
The life story of ‘Zen Anarchist’ filmmaker John Milius, one of the most influential storytellers of his generation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDirected by John Ford (1971)
A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWoody Allen: A Documentary (2011)
An intense portrait of the iconic filmmaker, writer, actor, comedian and musician Woody Allen: his life, family and friends; his writing and directing habits, and his relationship with performers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisQT8: The First Eight (2019)
A detailed account of the life and artistic career of legendary filmmaker Quentin Tarantino, from his early days as a video club manager to the scandalous fall in disgrace of producer Harvey Weinstein. A story about how to shoot eight great movies and become an icon of modern pop culture.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
Documentary about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans, based on his famous 1994 autobiography.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVisions of Light (1992)
Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisElectric Boogaloo: The Wild, Untold Story of Cannon Films (2014)
A documentary about the rise and fall of the Cannon Film Group, the legendary independent film company helmed by Israeli cousins Menahem Golan and Yoram Globus.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNight Will Fall (2014)
When Allied forces liberated the Nazi concentration camps in 1944-45, their terrible discoveries were recorded by army and newsreel cameramen, revealing for the first time the full horror of what had happened. Making use of British, Soviet and American footage, the Ministry of Information’s Sidney Bernstein (later founder of Granada Television) aimed to create a documentary that would provide lasting, undeniable evidence of the Nazis’ unspeakable crimes. He commissioned a wealth of British talent, including editor Stewart McAllister, writer and future cabinet minister Richard Crossman – and, as treatment advisor, his friend Alfred Hitchcock. Yet, despite initial support from the British and US Governments, the film was shelved, and only now, 70 years on, has it been restored and completed by Imperial War Museums under its original title "German Concentration Camps Factual Survey".
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAudrey Hepburn: Remembered (1993)
Audrey Hepburn was one of the movies' best-loved stars, blessed with beauty, talent, an elegant sophistication and an enduring aura of youthful innocence. As Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF, she spoke for the world's suffering children and families, earning an affection and admiration that only increased with news of her untimely death. From the star herself we learn of her career and the family and friendships that were her priority.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
All About Yves Montand (2021)
Yves Montand would have been 100-years-old in 2021. A journey through the 20th century by the son of an Italian immigrant who reached the peak of his art and popularity. The song, the cinema, the commitments, a film all in archives.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Life (2008)
A documentary about actress brazilian Maria Gladys, a strong presence in films by Júlio Bressane, Rogério Sganzerla among others.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Somewhere Between New York and LA (2020)
Since he was 18 years old, Blake Eckard has written and directed six feature length films in his hometown of Stanberry, Missouri (population 1186). Aside from a short distribution deal in Canada and a few festival screenings, his movies have largely gone unseen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Sœur Sourire: Who Killed the Voice of God? (2021)
1962. A crystalline voice becomes a planetary tube. A Belgian nun jostles Elvis and the Beatles on the world charts. Her name: Sister Smile. A popstar with the trajectory of a comet who understands her success no more than the double meaning of her words… The harder the fall will be. Even God does not protect sharks' appetites or pretenses of success! Who killed the little voice of God? Here is the tragic story of an innocent voice, of an extraordinary fate, almost of a curse ...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Pétain et les francs-maçons (2022)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Ugliest Car (2017)
The youngest protagonist of the documentary is Wartburg, an automobile over 50 years of age. The car is still on the road, driven by Bogdan, a 70-year-old who is taking his mother to visit the German factory where she was forced to work during WWII. In this road movie which takes place between Majdanpek and Germany, the trip becomes a journey into the past, retracing memories from the war and revealing a unique relationship between an old son and his elderly mother.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Britain's Greatest Pilot: The Extraordinary Story of Captain Winkle Brown (2014)
Captain Eric 'Winkle' Brown recounts his flying experiences, encounters with the Nazis and other adventures leading up to and during the Second World War. Illustrated with archive footage and Captain Brown's own photos.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Safeguarding Military Information (1942)
World War II propaganda short which focuses on the dangers of inadvertent dispersal of military information.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Wie konnte es geschehen? - Teil 1: "Deutschland erwache..." (1914 - 1938) (2006)
In 1945, 160 German cities lay in ruins and the loss of millions of lives, billions in material assets and countless cultural treasures was mourned throughout Europe... With the question “How could it happen?”, the film goes back to the year 1914, when the “primal catastrophe of the 20th century” took its course with the First World War.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like John Ford: The Man Who Invented America?
The closest matches to John Ford: The Man Who Invented America are The Godfather Family: A Look Inside (1990), Kubrick by Kubrick (2020) and They'll Love Me When I'm Dead (2018). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after John Ford: The Man Who Invented America?
Start with The Godfather Family: A Look Inside (1990), the closest match to John Ford: The Man Who Invented America.
What is the newest movie like John Ford: The Man Who Invented America?
Pétain et les francs-maçons (2022) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like John Ford: The Man Who Invented America?
Yes: Kubrick by Kubrick (2020), A. K. (1985) and All About Yves Montand (2021).
How are movies similar to John Ford: The Man Who Invented America chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside John Ford: The Man Who Invented America, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.




























