Movies like The Great American Lie (2020)
The best movies like The Great American Lie (2020) are Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2019), Bigger Stronger Faster* (2008) and Inequality for All (2013). If The Great American Lie hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedRequiem for the American Dream (2015)7.7/10 from 213 votes
- NewestLouis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere (2026)Released 2026
Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2019)
Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBigger Stronger Faster* (2008)
In America, we define ourselves in the superlative: we are the biggest, strongest, fastest country in the world. Is it any wonder that so many of our heroes are on performance enhancing drugs? Director Christopher Bell explores America's win-at-all-cost culture by examining how his two brothers became members of the steroid-subculture in an effort to realize their American dream.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInequality for All (2013)
Based on Reich's 2010 book Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future, the film examines widening income inequality in the United States. U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich tries to raise awareness of the country's widening economic gap. He publicly argued about the issue for decades, and producing a film of his viewpoints was a "final frontier" for him. In addition to being a social issue documentary, Inequality for All is also partially a biopic regarding Reich's early life and his time as Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton's presidency. Warren Buffett and Nick Hanauer, two entrepreneurs and investors in the top 1%, are interviewed in the film, supporting Reich's belief in an economy that benefits all citizens, including those of the middle and lower classes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRequiem for the American Dream (2015)
Through interviews filmed over four years, Noam Chomsky unpacks the principles that have brought us to the crossroads of historically unprecedented inequality – tracing a half-century of policies designed to favor the most wealthy at the expense of the majority – while also looking back on his own life of activism and political participation. He provides penetrating insight into what may well be the lasting legacy of our time – the death of the middle class, and swan song of functioning democracy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAscension (2021)
The film explores the pursuit of the “Chinese Dream.” Driven by mesmerizing—and sometimes humorous—imagery, this observational documentary presents a contemporary vision of China that prioritizes productivity and innovation above all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSurplus: Terrorized Into Being Consumers (2003)
Swedish documentary film on consumerism and globalization, created by director Erik Gandini and editor Johan Söderberg. It looks at the arguments for capitalism and technology, such as greater efficiency, more time and less work, and argues that these are not being fulfilled, and they never will be. The film leans towards anarcho-primitivist ideology and argues for "a simple and fulfilling life".
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Curse of the Dragon (1993)
A 1993 documentary film about Bruce Lee. The film includes interviews from some of his fellow students and opponents who worked alongside him in his movies.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStruggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018)
Artists in LA discover the work of forgotten Polish sculptor Stanislav Szukalski, a mad genius whose true story unfolds chapter by astounding chapter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGilbert (2017)
The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGod Grew Tired of Us (2006)
Filmmaker Christopher Quinn observes the ordeal of three Sudanese refugees -- Jon Bul Dau, Daniel Abul Pach and Panther Bior -- as they try to come to terms with the horrors they experienced in their homeland, while adjusting to their new lives in the United States.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLouis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere (2026)
With rare access and no holds barred, the acclaimed documentarian investigates a growing ultra-masculine network and its controversial influencers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThis Changes Everything (2019)
An investigative look and analysis of gender disparity in Hollywood, featuring accounts from well-known actors, executives and artists in the Industry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 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 thisMcQueen (2018)
Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 Mask You Live In (2015)
Compared to girls, research shows that boys in the United States are more likely to be diagnosed with a behaviour disorder, prescribed stimulant medications, fail out of school, binge drink, commit a violent crime, and/or take their own lives. The Mask You Live In asks: as a society, how are we failing our boys?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisChris Brown: Welcome to My Life (2017)
This compelling Documentary moves beyond the spotlight and past the attention-grabbing headlines to give pop superstar Chris Brown a chance to tell his own story. New interviews with the international phenomenon reveal long-awaited answers about his passion for making music, his tumultuous and much publicized relationships, and the pitfalls of coming of age in the public eye. Also included is new concert footage, behind-the-scenes access, and special interviews from Usher, Jennifer Lopez, DJ Khaled, Mike Tyson, Jamie Foxx and others.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGeneration Wealth (2018)
Over the past 25 years, Lauren Greenfield's documentary photography and film projects have explored youth culture, gender, body image, and affluence. Underscoring the ever-increasing gap between the haves and the have-nots, portraits reveal a focus on cultivating image over substance, where subjects unable to attain actual wealth instead settle for its trappings, no matter their ability to pay for it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBody (2026)
In conservative Pakistan, a photographer and his ambitious muses challenge social norms while chasing recognition and self-worth in a social media-driven world, engaging in candid conversations about culture, identity, body image, and vulnerability during a photoshoot.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Blessed Blessed Oblivion (2011)
BLESSED BLESSED OBLIVION weaves together a portrait of masculine performativity in East Jerusalem, as manifested in gyms, body shops and hair dressing parlors.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Unbroken: The Unmukt Chand Story (2025)
This access-driven documentary chronicles the life of Unmukt Chand, an Indian-American cricketer once heralded as ‘the next big thing’ in Indian cricket. The film is an intimate exploration of universal themes like broken dreams, second chances, mental health, identity, and the immigrant experience—through the lens of Unmukt and his wife, Simran.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Man for a Day (2012)
Gender activist Diane Torr’s worldwide appearances and workshops are now legendary. For the past thirty years, the main focus of this performance artist’s work has been an exploration of the theoretical, artistic as well as the practical aspects of gender identity. Katarina Peters’ documentary observes a Diane Torr workshop in Berlin in which a group of open-minded women come together to discover the secrets of masculinity. What makes a man a man and a woman a woman? Precisely when and where is gender identity formatted? How much is nature and how much nurture? Each of Torr’s workshops represents an open-ended laboratory experiment in social behaviour in which the question is posed: is it possible to deliberately play out different roles and create a space in which to transgress both masculine and feminine characteristics?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Fetish in E(x)ile (2025)
They met onstage at the Mr Leather Russia contest. One of them won the title, the other won the titleholder. 'A tale of two Doms', gay fetish and BDSM activists who tried to make a difference. But soon their world came crashing down.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
La península de los volcanes (TBA)
The documentary portrays the desires and ftures of four young people from the third year of secundary education in Chile. Two of them attend the industrial high school in the San Joaquín commune, where they have already begun their training as a textile technician. They both have dreams, they want to study, work, start a family and improve themselves. On the other hand, at the exclusive Saint George school, two students study in privileged conditions. They want to be professionals and develop through the arts. This is the portrait of two worlds located less than 20 kilometers apart and that can only be together in the audiovisual montage. It is the manifestation of the coincidences and contradictions that exist between the realities and the discourses of four young Chilean students in a fundamental stage for their future.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Steam of Life (2010)
Finnish men in sauna, speaking straight from the heart.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDemocracy Is ... (2009)
The film is a controversy on democracy. Is our society really democratic? Can everyone be part of it? Or is the act of being part in democracy dependent to the access on technology, progression or any resources of information, as philosophers like Paul Virilio or Jean Baudrillard already claimed?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The End of Men (2011)
It used be that everyone knew what it meant to be a man. A man was rugged and reliable and got the job done. But then came the worst recession in 80 years. So what happens now that the job is gone? The End of Men is a compelling new documentary that takes a profound look at how men are coping with the evolving role of masculinity in today's world, where the old rules no longer apply.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Earth and the American Dream (1992)
A beautiful and disturbing film recounts America’s story from the environment’s point of view. From the arrival of Columbus to the simple wilderness living of the 16th and 17th centuries, through the agrarian lifestyle of the 18th century, the changes from the Industrial Revolution, to the 20th century when most of the planet’s resources have been depleted — this film examines the North American landscape and all the wildlife destruction, deforestation, soil depletion and pollution that have been wrought to make the American Dream come true.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Great American Lie?
The closest matches to The Great American Lie are Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2019), Bigger Stronger Faster* (2008) and Inequality for All (2013). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Great American Lie?
Start with Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2019), the closest match to The Great American Lie.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Great American Lie?
Requiem for the American Dream (2015), rated 7.7/10 by 213 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Great American Lie?
Louis Theroux: Inside the Manosphere (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Great American Lie?
Yes: Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2019), Bigger Stronger Faster* (2008) and Inequality for All (2013).
How are movies similar to The Great American Lie chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Great American Lie, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.