Movies like Ballad of a Righteous Merchant (2017)
The best movies like Ballad of a Righteous Merchant (2017) are More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011), Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema (2022) and Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022). If Ballad of a Righteous Merchant hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedJodorowsky's Dune (2013)7.8/10 from 789 votes
- NewestJaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025)Released 2025
More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011)
Retrospective documentary about the making of the horror cult classic "The Return of the Living Dead."
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 thisEmbrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022)
A feature length documentary about the all-women team at the helm of Pixar's original feature, Turning Red. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Director Domee Shi and her core leadership crew, this story shines a light on the powerful professional and personal journeys that brought this incredibly comical, utterly relatable, and deeply heartfelt story to the screen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like this180° South (2010)
The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOur Planet: Behind the Scenes (2019)
Years spent recording footage of creatures from every corner of the globe is bound to produce a bit of drama. Here's a behind-the-scenes look.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Making of Star Wars (1977)
Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2 which includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisBeing James Bond (2021)
Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
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 thisThe Irishman: In Conversation (2019)
Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino in conversation about The Irishman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMaria by Callas (2017)
Told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs, the film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJodorowsky's Dune (2013)
In 1974, Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on the quixotic project of adapting Frank Herbert's influential novel Dune (1969) for the big screen. After investing two years, and millions of dollars, the gigantic project ended in failure; but the artists Jodorowsky brought together to carry it out continued to work together, and ended up laying the foundations for modern science fiction cinema.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGrey Gardens (1976)
Edie Bouvier Beale and her mother, Edith, two aging, eccentric relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, are the sole inhabitants of a Long Island estate. The women reveal themselves to be misfits with outsized, engaging personalities. Much of the conversation is centered on their pasts, as mother and daughter now rarely leave home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisJaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025)
The authorized documentary celebrating the film that redefined Hollywood, 50 years after its premiere. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors alongside Steven Spielberg, top shark scientists, and conservationists, the film uncovers the behind-the-scenes chaos and how the film launched the summer blockbuster, inspired a new wave of filmmakers, and paved the way for shark conservation that continues today.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCameraperson (2016)
As a visually radical memoir, CAMERAPERSON draws on the remarkable footage that filmmaker Kirsten Johnson has shot and reframes it in ways that illuminate moments and situations that have personally affected her. What emerges is an elegant meditation on the relationship between truth and the camera frame, as Johnson transforms scenes that have been presented on Festival screens as one kind of truth into another kind of story—one about personal journey, craft, and direct human connection.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOne Soldier's Story: The Journey of American Sniper (2015)
Join director Clint Eastwood and his creative team, along with Bradley Cooper and Sienna Miller, as they overcome enormous creative and logistic obstacles to make a film that brings the truth of Navy SEAL Chris Kyle's story to the screen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
SnoozefestMovies like thisOLIVIA RODRIGO: driving home 2 u (a SOUR film) (2022)
Grammy® winner singer-songwriter Olivia Rodrigo takes a familiar road trip from Salt Lake City, where she began writing her debut album “SOUR,” to Los Angeles. Along the way, Rodrigo recounts the memories of writing and creating her record-breaking debut album and shares her feelings as a young woman navigating a specific time in her life. Through new live arrangements of her songs, intimate interviews and never-before-seen footage from the making of the album, audiences will follow Olivia along on a cinematic journey exploring the story of “SOUR.”
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 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 thisRed Desert Nights: Making Ghosts of Mars (2001)
Documentary about the making of John Carpenter's sci-fi horror movie, "Ghosts of Mars." Produced for the "Ghosts of Mars" DVD.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Making of 'The Terminator': A Retrospective (1992)
An interview session with Arnold Schwarzenegger and director James Cameron gives us a better understanding of how hard it was making Terminator, The (1984) on such a low budget. Clips from the film are present along with funny and interesting stories from behind the scenes.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Woman Who Built Cities (2021)
The picture is dedicated to the fate of Lyudmila Mikhailovna Kusakova - production designer of the Mosfilm film studio, who created costumes and sets for the cult Soviet films Anna Karenina, Pomegranate Bracelet, Aybolit-66, Ordinary Miracle, Pokrovskie Gates and many , many others.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Six Seasons and a Finale (2016)
The cast and crew of Community reflect on creating the final season of the show.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Journey to the Sermon on the Mount (2021)
Five individuals relate their life stories and struggles as they journey to participate in the filming of The Chosen's "Sermon on the Mount" scene.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
From Stage to Screen: Kyrsyä - Tuftland (2018)
See how the award-winning hillbilly horror was brought to life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
How We Made Free Skate (2023)
Rebellious and upcoming filmmakers make their biggest film to date. Witness how the ambitious and topical film Free Skate came to life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Robin Hood: The Myth, the Man, the Movie (1991)
U.S. network TV special surveying the history of Robin Hood in popular culture, emphasizing the 1991 film "Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves". Interviews with principal cast and crew from that film highlight the special. Pierce Brosnan hosts.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Hellboy: In Service of the Demon (2008)
The making of Hellboy II: The Golden Army
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Plan 9 From Syracuse (2007)
On August 15th, 2006, filmmaker Ryan Dacko set out to get a 30-minute meeting with a major Hollywood producer by running on foot from Syracuse, New York to Hollywood, California.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Ballad of a Righteous Merchant?
The closest matches to Ballad of a Righteous Merchant are More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011), Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema (2022) and Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Ballad of a Righteous Merchant?
Start with More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011), the closest match to Ballad of a Righteous Merchant.
What is the highest-rated movie like Ballad of a Righteous Merchant?
Jodorowsky's Dune (2013), rated 7.8/10 by 789 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Ballad of a Righteous Merchant?
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Ballad of a Righteous Merchant?
Yes: More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011), Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema (2022) and Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022).
How are movies similar to Ballad of a Righteous Merchant chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Ballad of a Righteous Merchant, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.