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Movies like Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare (2009)

The best movies like Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare (2009) are Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes (2022), The Battle of Chernobyl (2007) and The Walking Dead: The Return (2024). If Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes (2022)

    Thirty-six years after the Chernobyl nuclear reactor exploded in Soviet Ukraine, newly uncovered archival footage and recorded interviews with those who were present paint an emotional and gripping portrait of the extent and gravity of the disaster and the lengths to which the Soviet government went to cover up the incident, including the soldiers sent in to “liquidate” the damage. Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes is the full, unvarnished true story of what happened in one of the least understood tragedies of the twentieth century.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. The Battle of Chernobyl (2007)

    On April 26, 1986, a 1,000 feet high flame rises into the sky of the Ukraine. The fourth reactor of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant just exploded. A battle begins in which 500,000 men are engaged throughout the Soviet Union to "liquidate" the radioactivity, build the "sarcophagus" of the damaged reactor and save the world from a second explosion that would have destroyed half of Europe. Become a reference film, this documentary combines testimonials and unseen footage, tells for the first time the Battle of Chernobyl.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  3. The Walking Dead: The Return (2024)

    Stars of "The Walking Dead," Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, walk down memory lane and visit iconic locations where pivotal moments between their characters, Rick and Michonne, were filmed.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. Deliver 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 this
  5. Hôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie (1988)

    Marcel Ophuls' riveting film details the heinous legacy of the Gestapo head dubbed "The Butcher of Lyon." Responsible for over 4,000 deaths in occupied France during World War II, Barbie would escape—with U.S. help—to South America in 1951, where he lived until a global manhunt led to his 1983 arrest and subsequent trial.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. Dangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (2007)

    The definitive 3½-hour documentary about the troubled creation and enduring legacy of the science fiction classic 'Blade Runner', culled from 80 interviews and hours of never-before-seen outtakes and lost footage.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  7. The Mole: Undercover in North Korea (2020)

    A real-life undercover thriller about two ordinary men who embark on an outrageously dangerous ten-year mission to penetrate the world's most secretive and brutal dictatorship: North Korea.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. Seduced and Abandoned (2013)

    SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. The 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 this
  10. Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022)

    An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return (2022)

    This special explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the screen, as well as Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their classic roles. Director Deborah Chow leads the cast and crew as they create new heroes and villains that live alongside new incarnations of beloved Star Wars characters, and an epic story that dramatically bridges the saga films.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. S4: 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 this
  13. Making 'The Shining' (1980)

    Directed and edited by Stanley Kubrick's daughter Vivian Kubrick, this film offers a look behind the scenes during the making of The Shining.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. Heart 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 this
  15. 42 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 this
  16. Love, Antosha (2019)

    From a prolific career in film and television, Anton Yelchin left an indelible legacy as an actor. Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family, friends, and colleagues, this film looks not just at Anton's impressive career, but at a broader portrait of the man.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. Varda by Agnès (2019)

    An unpredictable documentary from a fascinating storyteller, Agnès Varda’s last film sheds light on her experience as a director, bringing a personal insight to what she calls "cine-writing," traveling from Rue Daguerre in Paris to Los Angeles and Beijing.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. American Boy: A Profile of Steven Prince (1978)

    Martin Scorsese spends an evening with larger-than-life raconteur Steven Prince—a former drug addict, road manager for Neil Diamond, and actor—as he recounts stories from his colorful life.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Fuck (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 this
  20. Into Eternity: A Film for the Future (2010)

    Every day, the world over, large amounts of high-level radioactive waste created by nuclear power plants is placed in interim storage, which is vulnerable to natural disasters, man-made disasters, and to societal changes. In Finland the world’s first permanent repository is being hewn out of solid rock – a huge system of underground tunnels - that must last 100,000 years as this is how long the waste remains hazardous.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  21. The Making of Fallout: New Vegas (2010)

    This 8-part documentary includes behind the scenes interviews, concept art, and promotional trailers for the game.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  22. The Horses of Fukushima (2013)

    Fukushima's Minami-soma has a ten-centuries-long tradition of holding the Soma Nomaoi ("chasing wild horses") festival to celebrate the horse's great contribution to human society. Following the meltdown of the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in the wake of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, local people were forced to flee the area. Rancher Shinichiro Tanaka returned to find his horses dead or starving, and refused to obey the government's orders to kill them. While many racehorses are slaughtered for horsemeat, his horses had been subjected to radiation and were inedible. Yoju Matsubayashi, whose "Fukushima: Memories of the Lost Landscape" is one of the most impressive documentaries made immediately after the disaster, spent the summer of 2011 helping Tanaka take care of his horses. In documenting their rehabilitation, he has produced a profound meditation on these animals who live as testaments to the tragic bargain human society made with nuclear power.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  23. Fukushima: A Nuclear Nightmare (2026)

    The definitive account of Japan’s struggle as it faced a nuclear catastrophe while still reeling from the devastation of an earthquake and tsunami.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  24. I'm So Sorry (2021)

    In a quiet forest, a sign warns of radiation hazard. “Is this the past or the future?” muses the masked figure who appears like a kind of ghost in nuclear disaster areas. At a time when nuclear power may be re-emerging as an alternative to fossil fuels, this calmly observed and compelling tour takes us to places that may serve as a warning.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  25. Wolsong: Vanishing Town (2019)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  26. Abandoned: Uncovering Fukushima (2022)

    In 2011, a catastrophic nuclear disaster forced the immediate evacuation of Fukushima, Japan. This documentary follows an international team of scientists using hundreds of cameras to track and investigate the astonishing wildlife that now thrives in this deadly radioactive environment.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  27. La fiction nucléaire (1978)

    Filmmaker Jean Chabot looks at the use of nuclear energy in Quebec. Do we need this expensive and dangerous energy?

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  28. With Sea Views (2021)

    After consolidating itself as a tourist destination in the mid-1960s, this small coastal village has become the dormitory town for the workers of a Nuclear Power Plant. With the liberal promise of prosperity and socioeconomic wellfare, many workers left their homes to move to the small city and started working at the new Nuclear Power Plant. The collective unrest and the silence, cut off by the great gusts of wind, articulate the landscape of the village that is now under the aid of the Nuclear Power Plant.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  29. The New American Century (2008)

    "Historically accurate, narratively captivating, The New American Century is one of the best films about the facts behind the 9/11 attacks". Webster G. Tarpley "The New American Century is a stunning film. It should be seen as widely as possible, in cinemas, bars, clubs, at meetings and, of course, through the internet. I'm sure the film will continue to be a source of debate and political education for many years." Ken Loach. Massimo Mazzucco’s Inganno Globale (soon in English as "Global Deceit") presented all the major inconsistencies in the 9/11 official version, i.e. World Trade Center’s demolition, no Boeing at the Pentagon, etc., that lent credibility to the accusation by the so-called "9/11 Truth Movement" of the attacks having been an inside job. The New American Century presents the historical, philosophical, economical and political background, some of which is practically unknown to the general public, that seems to support such accusation by the 9/11 Truth Movement.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  30. Chernobyl: 48 Hours To Escape (2026)

    Witnesses, survivors and front-line heroes recall the first days of the Chernobyl disaster of April 1986. Featuring rare archive footage of the world's worst ever nuclear accident.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare?

The closest matches to Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare are Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes (2022), The Battle of Chernobyl (2007) and The Walking Dead: The Return (2024). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare?

Start with Chernobyl: The Lost Tapes (2022), the closest match to Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare.

What is the highest-rated movie like Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare?

Deliver Us from Evil (2006), rated 7.2/10 by 216 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare?

S4: The Bob Lazar Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there French movies like Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare?

Yes: The Battle of Chernobyl (2007), Varda by Agnès (2019) and I'm So Sorry (2021).

How are movies similar to Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Waste: The Nuclear Nightmare, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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