Movies like California Golde (2019)
The best movies like California Golde (2019) are Naqoyqatsi (2002), My Mom Jayne (2025) and Powaqqatsi (1988). If California Golde hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBaraka (1992)8.2/10 from 734 votes
- NewestShells: Shaped by Nature (2026)Released 2026
Naqoyqatsi (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 thisMy Mom Jayne (2025)
Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisPowaqqatsi (1988)
An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEvil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025)
Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Curious Birth of Benjamin Button (2009)
A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMy Beautiful Broken Brain (2014)
A profoundly personal voyage into the complexity, fragility and wonder of the human brain, after Lotje Sodderland miraculously survives a hemorrhagic stroke and finds herself starting again in an alien world, bereft of language and logic. This feature documentary takes us on a genre-twisting tale that is by turns excruciating and exquisite - from the devastating consequences of a first-time neurological experiment, through to the extraordinary revelations of her altered sensory perception.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Toxic Love Story (2026)
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMountain (2017)
An epic cinematic and musical collaboration between SHERPA filmmaker Jennifer Peedom and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, that explores humankind's fascination with high places.
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 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 thisNo Half Measures: Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad (2013)
A documentary about the making of season five of the acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisEarth: One Amazing Day (2017)
An astonishing journey revealing the awesome power of the natural world. Over the course of one single day, we track the sun from the highest mountains to the remotest islands to exotic jungles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBright Lights: Starring Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds (2016)
An intimate portrait of Hollywood royalty featuring Debbie Reynolds, Todd Fisher, and Carrie Fisher.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEarth (2007)
An epic story of adventure, starring some of the most magnificent and courageous creatures alive, awaits you in EARTH. Disneynature brings you a remarkable story of three animal families on a journey across our planet – polar bears, elephants and humpback whales.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisS4: 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 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 thisStrip Down, Rise Up (2021)
The feature documentary follows women of all walks of life, all ages and ethnic backgrounds, as they shed trauma, body image shame, sexual abuse and other issues locked in their bodies, and embark on a journey to reclaim themselves. The film also gives a rare window into the world of Pole artistry and expression.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAquaman: Heroines of Atlantis (2019)
Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman discuss their characters Mera and Atlanna.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBaraka (1992)
A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global vision—an odyssey through landscape and time—that attempts to capture the essence of life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisGirl Rising (2013)
Nine filmmakers each profile a young girl from a different part of the world to weave a global tapestry of youth in the 21st century.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBig Cats: Fast and Dangerous (2012)
The vast savannah of the Serengeti. A large part of the genus Panthera lives here. Better known as the "actual big cat". They are among the largest cat species on earth. Among them is the lion, the true predator beneath the vast African sky. 'The King of Africa', male specimens of which weigh up to 270 kg, captured in breathtaking images that show the fascinating world of the big cats. Funny, tragic and spectacular recordings also document the fastest animal in the world, the cheetah, follow leopards on your trail and experience the first days of a black panther.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Moon Crab (2025)
Moon Crab is a meditation on the horseshoe crab, one of Earth's oldest living species now struggling with extreme population decline. Blending reflections on nature's cycles with experimental visuals, the film employs an array of techniques, including eco-processed film developed with seaweed, to immerse the viewer in the crab's subaquatic world. Narrated with intimate depth by physiologist Dr. Abner Lall, the filmmaker’s neighbor, this documentary captures a timeless story of resilience and fragility, urging us to reconsider our connection to the natural world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Watershed: Exploring a New Water Ethic for the New West (2012)
As the most dammed, dibbed, and diverted river in the world struggles to support thirty million people and the peace-keeping agreement known as the Colorado River Pact reaches its limits, WATERSHED introduces hope. Can we meet the needs of a growing population in the face of rising temperatures and lower rainfall in an already arid land? Can we find harmony amongst the competing interests of cities, agriculture, industry, recreation, wildlife, and indigenous communities with rights to the water? Sweeping through seven U.S. and two Mexican states, the Colorado River is a lifeline to expanding populations and booming urban centers that demand water for drinking, sanitation and energy generation. And with 70% of the rivers’ water supporting agriculture, the river already runs dry before it reaches its natural end at the Gulf of California. Unless action is taken, the river will continue its retreat – a potentially catastrophic scenario for the millions who depend on it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Rainier: The Mountain (1999)
In this retrospective tribute, acclaimed filmmaker Jean Walkinshaw hails the 100th anniversary of Mount Rainier National Park in Washington by talking to those who know it best: the scientists, naturalists, mountain climbers and artists whose lives have been touched by the peak's far-reaching shadow. The result is a harmonious blend of archival material and high-definition footage celebrating an icon of the Pacific Northwest.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Capturing the Killer Croc (2004)
Over a 10-year period, more than 300 people disappeared from the area surrounding Tanzania's Lake Tanganyika. At first, the disappearances were attributed to a serial killer or tribal warfare, but scientists eventually discovered that the culprit was a huge, man-eating crocodile dubbed "Gustave." This fascinating PBS documentary chronicles scientists' efforts to trap Gustave and move him to a nature preserve before he strikes again.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Bears in Hot Tubs (2026)
As wild bears adapt to suburban life, they show us we're not so different. Co-thriving begins with us.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Mary Oliver: Saved by the Beauty of the World (2026)
From a lonely childhood to literary fame, her life was shaped by devotion to nature, paying attention, and the long journey toward learning to love and to be loved. If poetry had a pop icon, Mary Oliver would be it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Wildlife on the Edge 2: Bears (2025)
Narrated by actor Tim Daly, the show looks at the dilemma of Black Bears living so close Los Angeles. Film features homeowners Brian and Rick who are dealing with Bears swimming in their pool; and features state Fish and Wildlife Officers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Shells: Shaped by Nature (2026)
Since the dawn of time, Nature has sculpted the oceans with her delicate hand, weaving the tapestry of life in the shimmering depths and sunlit shallows. With infinite care, she conjured snails and mollusks to inhabit diverse marine realms around the African continent, each a reflection of her boundless creativity and wisdom. These delicate spirals, with their tender curves, ensnare our imagination, inspiring art, shaping cultures, adorning garments, and even serving as currency in ancient economies. "Shells: Shaped by Nature" is an artistic tribute to the enigmatic splendor of shells, celebrating these intricate marvels that grace Africa’s marine realms.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Ohrozené krídla - Miznúca krajina (2010)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like California Golde?
The closest matches to California Golde are Naqoyqatsi (2002), My Mom Jayne (2025) and Powaqqatsi (1988). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after California Golde?
Start with Naqoyqatsi (2002), the closest match to California Golde.
What is the highest-rated movie like California Golde?
Baraka (1992), rated 8.2/10 by 734 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like California Golde?
Shells: Shaped by Nature (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like California Golde?
Yes: Naqoyqatsi (2002), My Mom Jayne (2025) and Powaqqatsi (1988).
How are movies similar to California Golde chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside California Golde, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.