Movies like Bonobos: Back to the Wild (2011)
The best movies like Bonobos: Back to the Wild (2011) are Oceans (2010), Home (2009) and Elephant (2020). If Bonobos: Back to the Wild hooked you with its documentary and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDavid Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (2020)8.4/10 from 478 votes
- NewestBambi: A Tale of Life in the Woods (2024)Released 2024
- In FrenchHome (2009)Also in French
Oceans (2010)
An ecological drama/documentary, filmed throughout the globe. Part thriller, part meditation on the vanishing wonders of the sub-aquatic world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHome (2009)
In 200,000 years of existence, man has upset the balance on which the Earth had lived for 4 billion years. Global warming, resource depletion, species extinction: man has endangered his own home. But it is too late to be pessimistic: humanity has barely ten years left to reverse the trend, become aware of its excessive exploitation of the Earth's riches, and change its consumption pattern.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisElephant (2020)
Disneynature’s Elephant follows African elephant Shani and her spirited son Jomo as their herd make an epic journey hundreds of miles across the vast Kalahari Desert. Led by their great matriarch, Gaia, the family faces brutal heat, dwindling resources and persistent predators, as they follow in their ancestors’ footsteps on a quest to reach a lush, green paradise.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDolphin Reef (2018)
Echo is a youngster who can't quite decide if it's time to grow up and take on new responsibilities-or give in to her silly side and just have fun. Dolphin society is tricky, and the coral reef that Echo and his family call home depends on all of its inhabitants to keep it healthy. But Echo has a tough time resisting the many adventures the ocean has to offer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe 11th Hour (2007)
A look at the state of the global environment including visionary and practical solutions for restoring the planet's ecosystems. Featuring ongoing dialogues of experts from all over the world, including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, former head of the CIA R. James Woolse
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBambi: A Tale of Life in the Woods (2024)
The life of Bambi, a male roe deer, from his birth through childhood, the loss of his mother, the finding of a mate, the lessons he learns from his father, and the experience he gains about the dangers posed by human hunters in the forest.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLife in a Day (2011)
A documentary shot by filmmakers all over the world that serves as a time capsule to show future generations what it was like to be alive on the 24th of July, 2010.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSeasons (2016)
Jacques Perrin and Jacques Cluzaud travel throughout Europe to film brown bears, wild horses, wolves and other animals in their natural habitat.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Reindeer's Journey (2018)
Narrated by Golden Globe winner, Donald Sutherland, this is the incredible story of Ailo, the little reindeer. This uplifting tale follows the journey of baby Ailo as he navigates his first year of life in the snowy landscapes of a picturesque Lapland. Frail and vulnerable, Ailo must learn to walk, run, leap and hide to ensure he survives the long, treacherous journey with the herd. Ailo’s Journey is an inspirational story, in which a bleak wilderness is warmed by a mother’s endless love as she watches over Ailo in his incredible adventures with other creatures of the Arctic.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTen Minutes Older: The Trumpet (2002)
Ten Minutes Older is a 2002 film project consisting of two compilation feature films entitled The Trumpet and The Cello. The project was conceived by the producer Nicolas McClintock as a reflection on the theme of time at the turn of the Millennium. Fifteen celebrated film-makers were invited to create their own vision of what time means in ten minutes of film.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMarch of the Penguins 2: The Next Step (2017)
A young penguin, driven by his instinct, embarks on his first major trip to an unknown destination.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Elephant Queen (2019)
Embark on an epic journey of family, courage, and coming home in this feature-length documentary. Join Athena, the majestic matriarch, as she leads her elephant herd across an unforgiving African landscape filled with vibrant wildlife.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Eagle Huntress (2016)
Follow Aisholpan, a 13-year-old girl, as she trains to become the first female in twelve generations of her Kazakh family to become an eagle hunter, and rise to the pinnacle of a tradition that has been typically been handed down from father to son for centuries.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDavid Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (2020)
The story of life on our planet by the man who has seen more of the natural world than any other. In more than 90 years, Attenborough has visited every continent on the globe, exploring the wild places of our planet and documenting the living world in all its variety and wonder. Addressing the biggest challenges facing life on our planet, the film offers a powerful message of hope for future generations.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisOne Life (2011)
One Life captures unprecedented and beautiful sequences of animal behaviour guaranteed to bring you closer to nature than ever before, as well as a second disc packed full of never before seen extras including an exclusive making of featurette narrated by Daniel Craig.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Volcano: Rescue from Whakaari (2022)
A close examination of the Whakaari / White Island volcanic eruption of 2019 in which 22 lives were lost, the film viscerally recounts a day when ordinary people were called upon to do extraordinary things, placing this tragic event within the larger context of nature, resilience, and the power of our shared humanity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPenguins (2019)
The story of Steve, an Adélie penguin, on a quest to find a life partner and start a family. When Steve meets with Wuzzo the emperor penguin they become friends. But nothing comes easy in the icy Antarctic.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAntarctica: A Year on Ice (2013)
Filling the giant screen with stunning time-lapse vistas of Antarctica, and detailing year-round life at McMurdo and Scott Base, Anthony Powell’s documentary is a potent hymn to the icy continent and the heavens above.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLead Me Home (2021)
Poignant stories of homelessness on the West Coast of the US frame this cinematic portrait of a surging humanitarian crisis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA LEGO Brickumentary (2014)
A look at the global culture and appeal of the LEGO building-block toys.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisLa vérité si je menthe (2021)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Heart of Darkness (1994)
A trading company manager travels up an African river to find a missing outpost head and discovers the depth of evil in humanity's soul.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisOtis tarda (Otididae) - Balzverhalten (1975)
The courtship behavior of Great Bustards is studied. The male Great Bustard is considerably larger than the female. This impression is reinforced during courtship when the male dances in front of the female, showing the light undersides of its wings and inflating its throat pouch.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Frontier Sumatra (2019)
With 30 football fields of forest lost each minute in the world, we need to know now if we can save nature. This is the story of one conservation project, Restorasi Ekosistem Riau (RER). After decades of land-clearing and burning across Sumatra, the remote Kampar Peninsula is now the last great peatland rainforest on the island. But protecting this vast ecosystem pushes the RER team to the limits
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Namibia: The Spirit of Wilderness (2016)
With more than 300 days a year, the sun dominates this country so much that it’s even shining from their flag. It’s a barren land, sometimes it’s like it’s from another planet but still familiar. It is land of contrasts and colours with wide landscapes and fascinating deserts. Influenced by various cultures during colonization and now reborn from the shadows of Apartheid in 1990, Namibia gives a beautiful collage of culture, language, art, music and food. Everyone who loves an adventure should travel to Namibia, the precious corner of our world full of incredible natural wonders. The experience of endless landscapes and an unparalleled blaze of colour make Namibia unforgettable. NAMIBIA – THE SPIRIT OF WILDERNESS invites you on a trip whose fascination will never let you go: From the Namib Desert over the breath-taking Fish River Canyon to the spectacular Etosha National Park where you will see wild elephants, antelopes, giraffes, zebras and lions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The African Queen (1952)
At the start of the First World War, in the middle of Africa’s nowhere, a gin soaked riverboat captain is persuaded by a strong-willed missionary to go down river and face-off a German warship.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Himalayas (2011)
The highest mountain range in the world, the Himalayan range is far reaching, spanning thousands of miles, and holds within it an exceptionally diverse ecology. Coniferous and subtropical forests, wetlands, and montane grasslands are as much a part of this world as the inhospitable, frozen mountaintops that tower above. The word Himalaya is Sanskrit for abode of snow, fitting for a stretch of land that houses the world’s largest non polar ice masses. Extensive glacial networks feed Asia's major rivers including the Ganges, Indus, and Brahmaputra. More than a billion people rely on these glacier-fed water sources for drinking water and agriculture. The Himalayas are not only a remarkable expanse of natural beauty. They're also crucial for our survival.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Alien Reefs (2012)
Coral reefs are believed by many to have the highest biodiversity of any ecosystem on the planet. A lot of the life found here can seem very alien at first, they occupy less than 1 percent of the ocean floor but yet are home to more than 25 percent of all marine life. Warm water reefs typically come to mind when thinking of the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, these reefs are very well known but they don’t just occur in warm waters. In this one hour special, we are brought into this alien environment and discover for ourselves a strange, hidden world that is simply abundant with life, ranging from the weird to the wonderful.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Like Bonobos: Back to the Wild and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Bonobos: Back to the Wild?
The closest matches to Bonobos: Back to the Wild are Oceans (2010), Home (2009) and Elephant (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Bonobos: Back to the Wild?
Start with Oceans (2010), the closest match to Bonobos: Back to the Wild.
What is the highest-rated movie like Bonobos: Back to the Wild?
David Attenborough: A Life on Our Planet (2020), rated 8.4/10 by 478 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Bonobos: Back to the Wild?
Bambi: A Tale of Life in the Woods (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like Bonobos: Back to the Wild?
Yes: Home (2009), Bambi: A Tale of Life in the Woods (2024) and Seasons (2016).
How are movies similar to Bonobos: Back to the Wild chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Bonobos: Back to the Wild, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.