Movies like The Year of the Discovery (2020)
The best movies like The Year of the Discovery (2020) are The Battle of Chile: Part III (1979), Nostalgia for the Light (2010) and Sins of My Father (2009). If The Year of the Discovery hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBuena Vista Social Club (1999)7.5/10 from 394 votes
- NewestShipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea (2026)Released 2026
- In SpanishThe Battle of Chile: Part III (1979)Also in Spanish
The Battle of Chile: Part III (1979)
Guzmán’s final installment shifts from covering the actions of Allende’s opponents to those who battled to revive & promote their toppled leader’s vision for a new Chile.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNostalgia for the Light (2010)
In Chile's Atacama Desert, astronomers peer deep into the cosmos in search for answers concerning the origins of life. Nearby, a group of women sift through the sand searching for body parts of loved ones, dumped unceremoniously by Pinochet's regime.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSins of My Father (2009)
Nicolas Entel's searing documentary tells the story of Pablo Escobar -- Colombian drug kingpin, murderer and family man -- through the eyes of his son Sebastian as well as the sons of two of Escobar's most prominent victims. Sebastian shares stories of living in luxury and on the lam, but more significantly, he attempts to end the cycle of bloody retribution and make peace with two of the men his father so deeply wronged.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Santoalla (2016)
A Dutch couple, Martin and Margo Verfondern, move to a remote Spanish village of Santoalla to start a new life. There is conflict with the Spanish residents resulting in the disappearance of Martin.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The Pearl Button (2015)
The ocean contains the history of all humanity. The sea holds all the voices of the earth and those that come from outer space. Water receives impetus from the stars and transmits it to living creatures. Water, the longest border in Chile, also holds the secret of two mysterious buttons which were found on its ocean floor. Chile, with its 2,670 miles of coastline and the largest archipelago in the world, presents a supernatural landscape. In it are volcanoes, mountains and glaciers. In it are the voices of the Patagonian Indigenous people, the first English sailors and also those of its political prisoners. Some say that water has memory. This film shows that it also has a voice.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Battle of Chile: Part I (1975)
The chronicle of the political tension in Chile in 1973 and of the violent counter revolution against the democratically elected government of Salvador Allende.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSouth of the Border (2009)
A road trip across five countries to explore the social and political movements as well as the mainstream media's misperception of South America while interviewing seven of its elected presidents.
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 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 thisEl Pepe: A Supreme Life (2019)
A documentary on the life of Uruguayan politician and former guerrilla fighter José Mujica.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCuba and the Cameraman (2017)
This revealing portrait of Cuba follows the lives of Fidel Castro and three Cuban families affected by his policies over the last four decades.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStories We Tell (2012)
Canadian actress and filmmaker Sarah Polley investigates certain secrets related to her mother, interviewing a group of family members and friends whose reliability varies depending on their implication in the events, which are remembered in different ways; so a trail of questions remains to be answered, because memory is always changing and the discovery of truth often depends on who is telling the tale.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDownloaded (2013)
A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Figo Affair: The Transfer That Changed Football (2022)
This documentary spotlights one of the most contentious deals in football history and the extraordinary player at the center of the storm: Luís Figo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea (2026)
Never-before-seen footage and survivor accounts trace the 2012 shipwreck of a luxury cruise and the disaster that ensued, in this immersive documentary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Fresh Prince of Bel-Air Reunion (2020)
Join Will Smith, Tatyana Ali, Karyn Parsons, Joseph Marcell, Daphne Maxwell Reid, Alfonso Ribeiro and DJ Jazzy Jeff, for a funny and heartfelt night full of music and dancing in honor of the show that ran for six seasons and 148 episodes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisI Choose to Believe (2023)
It narrates the epic title obtained by the Argentine National Team in the World Cup Qatar 2022 with testimonies of the protagonists, told from the intimacy and in first person.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUnknown: Cave of Bones (2023)
Scientists examine underground clues from over 250,000 years ago that raise questions about our early relatives — and what it truly means to be human.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNas: Time Is Illmatic (2014)
Time Is Illmatic is a feature length documentary film that delves deep into the making of Nas' 1994 debut album, Illmatic, and the social conditions that influenced its creation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCapitalism: A Love Story (2009)
Michael Moore comes home to the issue he's been examining throughout his career: the disastrous impact of corporate dominance on the everyday lives of Americans (and by default, the rest of the world).
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisBuena Vista Social Club (1999)
In this fascinating Oscar-nominated documentary, American guitarist Ry Cooder brings together a group of legendary Cuban folk musicians (some in their 90s) to record a Grammy-winning CD in their native city of Havana. The result is a spectacular compilation of concert footage from the group's gigs in Amsterdam and New York City's famed Carnegie Hall, with director Wim Wenders capturing not only the music -- but also the musicians' life stories.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWestern Stars (2019)
The incomparable Bruce Springsteen performs his critically acclaimed latest album and muses on life, rock, and the American dream, in this intimate and personal concert film co-directed by Thom Zimny and Springsteen himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Yes Men Fix the World (2009)
THE YES MEN FIX THE WORLD is a screwball true story about two gonzo political activists who, posing as top executives of giant corporations, lie their way into big business conferences and pull off the world's most outrageous pranks.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNothing Like a Dame (2018)
BBC Arena's documentary on the Dames of British Theatre and film featuring Maggie Smith, Eileen Atkins, Judi Dench and Joan Plowright on screen together for the first time as they reminisce over a long summer weekend in a house Joan once shared with Sir Laurence Olivier.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMaradona by Kusturica (2008)
A documentary on Argentinean soccer star Diego Maradona, regarded by many as the world's greatest modern player.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLife and Spotlight (2021)
The most popular breakdancer in ex-Yugoslavia, Hamit Djogani, better known as Djole Djogani, made a documentary about his life and collaboration with the biggest stars of regional music scene. With rich documentary material and recordings from private archives, Djogani gathers close associates again and creates an interesting story that testifies to a specific time in the 1990s.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Christian Weston Chandler...Yep, I'm on TV :) (2007)
Christian Weston Chandler...Yep, I'm on TV is a independent documentary produced by Christine Weston Chandler, prior to her internet fame, and released on DVD in celebration of her 25th birthday. The film mostly exists as a compilation of home movies and previous short films.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Jinsuk & Me (2012)
I have been pretty satisfied with my life before I got on the bus. When I do in June 2011, my whole life turns upside down. I am just a regular passenger at first. Like other people I was sorry, and felt obliged to help and care for other passengers. Then I begin to film these common heroes with my camera. Those who speak about hope, who provide it and get on the bus, Ms. Kim Jin-suk, and other crane laborers who risk their safety while demonstrating for their rights on high. She, while stationed insecurely on high, begins interacting with the world through Twitter and makes friends. Then I realize I really love her. Will we have her back safely?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Quien dice patria dice muerte (2021)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Year of the Discovery?
The closest matches to The Year of the Discovery are The Battle of Chile: Part III (1979), Nostalgia for the Light (2010) and Sins of My Father (2009). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Year of the Discovery?
People who watched The Year of the Discovery most often go on to The Battle of Chile: Part III (1979), Nostalgia for the Light (2010) and Sins of My Father (2009).
What is the highest-rated movie like The Year of the Discovery?
Buena Vista Social Club (1999), rated 7.5/10 by 394 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Year of the Discovery?
Shipwrecked: Nightmare at Sea (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Spanish movies like The Year of the Discovery?
Yes: The Battle of Chile: Part III (1979), Nostalgia for the Light (2010) and Sins of My Father (2009).
How are movies similar to The Year of the Discovery chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Year of the Discovery, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.