Movies like Luminescence (2019)
The best movies like Luminescence (2019) are Downloaded (2013), I Am Heath Ledger (2017) and Looking for Richard (1996). If Luminescence hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedI Am Heath Ledger (2017)7.4/10 from 233 votes
- NewestA Trip Towards the Temenos (2026)Released 2026
Downloaded (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 thisI Am Heath Ledger (2017)
The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLooking for Richard (1996)
Al Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEx Libris: The New York Public Library (2017)
A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 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 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 thisThe Seat (2025)
'The Seat' is an unprecedented inside look that led to a once-in-a-generation driver change in Mercedes and F1 history. It reveals the private conversations that led the Mercedes team and Toto Wolff, its Team Principal and CEO, to its decision to promote 18-year-old Italian-born Kimi Antonelli to a Formula 1 Driver, making him the third-youngest rookie in the sport's history. The film follows Kimi, in the lead up to his first Formula 1 season as he takes on his destiny.
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 thisFor the Love of Spock (2016)
The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisElstree 1976 (2015)
A documentary about ten very different lives connected by having appeared onscreen wearing masks or helmets in Star Wars.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCapital in the Twenty-First Century (2019)
Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAbove Majestic (2018)
A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Beatles: Get Back - The Rooftop Concert (2022)
On the 30th of January, 1969, the Beatles performed an unannounced concert from the rooftop of their Apple Corps headquarters at Savile Row, within central London's office and fashion district. Experience the final and unforgettable iconic performance of The Beatles in a special 60-minute presentation, digitally remastered into the image and sound quality of IMAX DMR technology.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBeyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear (2022)
Explore the evolution of Buzz Lightyear from toy to human in the making of Pixar’s Lightyear. Dive into the origin and cultural impact of everyone’s favorite Space Ranger, the art of designing a new “human Buzz,” and the challenges faced by the Lightyear crew along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisZeitgeist: Moving Forward (2011)
A presentation of a case for a needed transition out of the current socioeconomic monetary paradigm which governs the entire world society. This subject matter will transcend the issues of cultural relativism and traditional ideology and move to relate the core, empirical 'life ground' attributes of human and social survival, extrapolating those immutable natural laws into a new sustainable social paradigm called a 'Resource-Based Economy'.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHalloween: 25 Years of Terror (2006)
Follow the evolution of the 'Halloween' movies over the past twenty-five years. It examines why the films are so popular and revisits many of the original locations used in the films - seeing the effects on the local community. For the first time, cast, crew, critics and fans join together in the ultimate 'Halloween' retrospective.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story (2019)
A documentary chronicling Queen and Lambert's incredible journey since they first shared the stage together on "American Idol" in 2009.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006)
A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAn Act of Resilience (2026)
A strange orchestra of bodies, light, reflections and shadows throught shots of brief action and surprising appearances of humans and animals. A small film rejecting hierarchy while finding connectedness of love and affection in the small gestures of life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The KFC (2020)
Five Kiwis take on a paragliding adventure in Tanzania, with the ultimate aim to fly from the summit of Mt Kilimanjaro.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Ruins of Seyssuel's Castle (2025)
A study of ruins of a fortified castle placed in the village of Seyssuel during two days of shooting and understanding of the moving light
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
A Trip Towards the Temenos (2026)
A feature film that captures a travel into the village of Lyssarea for the Temenos, the inaugural screenings of Gregory J. Markopoulos's Eniaios (2004-2026). From Athens to the region of Arcadia, a film about friend's wanderings, the quietness of nature and an observation of the movement of light in Greece and the Peloponnese.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Golden Chains (2025)
A new exploration of familiar places located in the region of Rhône and Isère throught an reinvention of digital nuances, a study of perceptions and fluidity around the nature of motion in landscapes and human interactions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Tree Limbs (2025)
A homogeneous structure of wind and light across tree branches in the South region of Isère
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Conquest of Light (1960)
The film discusses the evolution and potential of using light waves, particularly coherent light, for communication. It highlights the development of lasers at Bell Telephone Laboratories, explaining how they produce a highly controlled and intense beam of light that could revolutionize communication. The film emphasizes the vast possibilities of lasers, including applications in telecommunications, surgery, and exploring the universe, suggesting that this technology represents a significant step in humanity's understanding and use of light.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Garage Stone at the Cinémathèque française (2026)
Building as a magic lantern preserving small stories of human interactions throught clear permutations in the editing room, a work that want to understand the beauty of noises and the meaning of departure, going far away.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Theory of Light (2022)
Theory of Light is a documentary centred on the climate emergency through a climate justice lens. It's committed to uplifting the perspectives of communities already being impacted by climate change and representing those who feel excluded from the climate movement.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Luminescence?
The closest matches to Luminescence are Downloaded (2013), I Am Heath Ledger (2017) and Looking for Richard (1996). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Luminescence?
Start with Downloaded (2013), the closest match to Luminescence.
What is the highest-rated movie like Luminescence?
I Am Heath Ledger (2017), rated 7.4/10 by 233 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Luminescence?
A Trip Towards the Temenos (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Luminescence chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Luminescence, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.