Movies like Once in the XX Century (2004)
The best movies like Once in the XX Century (2004) are Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006), Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson (2005) and Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping (2016). If Once in the XX Century hooked you with its documentary and comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks
- Highest ratedDrumline (2002)7.0/10 from 592 votes
- NewestTrevor Noah: Where Was I (2023)Released 2023
Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006)
Featuring never-before-seen footage, this documentary delivers a startling new look at the Peoples Temple, headed by preacher Jim Jones who, in 1978, led more than 900 members to Guyana, where he orchestrated a mass suicide via tainted punch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisComedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson (2005)
Comedy Central's best roasters and stand up comedians take a whack at actor/model Pamela Anderson.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPatton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping (2016)
Patton Oswalt delivers a fresh hour plus of stand-up, covering everything from misery to defeat to hopelessness. It's his most upbeat special to date.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJonas Brothers Family Roast (2021)
Kevin, Joe and Nick face down quick wits and deep cuts in this comedy special featuring Pete Davidson, John Legend and more. Hosted by Kenan Thompson.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDef Comedy Jam 25 (2017)
In this special live event, giants of stand-up come together to commemorate the 25th anniversary of Russell Simmons's groundbreaking "Def Comedy Jam."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTitanic: 20 Years Later with James Cameron (2017)
For the 20th anniversary of "Titanic," James Cameron reopens the file on the disaster.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisComedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff (2010)
Time to hassle the Hoff at the rudest, raunchiest television event of the year--The Comedy Central Roast of David Hasselhoff. From running in slo-mo on the beach to inspiring Germany with the power of cheesy pop--it's almost too easy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKevin Hart: Irresponsible (2019)
Stand-up comedian Kevin Hart talks about his family, travel and a year full of reckless behavior in front of a live sold-out crowd in London.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrevor Noah: Where Was I (2023)
Trevor Noah riffs on national anthems, derailing a German sightseeing tour and getting roasted in Paris in this comedy special about his world travels.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJackass Presents: Bad Grandpa .5 (2014)
Bad Grandpa .5 gives you a whole new perspective on the world of Irving Zisman with bonus scenes and pranks also featuring Spike Jonze as "Gloria" and Catherine Keener as Irving's wife "Ellie", plus a look at the evolution of Johnny Knoxville's naughty alter-ego, the makeup effects, and a behind-the-scenes peek at the idiocy it takes to make a hidden camera movie in public.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTropic Thunder: Rain of Madness (2008)
A behind-the-scenes mockumentary of Tropic Thunder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKevin Hart: What Now? (2016)
Comedian Kevin Hart performs in front of a crowd of 50,000 people at Philadelphia's outdoor venue, Lincoln Financial Field.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKevin Hart: Zero F**ks Given (2020)
Kevin Hart serves up laughs and brick oven pizza from the comfort of his home, and dishes on male group chats, sex after 40 and life with COVID-19.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like this6 Days to Air: The Making of South Park (2011)
Viewers will get a look at Parker and Stone's thought process as they approach a new episode and the 24/7 grind they subject themselves to each time the show is in production. The documentary also includes in-depth interviews with Parker and Stone about their working partnership and reflections on highlights from their careers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisVisions of Light (1992)
Cameramen and women discuss the craft and art of cinematography and of the "DP" (the director of photography), illustrating their points with clips from 100 films, from Birth of a Nation to Do the Right Thing. Themes: the DP tells people where to look; changes in movies (the arrival of sound, color, and wide screens) required creative responses from DPs; and, these artisans constantly invent new equipment and try new things, with wonderful results. The narration takes us through the identifiable studio styles of the 30s, the emergence of noir, the New York look, and the impact of Europeans. Citizen Kane, The Conformist, and Gordon Willis get special attention.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSouth Park: The 25th Anniversary Concert (2022)
Trey Parker and Matt Stone celebrate South Park's 25th anniversary with a concert in Colorado, featuring Primus and Ween.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDjango & Django: Sergio Corbucci Unchained (2021)
A tribute to Italian filmmaker Sergio Corbucci (1926-90), presented by American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWindy City Heat (2003)
A man caught up in the glamor of being a Hollywood celebrity has no idea that the production he's in is a fake.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKevin Hart: Seriously Funny (2010)
Fresh off the heels of appearing in movies like Superhero Movie and The 40 Year-Old Virgin, fast-talking comedian Kevin Hart stars in his second live stand-up performance in Cleveland, Ohio, where he makes fun of everything and everybody - especially himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNorm Macdonald: Nothing Special (2022)
In his final comedy special, Norm Macdonald ponders casinos, cannibalism, living wills and why you have to be ready for whatever life throws your way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHow the Holocaust Began (2023)
Historian James Bulgin reveals the origins of the Holocaust in the German invasion of the Soviet Union, exploring the mass murder, collaboration and experimentation that led to the Final Solution.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & history
Congrès de Tours 1920: The Birth of the French Communist Party (2020)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & history
Chernobyl 30 Years On: Nuclear Heritage (2015)
Thirty years after the Chernobyl disaster, which occurred on the night of April 26, 1986, its causes and consequences are examined. In addition, a report on efforts to strengthen the structures covering the core of the nuclear plant in order to better protect the population and the environment is offered.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & history
Rich Hall's Red Menace (2019)
2019 marks the 30th year since the fall of the Berlin Wall and the end of the Cold War. Rich Hall examines the relationship between the West and the USSR in his inimitable fashion.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & history
The Paper Brigade (2018)
Lithuania, 1941, during World War II. Hundreds of thousands of texts on Jewish culture, stolen by the Germans, are gathered in Vilnius to be classified, either to be stored or to be destroyed. A group of Jewish scholars and writers, commissioned by the invaders to carry out the sorting operations, but reluctant to collaborate and determined to save their legacy, hide many books in the ghetto where they are confined. This is the epic story of the Paper Brigade.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & history
Island Ablazed (1961)
Documentary recounting the story of the Cuban Revolution and its impact on the young people of Cuba.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Drumline (2002)
A talented street drummer from Harlem enrolls in a Southern university, expecting to lead its marching band's drumline to victory. He initially flounders in his new world, before realizing that it takes more than talent to reach the top.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMIGNOR (1990)
Showing Sergei Parajanov at the end of his life, the film depicts the suffering of a genius against the backdrop of general anxiety and carelessness.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Also People (1960)
Based on an excerpt from the novel by L.N.Tolstoy "War and Peace." The war of 1812. The defeated Napoleonic army is retreating. Three Russian soldiers settled in a snowy forest near a fire: a young (Zaletayev), an elderly and a middle-aged one. Zaletayev fantasizes — as if he had captured Napoleon. The soldiers laugh good-naturedly at him. After dinner, they fall asleep... Two Frenchmen go to the clearing — an officer and a soldier. Russian soldiers wake up and, seeing that the officer is barely standing on his feet from cold and hunger, take him to the colonel. The French soldier sits down to the fire. The Russians give him porridge and vodka. The soldier, encouraged, sings a french song. Zaletayev echoes him. A tired Frenchman falls asleep on Zaletayev’s shoulder. The soldiers carefully shelter him. “Also people,” an elderly soldier says with a sigh.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
The Last Vendetta (1966)
When Imeda’s father is killed in a blood revenge accident, the family moves him to the city where he is sheltered at his father’s friend. After fifteen year he gets back to Khevsureti. A talented painter, he spends most of his time doing sketches of nature and people. There he meets a local beauty, Mzekala and fells in love with her but finds out that Torghva is also in love with her. Enraged by Imeda’s impudence Torghva calls him for a sword fight and is killed by Imeda. To avoid another round of blood revenge, the villagers let Imeda and Mzekala out of the village but someone who wants Imeda’s blood finds it out and follows them.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
Like Once in the XX Century and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Once in the XX Century?
The closest matches to Once in the XX Century are Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006), Comedy Central Roast of Pamela Anderson (2005) and Patton Oswalt: Talking for Clapping (2016). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Once in the XX Century?
Start with Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples Temple (2006), the closest match to Once in the XX Century.
What is the highest-rated movie like Once in the XX Century?
Drumline (2002), rated 7.0/10 by 592 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Once in the XX Century?
Trevor Noah: Where Was I (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Once in the XX Century chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Once in the XX Century, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.




























