Movies like LA Originals (2020)
The best movies like LA Originals (2020) are Crime + Punishment (2018), Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo (2019) and The Honorable Shyne (2024). If LA Originals hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMinding the Gap (2018)7.7/10 from 206 votes
- NewestA Toxic Love Story (2026)Released 2026
Crime + Punishment (2018)
Over four years of unprecedented access, the story of a brave group of black and Latino whistleblower cops and one unrelenting private investigator who, amidst a landmark lawsuit, risk everything to expose illegal quota practices and their impact on young minorities.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo (2019)
71 years in the making, this feature documentary experience reveals the extraordinary life journey of Hollywood's most unlikely hero, Danny Trejo.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The Honorable Shyne (2024)
Follow "Shyne" Barrow's journey from Grammy-winning rapper to imprisoned convict, his political transition in Belize as Opposition Leader after release, exploring redemption, resilience, and personal transformation.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Streetlight Harmonies (2020)
Streetlight Harmonies shines a long overdue spotlight on the artists and celebrates the music that defined the musical generation of Doo-Wop. Utilizing all-new interviews along with HD restored archival footage the film will explore the history and social impact of this timeless era.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Unbanned: The Legend of AJ1 (2018)
Unbanned explores the dynamic life of AJ1 from its unlikely origins to its role in disrupting NBA rules, birthing sneaker culture, and influencing a social and cultural revolution. This is the story of a shoe that changed the world.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Quest (2017)
For over a decade, this portrait of a North Philadelphia family and the creative sanctuary offered by their home music studio was filmed with vérité intimacy. The family's 10-year journey is an illumination of race and class in America, and it's a testament to love, healing and hope.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Minding the Gap (2018)
Three young men bond together to escape volatile families in their Rust Belt hometown. As they face adult responsibilities, unexpected revelations threaten their decade-long friendship.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChris Brown: Welcome to My Life (2017)
This compelling Documentary moves beyond the spotlight and past the attention-grabbing headlines to give pop superstar Chris Brown a chance to tell his own story. New interviews with the international phenomenon reveal long-awaited answers about his passion for making music, his tumultuous and much publicized relationships, and the pitfalls of coming of age in the public eye. Also included is new concert footage, behind-the-scenes access, and special interviews from Usher, Jennifer Lopez, DJ Khaled, Mike Tyson, Jamie Foxx and others.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMLK/FBI (2020)
Based on newly declassified files, the film explores the US government’s surveillance and harassment of Martin Luther King, Jr.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Origin Story (2018)
When Kulap Vilaysack was 14, she took her father's side in an argument and her mother replied, "Why are you defending him? He's not your real dad." Twenty years later, she's finally ready to learn what that means. ORIGIN STORY is a feature-length, international quest with stops in Los Angeles, Minnesota, and Laos to meet the biological father she never knew. On the road, unforeseen revelations strike as hilarious or heartbreaking, rarely in between. An avid comic book reader with a vigilante character named after her in the DC Comics universe, she must summon the courage of Katharsis, because each question is another step out on a limb. ORIGIN STORY is a deeply personal but universally relevant tale of immigration, conflict, addiction, and personal responsibility. Interviewees in the film include extended family, husband Scott Aukerman, and close friends, like Sarah Silverman, Casey Wilson, June Diane Raphael and Howard Kremer.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
See Know Evil (2018)
An uncensored look into the life of '90s fashion photographer and youth culture icon Davide Sorrenti. Known for his prodigious photos and responsible for the rise of "heroin chic", this is the story of a young photographer and how he came to define an era.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Recovery Boys (2018)
In the heart of America's opioid epidemic, four men try to reinvent their lives and mend their broken relationships after years of drug abuse.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Struggle: The Life and Lost Art of Szukalski (2018)
Artists in LA discover the work of forgotten Polish sculptor Stanislav Szukalski, a mad genius whose true story unfolds chapter by astounding chapter.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Rachel Divide (2018)
Rachel Dolezal became infamous when she was unmasked as a white woman passing for black so thoroughly that she had become the head of her local N.A.A.C.P. chapter. This portrait cuts through the very public controversy to reveal Dolezal’s motivations.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBreslin and Hamill: Deadline Artists (2018)
Directors Jonathan Alter, John Block and Steve McCarthy bring New York columnists Jimmy Breslin and Pete Hamill’s courageous writing to life, celebrating the acclaimed journalists and the city they loved.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
We Are Freestyle Love Supreme (2020)
This documentary follows the 15-year journey of the founding members of the improv hip-hop group Freestyle Love Supreme, as they reflect upon why this show remains such an important piece of their personal, creative, and professional history–from the basement of the Drama Bookshop in NYC to the Broadway stage.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Finding Kendrick Johnson (2021)
A filmmaker cracks a major case dealing with the racially charged murder of a teen.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Sunday Best: The Untold Story of Ed Sullivan (2023)
Ed Sullivan broke barriers by booking Black artists on his Sunday night variety show. This documentary spotlights the TV pioneer's legacy of equality.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Kusama: Infinity (2018)
Now one of the world’s most celebrated artists, Yayoi Kusama broke free of the rigid society in which she was raised, and overcame sexism, racism, and mental illness to bring her artistic vision to the world stage. At 88 she lives in a mental hospital and continues to create art.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Be Water (2020)
In 1971, after being rejected by Hollywood, Bruce Lee returned to his parents’ homeland of Hong Kong to complete four iconic films. Charting his struggles between two worlds, this portrait explores questions of identity and representation through the use of rare archival footage, interviews with loved ones and Bruce’s own writings.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Am Not Your Negro (2017)
Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNo Safe Spaces (2019)
Adam Carolla and Dennis Prager examine the reality of life and discourse on college campuses in modern America.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
What You Gonna Do When the World's on Fire? (2019)
Summer 2017, a string of brutal police killings of young African American men has sent shockwaves throughout the country. A Black community in the American South tries to cope with the lingering effects of the past and navigate their place in a country that is not on their side. Meanwhile, the Black Panthers prepare a large-scale protest against police brutality.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
It's Not Yet Dark (2016)
The story of Simon Fitzmaurice, a young filmmaker who becomes completely paralyzed from motor neuron disease but goes on to direct an award-winning feature film through the use of his eyes.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Fuck (2006)
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrainwreck: The Real Project X (2025)
A night of drunken chaos rocks a quiet Dutch town in this shocking documentary about a teen's birthday invite that accidentally went viral on Facebook.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
SnoozefestMovies 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 thisMcQueen (2018)
Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own world, both tortured and inspired, which celebrates a radical and mesmerizing genius of profound influence.
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 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
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like LA Originals?
The closest matches to LA Originals are Crime + Punishment (2018), Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo (2019) and The Honorable Shyne (2024). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after LA Originals?
People who watched LA Originals most often go on to Crime + Punishment (2018), Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo (2019) and The Honorable Shyne (2024).
What is the highest-rated movie like LA Originals?
Minding the Gap (2018), rated 7.7/10 by 206 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like LA Originals?
A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like LA Originals?
Yes: Crime + Punishment (2018), Inmate #1: The Rise of Danny Trejo (2019) and The Honorable Shyne (2024).
How are movies similar to LA Originals chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside LA Originals, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.