Movies like What Happened on What Did Not Happen (2016)
The best movies like What Happened on What Did Not Happen (2016) are How to Make a Killing (2026), American Pastoral (2016) and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002). If What Happened on What Did Not Happen hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Wolf of Wall Street (2013)8.0/10 from 26,932 votes
- NewestHow to Make a Killing (2026)Released 2026
How to Make a Killing (2026)
Disowned at birth by his obscenely wealthy family, blue-collar Becket Redfellow will stop at nothing to reclaim his inheritance, no matter how many relatives stand in his way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAmerican Pastoral (2016)
Set in postwar America, a man watches his seemingly perfect life fall apart as his daughter's new political affiliation threatens to destroy their family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDivine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002)
In a sleepy Louisiana parish, a group of lifelong friends stage a rather unorthodox intervention to help a young playwright unravel the truth about her complicated mother and let go of her painful past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Independent (2022)
It's the final weeks of the most consequential presidential election in history. America is poised to elect either its first female president or its first viable independent candidate. Reporting history as it's made, an idealistic young journalist teams up with her idol, legendary journalist Nick Booker, to uncover a conspiracy that places the fate of the election, and the country, in their hands.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Great Gilly Hopkins (2015)
Young and feisty Gilly Hopkins devises a scheme to escape from her new foster home and reunite with her birth mother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisToo Big to Fail (2011)
An intimate look at the epochal financial crisis of 2008 and the powerful men and women who decided the fate of the world's economy in a matter of a few weeks.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Assassination of Richard Nixon (2004)
It’s 1974 and Sam Bicke has lost everything. His wife leaves him with his three kids, his boss fires him, his brother turns away from him, and the bank won’t give him any money to start anew. He tries to find someone to blame for his misfortunes and comes up with the President of the United States who he plans to murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNo Escape (2015)
In their new overseas home, an American family soon finds themselves caught in the middle of a coup, and they frantically look for a safe escape in an environment where foreigners are being immediately executed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEnron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005)
A documentary about the Enron corporation, its faulty and corrupt business practices, and how they led to its fall.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Place Beyond the Pines (2013)
A motorcycle stunt rider considers committing a crime in order to provide for his wife and child, an act that puts him on a collision course with a cop-turned-politician.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisInside Job (2010)
A film that exposes the shocking truth behind the economic crisis of 2008. The global financial meltdown, at a cost of over $20 trillion, resulted in millions of people losing their homes and jobs. Through extensive research and interviews with major financial insiders, politicians and journalists, Inside Job traces the rise of a rogue industry and unveils the corrosive relationships which have corrupted politics, regulation and academia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAbsolute Power (1997)
A master thief coincidentally is robbing a house where a murder—in which the President of the United States is involved—occurs in front of his eyes. He is forced to run, while holding evidence that could convict the President.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLike Dandelion Dust (2009)
Rip Porter is sentenced to seven years in prison for beating his wife, Wendy. When he is released, he discovers that Wendy gave up their child, and the privileged Campbell family adopted him. The two families are soon in a legal battle for the child they both love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFirst Daughter (2004)
Samantha MacKenzie, the daughter of the president of the United States, arrives at college with a group of Secret Service agents. Samantha, however, resents their presence and decides she wants to attend school just like a normal student.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInheritance (2025)
When Maya learns her father Sam was once a spy, she suddenly finds herself at the center of an international conspiracy. As she seeks answers, Maya herself becomes a target and must quickly learn the skills of her father.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Glass Castle (2017)
A young girl is raised in a dysfunctional family constantly on the run from the FBI. Living in poverty, she comes of age guided by her drunkard, ingenious father who distracts her with magical stories to keep her mind off the family's dire state, and her selfish, nonconformist mother who has no intention of raising a family, along with her younger brother and sister, and her other older sister. Together, they fend for each other as they mature in an unorthodox journey that is their family life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
A New York stockbroker refuses to cooperate in a large securities fraud case involving corruption on Wall Street, corporate banking world and mob infiltration. Based on Jordan Belfort's autobiography.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisAnimal Farm (1954)
Animals on a farm lead a revolution against the farmers to put their destiny in their own hands. However this revolution eats their own children and they cannot avoid corruption.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Contender (2000)
The vice president is dead, and as the president makes his choice for a replacement, a secret contest of wills is being waged by a formidable rival. When Senator Laine Hanson is nominated as the first woman in history to hold the office, hidden agendas explode into a battle for power.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Rainmaker (1997)
Fresh out of law school and desperate for work, idealistic rookie Rudy Baylor takes on a powerful insurance company accused of denying a dying boy’s claim. Teaming up with a scrappy, unlicensed paralegal, he finds himself in a David-versus-Goliath courtroom battle that tests his ethics, courage, and belief in justice.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like What Happened on What Did Not Happen?
The closest matches to What Happened on What Did Not Happen are How to Make a Killing (2026), American Pastoral (2016) and Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood (2002). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after What Happened on What Did Not Happen?
Start with How to Make a Killing (2026), the closest match to What Happened on What Did Not Happen.
What is the highest-rated movie like What Happened on What Did Not Happen?
The Wolf of Wall Street (2013), rated 8.0/10 by 26,932 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like What Happened on What Did Not Happen?
How to Make a Killing (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to What Happened on What Did Not Happen chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside What Happened on What Did Not Happen, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.