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Movies like In the Shadows (2013)

The best movies like In the Shadows (2013) are God Grew Tired of Us (2006), The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story (2019) and Seduced and Abandoned (2013). If In the Shadows hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. God Grew Tired of Us (2006)

    Filmmaker Christopher Quinn observes the ordeal of three Sudanese refugees -- Jon Bul Dau, Daniel Abul Pach and Panther Bior -- as they try to come to terms with the horrors they experienced in their homeland, while adjusting to their new lives in the United States.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. The 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 this
  3. Seduced and Abandoned (2013)

    SEDUCED AND ABANDONED combines acting legend Alec Baldwin with director James Toback as they lead us on a troublesome and often hilarious journey of raising financing for their next feature film. Moving from director to financier to star actor, the two players provide us with a unique look behind the curtain at the world's biggest and most glamourous film festival, shining a light on the bitter-sweet relationship filmmakers have with Cannes and the film business. Featuring insights from directors Martin Scorsese, 'Bernando Bertolucci' and Roman Polanski; actors Ryan Gosling and Jessica Chastain and a host of film distribution luminaries.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  4. Come 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 this
  5. The Irishman: In Conversation (2019)

    Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino in conversation about The Irishman.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. A 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

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  7. 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 this
  8. As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000)

    A compilation of over 30 years of private home movie footage shot by Lithuanian-American avant-garde director Jonas Mekas, assembled by Mekas "purely by chance", without concern for chronological order.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. Embrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022)

    A feature length documentary about the all-women team at the helm of Pixar's original feature, Turning Red. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Director Domee Shi and her core leadership crew, this story shines a light on the powerful professional and personal journeys that brought this incredibly comical, utterly relatable, and deeply heartfelt story to the screen.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

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  10. You Can See Everything (2026)

    Thirty-four days before she's sent to prison, notorious Silicon Valley founder Elizabeth Holmes invites a skeptical film crew to document her every move. What begins as an intimate portrait of an enigmatic felon becomes a mind-bending three-year journey into the abyss.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  11. Selena y Los Dinos: A Family's Legacy (2025)

    Never-before-seen footage and intimate interviews celebrate the life and legacy of iconic Mexican American singer Selena Quintanilla and her family band.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  12. Shawn Mendes: In Wonder (2020)

    A portrait of singer-songwriter Shawn Mendes' life, chronicling the past few years of his rise and journey.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  13. The 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

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  14. Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)

    After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  15. Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) (2026)

    Captured during Billie Eilish's sold-out world tour, a concert experience from one of the most celebrated and successful artists of her generation, presented in immersive 3D.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  16. Game of Thrones: The Last Watch (2019)

    For a year, acclaimed British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay was embedded on the set of the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones,” chronicling the creation of the show’s most ambitious and complicated season. Debuting one week after the series 8 finale, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH delves deep into the mud and blood to reveal the tears and triumphs involved in the challenge of bringing the fantasy world of Westeros to life in the very real studios, fields and car-parks of Northern Ireland. Made with unprecedented access, GAME OF THRONES: THE LAST WATCH is an up-close and personal portrait from the trenches of production, following the crew and the cast as they contend with extreme weather, punishing deadlines and an ever-excited fandom hungry for spoilers. Much more than a “making of” documentary, this is a funny, heartbreaking story, told with wit and intimacy, about the bittersweet pleasures of what it means to create a world – and then have to say goodbye to it.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022)

    An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. My Mom Jayne (2025)

    Through deeply personal interviews with her siblings and an examination of the photographs, letters, and belongings left behind, Mariska assembles a new portrait of her mother Jayne Mansfield, an extraordinary and complex woman.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  19. Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023)

    From the heights of her modeling fame to her tragic death, this documentary reveals Anna Nicole Smith through the eyes of the people closest to her.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Heart 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

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  21. From Mexico to Vietnam: A Chicano Story (2022)

    "From Mexico to Vietnam: A Chicano Story" is an inspiring documentary that chronicles the life of Jesus S. Duran, a Mexican immigrant who became a decorated U.S. Army soldier during the Vietnam War. Born in Juarez, Mexico, Duran moved to the United States as a child and enlisted in the Army in 1968. On April 10, 1969, while serving as an M-60 machine gunner with Company E, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile), he displayed extraordinary bravery by rescuing several wounded comrades during an intense enemy ambush in Tay Ninh, Vietnam. His valorous actions led to a posthumous Medal of Honor by President Barack Obama. Directed by Andrés Gallegos, the film delves into Duran's personal journey, his family's migration from Mexico, and the broader impact of the Vietnam War on the Chicano and Latino communities.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  22. Fliegen heißt, den Himmel suchen (TBA)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  23. My Life Inside (2007)

    Rosa is a Mexican woman who, at the age of 17, migrated illegally to Austin, Texas. Some years later, she was jailed under suspicion of murder and then taken to trial. This film demonstrates how the judicial process, the verdict, the separation from her family, and the helplessness of being imprisoned in a foreign country make Rosa’s story an example of the hard life of Mexican migrants in the United States.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  24. Une identité dans la diversité (2016)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  25. Une mémoire vivante : Un patrimoine commun 1973-2023 (2023)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  26. Escort (2016)

    Young, inexperienced members of the Dutch Boarder Patrol undergo an intensive training on escorting refused asylum seekers to their homeland.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  27. Destination Home (2014)

    A Liberian refugee SAM REAYAH and his family have been separated for five years and live in uncertainty waiting for family reunion. While Sam and his younger daughter Ruth continue their lives in Buduburam Refugee camp in Ghana, his wife Decontee and his older daughter Joyce have already started a life in Rochester, USA. The film explores the idea of home. Sam's family had a home in Liberia, but they had to give it up. They were forced to build homes elsewhere. They built a home in Ghana. They build a home in The United States. They built homes together, they build homes separate of each other. But which home does the heart want?

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  28. Der grosse Kanton (2013)

    Is the solution to Switzerland's future to integrate Germany into the confederation? After all, like Michael Ringier, CEO of the Ringier media group, says, blithely ignoring all minorities, we're very close in culture and language. Oskar Freysinger takes out his guitar and sings his answer. Politicians from French-speaking Switzerland and Ticino think expanding will help the country survive. The former German foreign minister thinks the two countries' traditions are too different. The banker Oswald Grübel is worried about Germany's debts, although he'd be prepared to take over its assets. With serious interviews interspersed with gags (boat people on Lake Constance, the last Habsburger as a peasant), Giaccobbo gathers off-the-cuff reactions which reveal a lot about the different mentalities. The movie laughs at preconceived notions, redefines neutrality and reflects on what designates a nation. Switzerland, which loves to teach the world a lesson, will soon helvetize the planet, oder?

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  29. The Last Chinese Laundry (1987)

    A documentary from 1987 featuring the life of early Chinese immigrants to the island of Newfoundland.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

  30. The Invisible Mexicans of Deer Canyon (2006)

    Exposes the living conditions of thousands of Mexican day laborers living near San Diego, California. These undocumented immigrants work in the local landscape, construction, agriculture, and tourism industries for some of the wealthiest Americans, yet can barely afford to live in shacks without running water, electricity, or sanitation.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary

Like In the Shadows and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like In the Shadows?

The closest matches to In the Shadows are God Grew Tired of Us (2006), The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story (2019) and Seduced and Abandoned (2013). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after In the Shadows?

Start with God Grew Tired of Us (2006), the closest match to In the Shadows.

What is the highest-rated movie like In the Shadows?

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022), rated 8.4/10 by 623 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like In the Shadows?

You Can See Everything (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like In the Shadows?

Yes: God Grew Tired of Us (2006), The Show Must Go On: The Queen + Adam Lambert Story (2019) and Seduced and Abandoned (2013).

How are movies similar to In the Shadows chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside In the Shadows, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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