Movies like Empire (2015)
The best movies like Empire (2015) are Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022), Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) and As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000). If Empire 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 Toxic Love Story (2026)Released 2026
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 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 thisAs 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 thisMy 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 thisGilbert (2017)
The life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNo Half Measures: Creating the Final Season of Breaking Bad (2013)
A documentary about the making of season five of the acclaimed AMC series Breaking Bad.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisAvatar: Creating the World of Pandora (2010)
The Making-of James Cameron's Avatar. It shows interesting parts of the work on the set.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisCharlie: The Life and Art of Charles Chaplin (2003)
Brilliant, long in-the-works story of the life and art of the world's greatest comedian and the cinema's first genius, Charlie Chaplin. Produced, written and directed by renowned film critic Richard Schickel.
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 thisDavid Bowie: Five Years (2013)
Featuring a wealth of previously unseen archive, this film looks at how Bowie continually evolved: from Ziggy Stardust to the Soul Star of Young Americans, to the ‘Thin White Duke’. It explores his regeneration in Berlin with the critically acclaimed album Heroes, his triumph with Scary Monsters and his global success with Let’s Dance. With interviews with all his closest collaborators, David Bowie - Five Years presents a unique account of why Bowie has become an ‘icon of our times’.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisS4: The Bob Lazar Story (2026)
Over 35 years after Bob Lazar's revelations, this documentary exposes secrets of a facility the government still denies. Featuring Lazar's testimony, recreations, and new evidence, it reopens a case that continues to spark global curiosity
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies 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 thisThe Making of 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' (1991)
Documentary of the making of the sequel to the popular Schwarzenegger film, The Terminator.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisObi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return (2022)
This special explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the screen, as well as Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their classic roles. Director Deborah Chow leads the cast and crew as they create new heroes and villains that live alongside new incarnations of beloved Star Wars characters, and an epic story that dramatically bridges the saga films.
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 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 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 thisMarvel's Behind the Mask (2021)
A documentary special that explores the power of identity behind the iconic superheroes we know and love today. These legendary Marvel creations and stories have not only reflected the world outside our window – they have become a reflection of our own identities and who we truly are.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDangerous Days: Making Blade Runner (2007)
The definitive 3½-hour documentary about the troubled creation and enduring legacy of the science fiction classic 'Blade Runner', culled from 80 interviews and hours of never-before-seen outtakes and lost footage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJim Dandy to the Rescue: A Film by Joey Skidmore (2018)
A documentary about Jim "Dandy" Mangrum and his band Black Oak Arkansas.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Mamma Mia: The Story of the World's Favourite Musical (2018)
Examining the enduring appeal and remarkable success of the story of `Mamma Mia!', not only a hit stage musical based on the songs of ABBA, but the Greek island-set romantic comedy also found success on the big screen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Siren Lullabies (2023)
Documentary covering the first four months of the war in Ukraine in 2022.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
8 Billions: We are all responsible (2023)
Ailton Krenak, indigenous leader and thinker, talks about the pain of the Watú (or Rio Doce in the Krenak language). Sick with the biggest environmental disaster in Brazilian history, the Mariana Dam disaster, the river asks for help. From the impacts on his village on the banks of the river, he makes an overview of the current Anthropocene period and invites all human beings to a journey of reflection and self-criticism, aiming at urgent but necessary paradigm shifts.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Comunicado de junio '90 (1990)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Madness of Sherlock Holmes: Conan Doyle and the Realm of the Faeries (2007)
The adventures of Sherlock Holmes have been seen and read about in countless mediums. And yet, there is a mysterious side to this fictional character that has eluded us for decades. From secret societies to the occult, the film sets out to uncover dark secrets of Holmes' creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and will finally explain what influences helped to forge not just Holmes, but also fellow characters Moriarty and Watson.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Real Bloodline of Jesus Christ: The Sacred Teachings of Tim Wallace-Murphy (2007)
Tim Wallace-Murphy is an international best selling author known throughout the world for his deep knowledge of Rosslyn, the Knights Templar, Sacred Geometry and Rex Deus - the real bloodline of Jesus Christ. He has been an expert consultant to many scholars and authors most notably Dan Brown. Tim Wallace-Murphy talks about the true bloodline of Jesus Christ and Mary Magdalene.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Tradition is a Temple: The Modern Masters of New Orleans (2013)
Tradition is a Temple explores New Orleans' unique musical culture and the fragility of tradition in the modern world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
JFK Assassination: The Definitive Guide (2013)
September 11th... Pearl Harbor... the assassination of JFK. Days that forever changed America. But the Kennedy assassination is different: 50 years after it happened, most Americans think we don't know who did it. Now History has conducted the largest nationwide survey ever attempted on the topic to learn exactly what the country believes. Who do Americans suspect was really responsible for JFK's death?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Johnny Mercer: The Dream's on Me (2009)
Commemorating the centennial of Mercer's birth, this documentary is part biography, part archive, and part recontextualization, taking Mercer's tunes and putting them in the hands of modern singers like Jamie Cullum and Dr. John to show they are still relevant today. Host Clint Eastwood also interviews artists who collaborated with Mercer or performed his songs, including composer John Williams, Blake Edwards, Andre Previn, Tony Bennett, and Julie Andrews.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Empire?
The closest matches to Empire are Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022), Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) and As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Empire?
Start with Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022), the closest match to Empire.
What is the highest-rated movie like Empire?
I Am Heath Ledger (2017), rated 7.4/10 by 233 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Empire?
A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Empire?
Yes: Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022), Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) and As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000).
How are movies similar to Empire chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Empire, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.