Movies like Joseph Knight (2020)
The best movies like Joseph Knight (2020) are Man to Man (2005), The Birth of a Nation (2016) and 12 Years a Slave (2013). If Joseph Knight hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedI Swear (2025)8.3/10 from 677 votes
- NewestI Swear (2025)Released 2025
Man to Man (2005)
An epic about anthropologists who hunt and capture pygmies for study back in Europe, in an attempt to illustrate the link between man and ape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Birth of a Nation (2016)
Nat Turner, a former slave in America, leads a liberation movement in 1831 to free African-Americans in Virginia that results in a violent retaliation from whites.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this12 Years a Slave (2013)
In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisRob Roy (1995)
In the highlands of Scotland in the 1700s, Rob Roy tries to lead his small town to a better future, by borrowing money from the local nobility to buy cattle to herd to market. When the money is stolen, Rob is forced into a Robin Hood lifestyle to defend his family and honour.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOutlaw King (2018)
Forced into exile by the English after being crowned King of Scotland, legendary warrior Robert the Bruce fights to reclaim the throne.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSong of the South (1946)
Uncle Remus draws upon his tales of Br'er Rabbit to help little Johnny deal with his confusion over his parents' separation as well as his new life on the plantation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Piano Lesson (2024)
A brother and sister's battle over a prized heirloom piano unleashes haunting truths about how the past is perceived — and who defines a family legacy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisAmazing Grace (2007)
The true story of William Wilberforce and his courageous quest to end the British slave trade. Along the way, Wilberforce meets intense opposition, but his minister urges him to see the cause through.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmancipation (2022)
Inspired by the gripping true story of a man who would do anything for his family—and for freedom. When Peter, an enslaved man, risks his life to escape and return to his family, he embarks on a perilous journey of love and endurance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSkin (2009)
Based on the true story of a black girl who was born to two white Afrikaner parents in South Africa during the apartheid era.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this42 (2013)
In 1947, Jackie Robinson becomes the first Black man to play in Major League Baseball facing unabashed racism from the public, the press and other players.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOut of Africa (1985)
Tells the life story of Danish author Karen Blixen, who at the beginning of the 20th century moved to Africa to build a new life for herself. The film is based on her 1937 autobiographical novel.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Last King of Scotland (2006)
Young Scottish doctor, Nicholas Garrigan decides it's time for an adventure after he finishes his formal education, so he decides to try his luck in Uganda, and arrives during the downfall of President Obote. General Idi Amin comes to power and asks Garrigan to become his personal doctor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTell It to the Bees (2019)
Dr. Jean Markham returns to the town she left as a teenager to take over her late father's medical practice. When a school-yard scuffle lands Charlie in her surgery, she invites him to visit the hives in her garden and tell his secrets to the bees, as she once did. The new friendship between the boy and the bee keeper brings his mother Lydia into Jean's world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFences (2016)
In 1950s Pittsburgh, a frustrated African-American father struggles with the constraints of poverty, racism, and his own inner demons as he tries to raise a family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Swear (2025)
Diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at 15, John Davidson navigates his way against the odds through troubled teenage years and into adulthood, finding inspiration in the kindness of others to discover his true purpose in life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisKidnapped (1971)
Scottish orphan David Balfour is betrayed by his wicked uncle Ebeneezer, who arranges for David to be kidnapped and sold into slavery so that he cannot claim his inheritance. The boy is rescued and befriended by Alan Breck, a Scottish rebel fighting on behalf of his country's independence from the British.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLimbo (2020)
An offbeat observation of refugees waiting to be granted asylum on a fictional remote Scottish island. It focuses on Omar, a young Syrian musician who is burdened by the weight of his grandfather’s oud, which he has carried all the way from his homeland.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMandingo (1975)
Warren Maxwell, the owner of a run-down plantation, pressures his son, Hammond, to marry and produce an heir to inherit the plantation. Hammond settles on his own cousin, Blanche, but purchases a sex slave when he returns from the honeymoon. He also buys his father a new Mandingo slave named Mede to breed and train as a prize-fighter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUnder the Skin (2014)
A seductive stranger prowls the streets of Glasgow in search of prey: unsuspecting men who fall under her spell.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Joseph Knight?
The closest matches to Joseph Knight are Man to Man (2005), The Birth of a Nation (2016) and 12 Years a Slave (2013). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Joseph Knight?
Start with Man to Man (2005), the closest match to Joseph Knight.
What is the highest-rated movie like Joseph Knight?
I Swear (2025), rated 8.3/10 by 677 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Joseph Knight?
I Swear (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Joseph Knight?
Yes: Man to Man (2005), The Birth of a Nation (2016) and 12 Years a Slave (2013).
How are movies similar to Joseph Knight chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Joseph Knight, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.