Movies like The Automat (2021)
The best movies like The Automat (2021) are The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014), Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019) and The Untold History Of The United States (2012). If The Automat hooked you with its documentary and history, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMalcolm X (1992)7.6/10 from 2,029 votes
- NewestCome See Me in the Good Light (2025)Released 2025
The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014)
A documentary about the development and spread of the virtual currency called Bitcoin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMaking Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019)
The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Untold History Of The United States (2012)
Oliver Stone charts the history of the United States from the Second World War to the present.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Absolute CinemaMovies like this9/11: Inside the President's War Room (2021)
Experience the events of September 11, 2001 through the eyes of President Bush and his closest advisors as they personally detail the crucial hours and key decisions from that historic day.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDjango & Django: Sergio Corbucci Unchained (2021)
A tribute to Italian filmmaker Sergio Corbucci (1926-90), presented by American filmmaker Quentin Tarantino.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & history
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSupermensch: The Legend of Shep Gordon (2013)
Supermensch documents the astounding career of Hollywood insider, the loveable Shep Gordon, who fell into music management by chance after moving to LA straight out of college, and befriending Janis Joplin, Jim Morrison and Jimi Hendrix. Shep managed rock stars such as Pink Floyd, Luther Vandross, Teddy Pendergrass and Alice Cooper, and later went on to manage chefs such as Emeril Lagasse, ushering in the era of celebrity chefs on television.
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 thisSecret Origin: The Story of DC Comics (2010)
A look at the history of the comic book publication that launched such legendary characters as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPoisoned: The Dirty Truth About Your Food (2023)
Through revealing interviews with experts and victims' families, this gripping documentary examines the problem of deadly foodborne illness in the US.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRoadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain (2021)
An intimate, behind-the-scenes look at how an anonymous chef became a world-renowned cultural icon. This unflinching look at Anthony Bourdain reverberates with his presence, in his own voice and in the way he indelibly impacted the world around him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPublic Speaking (2011)
Martin Scorsese’s portrait of writer and social commentator Fran Lebowitz, celebrated for her sharp wit and observations on modern life. Filmed at New York’s Waverly Inn and intercut with archival footage and interviews, the documentary captures Lebowitz’s distinctive worldview through her spontaneous monologues and public appearances.
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 thisSuper Size Me 2: Holy Chicken! (2019)
Muckraking filmmaker Morgan Spurlock reignites his battle with the food industry — this time from behind the register — as he opens his own fast food restaurant.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJohn Candy: I Like Me (2025)
Those who knew iconic funnyman John Candy best share his story, in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisHarmontown (2014)
A comedic, brutally honest documentary following self-destructive TV writer Dan Harmon as he takes his live podcast on a national tour.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn the Same Breath (2021)
This documentary recounts the experiences of people on the ground in the earliest days of the novel coronavirus and the way two countries dealt with its initial spread, from the first days of the outbreak in Wuhan to its rampage across the United States.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDirected by John Ford (1971)
A documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFood, Inc. (2008)
Documentary filmmaker Robert Kenner examines how mammoth corporations have taken over all aspects of the food chain in the United States, from the farms where our food is grown to the chain restaurants and supermarkets where it's sold. Narrated by author and activist Eric Schlosser, the film features interviews with average Americans about their dietary habits, commentary from food experts like Michael Pollan and unsettling footage shot inside large-scale animal processing plants.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAvatar: 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 thisSteve Jobs: Billion Dollar Hippy (2011)
Broadly considered a brand that inspires fervour and defines cool consumerism, Apple has become one of the biggest corporations in the world, fuelled by game-changing products that tap into modern desires. Its leader, Steve Jobs, was a long-haired college dropout with infinite ambition, and an inspirational perfectionist with a bully's temper. A man of contradictions, he fused a Californian counterculture attitude and a mastery of the art of hype with explosive advances in computer technology. Insiders including Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak, the chairman who ousted Jobs from the company he founded, and Jobs' chief of software, tell extraordinary stories of the rise, fall and rise again of Apple with Steve Jobs at its helm. With Stephen Fry, world wide web inventor Sir Tim Berners-Lee and branding guru Rita Clifton, Evan Davis decodes the formula that took Apple from suburban garage to global supremacy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Custom of the Country (TBA)
Based on the Edith Wharton classic of the same name, Undine Spragg, a fiercely ambitious woman from the Midwest, strives for the social heights of turn of the century New York. Armed with beauty, daring/hustle and sheer force of will/unwavering ambition, Undine battles an entrenched elite, fearlessly courting controversy, until love and fortune align.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
Seinfans Take Kramer's Reality Tour (2004)
Kenny Kramer, inspiration for the iconic Cosmo Kramer, takes Seinfeld fans on a reality tour throughout New York City. A few familiar faces make an appearance as well.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
I Will Dance (2015)
Follows the young people of Selma, Alabama's RATCo (Random Acts of Theatre Company) as they journey to New York City to share their story of hope, resilience, and overcoming.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Soul (2017)
Soul explores the secrets of gastronomy where two cuisines apparently so opposite in their philosophy, conception and experience, have both earned the highest culinary recognition, three Michelin stars.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Pão (2014)
A family gathering around what used to be an everyday activity.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Kristina Talking Pictures (1976)
Kristina, a self-named Hungarian female lion tamer, arrives in New York to become a dance choreographer. Kristina, now a middle-class NYC artist concerned about the environment, has a sailor lover named Raoul. The film, a collage work, an essay film, a fictional narrative and a documentary all rolled into one, is one of the most important independent American feminists films made during the 1970's.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Malcolm X (1992)
A tribute to the controversial black activist and leader of the struggle for black liberation. He hit bottom during his imprisonment in the '50s, he became a Black Muslim and then a leader in the Nation of Islam. His assassination in 1965 left a legacy of self-determination and racial pride.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both history
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBanded Together: The Boys from Glen Rock High (2022)
From high school band practice to playing alongside such legends as Bruce Springsteen, Donald Fagen, and Al Kooper, the eight "boys" from Glen Rock High all have remarkable journeys.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Brave New York (2004)
BRAVE NEW YORK is a free-form documentary that loosely chronicles the last twelve years of intense change in the East Village "hood." From the reopening of a newly curfewed Tompkins Square Park and Wigstock in '92 to the destruction of the cherished Loisaida Community Gardens, beyond the yuppie invasions of the "dot com" years to the present era, indelibly stamped with post 9/11 grief, this durable, lusty neighborhood survives in spite of a real estate gold rush that has excluded all but the well-to-do. The movie's main voices are those of the artists and street people whose wisdom and commentaries upon the dominant culture give us pause amidst the speedy approach of a "Brave New World." This Overview was taken from Fandor, where this film is available. 2004.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Automat?
The closest matches to The Automat are The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014), Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019) and The Untold History Of The United States (2012). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Automat?
Start with The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014), the closest match to The Automat.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Automat?
Malcolm X (1992), rated 7.6/10 by 2,029 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Automat?
Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Automat?
Yes: The Rise and Rise of Bitcoin (2014), Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019) and The Untold History Of The United States (2012).
How are movies similar to The Automat chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Automat, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.