Movies like Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take? (2011)
The best movies like Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take? (2011) are The Divide (2015), The Shock Doctrine (2009) and Trashed (2012). If Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take? hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks
- Highest ratedCowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)7.6/10 from 541 votes
- NewestA Toxic Love Story (2026)Released 2026
The Divide (2015)
The Divide tells the story of 7 individuals striving for a better life in modern day US and UK - where the top 0.1% owns as much wealth as the bottom 90%. By plotting these tales together, we uncover how virtually every aspect of our lives is controlled by one factor: the size of the gap between rich and poor.The film is inspired by "The Spirit Level" by Richard Wilkinson and Kate Pickett.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The Shock Doctrine (2009)
An investigation of "disaster capitalism", based on Naomi Klein's proposition that neo-liberal capitalism feeds on natural disasters, war and terror to establish its dominance.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTrashed (2012)
Actor Jeremy Irons investigates the global scale and impact of humanity's modern wasteful consumerism and pollution. The film is a call for urgent action to resolve the issue of existing deposits and drastically reduce our consumption towards sustainable levels and zero waste, but also demonstrates how this is already being achieved successfully in many communities around the world.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014)
Follow the shocking, yet humorous, journey of an aspiring environmentalist, as he daringly seeks to find the real solution to the most pressing environmental issues and true path to sustainability.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Choice Is Ours (2015)
This film series explores many aspects of our society. To rethink what is possible in our world, we need to consider what kind of world we want to live in. Although we refer to it as civilization, it is anything but civilized. Visions of global unity & fellowship have long inspired humanity, yet the social arrangements up to the present have largely failed to produce a peaceful and productive world. While we appear to be technically advanced, our values and behaviors are not. The possibility of an optimistic future is in stark contrast to our current social, economic, and environmental dilemmas. The Choice Is Ours includes interviews with notable scientists, media professionals, authors, and other thinkers exploring the difficulties we face.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Carbon Nation (2011)
An optimistic (and witty) discovery of what people are already doing, what we as a nation could be doing and what the world needs to do to prevent (or at least slow down) the impending climate crisis.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Billions in Change (2015)
The world is facing some huge problems. There’s a lot of talk about how to solve them. But talk doesn’t reduce pollution, or grow food, or heal the sick. That takes doing. This film is the story about a group of doers, the elegantly simple inventions they have made to change the lives of billions of people, and the unconventional billionaire spearheading the project.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Ethos (2011)
Hosted by twice Oscar nominated actor and activist Woody Harrelson, Ethos lifts the lid on a Pandora's box of systemic issues that guarantee failure in almost every aspect of our lives; from the environment to democracy and our own personal liberty: From terrifying conflicts of interests in politics to unregulated corporate power, to a media in the hands of massive conglomerates, and a military industrial complex that virtually owns our representatives. With interviews from some of todays leading thinkers and source material from the finest documentary film makers of our times Ethos examines and unravels these complex relationships, and offers a solution, a simple but powerful way for you to change this system!
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Inequality for All (2013)
Based on Reich's 2010 book Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future, the film examines widening income inequality in the United States. U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich tries to raise awareness of the country's widening economic gap. He publicly argued about the issue for decades, and producing a film of his viewpoints was a "final frontier" for him. In addition to being a social issue documentary, Inequality for All is also partially a biopic regarding Reich's early life and his time as Secretary of Labor under Bill Clinton's presidency. Warren Buffett and Nick Hanauer, two entrepreneurs and investors in the top 1%, are interviewed in the film, supporting Reich's belief in an economy that benefits all citizens, including those of the middle and lower classes.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThink and Grow Rich: The Legacy (2017)
THINK AND GROW RICH: The Legacy will be a feature length docudrama film chronicling the story of some of today's most renowned entrepreneurs, cultural icons and thought leaders. This feature length film will tell their inspirational stories and how they ultimately achieved their success. Interwoven with dramatic vignettes, the movie will bring to life classic inspirational stories from Think and Grow Rich, Think and Grow Rich: A Black Choice, Think and Grow Rich: A Latino Choice, Think and Grow Rich for Women and Three Feet From Gold.' THINK will unlock the eminent significance behind the secret of Think and Grow Rich, revealing the global impact the book has created and serve as a continued legacy.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The Third Industrial Revolution (2017)
The global economy is in crisis. Our biosphere's inability to absorb human activity, combined with the exhaustion of natural resources, declining productivity, slow growth, rising unemployment, and steep inequality, forces us to rethink our economic models. Where do we go from here? In this compelling feature-length documentary, social and economic theorist Jeremy Rifkin lays out a road map to usher in a new era of sustainable development. A Third Industrial Revolution will unfold when three technologies emerge and converge: new communication, new sources of energy, and new modes of mobility. But, in the context of climate change, it needs to happen fast. Change of this magnitude requires political will and a profound ideological shift.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
An Inconvenient Sequel: Truth to Power (2017)
A decade after An Inconvenient Truth brought climate change into the heart of popular culture comes the riveting and rousing follow-up that shows just how close we are to a real energy revolution. Vice President Al Gore continues his tireless fight, traveling around the world training an army of climate champions and influencing international climate policy. Cameras follow him behind the scenes—in moments private and public, funny and poignant—as he pursues the empowering notion that while the stakes have never been higher, the perils of climate change can be overcome with human ingenuity and passion.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCapital in the Twenty-First Century (2019)
Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFour Horsemen (2012)
Documentary about the modern apocalypse caused by a rapacious banking system. 23 leading thinkers – frustrated at the failure of their respective disciplines – break their silence to explain how the world really works.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThis Changes Everything (2015)
Based on Naomi Klein's book This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate, a look at how people in various communities around the world play a role in the ongoing climate change debate and how they're affecting change in trying to prevent the environmental destruction of our planet.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Money for Nothing: Inside the Federal Reserve (2013)
Nearly 100 years after its creation, the power of the U.S. Federal Reserve has never been greater. Markets and governments around the world hold their breath in anticipation of the Fed Chairman's every word. Yet the average person knows very little about the most powerful - and least understood - financial institution on earth. Narrated by Liev Schreiber, Money For Nothing is the first film to take viewers inside the Fed and reveal the impact of Fed policies - past, present, and future - on our lives. Join current and former Fed officials as they debate the critics, and each other, about the decisions that helped lead the global financial system to the brink of collapse in 2008. And why we might be headed there again.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
The End of Poverty? (2008)
The End of Poverty? asks if the true causes of poverty today stem from a deliberate orchestration since colonial times which has evolved into our modern system whereby wealthy nations exploit the poor. People living and fighting against poverty answer condemning colonialism and its consequences; land grab, exploitation of natural resources, debt, free markets, demand for corporate profits and the evolution of an economic system in in which 25% of the world's population consumes 85% of its wealth. Featuring Nobel Prize winner Amartya Sen and Joseph Stiglitz, authors/activist Susan George, Eric Toussaint, Bolivian Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera and more.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Living the Change: Inspiring Stories for a Sustainable Future (2018)
Sometimes it can feel like the environmental, economic and social issues the world is currently facing are too big, too overwhelming, to be dealt with by individuals. Climate change, resource limits, economic downturn, social disconnection. Surely these issues can only be properly managed by our governments? Living the Change explores solutions to the global crises we face today – solutions any one of us can be part of – through the inspiring stories of people pioneering change in their own lives and in their communities in order to live in a sustainable and regenerative way.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
End of the Road: How Money Became Worthless (2012)
Wall Street is being occupied. Europe is collapsing in on itself. Around the world, people are consumed by fear and anger, and one question is on everyone's lips: Is the financial crisis over, or are we headed towards economic disaster? documentary that chronicles the global financial collapse. Told in an entertaining and easy to follow style, the film tells the story of how the world came to be in such a state, from the seeds sown after WW2, to the current troubles facing us today, and to the possible future that may await us all. Also asks influential members of the finance and investment communities for their predictions on the world's financial future.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Food, 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: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like this97% Owned (2012)
97% owned present serious research and verifiable evidence on our economic and financial system. This is the first documentary to tackle this issue from a UK-perspective and explains the inner workings of Central Banks and the Money creation process. When money drives almost all activity on the planet, it's essential that we understand it. Yet simple questions often get overlooked, questions like; where does money come from? Who creates it? Who decides how it gets used? And what does this mean for the millions of ordinary people who suffer when the monetary, and financial system, breaks down? Produced by Queuepolitely and featuring Ben Dyson of Positive Money, Josh Ryan-Collins of The New Economics Foundation, Ann Pettifor, the "HBOS Whistleblower" Paul Moore, Simon Dixon of Bank to the Future and Nick Dearden from the Jubliee Debt Campaign.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Zeitgeist: Moving Forward (2011)
A presentation of a case for a needed transition out of the current socioeconomic monetary paradigm which governs the entire world society. This subject matter will transcend the issues of cultural relativism and traditional ideology and move to relate the core, empirical 'life ground' attributes of human and social survival, extrapolating those immutable natural laws into a new sustainable social paradigm called a 'Resource-Based Economy'.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRevelation: Dawn of Global Government (2016)
Looming world government, a world "elite", The United Nations...loss of American sovereignty! The light of our "shining city on the hill" dims. Dissecting America under judgment, Lieutenant General William Boykin and Alex Jones join Charlie Daniels in a primer for the uninitiated on The New World Order with Biblical perspective. The global feudal police state unfolds...We were born for such a time as this!
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Origins (2014)
"Origins" takes a journey through the biological roots of where we have come from and where we have gone. Using fire as a metaphor for technology, the film looks at the advances of our civilization and how the recklessness of unchecked technology is now choking out the environment and poisoning our bodies. Interviews with the biggest names in the health and green space create compelling context and arguments for how we can better coexist with nature. "Origins" shows how man, technology, and nature can walk together in balance.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Invisible Empire: A New World Order Defined (2010)
Invisible Empire is all conspiracy and no theory – proving beyond doubt how the elite have openly conspired to insidiously rule the globe via the engines of the CFR, the United Nations, the Trilateral Commission, and the Bilderberg group, which were born out of the historical Round Table groups first set up by Cecil Rhodes. The film traces the lineage of the evolution of global governance from Samuel Zane Batten’s 1919 manifesto New World Order, through to Hitler’s vision of a 1000 year Reich, to the modern incarnation of the conspiracy which has its roots in the evil deeds of people like George H. W. Bush, David Rockefeller and Henry Kissinger.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Assholes: A Theory (2019)
Some people grapple with the moral challenges of treating human beings decently. Others are just… assholes. Inspired by Aaron James’ New York Times bestseller of the same name, this documentary investigates the breeding grounds of contemporary ‘asshole culture’ — and locates signs of civility in an otherwise rude and nasty universe. Venturing into predominantly male domain, this film moves from Ivy League frat clubs to the bratty princedoms of Silicon Valley and the bear pits of international finance. Why do assholes thrive in certain environments? What explains their perverse appeal? And how do they keep getting elected?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Out of Shadows (2020)
An exposé on how Hollywood and the mainstream media manipulate the multitudes by spreading propaganda throughout their content.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Get Smart With Money (2022)
Financial advisers share their simple tips on spending less and saving more with people looking to take control of their funds and achieve their goals.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Zeitgeist: Addendum (2008)
Director Peter Joseph examines examples of economic subjugation and offers solutions based on alignment with nature.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take??
The closest matches to Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take? are The Divide (2015), The Shock Doctrine (2009) and Trashed (2012). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take??
People who watched Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take? most often go on to The Divide (2015), The Shock Doctrine (2009) and Trashed (2012).
What is the highest-rated movie like Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take??
Cowspiracy: The Sustainability Secret (2014), rated 7.6/10 by 541 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take??
A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take??
Yes: The Divide (2015), The Shock Doctrine (2009) and Trashed (2012).
How are movies similar to Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take? chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Thrive: What on Earth Will it Take?, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.




























