Movies like The Cartel Project (2021)
The best movies like The Cartel Project (2021) are Stolen: Heist of the Century (2025), Voyeur (2017) and The Panama Papers (2018). If The Cartel Project hooked you with its documentary and crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDeliver Us from Evil (2006)7.2/10 from 216 votes
- NewestA Toxic Love Story (2026)Released 2026
- In FrenchVjeran Tomic: The Spider-Man of Paris (2023)Also in French
Stolen: Heist of the Century (2025)
Antwerp, 2003. A gang of thieves rob the impenetrable Diamond Center. Who was behind one of the world's biggest heists - and how did they pull it off?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisVoyeur (2017)
Legendary journalist Gay Talese unmasks a motel owner who spied on his guests for decades. But his bombshell story soon becomes a scandal of its own.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Panama Papers (2018)
A documentary feature film about the biggest global corruption scandal in history, and the hundreds of journalists who risked their lives to break the story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNarco Cultura (2013)
To a growing number of Mexicans and Latinos in the Americas, narco-traffickers have become iconic outlaws and the new models of fame and success. They represent a pathway out of the ghetto, nurturing a new American dream fueled by the war on drugs. Narco Cultura looks at this explosive phenomenon from within, exposing cycles of addiction to money, drugs, and violence that are rapidly gaining strength on both sides of the U.S.-Mexico border
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Mystery of D.B. Cooper (2020)
This documentary brings to life the stories of four people believed by their family and friends to be “DB Cooper,” a man who hijacked a 727 flying out of Seattle and jumped from the plane over the wilds of Washington State with a parachute and $200,000, never to be heard from again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDirty John: The Dirty Truth (2019)
John Meehan created a terrifying trap of seduction, deceit and betrayal for countless victims. The illuminating revelations into his backstory showcase a series of events that flipped switches to create a monster wired for psychopathy. Goffard exposes John’s troubled background that built the foundation for his ominous fantasy world of lies and manipulation. In addition to hearing the Newell family’s terrifying tale, John’s first wife Tonia Bales and her daughters Emily and Abigail Meehan speak out, along with other women from his past who were caught in his web of lies.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisRunning with the Devil: The Wild World of John McAfee (2022)
Through raw, revealing footage and interviews with fugitive tech pioneer John McAfee, this documentary uncovers new layers of his wild years on the run.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDeliver Us from Evil (2006)
Documentary filmmaker Amy Berg investigates the life of 30-year pedophile Father Oliver O'Grady and exposes the corruption inside the Catholic Church that allowed him to abuse countless children. Victims' stories and a disturbing interview with O'Grady offer a view into the troubled mind of the spiritual leader who moved from parish to parish gaining trust ... all the while betraying so many.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMaternal Instinct (2026)
Police pull over a woman who claims she just gave birth. But the baby — and the blood — aren't hers. Twisted lies unravel in this true-crime documentary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBitconned (2024)
In this true-crime documentary, three guys exploit the freewheeling cryptocurrency market to scam millions from investors and bankroll lavish lifestyles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTed Bundy: Mind of a Monster (2019)
New exclusive access and never before heard testimony gives a unique insight into the mind of America's most notorious serial killer, Ted Bundy. Breathtaking archive from the time and the voice of Bundy himself, reveals the monster inside the man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOut of Thin Air (2017)
Set within the stark Icelandic landscape, OUT OF THIN AIR examines the 1976 police investigation into the disappearance of two men in the early 1970s.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisAileen Wuornos: The Selling of a Serial Killer (1992)
In this documentary, filmmaker Nick Broomfield follows the saga of Aileen Wuornos, a prostitute who has been accused of committing a brutal series of murders. Broomfield conducts interviews with Wuornos herself, and his crew films her trial as well as her interactions with religious fanatic Arlene Pralle, who gives Wuornos dubious advice and legally adopts her. The cameras also roll as the accused's attorney ignores the case at hand to negotiate a deal to sell his client's story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCon Mum (2025)
A chef's life is upended when a jet-setting, champagne-sipping, hotel-hopping woman claims to be his long-lost mother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVjeran Tomic: The Spider-Man of Paris (2023)
In his own words, the burglar behind the 2010 robbery of the Paris Museum of Modern Art tells how he pulled off the biggest art heist in French history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Anthrax Attacks: In the Shadow of 9/11 (2022)
Days after 9/11, letters containing fatal anthrax spores spark panic and tragedy in the US. This documentary follows the subsequent FBI investigation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPredators (2025)
In the mid-aughts, Dateline NBC's To Catch a Predator drew millions of weekly viewers to watch sting operations: men planning to meet minors for sex would instead be confronted by polished host Chris Hansen, then by the police — all on hidden camera.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUntold: Crime & Penalties (2021)
They were the bad boys of hockey — a team bought by a man with mob ties, run by his 17-year-old son, and with a rep for being as violent as they were good.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & crime
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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCover-Up (2025)
He's devoted his career to uncovering stories the powerful want buried. From My Lai to Abu Ghraib, dig into the life's work of journalist Seymour Hersh.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKickback (2022)
Kickback is a British documentary about the corruption within FIFA featuring the late investigative journalist Andrew Jennings.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary & crime
Bad Boys for Life (2020)
Marcus and Mike are forced to confront new threats, career changes, and midlife crises as they join the newly created elite team AMMO of the Miami police department to take down the ruthless Armando Armas, the vicious leader of a Miami drug cartel.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLady Joker (2004)
Men and women caught up in a downward spiral of corruption, discrimination, poverty and death are the focus of this detective-thriller/social-drama inspired by the unsolved 1984 kidnapping of a Japanese candy company president.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
The Independent (2022)
It's the final weeks of the most consequential presidential election in history. America is poised to elect either its first female president or its first viable independent candidate. Reporting history as it's made, an idealistic young journalist teams up with her idol, legendary journalist Nick Booker, to uncover a conspiracy that places the fate of the election, and the country, in their hands.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMiddle Men (2009)
Chronicles Jack Harris, one of the pioneers of internet commerce, as he wrestles with his morals and struggles not to drown in a sea of conmen, mobsters, drug addicts, and pornstars.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlien Contact: Government Coverup (2025)
Explore the enduring mystery of the Roswell incident, where an alleged UFO crash in 1947 sparked decades of speculation and intrigue. Through eyewitness testimonies, expert analysis, and declassified documents, this documentary examines claims of extraterrestrial encounters and government coverups. Discover the cultural and historical impact of the event that ignited global fascination and ask: was it a weather balloon, or the greatest secret ever kept?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Air I Breathe (2007)
A gambler’s bet spiraling into chaos, a gangster's prophetic visions, a pop star’s dark entanglement, a doctor’s desperate race against time to rescue his beloved... Four interconnected stories reveal life unfolding through four emotional pillars — joy, passion, grief, and love.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWegman's Cruelty (2004)
Wegmans Cruelty is a half hour documentary produced by a small investigative team from the organization Compassionate Consumers. Organization members contacted Wegmans Food Markets to try to hold some meaningful dialogue about the conditions at Wegmans Egg Farm, and were then misled and dismissed by Wegmans representatives. The team set out to capture actual footage inside the farm and create a film based on their experience.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
At Close Range (1986)
Brad Whitewood Jr. lives in rural Pennsylvania and has few prospects. Against his mother's wishes, he seeks out his estranged father, the head of a gang of thieves in a nearby town. Though his new girlfriend supports his criminal ambitions, Brad Jr. soon learns that his father is a dangerous man.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUnforgivable (2024)
Investigative journalist Lena-Christin Kalle discovers that the story of the Norwegian "German Girls" is sealed in Norwegian archives. This leads to a year-long hunt for what is hidden in the secret archives. Shocking stories from the few surviving women and witnesses reveal an unknown chapter in Norwegian post-war history.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Cartel Project?
The closest matches to The Cartel Project are Stolen: Heist of the Century (2025), Voyeur (2017) and The Panama Papers (2018). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Cartel Project?
Start with Stolen: Heist of the Century (2025), the closest match to The Cartel Project.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Cartel Project?
Deliver Us from Evil (2006), rated 7.2/10 by 216 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Cartel Project?
A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like The Cartel Project?
Yes: Vjeran Tomic: The Spider-Man of Paris (2023).
How are movies similar to The Cartel Project chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Cartel Project, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.