Movies like Children of the Sun (1968)
The best movies like Children of the Sun (1968) are Riding Giants (2004), The Endless Summer (1966) and Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023). If Children of the Sun hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMaking Squid Game: The Challenge (2023)8.0/10 from 241 votes
- NewestWolves Up Close with Bertie Gregory (2026)Released 2026
Riding Giants (2004)
Riding Giants is story about big wave surfers who have become heroes and legends in their sport. Directed by the skateboard guru Stacy Peralta.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Endless Summer (1966)
Documentary filmmaker Bruce Brown, himself a competition-level surfer, follows surfers Michael Hynson and Robert August on an around-the-world surfing adventure. With Brown's wry, sardonic narration and a twangy, guitar-driven instrumental soundtrack by The Sandals playing over the silent footage, Mike and Rob leave their California home to visit Hawaii, Australia, South Africa and other secluded surfing spots in a search for the surfer's holy grail that Brown dubs "The Perfect Wave.”
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023)
From the heights of her modeling fame to her tragic death, this documentary reveals Anna Nicole Smith through the eyes of the people closest to her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Irishman: In Conversation (2019)
Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino in conversation about The Irishman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Class of ‘92 (2013)
A detailing of the rise to prominence and global sporting superstardom of six supremely talented young Manchester United football players (David Beckham, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Phil and Gary Neville). The film covers the period 1992-1999, culminating in Manchester United's European Cup triumph.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Summers of It - Chapter Two: It Ends (2019)
This documentary focuses on the actors and their journey over two summers to create the remake to the original IT, by Stephen King. The documentary originally released as bonus material, bundled with IT: Chapter Two.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Curious Birth of Benjamin Button (2009)
A documentary about the making of David Fincher's 2008 film THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON. Virtually every element in the evolution of the Fincher's film is documented here, from the project's attachment to numerous other directors during the 1990s, to its shoot in 2006 and 2007 in New Orleans, to its complex, CGI-intensive postproduction process.
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 thisLouis Theroux: Twilight of the Porn Stars (2012)
In 1997, Louis Theroux made a documentary about the world of male porn performers in Los Angeles. 15 years later, he returns to find a business struggling with the deluge of free porn on the internet. Louis revisits some of the original programme's contributors as well as meeting the latest crop of porn performers dreaming of porn stardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Last Repair Shop (2024)
In a warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain more than 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind. Meet four unforgettable characters whose broken-and-repaired lives have been dedicated to bringing so much more than music to the schoolchildren of this city.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWolves Up Close with Bertie Gregory (2026)
Reconnecting with a pack of wolves he has followed for seven years, Bertie sets out to capture one of the Arctic's most dangerous and rarely filmed hunts: wolves taking on a bull moose, prey roughly ten times their size. Led by Kona, a striking white breeding male, the pack faces a critical winter as dwindling food supplies, an encroaching rival wolf and an aging leader threaten its survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Walking Dead: The Return (2024)
Stars of "The Walking Dead," Andrew Lincoln and Danai Gurira, walk down memory lane and visit iconic locations where pivotal moments between their characters, Rick and Michonne, were filmed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFuck (2006)
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisThe Beach Boys (2024)
A celebration of the legendary band that revolutionized pop music, and the iconic, harmonious sound they created that personified the California dream, captivating fans for generations and generations to come.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMore than a Game (2008)
This documentary follows NBA superstar LeBron James and four of his talented teammates through the trials and tribulations of high school basketball in Ohio and James' journey to fame.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSeven Up! (1985)
A group of British children aged 7 from widely ranging backgrounds are interviewed about a range of subjects. The filmmakers plan to re-interview them at 7 year intervals to track how their lives and attitudes change as they age.
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 thisMaking Squid Game: The Challenge (2023)
Go behind the scenes and witness how the "Squid Game"-inspired reality show transformed from a scripted drama to a cutthroat, nail-biting competition.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Class That Saved Coach K (2019)
The Class That Saved Coach K is a 90-minute documentary that tells the story of Duke Basketball head coach Mike Krzyzewski, and how his 1982 recruiting class overcame a bumpy start to change the narrative -- turning the Blue Devils around and setting its coach on an historic course.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Mountain (2017)
An epic cinematic and musical collaboration between SHERPA filmmaker Jennifer Peedom and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, that explores humankind's fascination with high places.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLeaf (2017)
From can't miss future NFL star to incarcerated addict, former San Diego Charger Ryan Leaf shares insight into the choices and mistakes he made that changed his life forever.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Vom Nazi zum englischen Fußballidol - Torwartlegende Bert Trautmann (2021)
How could a German Wehrmacht soldier become a celebrated soccer idol of the Britons in the post-war period? The documentary by Radio Bremen shows the moving life story of the soccer star of the 1950s in a torn Europe and how an enemy became a friend. With his legendary appearance in the English Cup Final 1956, in which he played until the end despite a broken neck, Bert Trautmann set up a memorial for himself in the history of sport. Already in the same year, he is chosen as England’s footballer of the year, and by his club Manchester City even as best player of all times. Bernhard “Bert” Trautmann is one of the most popular and best-known soccer players in England.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Wrigley Field: Beyond the Ivy (2001)
Actor William Petersen narrates this documentary about Chicago's venerable baseball stadium, Wrigley Field, focusing on a variety of quirky fans who've spent so much time there that they've become part of the stadium experience. These colorful Cubs enthusiasts tell their stories and discuss how both baseball and Wrigley Field have become an integral part of their lives. A bonus feature on Comiskey Park -- home of the rival White Sox -- is included.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Shack Therapy (2006)
Shack up around the world as the crew explores South Africa, Hawaii, Norway, Mexico, Caroline Islands, and West Oz. Travel in Brian Conley's Hurricane Hunter to desolate Baja breaks... watch Weatherley and Walsh surf the icy waters of Norway's hidden gems... score endless barrels with the Rip Curl team in the South Pacific's Caroline Islands... witness the mayhem of a giant day at Peahi and do a little soul sesh Down Under with a trip to West Australia's untapped coast line. - Written by TGR
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Fly: Spud Webb (TBA)
Centers on the titular 5'7" athlete, who was drafted into the NBA in 1985 and went on to play for four teams in a professional career that spanned more than a decade
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Nadia Comăneci: The Gymnast and the Dictator (2016)
A documentary portrait of legendary Perfect Ten gymnast Nadia Comaneci after becoming an icon in the 1976 Olympics, during her Romanian period, and her challenging years under the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceausescu.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Sixth Element: The Ross Clarke-Jones Story (2006)
Overview The Sixth Element By any standard, the life story of Ross Clarke-Jones qualifies as riveting. A daredevil ad extremis, Clarke-Jones learned to tackle and surmount some of the most mammoth waves on the face of the Earth. And that attitude fittingly mirrors the surfer's approach to life, colored and shaped by an insatiable restlessness and a hunger for new thrills. His drive transported him from one exotic corner of the world to another, Tasmania to the Amazon and everywhere in between. This documentary tells Clarke-Jones's amazing story, with insights from heavyweights including Jeff Bushman, Matt Hoy, Noah Johnson, Jamie Brisick, Kelly Slater and many others. The late Dennis Hopper narrates.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Caparrós. Las botas del entrenador (2024)
Year 2021. Veteran coach Joaquín Caparrós leads the Armenian National Football Team. 5,000 km away from his native Utrera and in just one year, he has become a hero for a country at war.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Like Children of the Sun and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Children of the Sun?
The closest matches to Children of the Sun are Riding Giants (2004), The Endless Summer (1966) and Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Children of the Sun?
Start with Riding Giants (2004), the closest match to Children of the Sun.
What is the highest-rated movie like Children of the Sun?
Making Squid Game: The Challenge (2023), rated 8.0/10 by 241 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Children of the Sun?
Wolves Up Close with Bertie Gregory (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Children of the Sun?
Yes: Riding Giants (2004), The Endless Summer (1966) and Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023).
How are movies similar to Children of the Sun chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Children of the Sun, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.