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Movies like Vera Drake, Drowning (2012)

The best movies like Vera Drake, Drowning (2012) are Roundhay Garden Scene (1888), Koyaanisqatsi (1983) and Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022). If Vera Drake, Drowning hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Roundhay Garden Scene (1888)

    The earliest surviving motion-picture film, and believed to be one of the very first moving images ever created, was shot by Louis Aimé Augustin Le Prince using the LPCCP Type-1 MkII single-lens camera. It was taken on paper-based photographic film in the garden of Oakwood Grange, the Whitley family house in Roundhay, Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire (UK), on 14 October 1888. The film shows Adolphe Le Prince (Le Prince’s son), Mrs. Sarah Whitley (Le Prince’s mother-in-law), Joseph Whitley, and Miss Harriet Hartley walking around in circles, laughing to themselves, and staying within the area framed by the camera. Roundhay Garden Scene is often associated with a recording speed of around 12 frames per second and runs for about 2 to 3 seconds.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  2. Koyaanisqatsi (1983)

    Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  3. Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022)

    After years in the limelight, Selena Gomez achieves unimaginable stardom. But just as she reaches a new peak, an unexpected turn pulls her into darkness. This uniquely raw and intimate documentary spans her six-year journey into a new light.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  4. Apple Music Live: Lady Gaga MAYHEM Requiem (2026)

    For Apple Music Live, Gaga presents MAYHEM Requiem, a celebration and musical reimagining of MAYHEM.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  5. As 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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. The Stone Roses: Made of Stone (2013)

    A documentary about the English alternative rock band, The Stone Roses. Meadows interweaves archive film, intimate behind-the-scenes footage and never-before-seen material, delivering the definitive account of the band and their music. He was also granted unprecedented access to their rehearsals for the summer 2012 Manchester concerts. A momentous occasion in modern music, these were the first gigs performed by The Stone Roses in 16 years.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  7. Thriller 40 (2023)

    Forty years after the release of Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller,’ the best-selling album of all-time, director Nelson George takes fans back in time to the making of a pop masterpiece, featuring never-before-seen footage and candid interviews.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  8. Chronos (1985)

    Carefully picked scenes of nature and civilization are viewed at high speed using time-lapse cinematography in an effort to demonstrate the history of various regions.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. Music by John Williams (2024)

    His unforgettable scores are an essential part of some of the most beloved movies of our time, over a career that spans decades. See and hear maestro John Williams' own story, with insights from filmmakers, musicians, and others he has inspired, complete with rare behind-the-scenes looks at the making of movie history.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  10. Scorpio Rising (1964)

    A gang of bikers prepares for a race as sexual, sadistic, and occult images are cut together.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  11. Dickson Experimental Sound Film (1894)

    William K.L. Dickson plays the violin while two men dance. This is the oldest surviving sound film where sound is recorded on the phonograph.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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  12. The 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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  13. Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition (2026)

    With unprecedented access to the official archives and intimate recollections from the band, both current and past, Iron Maiden: Burning Ambition invites fans to experience one of the most iconic journeys in music history. Spanning five decades, this electrifying documentary charts the band’s rise from the pubs of East London to the world’s biggest stadiums. Featuring exclusive interviews with band members and contributors such as Javier Bardem, Lars Ulrich and Chuck D, as well as all-new animated sequences of the band's legendary mascot, Eddie, the film offers a rare and intimate look at Iron Maiden’s uncompromising vision and unwavering connection with their truly global army of fans.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  14. Anima (2019)

    In a short musical film directed by Paul Thomas Anderson, Thom Yorke of Radiohead stars in a mind-bending visual piece. Best played loud.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. My 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

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  16. Rolling Thunder Revue: A Bob Dylan Story by Martin Scorsese (2019)

    Part documentary, part concert film, part fever dream, this film captures the troubled spirit of America in 1975 and the joyous music that Dylan performed during the fall of that year.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. The Decline of Western Civilization Part III (1998)

    A musical study of Los Angeles in the late 90s, where homeless teens roam the streets and profess to live a punk lifestyle of music, drugs, and flouting authority.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. The Devil and Daniel Johnston (2006)

    This 2005 documentary film chronicles the life of Daniel Johnston, a manic-depressive genius singer/songwriter/artist, from childhood up to the present, with an emphasis on his mental illness and how it manifested itself in demonic self-obsession.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. Naqoyqatsi (2002)

    A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Kurt Cobain: About a Son (2007)

    An intimate and moving meditation on the late musician and artist Kurt Cobain, based on more than 25 hours of previously unheard audiotaped interviews conducted with Cobain by noted music journalist Michael Azerrad for his book "Come As You Are: The Story of Nirvana." In the film, Kurt Cobain recounts his own life - from his childhood and adolescence to his days of musical discovery and later dealings with explosive fame - and offers often piercing insights into his life, music, and times. The conversations heard in the film have never before been made public, and they reveal a highly personal portrait of an artist much discussed but not particularly well understood.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers

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Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Vera Drake, Drowning?

The closest matches to Vera Drake, Drowning are Roundhay Garden Scene (1888), Koyaanisqatsi (1983) and Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Vera Drake, Drowning?

Start with Roundhay Garden Scene (1888), the closest match to Vera Drake, Drowning.

What is the highest-rated movie like Vera Drake, Drowning?

Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022), rated 8.4/10 by 623 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Vera Drake, Drowning?

Apple Music Live: Lady Gaga MAYHEM Requiem (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Vera Drake, Drowning?

Yes: Roundhay Garden Scene (1888), Koyaanisqatsi (1983) and Selena Gomez: My Mind & Me (2022).

How are movies similar to Vera Drake, Drowning chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Vera Drake, Drowning, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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