Movies like The Road to the Tokyo Olympics (1963)
The best movies like The Road to the Tokyo Olympics (1963) are Tokyo Olympiad (1965), Icarus (2017) and Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds (2025). If The Road to the Tokyo Olympics hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedIcarus (2017)7.6/10 from 873 votes
- NewestS4: The Bob Lazar Story (2026)Released 2026
- In JapaneseTokyo Olympiad (1965)Also in Japanese
Tokyo Olympiad (1965)
This impressionistic portrait of the 1964 Tokyo Summer Olympics pays as much attention to the crowds and workers as it does to the actual competitive events. Highlights include an epic pole-vaulting match between West Germany and America, and the final marathon race through Tokyo's streets. Two athletes are highlighted: Ethiopian marathon runner Abebe Bikila, who receives his second gold medal, and runner Ahamed Isa from Chad, representing a country younger than he is.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIcarus (2017)
While investigating the furtive world of illegal doping in sports, director Bryan Fogel connects with renegade Russian scientist Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov—a pillar of his country's "anti-doping" program. Over dozens of Skype calls, urine samples, and badly administered hormone injections, Fogel and Rodchenkov grow closer despite shocking allegations that place Rodchenkov at the center of Russia's state-sponsored Olympic doping program.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAir Force Elite: Thunderbirds (2025)
The elite pilots of the Air Force Thunderbirds display exceptional skill, trust and courage during a high-stakes training season.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWick Is Pain (2025)
Witness the never-before-seen footage and true story behind the John Wick phenomenon – from independent film to billion-dollar franchise.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisI Am Bolt (2016)
Fully authorized, access-all-areas feature doc on the hugely charismatic and globally adored Usain Bolt – officially the fastest man alive. With never-before-seen archive footage of his youth in Jamaica, through to original footage that will be captured at his fourth and final Olympic Games in Rio, where he will compete for the gold in both the 100 and 200 metres races, for a third straight Games before his retirement in 2017. I AM BOLT will reveal the man and define the legacy of this incredible athlete.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJackie Chan: My Story (1998)
Jackie Chan is one of the world's biggest action stars, famed for his wacky sense of humor, remarkable martial arts techniques, and willingness to perform incredible stunts without the use of doubles -- or a net. This video takes a personal look at Chan as he works on screen projects in Hollywood and Beijing and candidly discusses his life and work.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisS4: The Bob Lazar Story (2026)
Over 35 years after Bob Lazar's revelations, this documentary exposes secrets of a facility the government still denies. Featuring Lazar's testimony, recreations, and new evidence, it reopens a case that continues to spark global curiosity
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies 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 thisFerrari: Race to Immortality (2017)
The late 1950s were known as golden years in the world of motor racing, champions were made and lost on a Sunday, and no losses were greater than those of Enzo Ferrari’s Scuderia. Based on Chris Nixon’s bestselling biography Mon Ami Mate, Ferrari: Race to Immortality tells the story of the loves and losses, triumphs and tragedy of a turbulent era that shook the motor racing world.
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 thisPumping Iron (1977)
Amateur and professional bodybuilders prepare for the 1975 Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe contests as five-time champion Arnold Schwarzenegger defends his Mr. Olympia title against Serge Nubret and the shy young Lou Ferrigno.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBurma VJ: Reporting from a Closed Country (2008)
Going beyond the occasional news clip from Burma, the acclaimed filmmaker, Anders Østergaard, brings us close to the video journalists who deliver the footage. Though risking torture and life in jail, courageous young citizens of Burma live the essence of journalism as they insist on keeping up the flow of news from their closed country.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 this1 (2013)
Set in the golden era of Grand Prix Racing '1' tells the story of a generation of charismatic drivers who raced on the edge, risking their lives during Formula 1's deadliest period, and the men who stood up and changed the sport forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMaria by Callas (2017)
Told through performances, TV interviews, home movies, family photographs, private letters and unpublished memoirs, the film reveals the essence of an extraordinary woman who rose from humble beginnings in New York City to become a glamorous international superstar and one of the greatest artists of all time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGuillermo del Toro's Pinocchio: Handcarved Cinema (2022)
With mesmerizing footage and time lapses of animators at work, this behind-the-scenes special captures the artistry of a unique tale years in the making.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Redeem Team (2022)
Using unprecedented Olympic footage and behind-the-scenes material, The Redeem Team tells the story of the US Olympic Men's Basketball Team’s quest for gold at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing following the previous team’s shocking performance four years earlier in Athens.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisMarvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (2023)
Follow the production of “Black Panther: Wakanda Forever” as the cast and crew take on the incredible challenge of remembering T’Challa with a chapter befitting the late king. Through intimate behind-the-scenes footage and interviews, watch Shuri take on the mantel of Wakanda’s hero and face a new foe from the ocean’s depths in Namor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPowaqqatsi (1988)
An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCat Nation (2017)
A journey into the unique, often bizarre, world of Japanese cat culture. Cat themed cafes, bars, temples, cat islands, cats with human jobs, cat friendly businesses, and the origins of the iconic beckoning cat statue.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
DEADCHAIN - Kawakami Forever (TBA)
A documentary showcasing a series of tributes to deceased D-beat legend, Kawakami.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Opening Ceremony: United by Emotion (2021)
Coverage of the glorious Olympic Opening Ceremony of the Games in Tokyo. The 2020 Summer Olympics opening ceremony took place on 23 July 2021 at Olympic Stadium, Tokyo. As mandated by the Olympic Charter, the proceedings combined the formal and ceremonial opening of this international sporting event, including welcoming speeches, hoisting of the flags and the parade of athletes, with an artistic spectacle to showcase the host nation's culture and history.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Do You Believe in Miracles? The Story of the 1980 U.S. Hockey Team (2002)
At the Winter Olympics of 1980, after two tense weeks amidst growing Cold War fears, the U.S. Olympic hockey team found themselves playing improbably against the legendary unbeatable Soviet Army hockey team for Olympic Gold. From the live footage taken at Lake Placid, NY, and through interviews beginning with the team's assembly through the experience of winning the gold medal.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Athens 2004: Olympic Opening Ceremony (Games of the XXVIII Olympiad) (2004)
With the Olympics returning to Greece, the opening ceremony of Athens 2004 sought to show the entire development of the Olympics over the centuries, until arriving at the modern Olympics.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
World Debut: From Outsiders to the Olympics (2021)
What were once lifestyle fads have evolved into some of the world's fastest-growing sports and are now set to debut on the world’s biggest stage – the Olympic Games. Step inside the journey of three new sports born on the fringes of society – skateboarding, surfing, and sport climbing – alongside names like Tony Hawk, Emily Harrington, and Sofia Mulanovich.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Top Gear: Winter Olympics Special (2006)
The Top Gear team hit Norway for a Winter Olympics special in which they attempt Olympic events, but with cars. In a world first, the team fire a rocket-powered Mini off a ski jump, Jeremy and James tackle the biathlon with the latest 4x4s, Richard stages a game of car ice hockey, and the new Jaguar XK races a speed skater.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Arirang Rhapsody (2024)
The protagonists of the film are the Zainichi Korean women living in Kawasaki. They were tossed about by the war, and after many trips to and fro across the sea in search of a place to live, they finally arrived in Kawasaki, where they have lived modestly and vigorously.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Tokyo 2020 Olympic Closing Ceremony (2021)
The Closing Ceremony of the Games of the XXXII Olympiad in the New National Stadium in Tokyo
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Peace (2010)
What is peace? What is coexistence? And what are the basis for them? PEACE is a visual-essay-like observational documentary, which contemplates these questions by observing the daily lives of people and cats in Okayama city, Japan, where life and death, acceptance and rejection are intermingled.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Road to the Tokyo Olympics?
The closest matches to The Road to the Tokyo Olympics are Tokyo Olympiad (1965), Icarus (2017) and Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds (2025). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Road to the Tokyo Olympics?
Start with Tokyo Olympiad (1965), the closest match to The Road to the Tokyo Olympics.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Road to the Tokyo Olympics?
Icarus (2017), rated 7.6/10 by 873 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Road to the Tokyo Olympics?
S4: The Bob Lazar Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The Road to the Tokyo Olympics?
Yes: Tokyo Olympiad (1965), DEADCHAIN - Kawakami Forever and Arirang Rhapsody (2024).
How are movies similar to The Road to the Tokyo Olympics chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Road to the Tokyo Olympics, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.