Movies like Document of the Dead (1981)
The best movies like Document of the Dead (1981) are Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity (2021), Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006) and Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (2008). If Document of the Dead hooked you with its documentary and horror, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedJodorowsky's Dune (2013)7.8/10 from 789 votes
- NewestOdyssey (2023)Released 2023
Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity (2021)
A deep dive into the making of the Paranormal Activity films with first time ever interviews with cast and crew, never-before-seen footage from the movies, and a preview of the seventh installment in the franchise.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGoing to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006)
This historical and critical look at slasher films, which includes dozens of clips, begins with Halloween, Friday the 13th, and Prom Night. The films' directors, writers, producers, and special effects creators comment on the films' making and success. During the Reagan years, the films get gorier, budgets get smaller, and their appeal wanes. Then, Nightmare on Elm Street revives the genre. Jump to the late 90s, when Scream brings humor and TV stars into the mix.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (2008)
A chronicle of the life, work and mind that created the Cthulhu mythos.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary & horror
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMore Brains! A Return to the Living Dead (2011)
Retrospective documentary about the making of the horror cult classic "The Return of the Living Dead."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEmbrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022)
A feature length documentary about the all-women team at the helm of Pixar's original feature, Turning Red. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Director Domee Shi and her core leadership crew, this story shines a light on the powerful professional and personal journeys that brought this incredibly comical, utterly relatable, and deeply heartfelt story to the screen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJodorowsky's Dune (2013)
In 1974, Chilean-French director Alejandro Jodorowsky embarked on the quixotic project of adapting Frank Herbert's influential novel Dune (1969) for the big screen. After investing two years, and millions of dollars, the gigantic project ended in failure; but the artists Jodorowsky brought together to carry it out continued to work together, and ended up laying the foundations for modern science fiction cinema.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHalloween: 25 Years of Terror (2006)
Follow the evolution of the 'Halloween' movies over the past twenty-five years. It examines why the films are so popular and revisits many of the original locations used in the films - seeing the effects on the local community. For the first time, cast, crew, critics and fans join together in the ultimate 'Halloween' retrospective.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisHeart of a Dog (2015)
Musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother and her beloved dog.
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 thisBeing James Bond (2021)
Daniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in conversation with 007 producers, Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNaqoyqatsi (2002)
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDownloaded (2013)
A documentary that explores the downloading revolution; the kids that created it, the bands and the businesses that were affected by it, and its impact on the world at large.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe September Issue (2009)
A documentary chronicling Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour's preparations for the 2007 fall-fashion issue.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
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 documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHôtel Terminus: The Life and Times of Klaus Barbie (1988)
Marcel Ophuls' riveting film details the heinous legacy of the Gestapo head dubbed "The Butcher of Lyon." Responsible for over 4,000 deaths in occupied France during World War II, Barbie would escape—with U.S. help—to South America in 1951, where he lived until a global manhunt led to his 1983 arrest and subsequent trial.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Making of Star Wars (1977)
Learn the incredible behind-the-scenes story of how the original Star Wars movie was brought to the big screen in this fascinating documentary hosted by C-3PO and R2-D2 which includes interviews with George Lucas and appearances by Mark Hamill, Harrison Ford and Carrie Fisher.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMaking Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019)
The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Crystal Calls - Making The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance (2019)
Go behind the scenes with stars, puppeteers and creators as they bring Jim Henson's magical world of Thra back to life in a sweeping fantasy series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLove, Marilyn (2013)
Using the book 'Fragments', which collects Marilyn Monroe's poems, notes and letters, and with participation from the Arthur Miller and Truman Capote estates who have contributed more material, each of the actresses will embody the legend at various stages in her life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSomewhere Between New York and LA (2020)
Since he was 18 years old, Blake Eckard has written and directed six feature length films in his hometown of Stanberry, Missouri (population 1186). Aside from a short distribution deal in Canada and a few festival screenings, his movies have largely gone unseen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The House That Shadows Built (1931)
A promotional documentary short celebrating the 20th anniversary of Paramount Pictures, complete with a studio history, interviews with stars, and clips from upcoming films–some of which never came to fruition.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Stanley Kramer: A Man's Search for Truth (2008)
Documentary about Stanley Kramer, included on the 40th anniversary edition of Guess Who's Coming to Dinner.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Horror Movie: A Low Budget Nightmare (2017)
A filmmaker's lifelong dream quickly becomes his worst nightmare when he attempts to make a low budget horror film about an aborted fetus that seeks revenge on its family.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Making of Anna and the Apocalypse (2019)
A brand new feature-length documentary featuring new interviews with the cast and crew of Anna and the Apocalypse, produced exclusively by Second SIght Films for their 2-disc Blu-ray release of the movie.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Smash Cut (2009)
Television news celebrity April Carson turns to the services of private investigator Isaac Beaumonde to seek her missing sister, a stripper known as Gigi Spot. Carson assumes a role in a horror movie in the process, eventually learning that the movie's director, Able Whitman, is not only the culprit, but that he has rendered her sister's body into props for the production.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisOdyssey (2023)
Six California kids test their brains and talents against students in Odyssey of the Mind, a problem-solving competition requiring mechanical, creative and intellectual skills. With little money and zero adult participation, the teens build a robot to tell a story about bullying, exclusion and mental health. But how does their solution measure up?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
In the Footsteps of Monsieur Hulot (1989)
Two-part documentary about French director Jacques Tati chronicles the evolution of the filmmaker's alter ego, Monsieur Hulot, through archival interviews, on-set footage, photos, and film clips.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Thug (2017)
Thug, is a documentary type style film about a filmmaking student from the suburbs who comes to the inner city of Newark New Jersey to document one of New Jersey's worst criminals named GINO. But things take a turn for the worse as he digs deeper, which makes Gino's True Colors come out that sets off a chain of unnerving events sending him on a killing spree against anyone who crossed him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
Shiny New World (2021)
Fifty-year-old Barry is a special kind of cleaner: he cleans crime scenes where demons have wreaked havoc. While making a corporate film about his work, a normal working day for Barry gets out of hand in a bloody way.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Document of the Dead?
The closest matches to Document of the Dead are Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity (2021), Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006) and Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (2008). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Document of the Dead?
Start with Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity (2021), the closest match to Document of the Dead.
What is the highest-rated movie like Document of the Dead?
Jodorowsky's Dune (2013), rated 7.8/10 by 789 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Document of the Dead?
Odyssey (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Document of the Dead?
Yes: Unknown Dimension: The Story of Paranormal Activity (2021), Going to Pieces: The Rise and Fall of the Slasher Film (2006) and Lovecraft: Fear of the Unknown (2008).
How are movies similar to Document of the Dead chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Document of the Dead, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.