Movies like Startup: The Real Story (2021)
The best movies like Startup: The Real Story (2021) are The Class of ‘92 (2013), Downloaded (2013) and Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022). If Startup: The Real Story 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
- NewestHélène Huby - Her Race to Space (2026)Released 2026
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 · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisAvatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022)
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBeyond Infinity: Buzz and the Journey to Lightyear (2022)
Explore the evolution of Buzz Lightyear from toy to human in the making of Pixar’s Lightyear. Dive into the origin and cultural impact of everyone’s favorite Space Ranger, the art of designing a new “human Buzz,” and the challenges faced by the Lightyear crew along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMarvel Studios: Assembling a Universe (2014)
A look at the story behind Marvel Studios and the Marvel Cinematic Universe, featuring interviews and behind-the-scenes footage from all of the Marvel films, the Marvel One-Shots and "Marvel's Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D."!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Am Ali (2014)
Unprecedented access to Muhammad Ali's personal archive of "audio journals" as well as interviews and testimonials from his inner circle of family and friends are used to tell the legend's life story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPower of Grayskull: The Definitive History of He-Man and the Masters of the Universe (2017)
This documentary looks to forge the greatest, most definitive, documentary on everything He-Man and the Masters of the Universe, She-Ra, the live action movie, New Adventures of He-Man, the 200x series and much more! They delve into the toys, comics, cartoons, and movies from all eras by talking to the artists, creators, executives and actors who helped make it a reality.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Inventor: Out for Blood in Silicon Valley (2019)
With a magical new invention that promised to revolutionize blood testing, Elizabeth Holmes became the world’s youngest self-made billionaire, heralded as the next Steve Jobs. Then, overnight, her 10-billion-dollar company dissolved. The rise and fall of Theranos is a window into the psychology of fraud.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like this180° South (2010)
The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEx Libris: The New York Public Library (2017)
A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisMarvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye (2022)
Join the likes of Jeremy Renner, Hailee Steinfeld, Florence Pugh, and Vincent D’Onofrio as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ “Hawkeye” was conceived and created. Witness firsthand what it took to pull off the show’s pulse-pounding action set pieces, and discover how iconic characters from the pages of Marvel Comics such as Kate Bishop were adapted and brought to life for the six-episode series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe War Room (1993)
A behind-the-scenes documentary about the Clinton for President campaign, focusing on the adventures of spin doctors James Carville and George Stephanopoulos.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisExtremis (2016)
A purely observational non-fiction film that takes viewers into the ethically murky world of end-of-life decision making in a public hospital.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMarvel Studios Assembled: The Making of She-Hulk: Attorney at Law (2022)
Join the likes of Tatiana Maslany, Mark Ruffalo, Tim Roth, and Benedict Wong as they reveal how Marvel Studios’ She-Hulk: Attorney at Law was conceived and shaped. Discover what it took for She-Hulk’s creators to pull off the show’s tricky tone and deliver Marvel Studios’ first truly comedic series – one that boldly breaks the fourth wall to acknowledge its own audience, no less!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like this14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible (2021)
In 2019, Nepalese mountain climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja set out to do the unthinkable by climbing the world’s fourteen highest summits in less than seven months. (The previous record was eight years). He called the effort “Project Possible 14/7” and saw it as a way to inspire others to strive for greater heights in any pursuit. The film follows his team as they seek to defy naysayers and push the limits of human endurance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Love Song for Latasha (2019)
A dreamlike conversation with the past and the present, reimagining Latasha Harlins' story by excavating intimate memories shared by those who loved her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWe Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists (2012)
Takes us inside the world of Anonymous, the radical "hacktivist" collective that has redefined civil disobedience for the digital age. The film explores early hacktivist groups like Cult of the Dead Cow and Electronic Disturbance Theater, then moves to Anonymous' raucous beginnings on the website 4chan. Through interviews with current members, people recently returned from prison or facing trial, writers, academics, activists and major players in various "raids," the documentary traces Anonymous’ evolution from merry pranksters to a full-blown movement with a global reach, the most transformative civil disobedience of our time.
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 thisRiot On! (2004)
The year is 2000 and investors are going crazy about a new mobile phone company called Riot Entertainment. Many high profile companies, like Nokia, invest millions on this unknown firm. Two years later, when all the money has been spent and the company is bankrupt, the fun is over. What happened?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Expédition Sarawak 93 (2023)
In 1996, Rémy Schejbal, a seasoned spelunker, assembled a small team and headed to Malaysia. His goal: to photograph the largest cave in the world for the first time.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Meow Wolf: Origin Story (2018)
When a group of young DIY artists in Santa Fe can’t find a door into the art world, they blow open an entirely new portal with their grit, passion, and tenacity. Within just a few short years – and with a little help from George R.R. Martin – this group called Meow Wolf ultimately hits a cultural nerve and garners massive, unexpected success with their exhibit, House of Eternal Return.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Crocodile in the Yangtze (2012)
Crocodile in the Yangtze follows China's first Internet entrepreneur and former English teacher, Jack Ma, as he battles US giant eBay on the way to building China's first global Internet company, Alibaba Group. An independent memoir written, directed and produced by an American who worked in Ma's company for eight years, Crocodile in the Yangtze captures the emotional ups and downs of life in a Chinese Internet startup at a time when the Internet brought China face-to-face with the West. Crocodile in the Yangtze draws on 200 hours of archival footage filmed by over 35 sources between 1995 and 2009. The film presents a strikingly candid portrait of Ma and his company, told from the point of view of an “American fly on a Chinese wall” who witnessed the successes and the mistakes Alibaba encountered as it grew from a small apartment into a global company employing 16,000 staff.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Bruno Manser - Laki Penan (2007)
The documentary retraces the steps of Bruno Manser, a man from Switzerland who went to live with the indigenous tribe of the Penan in the Jungle of Borneo and endef up helping their struggle to defend their rainforest against greedy logging companies. The movie features original film, photo and voice recordings by Bruno Manser made in the 1980s, as well as new recordings showing how the life of the Penan has changed in just a few decades.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Hélène Huby - Her Race to Space (2026)
As the first woman in Europe to found a private space company, Hélène Huby sets out to challenge the dominance of SpaceX. In doing so, she enters a global race in which Europe barely has a foothold. But this is about more than technology: whoever controls access to space also shapes the order of our world. Over the course of several years, the film follows Huby through negotiations, setbacks and the lead-up to a crucial first rocket launch in the United States. Between airports, conference rooms and ever fewer moments with her family, it becomes clear what this ambition demands. As she tries to change the system, she risks becoming part of it herself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber (2022)
The roller-coaster ride of the upstart transportation company, embodying the highs and lows of Silicon Valley.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Tides Will Decide (2025)
"The Tides Will Decide" is a documentary that follows Priscilla Patrick, a well-known Malaysian radio personality, and how she was caught in the 2004 tsunami in Sri Lanka. Miraculously surviving the devastating waves, she opens up about the harrowing incident and the events that followed. As Priscilla prepares to return to Sri Lanka for the 20th anniversary of the tragic event, this documentary will share glimpses of her life, highlighting the individuals who have influenced her, her relationship with God, and how everything came together when the ocean nearly claimed her life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Disciples (2021)
“DISCIPLES” is a new Dazed film by Jess Kohl exploring the subcultural world of Malaysian skinheads including the traditional, SHARP skins, and Nazis.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Orang Utans - Keepers of the Jungle (2025)
In the heart of Borneo's rainforests, one of the oldest and most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth, lives the orangutan, arguably the largest tree dweller. The main story is about mother ape Sati and her one-and-a-half-year-old daughter Huyan on their journey through the jungle, while at the Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, orphaned and rescued young animals are given a chance at a new life in the wild. But their habitat is threatened by radical deforestation and palm oil plantations. This impressive documentary shows these endangered great apes at eye level for the first time. With the help of innovative drone technology an insight into the dizzying treetops of the jungle giants was, achieved where they mostly stay. It discovering the secret lives of these extraordinary animals with insightful footage and partly some scenes never before seen. Unforgettable images illustrate why protecting the rainforests is crucial for the orangutans and the future of our planet.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Startup: The Real Story?
The closest matches to Startup: The Real Story are The Class of ‘92 (2013), Downloaded (2013) and Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Startup: The Real Story?
Start with The Class of ‘92 (2013), the closest match to Startup: The Real Story.
What is the highest-rated movie like Startup: The Real Story?
Making Squid Game: The Challenge (2023), rated 8.0/10 by 241 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Startup: The Real Story?
Hélène Huby - Her Race to Space (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Startup: The Real Story?
Yes: The Class of ‘92 (2013), Downloaded (2013) and Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022).
How are movies similar to Startup: The Real Story chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Startup: The Real Story, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.