Movies like American Pain (2022)
The best movies like American Pain (2022) are Heroin(e) (2017), Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) and A Toxic Love Story (2026). If American Pain hooked you with its documentary, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedEverybody’s Everything (2019)8.4/10 from 311 votes
- NewestA Toxic Love Story (2026)Released 2026
Heroin(e) (2017)
This documentary follows three women — a fire chief, a judge, and a street missionary — as they battle West Virginia's devastating opioid epidemic.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 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 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 thisSpider-Man 2: Making the Amazing (2004)
A comprehensive 12-part documentary on the making of "Spider-Man 2," covering everything from pre-production to premiere.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Menendez Brothers (2024)
Serving life in prison for murdering their parents, Lyle and Erik Menendez speak out in this documentary explaining the shocking crime and ensuing trials.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCocaine Cowboys (2006)
In the 1980s, ruthless Colombian cocaine barons invaded Miami with a brand of violence unseen in this country since Prohibition-era Chicago - and it put the city on the map. "Cocaine Cowboys" is the true story of how Miami became the drug, murder and cash capital of the United States, told by the people who made it all happen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhitney: Can I Be Me (2017)
The life and tragic death of Whitney Houston.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisEvil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025)
Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSome Kind of Heaven (2021)
Behind the gates of a palm-tree-lined fantasyland, three residents and one interloper at America's largest retirement community strive to find happiness.
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 thisDoomed! The Untold Story of Roger Corman's The Fantastic Four (2015)
A history of the ill-fated 1994 production of “The Fantastic Four” that was executive produced by Roger Corman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisFor the Love of Spock (2016)
The life of Mr. Spock, as well as that of Leonard Nimoy, the actor who played him for almost fifty years, written and directed by his son: Adam.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMaternal Instinct (2026)
Police pull over a woman who claims she just gave birth. But the baby — and the blood — aren't hers. Twisted lies unravel in this true-crime documentary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies 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 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 thisThe Killing of America (1981)
A documentary of the decline of America, composed of archival material and exclusive footage, carnage, madness, and mayhem with an unapologetic sincerity on the factual depiction of violence in the industrialized nation of the United States. Featuring a juxtaposition of detailed accounts of terrible acts, brutal behavior, and interviews from experts and convicted killers alike.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEverybody’s Everything (2019)
The story of artist Lil Peep from his birth in Long Island and meteoric rise as a genre blending pop star & style icon, to his death due to an accidental opioid overdose in Arizona at just 21 years of age.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both documentary
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisIn Memoriam (2019)
In the United States, there is an active shooter incident every 12 days. In Memoriam shows the wrenching perspective of wounded survivors, grieving relatives, and heroes of the horrific attacks at the Las Vegas Route 91 Harvest Music Festival, the Sutherland Springs Baptist Church in Texas, and the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Focus On Heroin (1971)
This film points out the risks of being a heroin addict. Explains that addicts cannot be identified solely with one particular socio-economic level and cannot always be detected by appearance. Addicts and ex-addicts describe the first and subsequent drugs they used.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
National Parks Exploration Series: The Everglades (2011)
There is no place on the planet like the Everglades. This installment of the National Parks Exploration Series takes you to where two great biomes of life meet: the tropical and the temperate mid-latitude, which makes up much of the continental US.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
The Birds and the Beasts Were There (1944)
Visits to three animal parks in Miami, Florida: the Rare Bird Farm, with it's many chickens, cranes, and other birds; the Monkey Jungle, where the visitors are caged and the simian inhabitants roam freely; and finally the Parrot Jungle.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Vernon, Florida (1981)
Errol Morris intersplices random chatter he captured on film of the genuinely eccentric residents of Vernon, Florida. A few examples? The preacher giving a sermon on the definition of the word 'Therefore', and the obsessive turkey hunter who speaks reverentially of the 'gobblers' he likes to track down and kill.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpirits in the Swamp (2016)
Experience the strange occurrences at Florida's most haunted, hidden location in "Spirits in the Swamp". Follow the tragic story of a young bride and see alleged evidence of paranormal activity at Bellamy Bridge near Marianna, Florida. Author and Historian Dale Cox and Jackson County Tourism's Pam Fuqua tell the story and the Emerald Coast Paranormal Concepts.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Bull Shark vs. Hammerhead (2023)
In Florida, a rare event between top ocean predators was captured on video: bull sharks attacking a great hammerhead. Dr. Heithaus and a team of shark experts launch an investigation pinning one against the other. They put experiments to the test to see what happens when these top predators come head-to-head.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Florida's Golf Coast (2023)
Famous beaches, fascinating lagoon landscapes, and sunshine practically all year round. Florida's west coast is a true paradise. Along the Gulf of Mexico, the numerous river deltas harbor a wide variety of plants and animals. Possibly the most characteristic species of the region is the manatee. They are curious and rarely afraid of humans. In the shallow waters around the lagoon town of Crystal River, you can even swim with these enormous animals. This documentary takes us to visit the smallest post office in the USA, with recipients in the middle of nature, to meet the legendary, but noisy, swamp boats in the Everglades, and to delve into the world of the famous sponge hunters.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
Twice As Nice - The Legend of Charlie Ward (2022)
A profile of Charlie Ward, an All-American college football player, quarterback, college basketball player, professional basketball player, and Heisman Trophy winner.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
How the West Was One (2024)
In a contemporary reimagining of the American West, three young women - a snake hunter, a New York artist, and a rodeo queen - challenge the idea of who is permitted to be a cowgirl.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both documentary
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like American Pain?
The closest matches to American Pain are Heroin(e) (2017), Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) and A Toxic Love Story (2026). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after American Pain?
Start with Heroin(e) (2017), the closest match to American Pain.
What is the highest-rated movie like American Pain?
Everybody’s Everything (2019), rated 8.4/10 by 311 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like American Pain?
A Toxic Love Story (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like American Pain?
Yes: Heroin(e) (2017), Come See Me in the Good Light (2025) and A Toxic Love Story (2026).
How are movies similar to American Pain chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside American Pain, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.