Movies Like Rick Stein and the Japanese Ambassador

If you liked Rick Stein and the Japanese Ambassador (2006), a documentary movie, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2019)
★ 6.5/10Also documentary
Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.
2
Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017)
★ 6.4/10Also documentary
A documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
3
My Mom Jayne (2025)
★ 8/10Also documentary
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…
4
Jiro Dreams of Sushi (2011)
★ 7.7/10Also documentary
Revered sushi chef Jiro Ono strives for perfection in his work, while his eldest son, Yoshikazu, has trouble living up to his father's legacy.
5
Hell House (2001)
★ 6.4/10Also documentary
A look at the "Hell House" performed annually in October by the youth members of Trinity Church (Assemblies of God) in Cedar Hill, Texas (a Dallas suburb) — seen by over 10,000 visitors each year.
6
Elstree 1976 (2015)
★ 6.2/10Also documentary
A documentary about ten very different lives connected by having appeared onscreen wearing masks or helmets in Star Wars.
7
56 Up (2012)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
When a cross-section of seven-year-olds were interviewed for 7 Up in 1964 it was immediately evident that their social backgrounds influenced their attitudes towards life. While the upper class children were confident…
8
180° South (2010)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.
9
Air Force Elite: Thunderbirds (2025)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary
The elite pilots of the Air Force Thunderbirds display exceptional skill, trust and courage during a high-stakes training season.
10
Above Majestic (2018)
★ 7.4/10Also documentary
A look at the origins, history and conspiracies behind the "Majestic 12", a clandestine group of military and corporate figureheads charged with reverse-engineering extraterrestrial technology.
11
Powaqqatsi (1988)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.
12
Naqoyqatsi (2002)
★ 6.2/10Also documentary
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
13
Being James Bond (2021)
★ 7.8/10Also documentary
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…
14
Samsara (2011)
★ 8.1/10Also documentary
Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and…
15
The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006)
★ 6.6/10Also documentary
A documentary on the life of John Lennon, with a focus on the time in his life when he transformed from a musician into an antiwar activist.
16
Western Stars (2019)
★ 7/10Also documentary
The incomparable Bruce Springsteen performs his critically acclaimed latest album and muses on life, rock, and the American dream, in this intimate and personal concert film co-directed by Thom Zimny and Springsteen…
17
Deepsea Challenge 3D (2014)
★ 6.6/10Also documentary
Described as being a film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, James Cameron's "Deepsea Challenge 3D" tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer…
18
The Mole: Undercover in North Korea (2020)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary
A real-life undercover thriller about two ordinary men who embark on an outrageously dangerous ten-year mission to penetrate the world's most secretive and brutal dictatorship: North Korea.
19
Harry Dean Stanton: Partly Fiction (2013)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary
An impressionistic portrait of the iconic actor Harry Dean Stanton comprised of intimate moments, film clips from some of his 250 films and his renditions of American folk songs.
20
The Summers of It - Chapter Two: It Ends (2019)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary
This documentary focuses on the actors and their journey over two summers to create the remake to the original IT, by Stephen King. The documentary originally released as bonus material, bundled with IT: Chapter Two.