Movies Like Look at Life: Digging Up the Past
If you liked Look at Life: Digging Up the Past (1963), 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

Ex Libris: The New York Public Library (2017)
★ 6.4/10Also documentaryA documentary about how a dominant cultural and demographic institution both sustains their traditional activities and adapts to the digital revolution.
- 2

Come See Me in the Good Light (2025)
★ 7.1/10Also documentaryIn 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.
- 3

A Toxic Love Story (2026)
★ 6.4/10Also documentaryA string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
- 4

My Mom Jayne (2025)
★ 8/10Also documentaryThrough 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…
- 5

Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022)
★ 7.2/10Also documentaryAn inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
- 6

Directed by John Ford (1971)
★ 7/10Also documentaryA documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.
- 7

Halloween: 25 Years of Terror (2006)
★ 6.8/10Also documentaryFollow 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…
- 8

Anna Nicole Smith: You Don't Know Me (2023)
★ 6.1/10Also documentaryFrom the heights of her modeling fame to her tragic death, this documentary reveals Anna Nicole Smith through the eyes of the people closest to her.
- 9

I Am Heath Ledger (2017)
★ 7.4/10Also documentaryThe life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
- 10

The Curse of the Dragon (1993)
★ 7.2/10Also documentaryA 1993 documentary film about Bruce Lee. The film includes interviews from some of his fellow students and opponents who worked alongside him in his movies.
- 11

Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Hawkeye (2022)
★ 7.2/10Also documentaryJoin 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…
- 12

Jim: The James Foley Story (2016)
★ 7.4/10Also documentaryIn August, 2014, a video of the public execution of American photojournalist James Foley rippled across the globe. Foley wore an orange jumpsuit as he knelt beside an ISIS militant dressed in black. That image…
- 13

Harmontown (2014)
★ 6.6/10Also documentaryA comedic, brutally honest documentary following self-destructive TV writer Dan Harmon as he takes his live podcast on a national tour.
- 14

As I Was Moving Ahead Occasionally I Saw Brief Glimpses of Beauty (2000)
★ 7.8/10Also documentaryA 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.
- 15

Black Sheep (2018)
★ 7.2/10Also documentaryAfter the high-profile killing of Damilola Taylor, Cornelius' family move out of London. But when they discover their new town is run by racists, Cornelius takes a drastic step to survive.
- 16

Fuck (2006)
★ 6.4/10Also documentaryA documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
- 17

To Kill a Tiger (2023)
★ 7.6/10Also documentaryRanjit, a farmer in India, takes on the fight of his life when he demands justice for his 13-year-old daughter, the victim of a brutal gang rape. His decision to support his daughter is virtually unheard of, and his…
- 18

Gilbert (2017)
★ 6.7/10Also documentaryThe life and career of one of comedy's most inimitable modern voices, Mr. Gilbert Gottfried.
- 19

Looking for Richard (1996)
★ 6.8/10Also documentaryAl Pacino's deeply-felt rumination on Shakespeare's significance and relevance to the modern world through interviews and an in-depth analysis of "Richard III."
- 20

The U.S. vs. John Lennon (2006)
★ 6.6/10Also documentaryA 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.