Movies Like Why We Fight

If you liked Why We Fight (2005), a documentary and history movie directed by Eugene Jarecki, 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
Hearts and Minds (1974)
★ 7.6/10Also documentary
Many times during his presidency, Lyndon B. Johnson said that ultimate victory in the Vietnam War depended upon the U.S. military winning the "hearts and minds" of the Vietnamese people. Filmmaker Peter Davis uses…
2
The Fog of War (2003)
★ 7.7/10Also documentary
Former corporate whiz kid Robert McNamara was the controversial Secretary of Defense in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations, during the height of the Vietnam War. Augmented by archival footage and cabinet…
3
Cover-Up (2025)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary and history
He's devoted his career to uncovering stories the powerful want buried. From My Lai to Abu Ghraib, dig into the life's work of journalist Seymour Hersh.
4
I Am Vanessa Guillen (2022)
★ 7.5/10Also documentary
Vanessa Guillen was 20 years old when she was found murdered at a US Army base. Rather than submit to silence, her family fought for justice and change.
5
Restrepo (2010)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
Directors Hetherington and Junger spend a year with the 2nd Battalion of the United States Army located in one of Afghanistan's most dangerous valleys. The documentary provides insight and empathy on how to win the…
6
The Kid Stays in the Picture (2002)
★ 6.6/10Also documentary
Documentary about legendary Paramount producer Robert Evans, based on his famous 1994 autobiography.
7
Voyeur (2017)
★ 5.9/10Also documentary
Legendary journalist Gay Talese unmasks a motel owner who spied on his guests for decades. But his bombshell story soon becomes a scandal of its own.
8
Korengal (2014)
★ 6.6/10Also documentary
Korengal picks up where Restrepo left off; the same men, the same valley, the same commanders, but a very different look at the experience of war.
9
A Toxic Love Story (2026)
★ 6.4/10Also documentary
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
10
20 Days in Mariupol (2023)
★ 8.1/10Also documentary
As the Russian invasion begins, a team of Ukrainian journalists trapped in the besieged city of Mariupol struggle to continue their work documenting the war's atrocities.
11
NAZA (2026)
★ 8.1/10Also documentary
Filmed at night from Tel Aviv rooftops, this investigative documentary examines the civilian casualties of Israel's military operations in Gaza and the systems behind targeted killings of Palestinians.
12
The Age of Stupid (2009)
★ 6.6/10Also documentary and history
Pete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated future world of 2055, looking at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?
13
Father Soldier Son (2020)
★ 6.5/10Also documentary
When Sgt. First Class Brian Eisch is critically wounded in Afghanistan, it sets him and his sons on a journey of love, loss, redemption and legacy.
14
Evil Influencer: The Jodi Hildebrandt Story (2025)
★ 6.2/10Also documentary
Unravel the case of Utah therapist Jodi Hildebrandt, whose child abuse arrest with parenting YouTuber Ruby Franke exposed a twisted tale of manipulation.
15
Citizenfour (2014)
★ 7.7/10Also documentary
In June 2013, Laura Poitras and reporter Glenn Greenwald flew to Hong Kong for the first of many meetings with Edward Snowden. She brought her camera with her.
16
Come See Me in the Good Light (2025)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary
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.
17
The Crash (2026)
★ 6.8/10Also documentary
A teen slams her car into a building, killing her boyfriend and his friend. What seems like a tragic accident becomes a murder case.
18
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…
19
Zappa (2020)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
With the help of more than 10,000 dedicated Zappa fans, this is the long-awaited definitive documentary project of Alex Winter documenting the life and career of enigmatic groundbreaking rock star Frank Zappa. Alex…
20
JFK Revisited: Through the Looking Glass (2021)
★ 7/10Also documentary and history
Thirty years after the release of his film JFK (1991), filmmaker Oliver Stone reviews recently declassified evidence related to the assassination of President John F. Kennedy, which took place in Dallas on November 22…