Movies Like Essential

If you liked Essential (2023), a movie directed by Jack Baric, 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
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Eternals (2022)
★ 7.1/10
Join director Chloe Zhao and the Cast of Eternals as they recount their experiences during the making of Marvel Studios’ most ambitious film to date. Discover how the ensemble cast felt stepping into their roles…
2
Orwell: 2+2=5 (2025)
★ 7.2/10
George Orwell was one of the most visionary authors of the 20th century, whose novels 1984 and Animal Farm foretold a chilling, authoritarian future. Acclaimed director Raoul Peck interweaves clips, readings from…
3
Room 237 (2012)
★ 6.1/10
A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation…
4
Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2019)
★ 6.5/10
Film adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.
5
Wasp (2003)
★ 7.2/10
Zoë is a single mother who lives with her four children in Dartford. She is poor and can't afford to buy food. One day her old flame drives by and asks her to go on a date with him. Scared that he doesn't want to go…
6
Love, Antosha (2019)
★ 7.4/10
From a prolific career in film and television, Anton Yelchin left an indelible legacy as an actor. Through his journals and other writings, his photography, the original music he wrote, and interviews with his family…
7
Collapse (2009)
★ 7.2/10
From the acclaimed director of American Movie, the documentary follows former Los Angeles police officer turned independent reporter Michael Ruppert. He recounts his career as a radical thinker and spells out his…
8
Don't Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever (2025)
★ 6.3/10
In this documentary, wealthy entrepreneur Bryan Johnson puts his body and fortune on the line to defy aging and extend his life beyond all known limits.
9
Stardust Memories (1980)
★ 6.9/10
While attending a retrospect of his work, a filmmaker recalls his life and his loves: the inspirations for his films.
10
I Am Heath Ledger (2017)
★ 7.4/10
The life and career of an actor, artist, and icon. His own journey through his own camera.
11
Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special (2020)
★ 6.2/10
Faced with a holiday cheer crisis, the North Pole knows there's only one person who can save the day: Santa's great friend Mariah Carey. The Queen of Christmas creates a fabulous and star-studded spectacular to make…
12
A Toxic Love Story (2026)
★ 6.4/10
A string of threatening emails escalates into a revenge plot involving a newly married US marshal and his ex-girlfriend.
13
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton (2017)
★ 7.5/10
Through the lens of his stunningly immersive performance as Andy Kaufman, Jim Carrey ponders the meaning of life, reality, identity and career.
14
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
★ 7.6/10
Thirty years after the events of the first film, a new blade runner, LAPD Officer K, unearths a long-buried secret that has the potential to plunge what's left of society into chaos. K's discovery leads him on a quest…
15
McQueen (2018)
★ 7.4/10
Alexander McQueen's rags-to-riches story is a modern-day fairy tale, laced with the gothic. Mirroring the savage beauty, boldness and vivacity of his design, this documentary is an intimate revelation of McQueen's own…
16
Mitt (2014)
★ 6.4/10
A filmmaker is granted unprecedented access to a political candidate and his family as he runs for President.
17
Write Before Christmas (2019)
★ 6.9/10
A recently single Jessica sends Christmas cards to people who have impacted her life—the aunt who raised her, her younger brother in the military, a popstar who was part of the soundtrack of her life, the music teacher…
18
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025)
★ 7.5/10
The authorized documentary celebrating the film that redefined Hollywood, 50 years after its premiere. Featuring rare archival footage and interviews with acclaimed Hollywood directors alongside Steven Spielberg, top…
19
Marvel Studios Assembled: The Making of Moon Knight (2022)
★ 6.8/10
Join the likes of Oscar Isaac and Ethan Hawke as they reveal how Marvel Studios' Moon Knight was painstakingly brought to life. Through insightful interviews with cast and crew, along with immersive footage from the…
20
Inequality for All (2013)
★ 7.5/10
Based on Reich's 2010 book Aftershock: The Next Economy and America's Future, the film examines widening income inequality in the United States. U.S. Labor Secretary Robert Reich tries to raise awareness of the…