Movies Like Girls Behind Bars
If you liked Girls Behind Bars (2008), a documentary movie directed by Michelle Friel and Julian Kean, 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
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.
- 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
Elstree 1976 (2015)
★ 6.2/10Also documentaryA documentary about ten very different lives connected by having appeared onscreen wearing masks or helmets in Star Wars.
- 4
Directed by John Ford (1971)
★ 7/10Also documentaryA documentary about the life and films of director John Ford.
- 5
Hell House (2001)
★ 6.4/10Also documentaryA 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
McQueen (2018)
★ 7.4/10Also documentaryAlexander 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…
- 7
35 Up (1991)
★ 7.6/10Also documentaryDirector Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born adults after a 7 year wait. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives during the last seven years.
- 8
Above Majestic (2018)
★ 7.4/10Also documentaryA 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.
- 9
21 Up (1977)
★ 7.4/10Also documentaryAfter another 7 year wait, director Michael Apted revisits the same group of British-born children from Seven Up! and 7 Plus Seven. The subjects are interviewed as to the changes that have occurred in their lives…
- 10
The Work (2017)
★ 7.5/10Also documentarySet entirely inside Folsom Prison, The Work follows three men during four days of intensive group therapy with convicts, revealing an intimate and powerful portrait of authentic human transformation that transcends…
- 11
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…
- 12
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.
- 13
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…
- 14
Western Stars (2019)
★ 7/10Also documentaryThe 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…
- 15
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.
- 16
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.
- 17
Tabloid (2011)
★ 6.4/10Also documentaryOne of America's top documentary filmmakers turns his attention to the outrageous and nearly unbelievable story of Joyce McKinney, a former Miss Wyoming beauty queen who gained a great deal of notoriety after being…
- 18
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.
- 19
Memories of a Murderer: The Nilsen Tapes (2021)
★ 6/10Also documentarySerial killer Dennis Nilsen narrates his life and horrific crimes via a series of chilling audiotapes recorded from his jail cell.
- 20
180° South (2010)
★ 7.2/10Also documentaryThe film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.