Movies Like Before Stonewall

If you liked Before Stonewall (1984), a documentary and history movie directed by Greta Schiller and Robert Rosenberg, 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
Salinger (2013)
★ 6.4/10Also documentary
An in-depth investigation into the private world of the American writer J. D. Salinger (1919-2010), who lived most of his life behind the impenetrable wall of a self-imposed seclusion: how his dramatic experiences…
2
Paris Is Burning (1991)
★ 8/10Also documentary and history
Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball…
3
The Last Repair Shop (2024)
★ 7.5/10Also documentary
In a warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain more than 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind. Meet four…
4
9/11: Inside the President's War Room (2021)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary and history
Experience the events of September 11, 2001 through the eyes of President Bush and his closest advisors as they personally detail the crucial hours and key decisions from that historic day.
5
Cameraperson (2016)
★ 6.7/10Also documentary
As a visually radical memoir, CAMERAPERSON draws on the remarkable footage that filmmaker Kirsten Johnson has shot and reframes it in ways that illuminate moments and situations that have personally affected her. What…
6
Sidney (2022)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary
This revealing documentary honors the legendary Sidney Poitier—iconic actor, filmmaker, and civil rights activist. Featuring interviews with Denzel Washington, Spike Lee, Halle Berry, and more.
7
The Unknown Known (2013)
★ 6.8/10Also documentary and history
Former United States Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld discusses his career in Washington D.C. from his days as a congressman in the early 1960s to planning the invasion of Iraq in 2003.
8
John Candy: I Like Me (2025)
★ 7.9/10Also documentary
Those who knew iconic funnyman John Candy best share his story, in their own words, through never-before-seen archival footage, imagery, and interviews.
9
American Teen (2008)
★ 6.4/10Also documentary
A documentary on seniors at a high school in a small Indiana town and their various cliques.
10
Scotty and the Secret History of Hollywood (2018)
★ 6/10Also documentary
A deliciously scandalous portrait of unsung Hollywood legend Scotty Bowers, whose bestselling memoir chronicled his decades spent as sexual procurer to the stars.
11
A Secret Love (2020)
★ 7.4/10Also documentary
Amid shifting times, two women kept their decades-long love a secret. But coming out later in life comes with its own set of challenges.
12
All the Empty Rooms (2025)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
A journalist and a photographer set out to memorialize the bedrooms left behind by children killed in school shootings.
13
I Am Not Your Negro (2017)
★ 7.7/10Also documentary
Working from the text of James Baldwin’s unfinished final novel, director Raoul Peck creates a meditation on what it means to be Black in the United States.
14
Jane Fonda in Five Acts (2018)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary
Girl next door, activist, so-called traitor, fitness tycoon, Oscar winner: Jane Fonda has lived a life of controversy, tragedy and transformation – and she’s done it all in the public eye. An intimate look at one…
15
Heart of a Dog (2015)
★ 6.5/10Also documentary
Musician and performance artist Laurie Anderson reflects on the deaths of her husband Lou Reed, her mother and her beloved dog.
16
Ronaldo (2015)
★ 7/10Also documentary and history
Filmed over 14 months with unprecedented access into the inner circle of the man and the sport, this is the first official and fully authorised film of one of the most celebrated figures in football. For the first time…
17
Obi-Wan Kenobi: A Jedi's Return (2022)
★ 6.8/10Also documentary
This special explores the return of Obi-Wan Kenobi and Anakin Skywalker to the screen, as well as Ewan McGregor and Hayden Christensen to their classic roles. Director Deborah Chow leads the cast and crew as they…
18
Jaws @ 50: The Definitive Inside Story (2025)
★ 7.5/10Also documentary
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
Best of Enemies (2015)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary and history
A documentary about the legendary series of nationally televised debates in 1968 between two great public intellectuals, the liberal Gore Vidal and the conservative William F. Buckley Jr. Intended as commentary on the…
20
Altman (2014)
★ 6.6/10Also documentary
Robert Altman's life and career contained multitudes. This father of American independent cinema left an indelible mark, not merely on the evolution of his art form, but also on the western zeitgeist. With its use of…