Movies Like This Is Japan

If you liked This Is Japan (1963), a documentary and horror movie directed by Nobuo Nakagawa and Kiyoshi Komori, 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
Doc of the Dead (2014)
★ 6.2/10Also documentary and horror
The definitive zombie culture documentary, brought to the screen by the makers of THE PEOPLE vs. GEORGE LUCAS.
2
Killer Legends (2014)
★ 5.8/10Also documentary and horror
Delving into our collective nightmares, this horror-documentary investigates the origins of our most terrifying urban legends and the true stories that may have inspired them.
3
Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror (2019)
★ 6.7/10Also documentary and horror
Delving into a century of genre films that by turns utilized, caricatured, exploited, sidelined, and finally embraced them, this is the untold history of black Americans in Hollywood through their connection to the…
4
Pennywise: The Story of ‘It’ (2021)
★ 7.4/10Also documentary and horror
Thirty-plus years after its release, the popular two-part miniseries "It" and its infamous villain Pennywise live on in the minds of horror fans around the world. This documentary captures not only the buzz the "It"…
5
Maternal Instinct (2026)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
Police pull over a woman who claims she just gave birth. But the baby — and the blood — aren't hers. Twisted lies unravel in this true-crime documentary.
6
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…
7
Out of Thin Air (2017)
★ 5.9/10Also documentary
Set within the stark Icelandic landscape, OUT OF THIN AIR examines the 1976 police investigation into the disappearance of two men in the early 1970s.
8
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.
9
Avatar: The Deep Dive - A Special Edition of 20/20 (2022)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
An inside look at one of the most anticipated movie sequels ever with James Cameron and cast.
10
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.
11
Harmontown (2014)
★ 6.6/10Also documentary
A comedic, brutally honest documentary following self-destructive TV writer Dan Harmon as he takes his live podcast on a national tour.
12
The Mole: Undercover in North Korea (2020)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary
A real-life undercover thriller about two ordinary men who embark on an outrageously dangerous ten-year mission to penetrate the world's most secretive and brutal dictatorship: North Korea.
13
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.
14
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.
15
Hell House (2001)
★ 6.4/10Also documentary
A 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.
16
McQueen (2018)
★ 7.4/10Also documentary
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…
17
Beyond the Mat (1999)
★ 7.3/10Also documentary
A heartfelt documentary focusing on the day-to-day lives of professional wrestlers, some on the rise, some on the wane, and others fighting for their lives.
18
35 Up (1991)
★ 7.6/10Also documentary
Director 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.
19
42 Up (1999)
★ 7.6/10Also documentary
Director 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.
20
Con Mum (2025)
★ 6.8/10Also documentary
A chef's life is upended when a jet-setting, champagne-sipping, hotel-hopping woman claims to be his long-lost mother.