Movies Like I Heard It Through the Grapevine

If you liked I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1982), a documentary and history movie directed by Dick Fontaine and Pat Hartley, 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
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.
2
13th (2016)
★ 7.8/10Also documentary
An in-depth look at the prison system in the United States and how it reveals the nation's history of racial inequality.
3
The Green Book: Guide to Freedom (2019)
★ 7.8/10Also documentary and history
In 1936, Victor H. Green (1892-1960) published The Negro Motorist Green Book, a book that was both a travel guide and a survival manual, to help African-Americans navigate safe those regions of the United States where…
4
Tongues Untied (1990)
★ 6.7/10Also documentary
Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs…
5
O.J.: Made in America (2016)
★ 8.4/10Also documentary and history
A chronicle of the rise and fall of O.J. Simpson, whose high-profile murder trial exposed the extent of American racial tensions, revealing a fractured and divided nation.
6
Four Hours at the Capitol (2021)
★ 7.3/10Also documentary
The documentary is an immersive chronicle of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, when thousands of American citizens from across the country gathered in Washington D.C. to protest the results of…
7
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.
8
Making Waves: The Art of Cinematic Sound (2019)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary and history
The history of cinematic sound, told by legendary sound designers and visionary filmmakers.
9
Audrey (2020)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary and history
An unprecedented and intimate look at the life, work and enduring legacy of British actress Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993).
10
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.
11
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.
12
Welcome to Chechnya (2020)
★ 7/10Also documentary
This searing investigative work shadows a group of activists risking unimaginable peril to confront the ongoing anti-LGBTQ program raging in the repressive and closed Russian republic. Unfettered access and a…
13
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…
14
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.
15
Muscle Shoals (2013)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary and history
In a tiny Alabama town with the curious name of Muscle Shoals, something miraculous sprang from the mud of the Tennessee River. A group of unassuming, yet incredibly talented, locals came together and spawned some of…
16
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.
17
Sherman's March (1986)
★ 6.3/10Also documentary
Documentarian Ross McElwee originally set out to make a travelogue of sorts tracing General William T. Sherman's infamous scorched-earth march through the Confederacy in the latter stages of the Civil War. Instead…
18
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.
19
S4: The Bob Lazar Story (2026)
★ 8.4/10Also documentary
Over 35 years after Bob Lazar's revelations, this documentary exposes secrets of a facility the government still denies. Featuring Lazar's testimony, recreations, and new evidence, it reopens a case that continues to…
20
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.