Movies Like People of the Forest: The Chimps of Gombe

If you liked People of the Forest: The Chimps of Gombe (1988), a documentary movie directed by Hugo van Lawick, 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
Chimpanzee (2012)
★ 7/10Also documentary
A nature documentary centered on a family of chimps living in the Ivory Coast and Ugandan rain forests. Through Oscar, a little chimpanzee, we discover learning about life in the heart of the African tropical forest…
2
The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos (2008)
★ 7.3/10Also documentary
In the remote and forgotten wilderness of Lake Natron, in northern Tanzania, one of nature's last great mysteries unfolds: the birth, life and death of a million crimson-winged flamingos.
3
Jane (2017)
★ 7.5/10Also documentary
Drawing from never-before-seen footage that has been tucked away in the National Geographic archives, director Brett Morgen tells the story of Jane Goodall, a woman whose chimpanzee research revolutionized our…
4
Powaqqatsi (1988)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary
An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.
5
Naqoyqatsi (2002)
★ 6.2/10Also documentary
A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.
6
African Cats (2011)
★ 7.4/10Also documentary
African Cats captures the real-life love, humor and determination of the majestic kings of the savanna. The story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother’s strength, spirit and…
7
Fuck (2006)
★ 6.4/10Also documentary
A documentary on the expletive's origin, why it offends some people so deeply, and what can be gained from its use.
8
Ghost Elephants (2026)
★ 7.6/10Also documentary
In Angola's mist-shrouded highlands, three KhoiSan master trackers embark on a spiritual quest to rediscover the legendary "ghost elephants" of Lisima, creatures presumed lost but remembered in ancestral trance…
9
A Gorilla Story: Told by David Attenborough (2026)
★ 8/10Also documentary
Veteran naturalist Sir David Attenborough tells the story of a remarkable group of gorillas, from his first encounter in the '70s to the present day.
10
Koyaanisqatsi (1983)
★ 7.9/10Also documentary
Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by…
11
Elephant (2020)
★ 7.7/10Also documentary
Disneynature’s Elephant follows African elephant Shani and her spirited son Jomo as their herd make an epic journey hundreds of miles across the vast Kalahari Desert. Led by their great matriarch, Gaia, the family…
12
Project Nim (2011)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary
From the team behind Man on Wire comes the story of Nim, the chimpanzee who in the 1970s became the focus of a landmark experiment which aimed to show that an ape could learn to communicate with language if raised and…
13
14 Peaks: Nothing Is Impossible (2021)
★ 7.3/10Also documentary
In 2019, Nepalese mountain climber Nirmal “Nims” Purja set out to do the unthinkable by climbing the world’s fourteen highest summits in less than seven months. (The previous record was eight years). He called the…
14
Behind the Planet of the Apes (1998)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary
Roddy McDowall takes you, film by film, from production meetings to make-up sessions, then right onto the movie set to see the actual filming of the science fiction masterpiece. The most comprehensive history of Planet…
15
Pandas (2018)
★ 7.9/10Also documentary
In the mountains of Sichuan, China, a researcher forms a bond with Qian Qian, a panda who is about to experience nature for the first time.
16
Baraka (1992)
★ 8.2/10Also documentary
A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global vision—an odyssey through landscape and time—that attempts to capture the essence of life.
17
Our Planet: Behind the Scenes (2019)
★ 7.7/10Also documentary
Years spent recording footage of creatures from every corner of the globe is bound to produce a bit of drama. Here's a behind-the-scenes look.
18
An Inconvenient Truth (2006)
★ 6.9/10Also documentary
A documentary on Al Gore's campaign to make the issue of global warming a recognized problem worldwide.
19
Deepsea Challenge 3D (2014)
★ 6.6/10Also documentary
Described as being a film about determination, danger and the ocean’s greatest depths, James Cameron's "Deepsea Challenge 3D" tells the story of Cameron’s journey to fulfill his boyhood dream of becoming an explorer…
20
Monkey Kingdom (2015)
★ 7.1/10Also documentary
A newborn monkey and its mother struggle to survive within the competitive social hierarchy of the Temple Troop, a dynamic group of monkeys who live in ancient ruins found deep in the storied jungles of South Asia.