Movies Like The First Wave
If you liked The First Wave (2021), a documentary and history movie directed by Matthew Heineman, 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
In the Same Breath (2021)
★ 7.2/10Also documentaryThis documentary recounts the experiences of people on the ground in the earliest days of the novel coronavirus and the way two countries dealt with its initial spread, from the first days of the outbreak in Wuhan to…
- 2
Behind the Planet of the Apes (1998)
★ 7.1/10Also documentaryRoddy 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…
- 3
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.
- 4
The Age of Stupid (2009)
★ 6.6/10Also documentary and historyPete Postlethwaite stars as a man living alone in the devastated future world of 2055, looking at old footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change when we had the chance?
- 5
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.
- 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
Game of Thrones: The Last Watch (2019)
★ 7/10Also documentaryFor a year, acclaimed British filmmaker Jeanie Finlay was embedded on the set of the hit HBO series “Game of Thrones,” chronicling the creation of the show’s most ambitious and complicated season. Debuting one week…
- 8
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.
- 9
The Curse of the Dragon (1993)
★ 7.2/10Also documentaryA 1993 documentary film about Bruce Lee. The film includes interviews from some of his fellow students and opponents who worked alongside him in his movies.
- 10
Room 237 (2012)
★ 6.1/10Also documentaryA subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation…
- 11
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.
- 12
One Last Adventure: The Making of Stranger Things 5 (2026)
★ 7.2/10Also documentaryAn inside look at the years of effort and craft that went into the final installment of the Duffer Brothers' generation-defining series.
- 13
Supersonic (2016)
★ 7.4/10Also documentary and historySupersonic charts the meteoric rise of Oasis from the council estates of Manchester to some of the biggest concerts of all time in just three short years. This palpable, raw and moving film shines a light on one of the…
- 14
Cover-Up (2025)
★ 7.2/10Also documentary and historyHe'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.
- 15
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…
- 16
Biggie & Tupac (2002)
★ 6.4/10Also documentaryIn 1997, rap superstars Tupac Shakur and Christopher Wallace (aka Biggie Smalls, The Notorious B.I.G.) were gunned down in separate incidents, the apparent victims of hip hop's infamous east-west rivalry. Nick…
- 17
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…
- 18
Trainwreck: The Real Project X (2025)
★ 5.8/10Also documentaryA night of drunken chaos rocks a quiet Dutch town in this shocking documentary about a teen's birthday invite that accidentally went viral on Facebook.
- 19
A Decade Under the Influence (2003)
★ 7.9/10Also documentaryA documentary examining the decade of the 1970s as a turning point in American cinema. Some of today's best filmmakers interview the influential directors of that time.
- 20
Secret Origin: The Story of DC Comics (2010)
★ 7/10Also documentaryA look at the history of the comic book publication that launched such legendary characters as Superman, Batman and Wonder Woman.