Movies Like Desert Lions
If you liked Desert Lions (2006), a documentary movie directed by Owen Newman and Amanda Barrett, 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
African Cats (2011)
★ 7.4/10Also documentaryAfrican 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…
- 2
The Crimson Wing: Mystery of the Flamingos (2008)
★ 7.3/10Also documentaryIn 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
Ghost Elephants (2026)
★ 7.6/10Also documentaryIn 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…
- 4
Elephant (2020)
★ 7.7/10Also documentaryDisneynature’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…
- 5
Chimpanzee (2012)
★ 7/10Also documentaryA 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…
- 6
Deepsea Challenge 3D (2014)
★ 6.6/10Also documentaryDescribed 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…
- 7
Jane (2017)
★ 7.5/10Also documentaryDrawing 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…
- 8
Earth (2007)
★ 7.7/10Also documentaryAn epic story of adventure, starring some of the most magnificent and courageous creatures alive, awaits you in EARTH. Disneynature brings you a remarkable story of three animal families on a journey across our planet…
- 9
Powaqqatsi (1988)
★ 7.2/10Also documentaryAn exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.
- 10
My Octopus Teacher (2020)
★ 7.9/10Also documentaryAfter years of swimming every day in the freezing ocean at the tip of Africa, Craig Foster meets an unlikely teacher: a young octopus who displays remarkable curiosity. Visiting her den and tracking her movements for…
- 11
Our Planet: Behind the Scenes (2019)
★ 7.7/10Also documentaryYears 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.
- 12
Living with Leopards (2024)
★ 7.6/10Also documentaryA film crew follows two leopard cubs as they make the fascinating journey from infancy into adulthood in this up-close-and-personal nature documentary.
- 13
Surviving Paradise: A Family Tale (2022)
★ 7/10Also documentaryIn this wildlife drama, a worsening dry season in the Kalahari Desert leaves prides, packs and herds to rely on the power of family to survive.
- 14
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.
- 15
Live Aid (1985)
★ 7.8/10Also documentaryLive Aid was held on 13 July 1985, simultaneously in Wembley Stadium in London, England, and the John F. Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, United States. It was one of the largest scale satellite link-ups and television…
- 16
Billie Eilish - Hit Me Hard and Soft: The Tour (Live in 3D) (2026)
★ 8.4/10Also documentaryCaptured during Billie Eilish's sold-out world tour, a concert experience from one of the most celebrated and successful artists of her generation, presented in immersive 3D.
- 17
Being James Bond (2021)
★ 7.8/10Also documentaryDaniel Craig candidly reflects on his 15 year adventure as James Bond. Including never-before-seen archival footage from Casino Royale to the upcoming 25th film No Time To Die, Craig shares his personal memories in…
- 18
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026)
★ 6.9/10Also documentaryA father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity, and explores the most powerful technology humanity has ever created... and what's at stake if we get it wrong.
- 19
Explorer: The Last Tepui (2022)
★ 7.5/10Also documentaryThis documentary starring climber Alex Honnold and famous biologist Bruce Means document their expedition to the South American sky islands in search of new species and discoveries. Follows elite climber Alex Honnold…
- 20
Capital in the Twenty-First Century (2019)
★ 6.5/10Also documentaryFilm adaptation of French economist Thomas Piketty's ground-breaking global bestseller of the same name: an eye-opening journey through wealth and power.