20 movies like Anvil! The Story of Anvil, ordered by similarity : Double Dare(2003), Thelonious Monk: Straight, No Chaser(1988), Man on Wire(2008), God Grew Tired of Us(2006), Spirit Game: Pride of a Nation(2017), American Valhalla(2017), Loudquietloud: A Film About the Pixies(2006), Aida's Secrets(2016), The Thin Blue Line(1988), Shirkers(2018), Roger & Me(1989), Anita O'Day: The Life of a Jazz Singer(2007) ...
Documentary
Canada
2008
85 Minutes
Steve "Lips" Kudlow Robb Reiner Slash Lars Ulrich Lemmy
guitarist drummer hilarious inspiring sad canada europe toronto heavy metal friendship failure resilience robb reiner steve "lips" kudlow quest underdog 1980s
Since 1978, Anvil has become one of heavy metal's most influential yet commercially unsuccessful acts. In 2006, after a fledging European tour Anvil sets out to record their thirteenth album and continue to follow their dreams.
Documentary
2003
81 Minutes
stuntwoman woman senior citizen actress friend quentin tarantino engaging inspiring touching hollywood, calif. convention california film set zoe bell jeannie epper stunts sexism friendship filmmaking underdog
Documentary
USA
1988
89 Minutes
pianist drummer friend son manager mistress cool creative new york city jazz club recording studio europe thelonious monk jazz transformation quest 1980s
A documentary film about the life of pianist and jazz great Thelonious Sphere Monk. Features live performances by Monk and his band, and interviews with friends and family about the offbeat genius.
Documentary
UK|USA
2008
90 Minutes
high-wire artist police officer girlfriend friend fascinating suspenseful incredible france new york city skyscraper world trade center daunting task aspirations friendship crime quest underdog 1970s
A look at tightrope walker Philippe Petit's daring, but illegal, high-wire routine performed between New York City's World Trade Center's twin towers in 1974, what some consider, "the artistic crime of the century".
Documentary
USA
2006
86 Minutes
refugee young man immigrant african survivor friend inspiring incredible sad emotional sudan kenya united states apartment pool city refugees assimilation horrors of war political repression
Four boys from Sudan embark on a journey to America after years of wandering Sub-Saharan Africa in search of safety.
Documentary
USA
2017
102 Minutes
Peter Baxter
athlete teammate underdog native american inspiring emotional spirited denver stadium colorado culture athletic competition native americans pride spirituality adventure rivalry underdog love quest
The documentary follows The Iroquois Nationals Lacrosse Team on the road as they compete in the 2015 World Box Lacrosse Championships. For the first time ever, the Championship Games were ... See full summary »
Documentary
USA|UK
2017
81 Minutes
Andreas Neumann
iggy pop rock star musician band member guitarist drummer fascinating engaging inspiring striking spirited positive america england recording sessions unlikely allies collaboration rock music concert tour power of music
Directed by Andreas Neumann and Joshua Homme, American Valhalla tells the story of an unlikely musical collaboration between two mavericks of American rock: Joshua Homme, frontman of Queens... See full summary »
Documentary, Music
USA
2006
82 Minutes
Matthew Galkin Frank Black Kim Deal David Lovering Joey Santiago
singer bassist guitarist drummer music lover audience member raw cool spirited north america europe studio concert stage reunion touring personality clash rock 'n' roll second chance the pixies rivalry
loudQUIETloud is the story of this unforseen plot twist. A deeply compelling portrait of four band members and their difficult, tense, and ultimately triumphant return.
Documentary
Germany|Israel|Canada|USA
2016
90 Minutes
Shaul Schwarz
birth mother man brother father canadian israeli emotional fascinating intense israel canada airport nursing home car house separation secrets reunion questioning doubt
Family secrets, lies, high drama and generations of contemporary history unspool in this international story that begins with World War II and concludes with an emotional 21st-century ... See full summary »
Documentary
USA
1988
106 Minutes
drifter murderer petty criminal judge psychiatrist cop dark disturbing shocking powerful texas prison courtroom injustice murder corruption death row mystery underdog quest
A film that successfully argued that a man was wrongly convicted for murder by a corrupt justice system in Dallas County, Texas.
Documentary
USA|UK
2018
96 Minutes
teen girl mentor friend filmmaker novelist mysterious man confident creative fascinating engaging emotional intricate singapore united states los angeles street basement car filmmaking mentorship
A woman explores the events surrounding a film she and her friends began making with a mysterious stranger decades ago.
Documentary
USA
1989
91 Minutes
journalist assembly line worker ceo family dark bleak amusing flint, mich. factory activism government labor union corporate downsizing pursuit underdog quest 1980s
After General Motors closes its factory in Flint, Michigan, eliminating 35,000 jobs, filmmaker Michael Moore undertakes a quixotic quest to interview General Motors' chairman, Roger B. Smith .
Documentary, Music
USA
2007
93 Minutes
Anita O'Day Buddy Bregman Leonard Feather Will Friedwald Russell Garcia Johnny Mandel
jazz singer friend critic musician inspiring engaging chicago stage anita o'day drug addiction poverty performance struggle imprisonment rise underdog 1960s
A tribute to jazz diva Anita O'Day, completed just weeks before her death in November 2006.
Documentary
USA
2007
118 Minutes
Josh Byer Oliver Sacks Ben Byer John Byer Rebeccah Rush
ben byer sick person doctor inspiring emotional sad moving china jamaica greece israel doctor's office chicago illness survival journey quest 2000s
Diagnosed with ALS, a fatal neurodegenerative disease, film-maker Ben Byer starts documenting his life. One of the most intimate and powerful films you will encounter on a degenerative illness.
Documentary
Switzerland|France|Belgium|USA
2016
95 Minutes
writer agent martin luther king jr. disturbing engaging inspiring moving mississippi new york city tennessee american dream social issues racial issues black culture civil rights discovery fall love pursuit quest
Writer James Baldwin tells the story of race in modern America with his unfinished novel, Remember This House.
Documentary
USA
2017
90 Minutes
jane goodall scientist chimpanzee engaging fascinating inspiring incredible tanzania, africa africa chimpanzees science human-animal friendship humanity animal behavior animal intelligence discovery love quest
A penitent bounty hunter goes to work with at Risk Kids and realizes he needs their help as much as they need his.
Documentary
USA
2005
85 Minutes
Dana Adam Shapiro
paraplegic athlete coach gutsy gripping inspiring athens, greece sport tournament gym rehabilitation determination sports competition inspiration rivalry underdog quest 2000s
Quadriplegics, who play full-contact rugby in wheelchairs, overcome unimaginable obstacles to compete in the Paralympic Games in Athens, Greece.
Mystery & Thriller, Documentary, Comedy
USA
2002
97 Minutes
Paige Kimble Jonathan Knisely Balu Natarajan Julianne Ruth
child parent teacher announcer reporter uplifting charming inspiring hotel washington, d.c. family home spelling bee success competition class distinctions childhood family rivalry quest underdog
Spellbound follows eight teenagers on their quest to win the 1999 National Spelling Bee.
Documentary, Biography
USA
2007
79 Minutes
Steve Wiebe Mark Alpiger Walter Day Steve Sanders Robert Mruczek Todd Rogers
gamer teacher wife friend rival quirky amusing ottumwa, iowa hollywood, fla. redmond, wash. laconia, n.h. video games obsession competition quest rivalry underdog 2000s
Die-hard gamers compete to break world records on classic arcade games.
Documentary
UK
2009
90 Minutes
Andrew Thompson Angela Campbell Laura Freeth
president robert mugabe government official zimbabwean farmer judge engaging gripping inspiring rousing chegutu, zimbabwe farm courtroom farming michael campbell human rights property rights racism land reform quest sacrifice underdog
An intimate and moving account of one family's extraordinary courage in the face of overwhelming injustice and brutality.
Documentary, Music
USA
2016
108 Minutes
iggy pop band frontman guitarist drummer band manager fan brash confident cool michigan concert stage bus dressing room backstage bar music passion punk rock creative process travel
An in-depth look at the legendary punk band, The Stooges.