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Movies that feel like Los Angeles Plays Itself (2004)

If you loved Los Angeles Plays Itself, the closest films we have are Night and Fog (1956), The Act of Killing (2012) and Paris Is Burning (1991). All three share Los Angeles Plays Itself's epic feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 5 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel and HBO Max and others, checked against today's data.

From its distinctive neighborhoods to its architectural homes, Los Angeles has been the backdrop to countless movies. In this dazzling work, Andersen takes viewers on a whirlwind tour through the metropolis' real and cinematic history, investigating the myriad stories and legends that have come to define it, and meticulously, judiciously revealing the real city that lives beneath.

πŸ… 96% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.8 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Thom Andersenepic

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If Los Angeles Plays Itself hit the spot, these will too

Night and Fog poster
Night and Fog
1956 Β· dir. Alain Resnais
β˜… 8.6documentary Β· history

Epic documentary in both cases

The difference: A 1950s film, from a different era of filmmaking

Filmmaker Alain Resnais documents the atrocities behind the walls of Hitler's concentration camps.

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The Act of Killing poster
The Act of Killing
2012 Β· dir. Joshua Oppenheimer
πŸ… 96%β˜… 8.2documentary Β· history

Epic history, and it commits to that

In this chilling and groundbreaking documentary, former Indonesian death squad leaders reenact their real-life mass killings in the style of various film genres. As they recreate their past atrocities, the line between reality and performance blurs, exposing the lingering impact of Indonesia's 1965-66 anti-communist purge and the unsettling psychology of its perpetrators.

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Paris Is Burning poster
Paris Is Burning
1991 Β· dir. Jennie Livingston
πŸ… 99%β˜… 8.2documentary Β· history

Both trade on scale more than on being documentary

Where does voguing come from, and what, exactly, is throwing shade? This landmark documentary provides a vibrant snapshot of the 1980s through the eyes of New York City's African American and Latinx Harlem drag-ball scene. Made over seven years, PARIS IS BURNING offers an intimate portrait of rival fashion "houses," from fierce contests for trophies to house mothers offering sustenance in a world rampant with homophobia, transphobia, racism, AIDS, and poverty. Featuring legendary voguers, drag queens, and trans women β€” including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.

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The Look of Silence poster
The Look of Silence
2014 Β· dir. Joshua Oppenheimer
πŸ… 96%β˜… 8.2history Β· documentary

Documentary approached the same way

An Indonesian man with a communist background named Ramli was brutally murdered when the "Communist" purge occurred in 1965. His remaining family members lived in fear and silence until the making of this documentary. Adi, a brother of his, decided to revisit the horrific incident and visited the men who were responsible for the killings and one survivor of the purge. These meetings uncovered sadistic details of the murders and exposed raw emotions and reactions of the killers' family members about what happened in the past - much to Adi's disappointment.

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Enemy at the Gates poster
Enemy at the Gates
2001 Β· dir. Jean-Jacques Annaud
πŸ… 53%β˜… 7.5war Β· history

Cut from the same history cloth

The difference: Critics were much harder on this one

A Russian and a German sniper play a game of cat-and-mouse during the Battle of Stalingrad in WWII.

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Dallas Buyers Club poster
Dallas Buyers Club
2013 Β· dir. Jean-Marc VallΓ©e
πŸ… 92%β˜… 7.9drama Β· history

The same history instincts

The difference: Plays it as drama more than Los Angeles Plays Itself does

Loosely based on the true-life tale of Ron Woodroof, a drug-taking, women-loving, homophobic man who in 1986 was diagnosed with HIV/AIDS and given thirty days to live.

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12 Years a Slave poster
12 Years a Slave
2013 Β· dir. Steve McQueen
πŸ… 95%β˜… 8.1drama Β· history

Both are history through and through

In the pre-Civil War United States, Solomon Northup, a free black man from upstate New York, is abducted and sold into slavery. Facing cruelty as well as unexpected kindnesses Solomon struggles not only to stay alive, but to retain his dignity. In the twelfth year of his unforgettable odyssey, Solomon’s chance meeting with a Canadian abolitionist will forever alter his life.

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Invictus poster
Invictus
2009 Β· dir. Clint Eastwood
πŸ… 76%β˜… 7.3drama Β· history

Cut from the same history cloth

Newly elected President Nelson Mandela knows his nation remains racially and economically divided in the wake of apartheid. Believing he can bring his people together through the universal language of sport, Mandela rallies South Africa's rugby union team as they make their historic run to the 1995 Rugby World Cup Championship match.

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Spotlight poster
Spotlight
2015 Β· dir. Tom McCarthy
πŸ… 97%β˜… 8.1drama Β· history

History approached the same way

The true story of how the Boston Globe uncovered the massive scandal of child molestation and cover-up within the local Catholic Archdiocese, shaking the entire Catholic Church to its core.

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Sully poster
Sully
2016 Β· dir. Clint Eastwood
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.4drama Β· history

Cut from the same history cloth

On 15 January 2009, the world witnessed the 'Miracle on the Hudson' when Captain 'Sully' Sullenberger glided his disabled plane onto the Hudson River, saving the lives of all 155 souls aboard. However, even as Sully was being heralded by the public and the media for his unprecedented feat of aviation skill, an investigation was unfolding that threatened to destroy his reputation and career.

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Darkest Hour poster
Darkest Hour
2017 Β· dir. Joe Wright
πŸ… 84%β˜… 7.4drama Β· history

The same history instincts

In May 1940, the fate of World War II hangs on Winston Churchill, who must decide whether to negotiate with Adolf Hitler or fight on knowing that it could mean the end of the British Empire.

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Steve Jobs poster
Steve Jobs
2015 Β· dir. Danny Boyle
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.2drama Β· history

History approached the same way

Set backstage at three iconic product launches and ending in 1998 with the unveiling of the iMac, Steve Jobs takes us behind the scenes of the digital revolution to paint an intimate portrait of the brilliant man at its epicenter.

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In the mood for more epic?

all epic movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share Los Angeles Plays Itself's defining feeling.