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Movies that feel like The Act of Killing (2012)

If you loved The Act of Killing, the closest films we have are Paris Is Burning (1991), The Look of Silence (2014) and Los Angeles Plays Itself (2004). All three share The Act of Killing's epic feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 6 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.

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.

πŸ… 96% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 8.2 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Joshua Oppenheimerepicdread

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If The Act of Killing hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: The Killing (1956)

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

The same mix in both: scale, then dread

The difference: A 1990s film, from a different era of filmmaking

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

Joshua Oppenheimer directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

The difference: Missing the dread of The Act of Killing

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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Los Angeles Plays Itself poster
Los Angeles Plays Itself
2004 Β· dir. Thom Andersen
πŸ… 96%β˜… 7.8documentary Β· history

Epic documentary in both cases

The difference: Not nearly as dread-soaked as The Act of Killing

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.

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Lincoln poster
Lincoln
2012 Β· dir. Steven Spielberg
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.3history Β· drama

Both trade on dread more than on being history

The difference: Leans drama where The Act of Killing does not

The revealing story of the 16th US President's tumultuous final months in office. In a nation divided by war and the strong winds of change, Lincoln pursues a course of action designed to end the war, unite the country and abolish slavery. With the moral courage and fierce determination to succeed, his choices during this critical moment will change the fate of generations to come.

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

Documentary built on scale, twice over

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

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Honeyland poster
Honeyland
2019 Β· dir. Ljubomir Stefanov
πŸ… 100%β˜… 8documentary

Both built around social & cultural documentary

When nomadic beekeepers break Honeyland’s basic rule (take half of the honey, but leave half to the bees), the last female beehunter in Europe must save the bees and restore natural balance.

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Baraka poster
Baraka
1992 Β· dir. Ron Fricke
πŸ… 85%β˜… 8.5documentary

Social & cultural documentary sits at the heart of each

A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global visionβ€”an odyssey through landscape and timeβ€”that attempts to capture the essence of life.

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The Descent poster
The Descent
2005 Β· dir. Neil Marshall
πŸ… 87%β˜… 7.2adventure Β· horror

Dread-soaked history, and it commits to that

The difference: Plays it as adventure more than The Act of Killing does

After a personal tragedy, Sarah joins her friends on a caving expedition in the Appalachian Mountains. But when a rockfall traps them deep underground, their adventure turns into a nightmare. As they search for a way out, the group discovers they are not aloneβ€”lurking in the darkness are savage, cave-dwelling creatures. With rising tension and dwindling trust, the women must fight to survive against both the predators and each other.

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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

Cut from the same history cloth

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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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

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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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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Crumb poster
Crumb
1995 Β· dir. Terry Zwigoff
πŸ… 95%β˜… 8documentary

Both are documentary through and through

This movie chronicles the life and times of R. Crumb. Robert Crumb is the cartoonist/artist who drew Keep On Truckin', Fritz the Cat, and played a major pioneering role in the genesis of underground comix. Through interviews with his mother, two brothers, wife, ex-wife and ex-girlfriends, as well as selections from his vast quantity of graphic art, we are treated to a darkly comic ride through one man's subconscious mind.

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In the mood for more epic?

all epic movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share The Act of Killing's defining feeling.