Movies Like Primary (1960)

Primary is a 1960 documentary film from Robert Drew with a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Wag the Dog and Head of State.

Documentary

Wag the Dog

1997

During the final weeks of a presidential race, the President is accused of sexual misconduct. To distract the public until the election, the President's adviser hires a Hollywood producer to help him stage a fake war.

6.9

MagicScore

Head of State

2003

When a presidential candidate dies unexpectedly in the middle of the campaign, the Democratic party unexpectedly picks a Washington, D.C. alderman as his replacement.

5.6

MagicScore

The War Room

1993

A behind-the-scenes documentary about the Clinton for President campaign, focusing on the adventures of spin doctors James Carville and George Stephanopoulos.

6.9

MagicScore

Active Measures

2018

Russian president Vladimir Putin attacks the 2016 American Presidential Election in collaboration with The Trump Campaign.

7.4

MagicScore

The Best Man

1964

The other party is in disarray. Five men vie for the party nomination for president. No one has a majority as the first ballot closes and the front-runners begin to decide how badly they want the job.

7.2

MagicScore

Vantage Point

2008

During an historic counter-terrorism summit in Spain, the President of the United States is struck down by an assassin's bullet. Eight strangers have a perfect view of the kill, but what did they really see? As the minutes leading up to the fatal shot are replayed through the eyes of each eyewitness, the reality of the assassination takes shape.

6.4

MagicScore

Nixon

1995

A look at President Richard M. Nixon—a man carrying the fate of the world on his shoulders while battling the self-destructive demands from within—spanning his troubled boyhood in California to the shocking Watergate scandal that would end his Presidency.

6.9

MagicScore

Viva Zapata!

1952

The story of Mexican revolutionary Emiliano Zapata, who led a rebellion against the corrupt, oppressive dictatorship of president Porfirio Díaz in the early 20th century.

6.9

MagicScore

Truth

2015

As a renowned producer and close associate of Dan Rather, Mary Mapes believes she’s broken the biggest story of the 2004 election: revelations of a sitting U.S. President’s military service. But when allegations come pouring in, sources change their stories, document authenticity is questioned, and the casualties begin to mount.

6.5

MagicScore

#10

Primary Colors

1998

In this adaptation of the best-selling roman à clef about Bill Clinton's 1992 run for the White House, the young and gifted Henry Burton is tapped to oversee the presidential campaign of Governor Jack Stanton. Burton is pulled into the politician's colorful world and looks on as Stanton -- who has a wandering eye that could be his downfall -- contends with his ambitious wife, Susan, and an outspoken adviser, Richard Jemmons.

6.3

MagicScore

#11

Man of the Year

2006

The irreverent host of a political satire talk show decides to run for president and expose corruption in Washington. His stunt goes further than he expects when he actually wins the election, but a software engineer suspects that a computer glitch is responsible for his surprising victory.

5.9

MagicScore

#12

Swing Vote

2008

In a remarkable turn of events, the result of the presidential election comes down to one man's vote.

5.7

MagicScore

#13

The Taste of Others

2000

Unpolished and ultra-pragmatic industrialist Jean-Jacques Castella reluctantly attends Racine's tragedy "Berenice" in order to see his niece play a bit part. He is taken with the play's strangely familiar-looking leading lady Clara Devaux. During the course of the show, Castella soon remembers that he once hired and then promptly fired the actress as an English language tutor. He immediately goes out and signs up for language lessons. Thinking that he is nothing but an ill-tempered philistine with bad taste, Clara rejects him until Castella charms her off her feet.

6.8

MagicScore

#14

The Idiots

1998

A group of people gather at a Copenhagen suburban home to break all the limitations and to bring out the 'inner idiot' in themselves.

6.5

MagicScore

#15

The Lovely Month of May

1963

Candid interviews of ordinary people on the meaning of happiness, an often amorphous and inarticulable notion that evokes more basic and fundamentally egalitarian ideals of self-betterment, prosperity, tolerance, economic opportunity, and freedom.

8.0

MagicScore

#16

Perfect Stranger

2007

A journalist goes undercover to ferret out businessman Harrison Hill as her best friend's killer. Posing as one of his temps, she enters into a game of online cat-and-mouse.

5.8

MagicScore

#17

Dont Look Back

1967

In this wildly entertaining vision of one of the twentieth century’s greatest artists, Bob Dylan is surrounded by teen fans, gets into heated philosophical jousts with journalists, and kicks back with fellow musicians Joan Baez, Donovan, and Alan Price.

7.4

MagicScore

#18

Grey Gardens

1976

Edie Bouvier Beale and her mother, Edith, two aging, eccentric relatives of Jackie Kennedy Onassis, are the sole inhabitants of a Long Island estate. The women reveal themselves to be misfits with outsized, engaging personalities. Much of the conversation is centered on their pasts, as mother and daughter now rarely leave home.

7.3

MagicScore

#19

Gimme Shelter

1970

A detailed chronicle of the famous 1969 tour of the United States by the British rock band The Rolling Stones, which culminated with the disastrous and tragic concert held on December 6 at the Altamont Speedway Free Festival, an event of historical significance, as it marked the end of an era: the generation of peace and love suddenly became the generation of disillusionment.

7.3

MagicScore

#20

Monterey Pop

1968

Featuring performances by popular artists of the 1960s, this concert film highlights the music of the 1967 California festival. Although not all musicians who performed at the Monterey Pop Festival are on film, some of the notable acts include the Mamas and the Papas, Simon & Garfunkel, Jefferson Airplane, the Who, Otis Redding, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience. Hendrix's post-performance antics -- lighting a guitar on fire, breaking it and tossing a part into the audience -- are captured.

7.3

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Primary?

The top films similar to Primary by MovieMagicScore are Wag the Dog (6.9), Head of State (5.6), The War Room (6.9). Each shares documentary themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Primary worth watching?

Primary holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10 from 38 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Primary?

Primary (1960) is a documentary film directed by Robert Drew, starring John F. Kennedy, Hubert H. Humphrey, Jacqueline Kennedy.

Where can I find more recommendations like Primary?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more documentary recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Wag the Dog Movies like Head of State Movies like The War Room Movies like Active Measures Movies like The Best Man Movies like Vantage Point

About movies like Primary

This ranked list pairs Primary (1960), a documentary film from Robert Drew, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of John F. Kennedy take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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