Movies Like Ballad of the Little Soldier (1984)

Ballad of the Little Soldier is a 1984 documentary film from Werner Herzog with a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Innocent Voices and Beasts of No Nation.

Documentary

Innocent Voices

2005

A young boy, attempting to have a normal childhood in 1980s El Salvador, is caught up in a dramatic fight for his life when he desperately tries to avoid the war that is raging all around him.

8.2

MagicScore

Beasts of No Nation

2015

Based on the experiences of Agu, a child fighting in the civil war of an unnamed, fictional West African country. Follows Agu's journey as he's forced to join a group of soldiers. While he fears his commander and many of the men around him, his fledgling childhood has been brutally shattered by the war raging through his country, and he is at first torn between conflicting revulsion and fascination.

7.6

MagicScore

War Witch

2012

Somewhere in Sub-Saharan Africa, Komona a 14-year-old girl tells her unborn child growing inside her the story of her life since she has been at war. Everything started when she was abducted by the rebel army at the age of 12.

6.6

MagicScore

Johnny Mad Dog

2008

A cast of unknown performers are used in this drama about child soldiers fighting a war in an unnamed African country.

6.1

MagicScore

Big Boys Gone Bananas!*

2011

The conflict between Dole Food Company and Swedish filmmaker Fredrik Gertten unfolds dramatically in the documentary "BIG BOYS GONE BANANAS!" as the corporation attempts to suppress Gertten's earlier film, "BANANAS!"—chronicling Nicaraguan workers' lawsuit against Dole. Initially selected for the 2009 Los Angeles Film Festival, "BANANAS!" was abruptly removed from competition, followed by a negative article in the Los Angeles Business Journal and legal threats from Dole's attorneys. Gertten captures this saga of corporate intimidation, media manipulation, and legal challenges in his documentary, showcasing the struggles documentary filmmakers face and highlighting the threat to freedom of speech posed by powerful corporations protecting their reputations.

6.8

MagicScore

Talking Heads

1980

People of different age, profession and social status answer two simple questions: who they are and what they want from life.

7.8

MagicScore

Nazi Concentration Camps

1945

Produced and presented as evidence at the Nuremberg war crimes trial of Hermann Göring and twenty other Nazi leaders, this film consists primarily of dead and surviving prisoners and of facilities used to kill and torture during the World War II.

7.7

MagicScore

Assassination Classroom

2015

A mysterious creature destroys 70% of the moon. The creature then warns that if he is not destroyed by March of next year, Earth will be next. The creature also demands that he becomes the homeroom teacher for 3rd grade E class at Kunugigaoka Junior High School. The government is powerless to say no. The creature then becomes the homeroom teacher of 3rd grade E class which consists of failed students including Nagisa Shiota. The creature is called Teacher Koro. Meanwhile, the government requests that the students try to kill Teacher Koro even though he possesses super powers. The government offers a 10 billion yen reward for whomever successfully kills him. The students are confused by the situation, but decide to kill Teacher Koro. When their class begins with Teacher Koro, the students finds themselves having a good time with their new teacher.

7.3

MagicScore

The Irishman: In Conversation

2019

Martin Scorsese, Robert De Niro, Joe Pesci, and Al Pacino in conversation about The Irishman.

7.5

MagicScore

#10

The Last Repair Shop

2024

In a warehouse in the heart of Los Angeles, a dwindling handful of devoted craftspeople maintain more than 80,000 student musical instruments, the largest remaining workshop in America of its kind. Meet four unforgettable characters whose broken-and-repaired lives have been dedicated to bringing so much more than music to the schoolchildren of this city.

7.5

MagicScore

#11

Mobile Suit Gundam II: Soldiers of Sorrow

1981

After surviving attacks by Zeon's Char Aznable and Garma Zabi, the crew of Federation warship White Base and its mobile suits must battle Zeon forces through Asia, Europe, and the Atlantic Ocean if they are to reach Earth Federation's headquarters alive. During that process, many of its crewmembers must overcome their fears, losses, immaturities, and insecurities in order to persevere.

7.1

MagicScore

#12

Tears of the Sun

2003

Navy SEAL Lieutenant A.K. Waters and his elite squadron of tactical specialists are forced to choose between their duty and their humanity, between following orders by ignoring the conflict that surrounds them, or finding the courage to follow their conscience and protect a group of innocent refugees. When the democratic government of Nigeria collapses and the country is taken over by a ruthless military dictator, Waters, a fiercely loyal and hardened veteran is dispatched on a routine mission to retrieve a Doctors Without Borders physician.

6.9

MagicScore

#13

Something Has Happened

1987

As the AIDS epidemic was spreading in 1987, the Swedish government commissioned Roy Andersson to make an educational film about the disease. In these twenty or so monotone scenes, Andersson criticizes the medical community for its dehumanizing and racist tendencies when researching HIV and AIDS.

7.1

MagicScore

#14

Love Exists

1960

An essay film critiquing post-war France's urban developments- Pialat states that modernity and suburban convenience have limited Parisian freedom and widened class gaps.

7.0

MagicScore

#15

Monos

2019

On a faraway mountaintop, eight kids with guns watch over a hostage and a conscripted milk cow.

6.6

MagicScore

#16

The ABCs of Book Banning

2024

In recent years, more than 2,500 books have been removed from school districts around the US, labeled as banned, restricted, or challenged, and made unavailable to millions of students. By no accident, the themes targeted are the usual scapegoats of the American Right—LGBTQ+ issues, Black History, and women’s empowerment—impeding the power of future generations to develop their own thoughts and opinions on critical social issues. By weaving together a lyrical montage of young readers and authors, THE ABCs OF BOOK BANNING reveals the voices of the impacted parties, and inspires hope for the future through the profound insights of inquisitive youthful minds.

6.4

MagicScore

#17

The Song of Styrene

1957

Le chant du Styrène is a 1958 French documentary film directed by Alain Resnais. The film was an order by French industrial group Pechiney to highlight the merits of plastics.

6.3

MagicScore

#18

Women Reply

1975

What does being a woman really mean? How do women live the status society reserves for them? A group of women, beautiful or not, young or not, gifted with motherly instinct or not, answer before Agnès Varda's camera.

6.3

MagicScore

#19

Aquaman: Heroines of Atlantis

2019

Amber Heard and Nicole Kidman discuss their characters Mera and Atlanna.

6.2

MagicScore

#20

East of Main Street: Asians Aloud

2010

In celebration of Asian Heritage Month, HBO presents a collection of perspectives from a diverse group of Asian Americans.

6.0

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Ballad of the Little Soldier?

The top films similar to Ballad of the Little Soldier by MovieMagicScore are Innocent Voices (8.2), Beasts of No Nation (7.6), War Witch (6.6). Each shares documentary themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Ballad of the Little Soldier worth watching?

Ballad of the Little Soldier holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10 from 30 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Ballad of the Little Soldier?

Ballad of the Little Soldier (1984) is a documentary film directed by Werner Herzog, starring Werner Herzog, Denis Reichle.

Where can I find more recommendations like Ballad of the Little Soldier?

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 Innocent Voices Movies like Beasts of No Nation Movies like War Witch Movies like Johnny Mad Dog Movies like Big Boys Gone Bananas!*Movies like Talking Heads

About movies like Ballad of the Little Soldier

This ranked list pairs Ballad of the Little Soldier (1984), a documentary film from Werner Herzog, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Werner Herzog 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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