Movies Like Chronos (1985)

Chronos is a 1985 documentary film from Ron Fricke with a MovieMagicScore of 7.5/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Koyaanisqatsi and Microcosmos.

Documentary

Koyaanisqatsi

1983

Takes us to locations all around the US and shows us the heavy toll that modern technology is having on humans and the earth. The visual tone poem contains neither dialogue nor a vocalized narration: its tone is set by the juxtaposition of images and the exceptional music by Philip Glass.

7.9

MagicScore

Microcosmos

1996

A documentary of insect life in meadows and ponds, using incredible close-ups, slow motion, and time-lapse photography. It includes bees collecting nectar, ladybugs eating mites, snails mating, spiders wrapping their catch, a scarab beetle relentlessly pushing its ball of dung uphill, endless lines of caterpillars, an underwater spider creating an air bubble to live in, and a mosquito hatching.

7.6

MagicScore

Powaqqatsi

1988

An exploration of technologically developing nations and the effect the transition to Western-style modernization has had on them.

7.3

MagicScore

Chasing Coral

2017

Coral reefs are the nursery for all life in the oceans, a remarkable ecosystem that sustains us. Yet with carbon emissions warming the seas, a phenomenon called “coral bleaching”—a sign of mass coral death—has been accelerating around the world, and the public has no idea of the scale or implication of the catastrophe silently raging underwater.

7.7

MagicScore

TimeScapes

2012

Stunning slow-motion and timelapse cinematography of the landscapes, people and wildlife of the American South West.

7.4

MagicScore

A Beautiful Planet

2016

A breathtaking portrait of Earth from space, providing a unique perspective and increased understanding of our planet and galaxy as never seen before. Made in cooperation with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), the film features stunning footage of our magnificent blue planet — and the effects humanity has had on it over time — captured by the astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS).

7.1

MagicScore

Dinosaurs: Giants of Patagonia

2007

If it weren't for a series of cataclysmic events, a comet impact being first on the list, our planet could well still be the domain of dinosaurs. Following Pr Rodolfo Coria, a world-renowned Argentinian paleontologist, we visit sites of major discoveries he has contributed to in Patagonia and travel back in time to see these amazing beasts come to life in 3D...

6.7

MagicScore

Demolishing and Building Up the Star Theatre

1901

Time-lapse photography showing the one month-long demolition of the Star Theatre in New York.

6.4

MagicScore

Time Lapse

2014

Three friends discover a mysterious machine that takes pictures 24 hours into the future and conspire to use it for personal gain, until disturbing and dangerous images begin to develop.

6.5

MagicScore

#10

Phase IV

1974

Arizona ants mock the food chain on their way to a desert lab to get two scientists and a woman.

6.3

MagicScore

#11

Laurel Canyon

2003

When an uptight young man and his fiancée move into his libertine mother's house, the resulting clash of life attitudes shakes everyone up.

6.0

MagicScore

#12

Baraka

1992

A paralysingly beautiful documentary with a global vision—an odyssey through landscape and time—that attempts to capture the essence of life.

8.2

MagicScore

#13

Samsara

2011

Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders.

8.1

MagicScore

#14

Glass

1958

This short documentary, shot in the glass factories of Leerdam and Schiedam, demonstrates how glass blowers do their work. But thanks to the superbly edited ballet of working hands and the sequence of mechanical motions of the engines, is it especially a cinematic tour de force. That the industry can’t do without man’s involvement is shown in the scene where we hear the voice of Haanstra himself counting the bottles on the conveyor belt, until one bottle breaks…

7.6

MagicScore

#15

Berlin: Symphony of a Great City

1927

A day in the city of Berlin, which experienced an industrial boom in the 1920s, and still provides an insight into the living and working conditions at that time. Germany had just recovered a little from the worst consequences of the First World War, the great economic crisis was still a few years away and Hitler was not yet an issue at the time.

7.5

MagicScore

#16

Sans Soleil

1983

A woman narrates the thoughts of a world traveler, meditations on time and memory expressed in words and images from places as far-flung as Japan, Guinea-Bissau, Iceland, and San Francisco.

7.4

MagicScore

#17

Rain

1929

A lyrical portrait of Amsterdam and its changing appearance during a rain-shower.

7.3

MagicScore

#18

Life in a Day

2011

A documentary shot by filmmakers all over the world that serves as a time capsule to show future generations what it was like to be alive on the 24th of July, 2010.

7.2

MagicScore

#19

Olympia Part One: Festival of the Nations

1938

Starting with a long and lyrical overture, evoking the origins of the Olympic Games in ancient Greece, Riefenstahl covers twenty-one athletic events in the first half of this two-part love letter to the human body and spirit, culminating with the marathon, where Jesse Owens became the first track and field athlete to win four gold medals in a single Olympics.

6.8

MagicScore

#20

À propos de Nice

1930

What starts off as a conventional travelogue turns into a satirical portrait of the town of Nice on the French Côte d'Azur, especially its wealthy inhabitants.

6.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Chronos?

The top films similar to Chronos by MovieMagicScore are Koyaanisqatsi (7.9), Microcosmos (7.6), Powaqqatsi (7.3). Each shares documentary themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Chronos worth watching?

Chronos holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.5/10 from 81 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Chronos?

Chronos (1985) is a documentary film directed by Ron Fricke.

Where can I find more recommendations like Chronos?

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 Koyaanisqatsi Movies like Microcosmos Movies like Powaqqatsi Movies like Chasing Coral Movies like TimeScapes Movies like A Beautiful Planet

About movies like Chronos

This ranked list pairs Chronos (1985), a documentary film from Ron Fricke, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap. 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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