Movies Like Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997)

Little Dieter Needs to Fly is a 1997 documentary film from Werner Herzog with a MovieMagicScore of 7.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Tarnished Angels and Apocalypse Now.

Documentary

The Tarnished Angels

1957

In the 1930s, once-great World War I pilot Roger Shumann performs as a daredevil barnstorming pilot at aerial stunt shows while his wife, LaVerne, works as a parachutist. When newspaper reporter Burke Devlin arrives to do a story on the Shumanns’ act, he quickly falls in love with the beautiful--and neglected--LaVerne.

6.7

MagicScore

Apocalypse Now

1979

At the height of the Vietnam war, Captain Benjamin Willard is sent on a dangerous mission that, officially, "does not exist, nor will it ever exist." His goal is to locate - and eliminate - a mysterious Green Beret Colonel named Walter Kurtz, who has been leading his personal army on illegal guerrilla missions into enemy territory.

8.3

MagicScore

The 317th Platoon

1965

In Laos, 1954, eight days before the french defeat in the Indochina war, the 317th platoon – four french soldiers and 41 laotian combatants – has been ordered to leave its outpost and to retreat for the plains of Diên Biên Phu, where the french army is getting stucked. Led by the inexperienced and idealistic sous-lieutenant Torrens, fresh out of the military academy, and by adjutant Willsdorf, a WWII veteran of the Werhmacht, the group must cross 150 kilometers of jungle. But dripping rainwater, hostile nature, and the Viêt-minh ambushes expose them to constant danger.

7.4

MagicScore

Good Morning, Vietnam

1987

A disk jockey goes to Vietnam to work for the Armed Forces Radio Service. While he becomes popular among the troops, his superiors disapprove of his humor.

7.3

MagicScore

Platoon Leader

1988

West Point graduate lieutenant Jeff Knight meets cynicism when taking command of sergeant Michael McNamara's tour veterans platoon in a Vietnamese trench camp. Unlike his predecessor, who hid till the end of his tour, Jeff takes charge, experiences the manual doesn't allow coping with all realities and gets wounded. He returns, now fully respect by men and superiors. Besides the Vietcong, the platoon wrestles with the inscrutable villagers, which the G.I.'s officially protect, but also fear as some collaborate with them, other covertly with the Cong, either way subject to bloody reprisals.

5.5

MagicScore

Missing in Action 2: The Beginning

1985

Prequel to the first Missing In Action, set in the early 1980s it shows the capture of Colonel Braddock during the Vietnam war in the 1970s, and his captivity with other American POWs in a brutal prison camp, and his plans to escape.

5.8

MagicScore

Hearts and Minds

1974

Many times during his presidency, Lyndon B. Johnson said that ultimate victory in the Vietnam War depended upon the U.S. military winning the "hearts and minds" of the Vietnamese people. Filmmaker Peter Davis uses Johnson's phrase in an ironic context in this anti-war documentary, filmed and released while the Vietnam War was still under way, juxtaposing interviews with military figures like U.S. Army Chief of Staff William C. Westmoreland with shocking scenes of violence and brutality.

7.6

MagicScore

Rambo: First Blood Part II

1985

John Rambo is released from prison by the government for a top-secret covert mission to the last place on Earth he'd want to return - the jungles of Vietnam.

6.7

MagicScore

Missing in Action

1984

American servicemen are still being held captive in Vietnam and it's up to one man to bring them home in this blistering, fast-paced action/adventure starring martial arts superstar Chuck Norris. Following a daring escape from a Vietnamese POW camp, Special Forces Colonel James Braddock (Norris) is on a mission to locate and save remaining MIAs.

5.8

MagicScore

#10

Rescue Dawn

2007

A US Fighter pilot's epic struggle of survival after being shot down on a mission over Laos during the Vietnam War.

7.0

MagicScore

#11

The Cross of Lorraine

1943

French soldiers surrender to lying Nazis and are herded into a barbaric prison of war camp. From there they plan an uprising.

6.3

MagicScore

#12

Behind Enemy Lines

2001

While flying a routine reconnaissance mission over Bosnia, fighter pilot Lt. Chris Burnett photographs something he wasn't supposed to see and gets shot down behind enemy lines, where he must outrun an army led by a ruthless Serbian general. With time running out and a deadly tracker on his trail, Burnett's commanding officer, Admiral Reigart, decides to risk his career and launch a renegade rescue mission to save his life.

6.4

MagicScore

#13

Black Box

2021

Mathieu is a young and talented black box analyst on a mission to solve the reason behind the deadly crash of a brand new aircraft. Yet, when the case is closed by authorities, Mathieu cannot help but sense there is something wrong with the evidence. As he listens to the tracks again, he starts detecting some seriously disturbing details. Could the tape have been modified? Going against his boss' orders, Mathieu begins his own rogue investigation - an obsessional and dangerous quest for truth that will quickly threaten far more than his career...

7.3

MagicScore

#14

The Rack

1956

Army Captain Edward Hall returns to the U.S. after two years in a prison camp in the Korean War. In the camp, he was brainwashed and helped the Chinese convince the other prisoners that they were fighting an unjust war. When he comes back he is charged for collaboration with the enemy. Where does loyalty end in a prison camp, when the camp is a living hell?

6.6

MagicScore

#15

Monster Island

2025

In the Pacific, 1944, a Japanese soldier and a British prisoner of war are stranded on a deserted island, hunted by a deadly creature. Two mortal enemies must come together to survive the unknown.

5.9

MagicScore

#16

The Murderers Are Among Us

1946

After returning from a concentration camp, Susanne finds a traumatized ex-soldier living in her apartment in bombed out Berlin. Together the two try to move past their experiences during WWII.

6.9

MagicScore

#17

Casualties of War

1989

During the Vietnam War, a soldier finds himself the outsider of his own squad when they unnecessarily kidnap a female villager.

7.1

MagicScore

#18

Path to War

2003

A powerful drama of soaring ambition and shattered dreams that takes a provocative insider's look at the way the USA goes to war—as seen from inside the LBJ White House leading up to and during the Vietnam War.

6.7

MagicScore

#19

The Siege of Firebase Gloria

1989

A Marine patrol stops at Firebase Gloria at the start of the Tet Offensive during the Vietnam war. With the firebase attacked, the patrol remains to help defend it.

5.6

MagicScore

#20

The Last Hunter

1980

During the Vietnam war, an American soldier gets trapped beind enemy lines. A squad of his buddies sets out to rescue him.

5.4

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Little Dieter Needs to Fly?

The top films similar to Little Dieter Needs to Fly by MovieMagicScore are The Tarnished Angels (6.7), Apocalypse Now (8.3), The 317th Platoon (7.4). Each shares documentary themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Little Dieter Needs to Fly worth watching?

Little Dieter Needs to Fly holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.4/10 from 90 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Little Dieter Needs to Fly?

Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997) is a documentary film directed by Werner Herzog, starring Werner Herzog, Dieter Dengler, Eugene Deatrick.

Where can I find more recommendations like Little Dieter Needs to Fly?

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 The Tarnished Angels Movies like Apocalypse Now Movies like The 317th Platoon Movies like Good Morning, Vietnam Movies like Platoon Leader Movies like Missing in Action 2: The Beginning

About movies like Little Dieter Needs to Fly

This ranked list pairs Little Dieter Needs to Fly (1997), 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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