MovieMagicScore

Sign In Sign Up

Feed Movies TV World Cinema Stories Best Of Top Rated In Theaters

Portrait of Jason

Movies Like Portrait of Jason (1967)

Portrait of Jason is a 1967 documentary film from Shirley Clarke with a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Paris Is Burning and Pariah.

Paris Is Burning poster

Paris Is Burning

1991

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 — including Willi Ninja, Pepper LaBeija, Dorian Corey, and Venus Xtravaganza.

Pariah poster

Pariah

2011

A Brooklyn teenager juggles conflicting identities and risks friendship, heartbreak, and family in a desperate search for sexual expression.

The Watermelon Woman poster

The Watermelon Woman

1997

A young black lesbian filmmaker probes into the life of The Watermelon Woman, a 1930s black actress who played 'mammy' archetypes.

Bessie poster

Bessie

2015

The story of legendary blues performer, Bessie Smith, who rose to fame during the 1920s and '30s.

Tongues Untied poster

Tongues Untied

1990

Marlon Riggs, with assistance from other gay Black men, especially poet Essex Hemphill, celebrates Black men loving Black men as a revolutionary act. The film intercuts footage of Hemphill reciting his poetry, Riggs telling the story of his growing up, scenes of men in social intercourse and dance, and various comic riffs, including a visit to the "Institute of Snap!thology," where men take lessons in how to snap their fingers: the sling snap, the point snap, the diva snap.

Moonlight poster

Moonlight

2016

The tender, heartbreaking story of a young man’s struggle to find himself, told across three defining chapters in his life as he experiences the ecstasy, pain, and beauty of falling in love, while grappling with his own sexuality.

Rafiki poster

Rafiki

2018

Kena and Ziki long for something more. Despite the political rivalry between their families, the girls resist and remain close friends, supporting each other to pursue their dreams in a conservative society. When love blossoms between them, the two girls will be forced to choose between happiness and safety.

Tangerine poster

Tangerine

2015

It's Christmas Eve in Tinseltown and Sin-Dee is back on the block. Upon hearing that her pimp boyfriend hasn't been faithful during the 28 days she was locked up, the working girl and her best friend, Alexandra, embark on a mission to get to the bottom of the scandalous rumor. Their rip-roaring odyssey leads them through various subcultures of Los Angeles, including an Armenian family dealing with their own repercussions of infidelity.

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom poster

Ma Rainey's Black Bottom

2020

Tensions rise when the trailblazing Mother of the Blues and her band gather at a Chicago recording studio in 1927. Adapted from August Wilson's play.

Saturday Church poster

Saturday Church

2018

Ulysses is a shy and effeminate boy who finds himself coping with new responsibilities as man of the house after the death of his father. Living alongside his mother, younger brother, and conservative aunt, Ulysses is also struggling with questions about his gender identity. He finds an escape by creating a world of fantasy filled with dance and music. Ulysses' journey takes a turn for the better when he finds a vibrant transgender community.

Blackbird poster

Blackbird

2014

Seventeen-year-old Randy tries very hard to be a good person. Since his father left, Randy takes care of his emotionally disturbed mother, and he's the kind of friend all of his classmates can depend on. As strong as he seems on the outside, Randy is hiding a secret inner struggle and denial of his true self. It's not until he opens himself up to love that he discovers that becoming a man means accepting who you really are.

Stop! That! Train! poster

Stop! That! Train!

2026

Best friends and train stewardesses Tess and DeeDee trade their dreary shifts on the Stank Rail for the glitzy Glamazonian Express. However, when a catastrophic Stormaganza threatens to crash the high-speed train into Celebration, Florida, the duo in coach must join forces with the snobby first-class attendants, a hot but dimwitted co-conductor, and fabulous US President Judy Gagwell to save the day.

Young Soul Rebels poster

Young Soul Rebels

1991

Two disc jockeys have a friend's murder to solve in the fringe-group melting pot of 1977 London.

Kiki poster

Kiki

2016

25 years after Paris is Burning, we dive back into the fierce world of voguing battles in the Kiki scene of New York City, where competition between Houses demands leadership, painstaking practice, and performances on point. A film collaboration between Kiki gatekeeper, Twiggy Pucci Garçon, and Swedish filmmaker Sara Jordenö, we’re granted exclusive access into this high stakes world, where tough competitions act as a gateway into the daily lives of LGBTQ youth of color in NYC. The new generation of ballroom youth use the motto, “Not About us Without Us”. Twiggy and Sara’s insider-outsider approach to their stories breathes fresh life into the representation of a marginalized community who demand visibility and real political power.

Mars One poster

Mars One

2022

A middle-class Black family in Brazil copes with the election of a far-right extremist president. The mother believes that she's cursed after an unexpected encounter, while her husband puts all of his hopes into their son's soccer career.

Bridegroom poster

Bridegroom

2013

A documentary that tells the emotional journey of Shane and Tom, two young men in a loving and committed relationship — a relationship that was cut tragically short by a misstep off the side of a roof.

Tig poster

Tig

2015

An intimate documentary that follows Tig Notaro, a Los Angeles based comedian, who just days after being diagnosed with invasive stage II breast cancer changed the course of her career with a poignant stand-up set that became legendary overnight. It explores Tig's extraordinary journey as her career ignites and as her life unfolds in grand and unexpected ways, all the while continuing to battle a life-threatening illness and falling in love.

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed poster

All the Beauty and the Bloodshed

2022

The life of internationally renowned artist and activist Nan Goldin is told through her slideshows, intimate interviews, ground-breaking photography, and rare footage of her personal fight to hold the Sackler family accountable for the overdose crisis.

Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine poster

Matt Shepard Is a Friend of Mine

2014

An intimate portrait of Matthew Shepard, the gay young man murdered in one of the most notorious hate crimes in U.S. history. Framed through a personal lens, it's the story of loss, love, and courage in the face of unspeakable tragedy.

Chavela poster

Chavela

2017

Inspired by an exclusive interview and performance footage of Chavela Vargas shot in 1991 and guided by her unique voice, the film weaves an arresting portrait of a woman who dared to dress, speak, sing, and dream her unique life into being.

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Portrait of Jason?

The top films similar to Portrait of Jason by MovieMagicScore are Paris Is Burning (8.0), Pariah (6.8), The Watermelon Woman (6.8). Each shares documentary themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Portrait of Jason worth watching?

Portrait of Jason holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10 from 40 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Portrait of Jason?

Portrait of Jason (1967) is a documentary film directed by Shirley Clarke, starring Jason Holliday, Shirley Clarke, Carl Lee.

Where can I find more recommendations like Portrait of Jason?

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 Paris Is Burning Movies like Pariah Movies like The Watermelon Woman Movies like Bessie Movies like Tongues Untied Movies like Moonlight

About movies like Portrait of Jason

This ranked list pairs Portrait of Jason (1967), a documentary film from Shirley Clarke, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Jason Holliday 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.

← Back to Portrait of Jason