Movies Like Microcosmos (1996)

Microcosmos is a 1996 documentary film from Marie Pérennou with a MovieMagicScore of 7.6/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Koyaanisqatsi and Powaqqatsi.

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

Powaqqatsi

1988

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

7.3

MagicScore

The Hellstrom Chronicle

1971

A scientist explains how the savagery and efficiency of the insect world could result in their taking over the world.

6.4

MagicScore

Human Nature

2019

The biggest tech revolution of the 21st century isn’t digital, it’s biological. A breakthrough called CRISPR gives us unprecedented control over the basic building blocks of life. It opens the door to curing disease, reshaping the biosphere, and designing our own children. This documentary is a provocative exploration of CRISPR’s far-reaching implications, through the eyes of the scientists who discovered it, the families it’s affecting, and the genetic engineers who are testing its limits.

6.8

MagicScore

Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet

2021

David Attenborough and scientist Johan Rockström examine Earth's biodiversity collapse and how this crisis can still be averted.

7.4

MagicScore

The 11th Hour

2007

A look at the state of the global environment including visionary and practical solutions for restoring the planet's ecosystems. Featuring ongoing dialogues of experts from all over the world, including former Soviet Prime Minister Mikhail Gorbachev, renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, former head of the CIA R. James Woolse

6.7

MagicScore

Minuscule: Valley of the Lost Ants

2013

In a peaceful little clearing, the remains of a hastily abandoned picnic sparks a battle between two tribes of ants. A bold young ladybug finds himself caught in the middle. He befriends the leader of the black ants, Mandible, and helps him save the anthill from the assault of the terrible red ant warriors, led by the fearful Butor. A fantastic journey at ground level.

7.0

MagicScore

The Private Life of Plants

1995

David Attenborough takes us on a guided tour through the secret world of plants, to see things no unaided eye could witness. Each episode in this six-part series focuses on one of the critical stages through which every plant must pass if it is to survive:- travelling, growing, and flowering; struggling with one another; creating alliances with other organisms both plant and animal; and evolving complex ways of surviving in the earth's most ferociously hostile environments.

8.4

MagicScore

Fantastic Fungi

2019

A vivid journey into the mysterious subterranean world of mycelium and its fruit— the mushroom. A story that begins 3.5 billion years ago, fungi makes the soil that supports life, connecting vast systems of roots from plants and trees all over the planet, like an underground Internet. Through the eyes of renowned mycologist Paul Stamets, professor of forest ecology Suzanne Simard, best selling author Michael Pollan, food naturalist Eugenia Bone and others, we experience the power, beauty and complexity of the fungi kingdom.

7.2

MagicScore

#10

Blue Planet

1990

From the unique vantage point of 200 miles above Earth's surface, we see how natural forces - volcanoes, earthquakes and hurricanes - affect our world, and how a powerful new force - humankind - has begun to alter the face of the planet. From Amazon rain forests to Serengeti grasslands, Blue Planet inspires a new appreciation of life on Earth, our only home.

5.9

MagicScore

#11

The Most Unknown

2018

An epic documentary film that sends nine scientists to extraordinary parts of the world to uncover unexpected answers to some of humanity’s biggest questions. How did life begin? What is time? What is consciousness? How much do we really know? By introducing researchers from diverse backgrounds for the first time, then dropping them into new, immersive field work they previously hadn’t tackled, the film pushes the boundaries of how science storytelling is approached. What emerges is a deeply human trip to the foundations of discovery and a powerful reminder that the unanswered questions are the most crucial ones to pose. Directed by Emmy-nominated and Peabody Award-winning filmmaker Ian Cheney and advised by world-renowned filmmaker Werner Herzog, The Most Unknown is an ambitious look at a side of science never before shown on screen.

6.5

MagicScore

#12

Naqoyqatsi

2002

A visual montage portrait of our contemporary world dominated by globalized technology and violence.

6.1

MagicScore

#13

Gunda

2021

A glimpse into the raw and simple power of nature through encounters with farm animals: the eponymous Gunda, a mother pig; two cows, and a one-legged chicken.

7.1

MagicScore

#14

Adventure of an Ant

1983

A 1983 short film directed by Eduard Nazarov about an ant who gets blown away with the wind from its home and the adventures it goes through in desperately trying to find its way back.

7.0

MagicScore

#15

Ant-Man and the Wasp

2018

Just when his time under house arrest is about to end, Scott Lang once again puts his freedom at risk to help Hope van Dyne and Dr. Hank Pym dive into the quantum realm and try to accomplish, against time and any chance of success, a very dangerous rescue mission.

6.9

MagicScore

#16

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

#17

It Happened at Lakewood Manor

1977

A lakeside resort comes under attack by a seemingly infinite hoard of flesh-eating ants.

4.4

MagicScore

#18

Chronos

1985

Carefully picked scenes of nature and civilization are viewed at high speed using time-lapse cinematography in an effort to demonstrate the history of various regions.

7.5

MagicScore

#19

The Biggest Little Farm

2019

The successes and failures of a couple determined to live in harmony with nature on a farm outside of Los Angeles are lovingly chronicled by filmmaking farmer John Chester, in this inspiring documentary.

7.6

MagicScore

#20

Dinosaurs: The Final Day with David Attenborough

2022

David Attenborough brings to life, in unprecedented detail, the last days of the dinosaurs. Palaeontologist Robert DePalma has made an incredible discovery in a prehistoric graveyard: fossilised creatures, astonishingly well preserved, that could help change our understanding of the last days of the dinosaurs. Evidence from his site records the day when an asteroid bigger than Mount Everest devastated our planet and caused the extinction of the dinosaurs. Based on brand new evidence, witness the catastrophic events of that day play out minute by minute.

7.3

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Microcosmos?

The top films similar to Microcosmos by MovieMagicScore are Koyaanisqatsi (7.9), Powaqqatsi (7.3), The Hellstrom Chronicle (6.4). Each shares documentary themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Microcosmos worth watching?

Microcosmos holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.6/10 from 241 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Microcosmos?

Microcosmos (1996) is a documentary film directed by Marie Pérennou, starring Jacques Perrin.

Where can I find more recommendations like Microcosmos?

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 Powaqqatsi Movies like The Hellstrom Chronicle Movies like Human Nature Movies like Breaking Boundaries: The Science of Our Planet Movies like The 11th Hour

About movies like Microcosmos

This ranked list pairs Microcosmos (1996), a documentary film from Marie Pérennou, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Jacques Perrin 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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