Movies Similar to Plastic Fantastic: Need for Perfection

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story(2018)

The life and career of the hailed Hollywood movie star and underappreciated genius inventor, Hedy Lamarr.

America The Beautiful(2008)

In a society where "celebutantes" like Paris Hilton dominate newsstands and models who weigh less than 90 pounds die from malnutrition, female body image is one of the more dire problems facing today's society. "America the Beautiful" illuminates the issue by covering every base. Child models, plastic surgery, celebrity worship, airbrushed advertising, dangerous cosmetics - no rock is left unturned.

6.2

The Man Who Lost His Face(2011)

51-year-old Jose Mestre from Lisbon, Portugal has endured a massive tumor on his face for the past 35 years. After it has grown up to 15 pounds, a generous benefactor pays for the 13 hour surgery to remove it.

9.0

Trinidad(2008)

Fascinating documentary examination of a small Colorado town’s transformation from Wild West outpost to “sex-change capital of the world” which follows three transgender women who may steer the rural ranching town toward becoming the “transsexual mecca.”

1.0

Beyond Boobs(2018)

A hilarious and at times provocative film about a middle-aged American single-mother living in Switzerland and her quest to find out if she'll be invisible when she's no longer the woman with the biggest breasts in the room.

4.2

Louis Theroux: Under the Knife(2007)

Louis Theroux: Under the Knife is a TV documentary written and presented by Louis Theroux about the people and doctors involved in plastic surgery operations. Filmed mostly in the USA, in the programme, Louis himself ends up getting liposuction.

6.7

Born to Be(2019)

Soon after New York state passed a 2015 law that health insurance should cover transgender-related care and services, director Tania Cypriano and producer Michelle Hayashi began bringing their cameras behind the scenes at New York’s Mount Sinai Hospital, where this remarkable documentary captures the emotional and physical journey of surgical transitioning. Lending equal narrative weight to the experiences of the center’s groundbreaking surgeon Dr. Jess Ting and those of his diverse group of patients, BORN TO BE perfectly balances compassionate personal storytelling and fly-on-the-wall vérité. It’s a film of astonishing access—most importantly into the lives, joys, and fears of the people at its center.

3.0

Desire for Beauty(2013)

Four people turn to plastic surgery as the last resort in their search for perfection - their appearances will change, but will their lives?

0.0

The Void Inside(2020)

After getting caught in a fight, Vahid needs to sell one of his kidneys to avoid a prison sentence of many years. While waiting for the liberating call from a buyer, a wish for a better life starts to grow within him.

0.0

Mirror, Mirror(1996)

Portrait of the last year of the life of famous New York drag queen Consuela Cosmetic.

5.9

Boobs(2014)

A documentary about British model Precious Muir as she moves to new York to become a fashion model, and undergoes breast enhancement surgery to make it in the industry.

2.2

Nose Iranian Style(2006)

A look at the reasons why every year 70,000 Iranians have a nose job.

0.0

Gen A: Do What You Love(2022)

Jakub Strach aka NobodyListen is a successful Czech DJ and music producer. A portrait of his life and work can be seen as a manifesto of the millennial club-going generation. After hundreds of shows and preparations for the upcoming, renowned Addict party, the DJ must deal with the consequences of inflicting a wound scarring his image. Footage from the club backstage mingles with scenes of everyday life in which NobodyListen ponders the dark sides of the club scene, like drugs and misogyny. During the shooting, the Covid pandemic strikes, revealing the insecurities of work in culture.

0.0

Western Eyes(2000)

Two Canadian women of Asian descent are contemplating eyelid surgery. Maria and Sharon, of Philippino and Korean heritage respectively, believe their looks–specifically their eyes–get in the way of how people see them. Layering their stories with pop culture references to beauty icons and supermodels, filmmaker Ann Shin looks at the pain that lies deep behind the desire for plastic surgery.

0.0

Make Me Young: Youth Knows No Pain(2009)

An age-obsessed daughter of a plastic surgeon takes a journey through America's $60 Billion a year anti-aging world. In this Alice-in Wonderland tale, McCabe spends 2 years traveling across America visiting doctors, experts and lives with a cross-section of characters from Minnesota to Texas who've gone to varying lengths to "beat the clock", to paint a funny but troubling portrait of a country that desperately needs to stay young.

6.7

The Rebel Surgeon(2017)

Portrayal of a surgeon who feels stifled by Swedish bureaucracy and relocates to Ethiopia to practice medicine. In a small field hospital, with limited resources, he uses anything at hand to help the patients.

9.0

My Eyes, in Pieces.

Having undergone a laser eye surgery, Søren struggles with complications that causes his eyesight to worsen. In an attempt to better understand his new reality, Søren starts to film the world around him.

0.0

Beauty Refugee(2010)

Twenty-eight of my family members and relatives have been operated at least once by my brother who is a plastic surgeon in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Having grown up as a 'work-in-progress' where the premise, myself, was constantly questioned, as an adult I had to ask my family: could that premise be changed?

0.0

A World Is Turning(1948)

A lost chapter in black British film: extraordinary rushes from a documentary showcasing talented members of the black community.

0.0

Mirror, Mirror on the Wall(2020)

The life of Dr Han has become a permanent quest for perfection. From the livestreamed operating theatre to art fairs via fashion shows, the famous Chinese plastic surgeon has only one aim: beauty. Through the implacable portrait of this character, the film questions beauty as a simultaneously essential yet vain element of society in the era of selfies.

6.0