Movies Similar to Reindeerspotting: Escape from Santaland

Megacities(1998)

Megacities is a documentary about the slums of five different metropolitan cities.

Elton John: A Singular Man(2016)

An in-depth portrait of British composer, pianist and singer Elton John, pop star and myth of modern culture.

Matthew Perry: Not just Friends(2023)

Meth Storm(2017)

As police and DEA agents battle sophisticated cartels, rural, economically-disadvantaged users and dealers–whose addiction to ICE and lack of job opportunities have landed them in an endless cycle of poverty and incarceration–are caught in the middle.

On the Sly: In Search of the Family Stone(2017)

One man's search for the prolific funk legend, Sly Stone.

Kamikaze Hearts(1986)

Porn stars Sharon Mitchell and Tigr navigate the ups and downs of being in love while working in the sex industry.

The Weird World of LSD(1967)

The 60s equivalent of Reefer Madness and all those other 30s drug exploitation flicks. Apparently, dropping acid leads to stripteases, cat fights, promiscuous sex, playing with kittens, and being convinced your dinner is much larger than it actually is. This is all illustrated in a series of silent sketches accompanied by a droll narrator who seems positively doped out of his mind.

Chasing Trane(2017)

An account of the life of the brilliant jazz musician John Coltrane (1926-67), a gifted saxophonist, an extraordinarily talented thinker whose original, avant-garde work has impacted and influenced people all over the world. A story about music's ability to entertain, inspire and transform.

A Murder in Abidjan(2000)

1995. On the outskirts of Abidjan, the largest city in Ivory Coast, a policeman is murdered. Shot outside his vehicle, while his fiancée sits in the car, terrified. Superintendent Kouassi is the detective in charge of the investigation. Tall and lanky, he moves with the tired energy of a man who has seen it all. Drawing on a network of underworld characters with dubious information, Kouassi’s team begins bringing in potential suspects and subjecting them to horrific brutality: beating them with sticks, hanging them upside-down, threatening their lives. Some of the men are left so broken they have to literally drag themselves into Kouassi’s office later, to be interrogated while lying on the floor, their bodies a mess of bruises, broken bones, and lacerations.

Philip K Dick: A Day in the Afterlife(1994)

A poetic look at the life and legacy of legendary author Philip K. Dick (1928-1982), who wrote over a hundred short stories and 44 novels of mind-bending sci-fi, exploring themes of authority, drugs, theology, mental illness and much more.

Mr. Untouchable(2007)

The true-life story of a Harlem's notorious Nicky Barnes, a junkie turned multimillionaire drug-lord. Follow his life story from his rough childhood to the last days of his life.

All This Mayhem(2014)

A searing account of what happens when raw talent and extreme personalities collide. In this unflinching, never-before-seen account of drugs and the dark side of professional skateboarding, brothers Tas and Ben Pappas' intense bond and charisma take them from the pinnacle of their sport into a spiraling world of self-destruction.

Bombshell: The Hedy Lamarr Story(2018)

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

Overdosed(2021)

Interviews with former drug dealers, over-prescribing doctors and DEA agents uncover a shocking truth of the pharmaceutical industry’s plan to target opioid sales to an impoverished community.

The Pink Floyd and Syd Barrett Story(2003)

The full bizarre, tragic but celebratory story of Syd Barrett, the co-founder of Pink Floyd.

Heroin(e)(2017)

This documentary follows three women — a fire chief, a judge, and a street missionary — as they battle West Virginia's devastating opioid epidemic.

Jim Morrison: The End(2021)

Paris, Rue Beautreillis, July 3, 1971. The corpse of rock star Jim Morrison is found in a bathtub, in the apartment of his girlfriend Pamela Courson. The chronicle of the last months of the life of the poet, singer and charismatic leader of the American band The Doors, one of the most influential in the history of rock.

Be Here to Love Me(2004)

Chronicles the fascinating and often turbulent life of Townes Van Zandt.

The Smashing Machine(2002)

An unflinching look at the life and story of Mark Kerr between 1999 and 2001, an intelligent, articulate, and emotionally vulnerable athlete, considered by many at the time to be the most dominant ultimate fighter in the world. A former Olympic wrestler, Kerr easily dominated all his opponents, earning him the nickname "The Smashing Machine." With the promise of big money and the euphoria of his early victories, Kerr must battle his injuries and inner fears. The shock of these fights takes a heavy toll on his body and mind, and Kerr attempts to overcome these physical and psychological traumas by turning to painkillers. Kerr's addiction is shown in its raw form, with the camera capturing him desperately soliciting drugs from friends and staff, and injecting painkillers into his veins. His shocking defeat to Fujita in Japan shows us a story that is sometimes difficult and heartbreaking to watch.

Ciao! Manhattan(1973)

Fiction and documentary mingle in a freewheeling portrait of Susan Superstar, a New York celebrity on a drug-fueled downward slide that mirrors Edie Sedgwick’s own self-destructive spiral.