SimilarScreen
The Contestant

The Contestant

The naked truth about the world's first reality star.

20236.91h 31m

Overview

The incredible true story of a man who lived for 15 months trapped inside a small room, naked, starving and alone... and completely unaware that his life was being broadcast on national TV in Japan, to over 15 million viewers a week.

Directed by Clair Titley
Written by Clair Titley
Produced by Andee Ryder, Megumi Inman, Ian Bonhôte
0

Top Cast

Nasubi

Nasubi

Self

Toshio Tsuchiya

Toshio Tsuchiya

Self

K

Kazuko Hamatsu

Self

S

Seiichi Hirai

Self

H

Harutaro Kagawa

Self

J

Juliet Hindell

Self

I

Ikuyo Hamatsu

Self

J

Jun Anzai

Self

K

Kenji Kondo

Self

Fred Armisen

Fred Armisen

Denpa Shonen Narrator (voice)

Themes & Keywords

japanbased on true storynakedtelevision broadcastlocked inlocked roomreality tvlocked insidereality shownaked life

About The Contestant

The Contestant is a documentary film released in 2023 exploring themes of japan, based on true story, naked, television broadcast, locked in, locked room. Directed by Clair Titley, it stars Nasubi, Toshio Tsuchiya, Kazuko Hamatsu. The incredible true story of a man who lived for 15 months trapped inside a small room, naked, starving and alone... and completely unaware that his life was being broadcast on national TV in Japan, to over 15 million viewers a week.

Movies Similar to The Contestant

Discover titles like The Contestant — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to The Contestant

If you enjoyed The Contestant, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of The Contestant.

Predators
24% Match

Predators(2025)

Movie6.3/10

In the mid-aughts, Dateline NBC's To Catch a Predator drew millions of weekly viewers to watch sting operations: men planning to meet minors for sex would instead be confronted by polished host Chris Hansen, then by the police — all on hidden camera.

The Cove
24% Match

The Cove(2009)

Movie7.9/10

The Cove tells the amazing true story of how an elite team of individuals, films makers and free divers embarked on a covert mission to penetrate the hidden cove in Japan, shining light on a dark and deadly secret. The shocking discoveries were only the tip of the iceberg.

Grizzly Man
23% Match

Follows the story of "Grizzly Man" Timothy Treadwell and what the thirteen summers in a National Park in Alaska were like in his attempt to protect the grizzly bears. The film is full of unique images and a look into the spirit of a man who sacrificed himself for nature.

The Rescue
20% Match

The Rescue(2021)

Movie8.0/10

The enthralling, against-all-odds story that transfixed the world in 2018: the daring rescue of twelve boys and their coach from deep inside a flooded cave in Northern Thailand.

Into the Deep: The Submarine Murder Case
19% Match

In 2016, a young Austrialian filmmaker began documenting amateur inventor Peter Madsen. One year in, Madsen brutally murdered Kim Wall aboard his homemade submarine. An unprecedented revelation of a killer and the journey his young helpers take as they reckon with their own complicity and prepare to testify.

One World: Together at Home
18% Match

A global broadcast & digital special organized by Global Citizen and the World Health Organization featuring comedians, musicians, and actors to raise funds in support of front line health workers in the global response to COVID-19.

White Light/Black Rain: The Destruction of Hiroshima and Nagasaki
18% Match

Steven Okazaki presents a deeply moving look at the painful legacy of the first -- and hopefully last -- uses of nuclear weapons in war. Featuring interviews with fourteen atomic bomb survivors - many who have never spoken publicly before - and four Americans intimately involved in the bombings, White Light/Black Rain provides a detailed exploration of the bombings and their aftermath.

The Endurance
17% Match

Documentary on the Shackleton Antartic expedition. A retelling of Sir Ernest Shackleton's ill-fated expedition to Antarctica in and the crew of his vessel 'The Endurance', which was trapped in the ice floes and frigid open ocean of the Antarctic in 1914. Shackleton decided, with many of his crew injured and weak from exposure and starvation, to take a team of his fittest men and attempt to find help. Setting out in appalling conditions with hopelessly inadequate equipment, they endured all weather and terrain and finally reached safety. Persuading a local team of his confidence that the abandoned team would still be alive, he set out again to find them. After almost 2 years trapped on the ice, all members of the crew were finally rescued.

Deep Water
15% Match

Deep Water(2006)

Movie7.2/10

DEEP WATER is the stunning true story of the fateful voyage of Donald Crowhurst, an amateur yachtsman who enters the most daring nautical challenge ever – the very first solo, non-stop, round-the-world boat race.