Movies to Compare/Contrast
by raphaelbivas | created - 19 Nov 2019 | updated - 12 Mar 2020 | PublicThese are movies that I would like to compare in depth, should I ever have the opportunity. I generally avoid "dueling films" (or "twin films," as they're sometimes called), as well as films with clear knockoffs, as such comparisons would be too obvious.
- Instant Watch Options
- Genres
- Movies or TV
- IMDb Rating
- In Theaters
- Release Year
- Keywords
1. Explorers (1985)
PG | 109 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
A boy obsessed with '50s sci-fi movies about aliens has a recurring dream about a blueprint of some kind, which he draws for his inventor friend. With the help of a third kid, they follow it and build themselves a spaceship. Now what?
Director: Joe Dante | Stars: Ethan Hawke, River Phoenix, Bobby Fite, Bradley Gregg
Votes: 23,729 | Gross: $9.87M
2. Flight of the Navigator (1986)
PG | 90 min | Adventure, Comedy, Family
In 1978, a boy travels eight years into the future and has an adventure with an intelligent, wisecracking alien ship.
Director: Randal Kleiser | Stars: Joey Cramer, Paul Reubens, Cliff De Young, Veronica Cartwright
Votes: 51,670 | Gross: $18.56M
"Explorers" vs. "Flight of the Navigator": Both are children's science-fiction adventure films about space travel.
3. An American in Paris (1951)
Passed | 114 min | Drama, Musical, Romance
Three friends struggle to find work in Paris. Things become more complicated when two of them fall in love with the same woman.
Director: Vincente Minnelli | Stars: Gene Kelly, Leslie Caron, Oscar Levant, Georges Guétary
Votes: 36,849 | Gross: $4.50M
4. Funny Face (1957)
Not Rated | 103 min | Comedy, Musical, Romance
An impromptu fashion shoot at a book store brings about a new fashion model discovery in the shop clerk.
Director: Stanley Donen | Stars: Audrey Hepburn, Fred Astaire, Kay Thompson, Michel Auclair
Votes: 32,995
"An American in Paris" vs. "Funny Face": Both are classic musicals set (entirely or largely) in Paris and featuring Gershwin scores. Both also have similarities in casting and characters.
5. The Sound of Music (1965)
G | 172 min | Biography, Drama, Family
A young novice is sent by her convent in 1930s Austria to become a governess to the seven children of a widowed naval officer.
Director: Robert Wise | Stars: Julie Andrews, Christopher Plummer, Eleanor Parker, Richard Haydn
Votes: 260,864 | Gross: $163.21M
6. Fiddler on the Roof (1971)
G | 181 min | Drama, Family, Musical
In pre-revolutionary Russia, a Jewish peasant with traditional values contends with marrying off three of his daughters with modern romantic ideals while growing anti-Semitic sentiment threatens his village.
Director: Norman Jewison | Stars: Topol, Norma Crane, Leonard Frey, Molly Picon
Votes: 47,836 | Gross: $80.50M
"The Sound of Music" vs. "Fiddler on the Roof": Both are bittersweet, epic musicals based on hit Broadway shows. Both films also have stylistic similarities.
7. New York, New York (1977)
PG | 155 min | Drama, Music, Musical
An egotistical saxophonist and a young lounge singer meet on VJ Day and embark upon a strained and rocky romance, even as their careers begin a long, uphill climb.
Director: Martin Scorsese | Stars: Liza Minnelli, Robert De Niro, Lionel Stander, Barry Primus
Votes: 21,875 | Gross: $16.40M
8. La La Land (2016)
PG-13 | 128 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
While navigating their careers in Los Angeles, a pianist and an actress fall in love while attempting to reconcile their aspirations for the future.
Director: Damien Chazelle | Stars: Ryan Gosling, Emma Stone, Rosemarie DeWitt, J.K. Simmons
Votes: 670,604 | Gross: $151.10M
"New York, New York" vs. "La La Land": Both are artsy, bittersweet, original musicals about artists in love, set against the backdrop of romanticized American cities.
9. Warriors of Virtue (1997)
PG | 101 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A young boy is whisked away to the mythical land of Tao where he becomes the center of a conflict between an evil lord and a group of animal warriors.
Director: Ronny Yu | Stars: Angus Macfadyen, Mario Yedidia, Marley Shelton, Chao Li Chi
Votes: 3,532 | Gross: $6.45M
10. The Forbidden Kingdom (2008)
PG-13 | 104 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
A discovery made by a kung fu obsessed American teen sends him on an adventure to ancient China, where he joins up with a band of martial arts warriors in order to free the imprisoned Monkey King.
Director: Rob Minkoff | Stars: Jackie Chan, Jet Li, Michael Angarano, Juana Collignon
Votes: 109,505 | Gross: $52.08M
"Warriors of Virtue" vs. "The Forbidden Kingdom": Both are children's escapist fantasy narratives involving Chinese martial arts but which feature Caucasian protagonists.
11. The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
PG | 96 min | Action, Adventure, Drama
Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.
Director: Mark Waters | Stars: Freddie Highmore, Sarah Bolger, David Strathairn, Mary-Louise Parker
Votes: 102,674 | Gross: $71.20M
12. Epic (2013)
PG | 102 min | Animation, Action, Adventure
A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and evil is taking place. She bands together with a ragtag group of characters to save their world--and ours.
Director: Chris Wedge | Stars: Amanda Seyfried, Josh Hutcherson, Beyoncé, Colin Farrell
Votes: 109,850 | Gross: $107.52M
"The Spiderwick Chronicles" vs. "Epic": Both are family films, based on popular children's books, about humans who discover the existence of unseen fantastical creatures.
13. City of Ember (2008)
PG | 90 min | Adventure, Drama, Family
For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker.
Director: Gil Kenan | Stars: Saoirse Ronan, Toby Jones, Bill Murray, David Ryall
Votes: 69,721 | Gross: $7.87M
14. The Giver (2014)
PG-13 | 97 min | Drama, Romance, Sci-Fi
In a seemingly perfect community without war, pain, suffering, differences or choices, a young boy is chosen to learn from an elderly man, the true pain and pleasure of the "real" world.
Director: Phillip Noyce | Stars: Brenton Thwaites, Jeff Bridges, Meryl Streep, Taylor Swift
Votes: 125,571 | Gross: $45.09M
"City of Ember" vs. "The Giver": Both were produced by the same company and both are based on classic young adult dystopian fantasy novels with similar plots.
15. Prom (2011)
PG | 104 min | Comedy, Drama, Family
A group of teenagers get ready for their high school prom.
Director: Joe Nussbaum | Stars: Aimee Teegarden, Thomas McDonell, DeVaughn Nixon, Danielle Campbell
Votes: 15,707 | Gross: $10.13M
16. Fun Size (2012)
PG-13 | 86 min | Adventure, Comedy, Crime
Wren's Halloween plans go awry when she's made to babysit her brother, who disappears into a sea of trick-or-treaters. With her best friend and two nerds at her side, she needs to find her brother before her mom finds out he's missing.
Director: Josh Schwartz | Stars: Victoria Justice, Johnny Knoxville, Chelsea Handler, Ana Gasteyer
Votes: 15,139 | Gross: $9.40M
"Prom" vs. "Fun Size": Both are (underwhelming and largely forgettable) teen comedies intended as throwbacks to the classics of the genre from the '80s (although each homages different elements of the genre) and which were released by rival studios.
17. Power Rangers (2017)
PG-13 | 124 min | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
When Earth is on the verge of an alien invasion, five teenagers, who are infused with superhuman abilities, must harness their newfound powers to battle this threat - as the Power Rangers.
Director: Dean Israelite | Stars: Dacre Montgomery, Naomi Scott, RJ Cyler, Ludi Lin
Votes: 113,855 | Gross: $85.36M
18. The Kid Who Would Be King (2019)
PG | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Family
Alex, a 12-year-old boy, and his friends fight an evil sorceress with the help of Excalibur, the sword of King Arthur, in a bid to save the world from her atrocities.
Director: Joe Cornish | Stars: Louis Ashbourne Serkis, Denise Gough, Dean Chaumoo, Tom Taylor
Votes: 18,713 | Gross: $16.79M
"Power Rangers 2017" vs. "The Kid Who Would Be King": Both are kid/teen-empowerment wish-fulfillment fantasies with similar plots and characters.
19. Into the West (1992)
PG | 97 min | Adventure, Family, Fantasy
Grandpa Ward gives a horse he found to his grandchildren, who keep it in their tower-block flat in Dublin. The horse is stolen from them, and the two young boys set out to find it and flee on it.
Director: Mike Newell | Stars: Gabriel Byrne, Ellen Barkin, Ciarán Fitzgerald, Rúaidhrí Conroy
Votes: 3,182 | Gross: $4.79M
20. Song of the Sea (2014)
PG | 93 min | Animation, Adventure, Drama
Ben, a young Irish boy, and his little sister Saoirse, a girl who can turn into a seal, go on an adventure to free the fairies and save the spirit world.
Director: Tomm Moore | Stars: David Rawle, Brendan Gleeson, Lisa Hannigan, Fionnula Flanagan
Votes: 63,067 | Gross: $0.86M
"Into the West" vs. "Song of the Sea": Both are Irish family fantasy/adventure movies with similar themes and plots.
21. Little Giants (1994)
PG | 107 min | Comedy, Family, Sport
Misfits form their own opposing team to an elite peewee football team, coached by the elite team coach's brother.
Director: Duwayne Dunham | Stars: Rick Moranis, Ed O'Neill, Shawna Waldron, Devon Sawa
Votes: 30,834 | Gross: $19.29M
22. The Big Green (1995)
PG | 100 min | Comedy, Family, Sport
A teacher on exchange from England is placed in an underachieving Texas school, where she coaches the students in soccer, improving their self-esteem and leading to unexpected success.
Director: Holly Goldberg Sloan | Stars: Steve Guttenberg, Olivia d'Abo, Jay O. Sanders, John Terry
Votes: 10,984 | Gross: $17.73M
"Little Giants" vs. "The Big Green": Both are thematically-similar underdog sports movies for and about children.
23. Not Fade Away (2012)
R | 112 min | Drama
Set in suburban New Jersey in the 1960s, a group of friends form a rock band and try to make it big.
Director: David Chase | Stars: John Magaro, Jack Huston, Will Brill, Brahm Vaccarella
Votes: 4,950 | Gross: $0.61M
24. Sing Street (2016)
PG-13 | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Music
A young lad notices a beautiful girl who begins to occupy his thoughts. While struggling with poverty, personal relationships and life's woes, he starts a band, hoping to catch her attention.
Director: John Carney | Stars: Ferdia Walsh-Peelo, Aidan Gillen, Maria Doyle Kennedy, Jack Reynor
Votes: 100,879 | Gross: $3.24M
"Not Fade Away" vs. "Sing Street": Both are nostalgic fictional stories of rebellious teenage boys/young men who form bands that are inspired by the popular bands of their respective generations.
25. The Mighty (1998)
PG-13 | 100 min | Comedy, Drama
Two young boys are social outcasts in their community due to their disabilities and broken home lives. When they are paired together, they form a bond over their shared circumstances.
Director: Peter Chelsom | Stars: Kieran Culkin, Elden Henson, Sharon Stone, Harry Dean Stanton
Votes: 13,895 | Gross: $2.64M
26. Bridge to Terabithia (2007)
PG | 96 min | Drama, Family, Fantasy
A preteen's life turns upside down when he befriends the new girl in school and they imagine a whole new fantasy world to escape reality.
Director: Gabor Csupo | Stars: Josh Hutcherson, AnnaSophia Robb, Zooey Deschanel, Robert Patrick
Votes: 173,179 | Gross: $82.27M
"The Mighty" vs. "Bridge to Terabithia": Both are tearjerkers, based on popular children's books, about two young outcasts who share imaginary adventures.
27. Paper Planes (I) (2014)
Not Rated | 96 min | Drama, Family
An imaginative children's film about a young Australian boy's passion for flight and his challenge to compete in the World Paper Plane Championships in Japan.
Director: Robert Connolly | Stars: Sam Worthington, Ed Oxenbould, Deborah Mailman, Ena Imai
Votes: 4,751
28. A Brilliant Young Mind (2014)
PG-13 | 111 min | Drama, Romance
A socially awkward teenage maths prodigy finds new confidence and new friendships when he lands a spot on the British squad at the International Mathematics Olympiad.
Director: Morgan Matthews | Stars: Asa Butterfield, Rafe Spall, Sally Hawkins, Eddie Marsan
Votes: 30,312 | Gross: $0.14M
"Paper Planes" vs. "A Brilliant Young Mind": Both are stories about teenage boys who are determined to compete in unusual competitions.
Tell Your Friends