Movies like Mystery of Life (1931)
The best movies like Mystery of Life (1931) are Creation (2009), Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life (2009) and Canyon Passage (1946). If Mystery of Life hooked you, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedInherit the Wind (1960)7.6/10 from 498 votes
- NewestBeauty and the Atheist (2026)Released 2026
Creation (2009)
A psychological, heart-wrenching love story that provides a unique and inside look at Charles Darwin. Torn between faith and science, he struggles to finish his legendary book "On the Origin of Species," which goes on to become the foundation for evolutionary biology.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCharles Darwin and the Tree of Life (2009)
Darwin's great insight – that life has evolved over millions of years by natural selection – has been the cornerstone of all David Attenborough’s natural history series. In this documentary, he takes us on a deeply personal journey which reflects his own life and the way he came to understand Darwin’s theory.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCanyon Passage (1946)
In 1850s Oregon, a businessman is torn between his love of two very different women and his loyalty to a compulsive gambler friend who goes over the line.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMurder at the Gallop (1963)
Miss Marple and Mr. Stringer are witnesses to the death by heart attack of elderly, rich Mr. Enderby. Yet they have their doubts about what happened. The police don't believe them, thus leading Miss Marple to yet again investigate by herself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOnce Upon a Forest (1993)
A young mouse, mole and hedgehog risk their lives to find a cure for their badger friend, who's been poisoned by men.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeauty and the Billionaire (2022)
Addison travels with a picky billionaire as an assistant in her brother's place so he doesn't lose his job. She clashes with the billionaire until both start to see more in each other than they thought.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhat a Way to Go! (1964)
A four-time widow discusses her four marriages, in which all of her husbands became incredibly rich and died prematurely because of their drive to be rich.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHollywood or Bust (1956)
The last movie with Jerry Lewis and Dean Martin together, is a satire of the life in Hollywood. Steve Wiley is a deceiver who cheats Malcolm Smith when he wins a car, claiming that he won it too. Trying to steal the car, Steve tells Malcolm that he lives in Hollywood, next to Anita Ekberg's. When Malcom hears that, they both set out for Hollywood and the adventure begins...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Royal Runaway Romance (2022)
Princess Amelia of Bundbury travels across America to explore a budding romance with an artist, only to fall in love with her bodyguard, Grady.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFlicka (2006)
Katy McLaughlin desires to work on her family's mountainside horse ranch, although her father insists she finish boarding school. Katy finds a mustang in the hills near her ranch. The headstrong 16 year old then sets her mind to tame a mustang and prove to her father she can run the ranch. But when tragedy happens, it will take all the love and strength the family can muster to restore hope.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpringfield Rifle (1952)
Major Lex Kearney, dishonourably discharged from the army for cowardice in battle, volunteers to go undercover to try to prevent raids against shipments of horses desperately needed for the Union war effort. Falling in with the gang of jayhawkers and Confederate soldiers who have been conducting the raids, he gradually gains their trust and is put in a position where he can discover who has been giving them secret information revealing the routes of the horse shipments.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMonster High: Frights, Camera, Action! (2014)
When Draculaura is led to believe she's the rightful heir to the vampire throne, she and her best ghoulfriends are whisked away to Transylvania for a royal coronation to die for. But they soon discover the hunt for the queen is not over yet. The Ghouls must locate an ancient artifact known as the Vampire's Heart in order to discover the identity of the true Vampire Queen. It's a fangtastic adventure that will lead them from the Tower of Londoom, to a haunted river boat in New Goreleans and finally to the glamorous boo-vie lots of Hauntlywood. Could this be the moment when Draculara finally receives her vampire powers and discovers screams really can come true?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisInherit the Wind (1960)
Schoolteacher Bertram Cates is arrested for teaching his students Darwin's theory of evolution. The case receives national attention and one of the newspaper reporters, E.K. Hornbeck, arranges to bring in renowned defense attorney and atheist Henry Drummond to defend Cates. The prosecutor, Matthew Brady is a former presidential candidate, famous evangelist, and old adversary of Drummond.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020)
A royal relative steals a gem with the power to make things fly, the Paw Patrol takes to the skies to stop him and save Barkingburg.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDragons: Rescue Riders: Secrets of the Songwing (2020)
When a musical dragon with a beautiful voice hypnotizes the dragons and people of Huttsgalor, the Rescue Riders have to find a way to break the spell.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Other Sister (1999)
A mentally challenged girl proves herself to be every bit as capable as her "perfect" sister when she moves into an apartment and begins going to college.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWonderstruck (2017)
The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJane (2017)
Drawing from never-before-seen footage that has been tucked away in the National Geographic archives, director Brett Morgen tells the story of Jane Goodall, a woman whose chimpanzee research revolutionized our understanding of the natural world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbie & Her Sisters in the Great Puppy Adventure (2015)
Barbie and her sisters, Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea, and their adorable new puppy friends find unexpected mystery and adventure when they return to their hometown of Willows. While going through mementos in Grandma's attic, the sisters discover an old map, believed to lead to a long-lost treasure buried somewhere in the town. With their puppy pals in tow, the four girls go on an exciting treasure hunt, along the way discovering that the greatest treasure of all is the love and laughter they share as sisters!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMoonlight in Vermont (2017)
After fast-paced New York City high-end real estate broker Fiona Rangely gets dumped by her boyfriend, she escapes to her family’s quaint Vermont Inn for a few days to slow down and evaluate her life. When her ex-boyfriend Nate shows up at the Inn with a brand new girlfriend, Fiona quickly devises a plan to win him back: pretend the handsome and very laid- back head chef Derek is her new boyfriend! Much to the surprise of Derek --and to Fiona herself-- in pretending to be in love, she realizes that she’s been thrown a curveball: sometimes the best things in life are worth the wait.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEvolution (2001)
A comedy that follows the chaos that ensues when a meteor hits the Earth carrying alien life forms that give new meaning to the term "survival of the fittest." David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Seann William Scott, and Julianne Moore are the only people standing between the aliens and world domination... which could be bad news for the Earth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWar for the Planet of the Apes (2017)
Caesar and his apes are forced into a deadly conflict with an army of humans led by a ruthless Colonel. After the apes suffer unimaginable losses, Caesar wrestles with his darker instincts and begins his own mythic quest to avenge his kind. As the journey finally brings them face to face, Caesar and the Colonel are pitted against each other in an epic battle that will determine the fate of both their species and the future of the planet.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDarwin's Darkest Hour (2009)
In 1858 Charles Darwin struggles to publish one of the most controversial scientific theories ever conceived, while he and his wife Emma confront family tragedy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Reign of Fire (2002)
In post-apocalyptic England, an American volunteer and a British survivor team up to fight off a brood of fire-breathing dragons seeking to return to global dominance after centuries of rest underground. The Brit—leading a clan of survivors to hunt down the King of the Dragons—has much at stake: his mother was killed by a dragon, but his love is still alive.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnimal Kingdom: Let's Go Ape (2015)
Based on the novel 'Evolution Man' by Roy Lewis, this tells the story about the first man - young Edward - to descend from apes. Edward is ejected by his tribe, but is very resourceful. He learns to walk, discovers fire, manages to hunt - and we follow him as he evolves. He has a generous nature, and search for true humanity - a world where we don't eat our fathers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
SnoozefestMovies like thisOrigins of Life (2001)
A documentary that explores the natural world of the sea, from the single-celled organism to more complex forms of life, OCEAN ORIGINS was originally filmed in the IMAX large format, which adds a crispness and clarity to the images. This documentary film seeks to examine the process of evolution by looking at the many creatures of the sea that can illustrate the way multi-cellular life emerged over the course of four billion years. OCEAN ORIGINS is a creative film that uses fascinating documentary footage to look at scientific theories and principles in an interesting manner
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Planet Deutschland - 300 Millionen Jahre (2014)
Documentary tells the story of Germany's origins from the Carboniferous period to the present day. It leads from the highest Alpine peaks to the rugged North Sea coasts - from the craters of the Eifel to the river labyrinth of the Spreewald. Back then - around 300 million years ago - giant dragonflies, for example, buzzed through dozens of meter-high fern forests. In the course of the Earth's history, however, we also encounter dying dinosaurs, meet rhinos and elephants on the Rhine and come across what is probably the first human in Heidelberg. Later, the Neanderthals appear and suddenly disappear again - for reasons that are still unknown. And finally, modern humans gradually spread and began to shape their environment.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Beauty and the Atheist (2026)
A successful atheist podcaster crosses paths with a devout Christian. Both share a love for science, but are unable to see eye to eye on matters of the heart. This intellectual film will interest both believer and non-believer alike.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed (2008)
Pro-intelligent design scholars and scientists are often chastised, fired or denied tenured positions by those who believe in Darwin's theory of evolution.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
SnoozefestMovies like thisKingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024)
Several generations following Caesar's reign, apes – now the dominant species – live harmoniously while humans have been reduced to living in the shadows. As a new tyrannical ape leader builds his empire, one young ape undertakes a harrowing journey that will cause him to question all he's known about the past and to make choices that will define a future for apes and humans alike.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Mystery of Life?
The closest matches to Mystery of Life are Creation (2009), Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life (2009) and Canyon Passage (1946). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Mystery of Life?
Start with Creation (2009), the closest match to Mystery of Life.
What is the highest-rated movie like Mystery of Life?
Inherit the Wind (1960), rated 7.6/10 by 498 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Mystery of Life?
Beauty and the Atheist (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Mystery of Life?
Yes: Creation (2009), Charles Darwin and the Tree of Life (2009) and Canyon Passage (1946).
How are movies similar to Mystery of Life chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Mystery of Life, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.