Movies like Star Wars (1977)
The best movies like Star Wars (1977) are The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). If Star Wars hooked you with its adventure and action, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Empire Strikes Back (1980)8.4/10 from 19,110 votes
- NewestThe Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)Released 2026
The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisStar Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo and his allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSolo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRogue One: A Star Wars Story (2016)
A rogue band of resistance fighters unite for a mission to steal the Death Star plans and bring a new hope to the galaxy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisReturn of the Jedi (1983)
Luke Skywalker leads a mission to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, the Emperor prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star, and the Rebel fleet mounts a massive attack on the space station. Luke Skywalker confronts Darth Vader in a final climactic duel before the evil Emperor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisStar Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)
The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again as the journey of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle begins.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
When the ruthless forces of the Motherworld threaten a quiet farming village on a distant moon, a mysterious outsider becomes its best hope for survival.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRebel Moon - Part Two: The Scargiver (2024)
The rebels gear up for battle against the ruthless forces of the Motherworld as unbreakable bonds are forged, heroes emerge — and legends are made.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStar Trek Into Darkness (2013)
When the crew of the Enterprise is called back home, they find an unstoppable force of terror from within their own organization has detonated the fleet and everything it stands for, leaving our world in a state of crisis. With a personal score to settle, Captain Kirk leads a manhunt to a war-zone world to capture a one man weapon of mass destruction. As our heroes are propelled into an epic chess game of life and death, love will be challenged, friendships will be torn apart, and sacrifices must be made for the only family Kirk has left: his crew.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStar Trek: Insurrection (1998)
When an alien race and factions within Starfleet attempt to take over a planet that has "regenerative" properties, it falls upon Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise to defend the planet's people as well as the very ideals upon which the Federation itself was founded.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFlash Gordon (1980)
A football player and his mates travel to the planet Mongo and find themselves fighting the tyranny of Ming the Merciless to save Earth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGuardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & science fiction
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisValerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
In the 28th century, Valerian and Laureline are special operatives charged with keeping order throughout the human territories. On assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two undertake a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where species from across the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence, and cultures. At the center of Alpha is a mysterious dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTitan A.E. (2000)
A young man finds out that he holds the key to restoring hope and ensuring survival for the human race, while an alien species called the Drej are bent on mankind's destruction.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEnder's Game (2013)
Based on the classic novel by Orson Scott Card, Ender's Game is the story of the Earth's most gifted children training to defend their homeplanet in the space wars of the future.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStar Wars: Episode I - The Phantom Menace (1999)
Anakin Skywalker, a young slave strong with the Force, is discovered on Tatooine. Meanwhile, the evil Sith have returned, enacting their plot for revenge against the Jedi.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Last Starfighter (1984)
Video game expert Alex Rogan finds himself transported to another planet after conquering the video game The Last Starfighter, only to find out it was just a test. He was recruited to join the team of best Starfighters to defend their world from the attack.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mandalorian and Grogu (2026)
The evil Empire has fallen, and Imperial warlords remain scattered throughout the galaxy. As the fledgling New Republic works to protect everything the Rebellion fought for, they have enlisted the help of legendary Mandalorian bounty hunter Din Djarin and his young apprentice Grogu.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStar Trek (2009)
The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. The human adventure has begun again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStar Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
When an unidentified alien destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Captain James T. Kirk returns to the newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Ice Pirates (1984)
In the not too distant future, where by far the most precious commodity in the galaxy is water. The last surviving water planet was somehow removed to the unreachable centre of the galaxy at the end of the galactic trade wars. The galaxy is ruled by an evil emperor presiding over a trade oligarchy that controls all mining and sale of ice from asteroids and comets.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisWing Commander (1999)
In the mid-27th century, the Terran Confederation is at war with the vicious alien Kilrathi Empire. When the Kilrathi capture a crucial navigational device that could lead them to Earth, the Confederation’s only hope rests with a small group of young fighter pilots. Lieutenant Christopher Blair, along with his wingman Todd 'Maniac' Marshall and Commander Jeanette 'Angel' Deveraux, must intercept the alien fleet and prevent the destruction of mankind. Battling overwhelming odds and racing against time, they face not only external threats but also inner fears and rivalries as they fight to save Earth from annihilation.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction & action
SnoozefestMovies like thisStargames (1998)
A young space prince on the run from an evil space villain, stranded on Earth and waiting for his grandfather the king to rescue him, befriends an Earth child named Brian and together they evade robots, bears, and triangles.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & science fiction
Fantastic Four (2005)
During a space voyage, four scientists are altered by cosmic rays: Reed Richards gains the ability to stretch his body; Sue Storm can become invisible; Johnny Storm controls fire; and Ben Grimm is turned into a super-strong … thing. Together, these "Fantastic Four" must now thwart the evil plans of Dr. Doom and save the world from certain destruction.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisDemolition Man (1993)
In 1996, brash L.A. detective John Spartan and maniac killer Simon Phoenix are both sentenced to decades in a cryogenic prison as punishment for a rescue mission gone wrong. When Phoenix escapes 36 years later to wreak havoc on the future, Spartan is awakened to capture his nemesis the old-fashioned way.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWasteland (2021)
Follows the quiet day of a lonely young girl who tries to survive in a post-apocalyptic world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & science fiction
Ewoks: The Battle for Endor (1985)
The army of the Marauders, led by King Terak and the witch Charal, attack the Ewoks village, killing Cindel's family. Cindel and the Ewok Wicket escape and meet Teek in the forest, a naughty and very fast animal. Teek takes them to a house in which an old man, Noa, lives. Like Cindel, he also crashed with his Starcruiser on Endor. Together they fight Terak and Charal.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Jewel of the Nile (1985)
Joan Wilder is thrust back into a world of murder, chases, foreign intrigue... and love. This time out she's duped by a duplicitous Arab dignitary who brings her to the Middle East, ostensibly to write a book about his life. Of course, he's up to no good, and Joan is just another pawn in his wicked game. But Jack Colton and his sidekick Ralph show up to help our intrepid heroine save the day.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Hunt for Eagle One: Crash Point (2006)
The Strike Force team is back in this action-packed sequel to "The Hunt For Eagle One"! Terrorists have stolen a Ground Control Encoder...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & adventure
The Glimmer Man (1996)
A former government operative renowned for his stealth, Jack Cole is now a Los Angeles police detective. When a series of horrible murders occurs in the metro area, Cole is assigned to the case, along with tough-talking fellow cop Jim Campbell. Although the two men clash, they gradually become effective partners as they uncover a conspiracy linked to the killings, which also involves terrorism and organized crime.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action
SnoozefestMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Star Wars?
The closest matches to Star Wars are The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Star Wars?
Start with The Empire Strikes Back (1980), the closest match to Star Wars.
What is the highest-rated movie like Star Wars?
The Empire Strikes Back (1980), rated 8.4/10 by 19,110 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Star Wars?
The Mandalorian and Grogu (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Star Wars?
Yes: The Empire Strikes Back (1980), Star Wars: The Force Awakens (2015) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018).
How are movies similar to Star Wars chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Star Wars, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.