Movies like The Little Mermaid (2023)
The best movies like The Little Mermaid (2023) are Pets United (2019), The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000) and The Pout-Pout Fish (2026). If The Little Mermaid hooked you with its animation and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMy Little Pony: A New Generation (2021)7.7/10 from 360 votes
- NewestThe Pout-Pout Fish (2026)Released 2026
Pets United (2019)
When Roger (a Robin Hood-esque, stray dog) and Belle (an elegant yet spoilt pet cat) are thrown together amidst the chaos of a robot take-over of their home city, they must push all their preconceptions aside in order to survive, as they embark on a high-stakes, action-packed adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000)
Set several years after the first film, Ariel and Prince Eric are happily married with a daughter, Melody. In order to protect Melody from the Sea Witch, Morgana, they have not told her about her mermaid heritage. Melody is curious and ventures into the sea, where she meets new friends. But will she become a pawn in Morgana's quest to take control of the ocean from King Triton?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Pout-Pout Fish (2026)
Living on a rundown shipwreck, Mr. Fish one day discovers a hyperactive young sea dragon Pip – who had mistaken his home for a junkyard – pilfering his belongings. The heated argument that ensues leaves both their houses in ruin. But there is hope! Embarking on a seemingly impossible quest in search of the mythical 'Shimmer' to grant them a wish, there’s only one problem: someone else is on the hunt...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMinions & More Volume 1 (2022)
This collection of 10 short films produced by Illumination includes: From the "Despicable Me" franchise: Puppy (2013); Minion Scouts (2019); Training Wheels (2013); The Secret Life of Kyle (2017); Santa's Little Helpers (2019). From the "Grinch" franchise: The Dog Days of Winter (2019). From the "Secret Life of Pets" franchise: Norman Television (2016); Weenie (2016). From the "Sing" franchise: Love at First Sight (2017). From the "Lorax" franchise: Forces of Nature (2012).
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDuck Duck Goose (2018)
After he’s grounded by an injury, a high-flying bachelor is saddled with two wide-eyed orphans as they come face-to-face with the dangers and beauty of the outside world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTwo by Two: Overboard! (2020)
Two misfit castaways struggle to reunite an unorthodox family, out-run a volcano, and negotiate a peace deal on a creaking Ark.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMy Little Pony: A New Generation (2021)
Equestria's divided. But a bright-eyed hero believes Earth Ponies, Pegasi and Unicorns should be pals — and, hoof to heart, she’s determined to prove it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Monkey King (2023)
A stick-wielding monkey teams with a young girl on an epic quest for immortality, battling demons, dragons, gods — and his own ego — along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don't Come Back!) (1980)
Charlie Brown, Linus, Peppermint Patty and Marcie travel to France as foreign exchange students. Also along is Snoopy and Woodstock. While everyone is excited about the opportunity to travel to a foreign country, Charlie is disturbed by a letter he receives from a mysterious girl from France who invites him as a her guest only to find that he does not seem welcomed to her Chateau.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia (2006)
In this animated follow-up to Fairytopia, Elina enlists the help of a mermaid, Nori, to save her friend Nalu, a merman prince who has been captured by the wicked Laverna.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarbie: Dolphin Magic (2017)
Barbie and her sisters take off on another exciting, global adventure to visit their friend Ken at his summer internship at a beautiful and exotic coral reef.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRuby Gillman, Teenage Kraken (2023)
Ruby Gillman, a sweet and awkward high school student, discovers she's a direct descendant of the warrior kraken queens. The kraken are sworn to protect the oceans of the world against the vain, power-hungry mermaids. Destined to inherit the throne from her commanding grandmother, Ruby must use her newfound powers to protect those she loves most.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Loud House Movie (2021)
The Loud family travel to Scotland and discover they are descendants of Scottish royalty as they move into their giant ancestral castle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLEGO DC Comics Super Heroes: Aquaman - Rage of Atlantis (2018)
Aquaman must battle foes in the air, on land and in the depths of the Seven Seas, along with some help from The Justice League, to save the day.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPAW Patrol: Ready, Race, Rescue! (2019)
It’s the Adventure Bay 500! The pups have built an awesome race track and are ready to be the pit crew for their race hero, The Whoosh! But when the legendary racer is unable to drive in the championship race, he calls on his biggest fan-pup Marshall to take the wheel and race in his place! Marshall has to overcome his lack of confidence and his dastardly competition, The Cheetah, to fulfill his dream of becoming the fastest race-pup ever!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTinker Bell (2008)
Journey into the secret world of Pixie Hollow and hear Tinker Bell speak for the very first time as the astonishing story of Disney's most famous fairy is finally revealed in the all-new motion picture "Tinker Bell."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbie in A Mermaid Tale (2010)
Barbie stars as Merliah, a surfer who learns a shocking secret: she's a mermaid! She and her dolphin friend set out for an undersea adventure to rescue her mother, the queen of Oceana.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbie in A Mermaid Tale 2 (2012)
Merliah Summers, a mermaid from Oceana, travels to Australia for a surfing competition. But when she learns that the evil Eris is planning to take over her kingdom, she must stop her at any cost.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbie: Mermaid Power (2022)
Barbie 'Brooklyn' Roberts, Barbie 'Malibu' Roberts, and sisters Skipper, Stacie, and Chelsea go on an underwater adventure as they transform into mermaids to help save the world of Pacifica.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Little Mermaid (1989)
This colorful adventure tells the story of an impetuous mermaid princess named Ariel who falls in love with the very human Prince Eric and puts everything on the line for the chance to be with him. Memorable songs and characters -- including the villainous sea witch Ursula.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMerbabies (1938)
Walt Disney enlisted former colleagues Hugh Harman and Rudy Ising to help create this underwater Silly Symphony. Ocean waves form merbabies who are summoned to an aquatic circus playground on the sea floor, where they interact with a parade of seahorses, starfish and other marine life, before disappearing into the surface from which they came.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mermaid Princess (2015)
The adventures of a kind-hearted mermaid who saves a captain's daughter from the stormy ocean, despite the Sea-God's warning not to intervene in the affairs of mortals. However when the captain needs her help again, the mermaid princess must choose between following the laws of the ocean and saving her new human friends from a band of pirates and a dangerous island giant.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Pan (2015)
Living a bleak existence at a London orphanage, 12-year-old Peter finds himself whisked away to the fantastical world of Neverland. Adventure awaits as he meets new friend James Hook and the warrior Tiger Lily. They must band together to save Neverland from the ruthless pirate Blackbeard. Along the way, the rebellious and mischievous boy discovers his true destiny, becoming the hero forever known as Peter Pan.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScales (2017)
Siren has lived her life thinking she's an ordinary girl, in an ordinary town. On her 12th birthday, she learns that she's far from ordinary.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
The Mermaids: The Secret of the Medallion (2025)
Three teenage friends struggle with the challenges of school while trying to keep a well-hidden secret: they are mermaids. When their secret is exposed on social media, they embark on a journey to a secret island, where they hope to give up their magical powers. Their adventure is full of surprises and the unexpected, and the girls discover what truly matters in life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Fishtales (2007)
A Greek History Professor & his daughter travel to a Greek Island for one last chance to finish his thesis on ancient love spells before he loses his research grant. His daughter attempts to match her father with the local women without success until she meets a beautiful Mermaid with whose help the Professor might finally find true love for himself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & family
Big Fish (2003)
Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, William. Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSplash (1984)
A successful businessman falls in love with the girl of his dreams. There's one big complication though; he's fallen hook, line and sinker for a mermaid.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides (2011)
When Jack crosses paths with a woman from his past, he's not sure if it's love...or if she's a ruthless con artist using him to find the fabled Fountain of Youth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSabrina, Down Under (1999)
Sabrina travels to Australia's Great Barrier Reef with her best friend Gwen, a fellow witch from England, for a week-long vacation where they try to help protect a hidden mermaid colony whose habitat is threatened by ocean pollution, and by a local marine biologist determined to find the colony as his claim to fame. While Sabrina finds romance with a "merman" from the mermaid colony, Salem the cat finds a possible romance with another witch-turned-into-a-cat, named Hilary, but finds Sabrina's problems interfering with his plans.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Little Mermaid?
The closest matches to The Little Mermaid are Pets United (2019), The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000) and The Pout-Pout Fish (2026). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Little Mermaid?
Start with Pets United (2019), the closest match to The Little Mermaid.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Little Mermaid?
My Little Pony: A New Generation (2021), rated 7.7/10 by 360 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Little Mermaid?
The Pout-Pout Fish (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Little Mermaid?
Yes: Pets United (2019), The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea (2000) and The Pout-Pout Fish (2026).
How are movies similar to The Little Mermaid chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Little Mermaid, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.