Movies like Watchmen: Chapter I (2024)
The best movies like Watchmen: Chapter I (2024) are Watchmen: Chapter II (2024), Adult Swim's The Elephant (2025) and The Animatrix (2003). If Watchmen: Chapter I hooked you with its animation and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act (2026)8.8/10 from 312 votes
- NewestThe Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act (2026)Released 2026
- Same seriesWatchmen: Chapter II (2024)Watchmen
Watchmen: Chapter II (2024)
Suspicious of the events ensnaring their former colleagues, Nite Owl and Silk Spectre are spurred out of retirement to investigate. As they grapple with personal ethics, inner demons and a society turned against them, they race the clock to uncover a deepening plot that might trigger global nuclear war.
Why it matches: Same series: Watchmen · both animation & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAdult Swim's The Elephant (2025)
Crafted in three parts by four animation superstars, Adult Swim's The Elephant brings to life a very human journey of self-discovery in varied styles.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
The Animatrix (2003)
Straight from the creators of the groundbreaking Matrix trilogy, this collection of short animated films from the world's leading anime directors fuses computer graphics and Japanese anime to provide the background of the Matrix universe and the conflict between man and machines. The shorts include Final Flight of the Osiris, The Second Renaissance, Kid's Story, Program, World Record, Beyond, A Detective Story and Matriculated.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRay Gunn (2026)
In Metropia, a gigantic city in an alternate future as seen from 1939, private eye Raymond Gunn is drawn into a case involving aliens, murder and a multimedia star named Venus Nova.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
Coming SoonMovies like thisThe Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act (2026)
With Caine gone and the circus dark, the cast are left with only the mistakes and traumas of their pasts to keep them company. As the prospect of eternity closes in around them, they discover the truth about the Digital Circus and its history. Will they come to terms with what they uncover, or will they make... the other choice? Also, presumably at some point someone says something funny, because this ending can’t be THAT depressing, can it? A theatrical screening of episode 8 and the all new, hour-long episode 9.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Congress (2013)
An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Scanner Darkly (2006)
An undercover cop in a not-too-distant future becomes involved with a dangerous new drug and begins to lose his own identity as a result.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBatman: The Dark Knight Returns, Part 1 (2012)
Batman has not been seen for ten years. A new breed of criminal ravages Gotham City, forcing 55-year-old Bruce Wayne back into the cape and cowl. But, does he still have what it takes to fight crime in a new era?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both science fiction & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPaprika (2006)
Dr. Atsuko Chiba is a research psychologist who uses a device called the DC Mini to enter her patients' dreams, wherein she adopts the alter-ego "Paprika". When the device is stolen, she must stop rogue elements from merging the dream and waking worlds.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMetropolis (2001)
In the midst of societal conflict in the futuristic city of Metropolis, Kenichi and his uncle Shunsaku Ban set out to uncover the mystery behind the first human-like robot, Tima.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisObex (2026)
Conor Marsh lives a secluded life with his dog, Sandy, until one day he begins playing OBEX, a new, state-of-the-art computer game. When Sandy goes missing, the line between reality and game blurs and Conor must venture into the strange world of OBEX to bring her home.
Why it matches: Fans watch both
When the Wind Blows (1986)
With the help of government-issued pamphlets, an elderly British couple build a shelter and prepare for an impending nuclear attack, unaware that times and the nature of war have changed from their romantic memories of World War II.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBatman Beyond: The Movie (1999)
Fuelled by remorse and vengeance, a high schooler named Terry McGinnis becomes the new Batman as he fights crime in the futuristic Neo-Gotham City.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFelidae (1994)
A domestic house cat named Francis investigates the grisly feline murders taking place in his new neighborhood.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGhost in the Shell (1995)
In the year 2029, the barriers of our world have been broken down by the net and by cybernetics, but this brings new vulnerability to humans in the form of brain-hacking. When a highly-wanted hacker known as 'The Puppetmaster' begins involving them in politics, Section 9, a group of cybernetically enhanced cops, are called in to investigate and stop the Puppetmaster.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBlade Runner (1982)
In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both science fiction & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBlind Willow, Sleeping Woman (2023)
A lost cat, a giant talkative frog and a tsunami help a bank employee without ambition, his frustrated wife and a schizophrenic accountant to save Tokyo from an earthquake and find a meaning to their lives.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & drama
Heavy Metal (1981)
The embodiment of ultimate evil, a glowing orb terrorizes a young girl with bizarre stories of dark fantasy, eroticism and horror.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWaking Life (2001)
Waking Life is about a young man in a persistent lucid dream-like state. The film follows its protagonist as he initially observes and later participates in philosophical discussions that weave together issues like reality, free will, our relationships with others, and the meaning of life.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBatman: The Killing Joke (2016)
As Batman hunts for the escaped Joker, the Clown Prince of Crime attacks the Gordon family to prove a diabolical point mirroring his own fall into madness.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAkira (1988)
A secret military project endangers Neo-Tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psychic psychopath that only two teenagers and a group of psychics can stop.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisRenaissance (2006)
To find Ilona and unlock the secrets of her disappearance, Karas must plunge deep into the parallel worlds of corporate espionage, organized crime and genetic research - where the truth imprisons whoever finds it first and miracles can be bought but at a great price.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTodd McFarlane's Spawn: Season 2 (1998)
Spawn - having become plagued by nightmares - discovers that his former Special Forces partner, Chapel, was the one who murdered him. Their paths inevitably cross when Chapel attempts to steal military weapons for Jason Wynn.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation
Decorado (2025)
Arnold, an unemployed middle-aged mouse, confides to his wife Maria that he suspects his entire world is nothing more than a set, and his life a scripted performance. When his best friend Ramiro dies under mysterious circumstances, he traces the conspiracy to a monolithic corporation whose influence reaches every corner of their daily lives.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation
Fantastic Planet (1973)
On the planet Ygam, the Draags, extremely technologically and spiritually advanced blue humanoids, consider the tiny Oms, human beings descendants of Terra's inhabitants, as ignorant animals. Those who live in slavery are treated as simple pets and used to entertain Draag children; those who live hidden in the hostile wilderness of the planet are periodically hunted and ruthlessly slaughtered as if they were vermin.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDoctor Who: Shada (2017)
The Doctor visits his old Time Lord friend Chronotis in Cambridge, 1979. But the ruthless Skagra has also arrived to retrieve a book that will help unlock one of the Time Lords' greatest secrets: what is Shada? Filming for this story was never finished, and in this version the unfilmed material is completed via animation.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both science fiction & animation
The Amazing Screw-On Head (2006)
Based on the award-winning comic book by Mike Mignola (creator of Hellboy), The Amazing Screw-On Head chronicles the adventures of a Civil War-era secret agent with an extraordinary special power who serves under president Abraham Lincoln.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Spider Within: A Spider-Verse Story (2023)
After a particularly challenging day, Miles experiences a panic attack that forces him to confront the manifestations of his anxiety and learn that reaching out for help can be just as brave an act as protecting his city from evil.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSaw: Rebirth (2005)
This animated comic goes back in time to explore the events that spurred the transformation of mild-mannered John Kramer into the monstrous Jigsaw.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation
SnoozefestMovies like thisSamurai Jack: The Premiere Movie (2017)
A small boy is sent away from his village. He is to be trained as a samurai warrior and return to fight the evil shapeshifter, Aku, who has wreaked havoc throughout the village. His skills honed, the warrior attempts a return to his home, but winds up in a future time landscape. Here, the locals call the stranger, a sort of Dirty Harry kung fu loner, "Jack" and assist him in his path homeward. This is the original feature length presentation that kicked off the SAMURAI JACK phenomenon on the Cartoon Network.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both science fiction & animation
Like Watchmen: Chapter I and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Watchmen: Chapter I?
The closest matches to Watchmen: Chapter I are Watchmen: Chapter II (2024), Adult Swim's The Elephant (2025) and The Animatrix (2003). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Watchmen: Chapter I?
People who watched Watchmen: Chapter I most often go on to Adult Swim's The Elephant (2025), The Animatrix (2003) and Ray Gunn (2026).
What is the highest-rated movie like Watchmen: Chapter I?
The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act (2026), rated 8.8/10 by 312 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Watchmen: Chapter I?
The Amazing Digital Circus: The Last Act (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Is Watchmen: Chapter I part of a series?
Yes. It belongs to Watchmen, which includes Watchmen: Chapter II (2024).
Are there English movies like Watchmen: Chapter I?
Yes: Watchmen: Chapter II (2024), Adult Swim's The Elephant (2025) and The Animatrix (2003).
How are movies similar to Watchmen: Chapter I chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Watchmen: Chapter I, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.