Movies like Cruel Summer (2012)
The best movies like Cruel Summer (2012) are The Nutcracker (1993), Tom Thumb (1958) and Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration (2022). If Cruel Summer hooked you with its music and fantasy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDescendants 2 (2017)7.4/10 from 1,842 votes
- NewestHYPERSONIC Music Club (2023)Released 2023
The Nutcracker (1993)
On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie falls asleep and dreams herself into a fantastic world in which her toys become larger than life. She meets up with the Nutcracker Prince who takes her on a journey to his kingdom and defends her from the Mouse King.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & music
SnoozefestMovies like thisTom Thumb (1958)
A boy, no bigger than a thumb, manages to outwit two thieves determined to make a fortune from him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration (2022)
In honor of the 30th anniversary of the animated classic, this animated and live-action blended special showcases the fan-favorite movie, along with new musical performances, sets and costumes inspired by the classic story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Inauguration of the Pleasure Dome (1954)
Lord Shiva wakes. A convocation of magicians in the guise of figures from mythology; a masquerade party at which Pan is the prize. The wine of Hecate is poured: Pan's cup is poisoned by Shiva. Kali blesses the assembly as a bacchic rite ensues.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBrigadoon (1954)
Americans Jeff and Tommy, hunting in Scotland, stumble upon a village - Brigadoon. They soon learn that the town appears once every 100 years in order to preserve its peace and special beauty. The citizens go to bed at night and when they wake up, it's 100 years later. Tommy falls in love with a beautiful young woman, Fiona, and is torn between staying or going back to his hectic life in New York.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPuss in Boots (1988)
Following the death of their miller father, his eldest son inherits the mill, the middle one a donkey, and the youngest a cat. While initially disappointed, the lad soon learns not only that the cat can talk but is quite resourceful.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisScooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire (2003)
The Yowie Yahoo starts kidnapping musicians at a concert attended by Scooby and the gang in Vampire Rock, Australia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAlice's Adventures in Wonderland (1972)
An all-star cast highlights this vibrant musical adaptation of Lewis Carroll's immortal tale. One day, plucky young Alice follows a white rabbit down a hole and discovers a world of bizarre characters.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUnder the Sea: A Descendants Story (2018)
Mal emerges from the shadows of a mystical forest onto a dark coastline where she crosses paths with Dizzy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBattle of the Year (2013)
A down-on-his-luck coach is hired to prepare a team of the best American dancers for an international tournament that attracts all the best crews from around the world, but the Americans haven't won in fifteen years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Pirate (1948)
A girl is engaged to the local richman, but meanwhile she has dreams about the legendary pirate Macoco. A traveling singer falls in love with her and to impress her he poses as the pirate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Thief of Bagdad (1940)
When Prince Ahmad is blinded and cast out of Bagdad by the nefarious Jaffar, he joins forces with the scrappy thief Abu to win back his royal place, as well as the heart of a beautiful princess.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPure Country 2: The Gift (2010)
Three angels bestow the gift of song to a young girl, who must follow a series of rules in order hold on to it during her rise to fame and fortune.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTeen Spirit (2019)
A shy teenager living on the Isle of Wight dreams of pop stardom. With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a singing competition that will test her integrity, talent, and ambition.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSneakerella (2022)
When El, an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens, meets Kira King, the fiercely independent daughter of legendary basketball star and sneaker tycoon Darius King, sparks fly as the two bond over their mutual affinity for sneakers. With a little nudge from his best friend and a sprinkle of Fairy Godfather magic, El finds the courage to use his talent to pursue his dream of becoming a ‘legit’ sneaker designer in the industry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
SnoozefestMovies like thisArlo the Alligator Boy (2021)
Upon learning that he is from New York City, a wide-eyed boy, who is half human and half alligator, decides to leave his sheltered life in the swamp and search for his long lost father. A musical adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCoda (2020)
A famous pianist at the twilight of his career meets a free-spirited music critic who soon becomes his rock as his mental state deteriorates.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)
A childless couple bury a box in their backyard, containing all of their wishes for an infant. Soon, a child is born, though Timothy Green is not all that he appears.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDescendants 2 (2017)
When the pressure to be royal becomes too much for Mal, she returns to the Isle of the Lost where her archenemy Uma, Ursula's daughter, has taken her spot as self-proclaimed queen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMo' Better Blues (1990)
Talented but self-centered trumpeter Bleek Gilliam is obsessed with his music and indecisiveness about his girlfriends Indigo and Clarke. But when he is forced to come to the aid of his manager and childhood friend, Bleek finds his world more fragile than he ever imagined.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Fox with Nine Tails (1968)
Tobimaru is the young emperor of Japan. He meets a mysterious woman named Tomamo. After successfully seducing Tobimaru, she brings great misfortune onto the land. Tobimaru soon discovers that Tomamo is actually a kitsune, and now has the task to unmask and kill her to save his land.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
HYPERSONIC Music Club (2023)
In 2017, a short anime film called Hypersonic Music Club was produced in Japan. It was directed and written by Osamu Kobayashi, a veteran of the industry who passed away in April 2021. For various reasons, this short anime was never released. It was made public on August 1, 2023.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
The Frankie Howerd Show (1968)
A variety-style show designed around Frankie Howerd, featuring musical guests, comedic monologues, and his characteristic interaction with the audience, promising a "star-studded" feel despite his ironic complaints about the lineup.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Nyanko Great War: The Movie (TBA)
"A theatrical anime comedy short based directly on the hit mobile game. Released alongside major theatrical events in Japan, it features an entire army of bizarre, surreal "Nyankos" executing chaotic plans for world dominance on the big screen." A lost media movie, created by PONOS Cooperation. This was a highly exclusive, limited-time interactive attraction, screened only inside physical event venues in Japan. PONOS Cooperation had never released it on DVD, Blu-ray, or any streaming platforms.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
The Square Root (1969)
Photographer Peter Christiansen, University of Miami student, does a picture story at an LSD party on the beach.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Aurora sul mare (1934)
The murderer who killed a Black Shirt in 1922 escaped across Italy’s borders, leaving his family and the victim’s family in poverty. The fascist’s son, whose mother also died, was taken in and raised among the Balilla youth. Twelve years after the crime, the murderer—who had found neither bread nor peace—returned to Italy clandestinely by jumping into the sea a short distance from the Italian coast. Just as he was about to drown, he was saved by his victim’s son and other sailors.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Something in the Basement (1986)
A youth waits for his brother to return home from a bloody war. He encounters something very nasty and evil in the basement of his house, claiming his older brother has in fact died.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Kansas City Blender Massacre (1986)
Lost Todd Sheets short about a killer using a blender.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
One of the Thirty-six (1925)
The action takes place during the January Uprising. A Russian commander imposed a tribute on a town inhabited by Jews; the money was appropriated by an adjutant, and eleven hostages faced court martial for allegedly failing to pay tribute and forging the commander's signature. A legend is woven into the plot: the sacred number 36 indicates thirty-six righteous. Nameless, unknown to anyone, they live as paupers or simpletons, carrying the burden of the world's sins on their shoulders. A good deed or a miracle that averts misfortune betrays them; however, the perpetrator of the miracle must die. The film has not survived to this day.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Episódios Perdidos: Uma História (TBA)
El Chavo, El Chapulin Colorado, Chespirito: The biggest phenomenon of Latin American comedy in 50 years. Behind the success, there is a mystery that has never been solved: the lost episodes.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Like Cruel Summer and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Cruel Summer?
The closest matches to Cruel Summer are The Nutcracker (1993), Tom Thumb (1958) and Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration (2022). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Cruel Summer?
Start with The Nutcracker (1993), the closest match to Cruel Summer.
What is the highest-rated movie like Cruel Summer?
Descendants 2 (2017), rated 7.4/10 by 1,842 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Cruel Summer?
HYPERSONIC Music Club (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Cruel Summer?
Yes: The Nutcracker (1993), Tom Thumb (1958) and Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration (2022).
How are movies similar to Cruel Summer chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Cruel Summer, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.