Movies like By My Side (2024)
The best movies like By My Side (2024) are Max (2015), A Dog's Purpose (2017) and Dog Gone (2023). If By My Side hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedForrest Gump (1994)8.5/10 from 30,862 votes
- NewestThe Dog Stars (2026)Released 2026
Max (2015)
A dog that helped soldiers in Afghanistan returns to the U.S. and is adopted by his handler's family after suffering a traumatic experience.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Dog's Purpose (2017)
A dog goes on quest to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes with multiple owners.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDog Gone (2023)
When his beloved dog goes missing, a young man embarks on an incredible search with his parents to find him and give him life-saving medication.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Dog's Way Home (2019)
The adventure of Bella, a dog who embarks on an epic 400-mile journey home after she is separated from her beloved human.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRescued by Ruby (2022)
Chasing his dream to join an elite K-9 unit, a state trooper partners with a fellow underdog: clever but naughty shelter pup Ruby. Based on a true story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFluke (1995)
Workaholic Thomas Johnson dies in an auto accident and reincarnates as a dog. Remembering some of his previous being, he returns to his wife and son to protect them from the man who caused his accident. But, as time goes by, his memories return, and Thomas realizes he wasn't such a good husband and father.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDog Days (2018)
Elizabeth, a charming morning show news anchor, seeks advice from her dog's therapist after a breakup. Tara, a spunky barista, dreams of a life beyond the coffee shop. Awkward Garrett pines for Tara while trying to keep his adopt-a-dog business afloat. Dax is a man-child and leader of the aspiring rock band Frunk. Grace and Kurt anxiously await the arrival of their adoptive daughter, Amelia. Walter, an aging, lonely widower, loses his dog Mabel when she runs off. The beloved canines in their lives soon start to influence their careers, friendships, and romantic relationships in funny and unexpected ways.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
It's the hope that sustains the spirit of every GI: the dream of the day when he will finally return home. For three WWII veterans, the day has arrived. But for each man, the dream is about to become a nightmare.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisForrest Gump (1994)
A man with a low IQ has accomplished great things in his life and been present during significant historic events—in each case, far exceeding what anyone imagined he could do. But despite all he has achieved, his one true love eludes him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDog (2022)
An army ranger and his dog embark on a road trip along the Pacific Coast Highway to attend a friend's funeral.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Boy and His Dog (1975)
Set in the year 2024 in post-apocalyptic America, 18-year old Vic and his telepathic dog, Blood, are scavengers in the desolate wilderness ravaged by World War IV, where survivors must battle for food and shelter in the desert-like wasteland. Vic and Blood eke out a meager existence, foraging for food and fighting gangs of cutthroats.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHachi: A Dog's Tale (2009)
Professor Wilson discovers a lost Akita puppy on his way home. Despite objections from his wife, Hachi endears himself to the family and grows to be Parker's loyal companion. As their bond grows deeper, a beautiful relationship unfolds.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThree Wishes (1995)
While Jane Holman is driving with her two sons, she accidentally runs into a drifter, Jack McCloud, who breaks his leg. Being responsible, Jane invites Jack, and his dog, to stay at her home until his leg has healed. Jack struggles to adapt their lifestyle, and finds himself loved by the family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Dog Stars (2026)
After the world's population has been ravaged by a pandemic, a man lives a lonesome existence in a Colorado airplane hangar with his dog and a dour gunman he has befriended. When a mysterious transmission comes through on the radio while he’s flying his old Cessna, it sparks a hunt for the provenance of the sound.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFar from Home: The Adventures of Yellow Dog (1995)
Teenager Angus adopts a stray dog and names him Yellow. Several days later, while travelling along the coast of British Columbia with Angus's father, John, the boy and dog become stranded when turbulent waters capsize their boat. Angus's parents relentlessly badger rescue teams. Angus, schooled by his father in wilderness survival skills, and assisted by the intelligent Yellow Dog, tries to attract rescuers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMuzzle: City of Wolves (2025)
LAPD officer Jake Rosser endeavors to lead a peaceful life with his family and retired K-9 officer, Socks. However, tranquility dissolves into chaos when a gang targets them in a brutal attack. Alongside his new K-9 partner Argos, Jake launches into a relentless pursuit of justice, determined to protect his loved ones.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMegan Leavey (2017)
The true story of Marine Corporal Megan Leavey, who forms a powerful bond with an aggressive combat dog, Rex. While deployed in Iraq, the two complete more than 100 missions and save countless lives, until an IED explosion puts their faithfulness to the test.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBecause of Winn-Dixie (2005)
A girl, abandoned by her mother when she was three, moves to a small town in Florida with her father. There, she adopts an orphaned dog she names Winn-Dixie. The bond between the girl and her special companion brings together the people in a small Florida town and heals her own troubled relationship with her father.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThank You for Your Service (2017)
A group of U.S. soldiers returning from Iraq struggle to integrate back into family and civilian life, while living with the memory of a war that threatens to destroy them long after they've left the battlefield.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHomeward Bound: The Incredible Journey (1993)
Before the Seavers leave for a family vacation to San Francisco, they drop off their pets -- Chance, an adventurous American bulldog; Shadow, a wise golden retriever; and Sassy, a cautious cat -- at a friend's ranch. But when the animals start to worry that they've been left for good, the three embark together on a treacherous and thrilling journey to find their way back home through the California wilderness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like By My Side?
The closest matches to By My Side are Max (2015), A Dog's Purpose (2017) and Dog Gone (2023). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after By My Side?
Start with Max (2015), the closest match to By My Side.
What is the highest-rated movie like By My Side?
Forrest Gump (1994), rated 8.5/10 by 30,862 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like By My Side?
The Dog Stars (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like By My Side?
Yes: Max (2015), A Dog's Purpose (2017) and Dog Gone (2023).
How are movies similar to By My Side chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside By My Side, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.