Movies like The Nightwatchman (1993)
The best movies like The Nightwatchman (1993) are Groot's Pursuit (2022), The Little Guy (2022) and Jungle Beat: The Movie (2020). If The Nightwatchman hooked you with its animation and science fiction, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)7.8/10 from 3,577 votes
- NewestStill Life (2026)Released 2026
Groot's Pursuit (2022)
Groot investigates a spooky noise that’s been haunting the Quadrant, which leads to an intense dance off.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Little Guy (2022)
Groot discovers a miniature civilization that believes the seemingly enormous tree toddler is the hero they’ve been waiting for.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJungle Beat: The Movie (2020)
The Jungle Beat animals think it’s the best thing ever when an alien arrives in the jungle bringing with him the power of speech. They also surprisingly think it’s the best thing ever when they find out that he’s been sent to conquer them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAqua Teen Hunger Force Colon Movie Film for Theaters (2007)
An action epic that explores the origins of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force (better known as Master Shake, Frylock, and Meatwad,) who somehow become pitted in a battle over an immortal piece of exercise equipment.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMagnum Opus (2022)
Groot sets out to paint a family portrait of himself and the Guardians, only to discover just how messy the artistic process can be.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJimmy Timmy Power Hour (2004)
Mayhem reigns supreme in the animated kingdom as whiz kid Jimmy Neutron and Timmy from "The Fairly Oddparents" swap places in each other's worlds.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGroot's First Steps (2022)
Following the events of “Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 1,” Baby Groot is finally ready to try taking his first steps out of his pot—only to learn you have to walk before you can run.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSouth Park: Joining the Panderverse (2023)
Cartman's deeply disturbing dreams portend the end of the life he knows and loves. Meanwhile, the adults in South Park are wrestling with their own life decisions, as the advent of AI is turning their world upside down.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJimmy Timmy Power Hour 2: When Nerds Collide (2006)
Cartoon worlds collide in this hourlong adventure starring whiz kid Jimmy Neutron and Timmy Turner from "The Fairly OddParents." When the boys duel over Cindy Vortex, it draws the attention of Jimmy's archenemy, Prof. Calamitous, who teams with Wanda and Cosmo, forcing Jimmy and Timmy to work together to save the world from the all-powerful villain.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPlankton: The Movie (2025)
Plankton's tangled love story with his sentient computer wife goes sideways when she takes a stand — and decides to destroy the world without him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGroot Takes a Bath (2022)
Everybody needs some alone time to relax and wash up, but things go quite differently when you’re a Flora Colossi toddler.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRobot Chicken: Star Wars Episode II (2008)
Seth Green and Matthew Senreich serve up more hilarious Star Wars-inspired satire in this second compilation of sketches featuring the zany stop-motion animation of Adult Swim's "Robot Chicken." Gary the stormtrooper deals with irascible boss Darth Vader on Take Your Daughter to Work Day, while Anakin babysits a certain up-and-coming Jedi.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUnidentified Flying Mater (2009)
Mater finds a small UFO called Mator and they have a night out. Later, when Mator is captured by military forces, Mater sneaks up and saves him with the help of Lightning McQueen and the UFO's mother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021)
A quirky, dysfunctional family's road trip is upended when they find themselves in the middle of the robot apocalypse and suddenly become humanity's unlikeliest last hope.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDC Showcase: Adam Strange (2020)
On a rugged asteroid mining colony, few of the toiling workers are aware that their town drunk was ever anything but an interplanetary derelict. But when the miners open a fissure into the home of a horde of deadly alien insects, his true identity is exposed. He is space adventurer Adam Strange, whose heroic backstory is played out in flashbacks as he struggles to save the very people who have scorned him for so long.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSing: Thriller (2024)
Buster Moon dreams up a star-studded spectacle set to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in this animated short featuring characters from the hit "Sing" films.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStrange World (2022)
A journey deep into an uncharted and treacherous land, where fantastical creatures await the legendary Clades—a family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest, and by far most crucial, mission.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBen 10: Destroy All Aliens (2012)
Based on the original animated series Ben 10. Ben becomes targeted by an evil Mechamorph Warrior, named "Retaliator," who mistakenly blames Ben for something he did not do and attempts to destroy all aliens.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBen 10 vs. the Universe: The Movie (2020)
A blast from Ben's past returns to do double the damage on Team Tennyson and planet Earth itself, forcing Ben to go interstellar to save the day. Based on the 2016 reboot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe 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: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDelicatessen (1991)
In a post-apocalyptic world, the residents of an apartment above the butcher shop receive an occasional delicacy of meat, something that is in low supply. A young man new in town falls in love with the butcher's daughter, which causes conflicts in her family, who need the young man for other business-related purposes.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMickey's Safety Club: Street Safe, Street Smart (1989)
Mickey and his friends take a close look at important street safety situations and tips.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & comedy
CELSIUM (TBA)
When a young man opens his window on a hot summer night, an unwanted demonic creature is allowed inside - throwing him into a hot, sweaty fight for his life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & comedy
MutantLand (2010)
As the sun goes down in the dark and terrifying Mutantland, hunters are lured into a forbidden zone in their quest for food only to find themselves candidates for the main course.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & science fiction
Somewhat Agree (2004)
Jérémie has a job recruiting subjects for testing. He'd rather recruit Rodrigue for something else entirely.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The City of Lost Children (1995)
A scientist in a surrealist society kidnaps children to steal their dreams, hoping that they slow his aging process.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDawn of the Dead (1978)
During an ever-growing epidemic of zombies that have risen from the dead, two Philadelphia SWAT team members, a traffic reporter, and his television-executive girlfriend seek refuge in a secluded shopping mall.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisVideodrome (1983)
As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max sees a potential hit and broadcasts the show on his channel. However, after his girlfriend auditions for the show and never returns, Max investigates the truth behind Videodrome and discovers that the graphic violence may not be as fake as he thought.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Myth of the Water Goddess (2022)
A little girl will have to sing to the mythical goddess of water so that this valuable liquid can reach her community.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Still Life (2026)
After their son is stillborn at 24 weeks, Jess navigates an unexpected form of motherhood marked by silent milestones and uncomfortable social encounters, while Max struggles to hold their family together through grief.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Like The Nightwatchman and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Nightwatchman?
The closest matches to The Nightwatchman are Groot's Pursuit (2022), The Little Guy (2022) and Jungle Beat: The Movie (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Nightwatchman?
Start with Groot's Pursuit (2022), the closest match to The Nightwatchman.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Nightwatchman?
The Mitchells vs. the Machines (2021), rated 7.8/10 by 3,577 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Nightwatchman?
Still Life (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to The Nightwatchman chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Nightwatchman, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.