Movies like Race for Survival (1978)
The best movies like Race for Survival (1978) are Young Black Stallion (2003), The Wolf and the Lion (2021) and Born Free (1966). If Race for Survival hooked you with its adventure and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Lion King (1994)8.3/10 from 20,399 votes
- NewestXeno (2025)Released 2025
Young Black Stallion (2003)
When courageous young Neera becomes separated from her family in the desert, she chances upon a wild colt. Together they find friendship, trust, and their way back home only to discover her family is about to lose everything!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Wolf and the Lion (2021)
After her grandfather's death, 20-year-old Alma decides to go back to her childhood home - a little island in the heart of the majestic Canadian forest. Whilst there, she rescues two helpless cubs: a wolf and a lion. They forge an inseparable bond, but their world soon collapses as the forest ranger discovers the animals and takes them away. The two cub brothers must now embark on a treacherous journey across Canada to be reunited with one another and Alma once more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBorn Free (1966)
At a national park in Kenya, English game warden George Adamson and his wife, Joy, care for three orphaned lion cubs. After the two larger lions are shipped off to a zoo in the Netherlands, the smallest of the three, Elsa, stays with the couple. When Elsa is blamed for causing an elephant stampede in the nearby village, head warden John Kendall demands the young lion either be trained to survive in the wilds of the Serengeti or be sent to a zoo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 · both adventure & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDuma (2005)
An orphaned cheetah becomes the best friend and pet of a young boy living in South Africa.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTwo Brothers (2004)
Two tigers are separated as cubs and taken into captivity, only to be reunited years later as enemies by an explorer (Pearce) who inadvertently forces them to fight each other.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEight Below (2006)
In the Antarctic, after an expedition with Dr. Davis McClaren, the sled dog trainer Jerry Shepherd has to leave the polar base with his colleagues due to the proximity of a heavy snow storm. He ties his dogs to be rescued after, but the mission is called-off and the dogs are left alone at their own fortune. For six months, Jerry tries to find a sponsor for a rescue mission.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStorm Boy (2019)
Storm Boy lives a lonely life with his reclusive father on a desolate coastline, but when he forms a close bond with a pelican, Mr. Percival, his life takes a new and unexpected turn.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Jungle Book (1994)
Raised by wild animals since childhood, Mowgli is drawn away from the jungle by the beautiful Kitty. But Mowgli must eventually face corrupt Capt. Boone, who wants both Kitty's hand and the treasures of Monkey City – a place only Mowgli can find.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Greening of Whitney Brown (2011)
Whitney, a spoiled pre-teen from Philadelphia, is forced to move to the country when her parents feel the squeeze of economic hard times. A fish out of water, far from her comfort zone, she befriends an amazing horse, and undertakes a misguided journey back to her old life, only to discover that her family is her home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Lion King (2019)
Simba idolizes his father, King Mufasa, and takes to heart his own royal destiny. But not everyone in the kingdom celebrates the new cub's arrival. Scar, Mufasa's brother—and former heir to the throne—has plans of his own. The battle for Pride Rock is ravaged with betrayal, tragedy and drama, ultimately resulting in Simba's exile. With help from a curious pair of newfound friends, Simba will have to figure out how to grow up and take back what is rightfully his.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama
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 · both adventure & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhite Fang (1991)
Jack London's classic adventure story about the friendship developed between a Yukon gold hunter and the mixed dog-wolf he rescues from the hands of a man who mistreats him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Journey of Natty Gann (1985)
America is in the depths of the Great Depression. Families drift apart when faraway jobs beckon. A courageous young girl confronts overwhelming odds when she embarks on a cross-country search for her father. During her odyssey, she forms a close bond with two diverse traveling companions: a magnificent, protective wolf, and a hardened drifter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Lion Guard: Return of the Roar (2016)
Set in the African savannah, the film follows Kion as he assembles the members of the 'Lion Guard'. Throughout the film, the diverse team of young animals will learn how to utilize each of their unique abilities to solve problems and accomplish tasks to maintain balance within the Circle of Life, while also introducing viewers to the vast array of animals that populate the prodigious African landscape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOnce Upon a Forest (1993)
A young mouse, mole and hedgehog risk their lives to find a cure for their badger friend, who's been poisoned by men.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMufasa: The Lion King (2024)
Mufasa, a cub lost and alone, meets a sympathetic lion named Taka, the heir to a royal bloodline. The chance meeting sets in motion an expansive journey of a group of misfits searching for their destiny.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Lion King (1994)
Young lion prince Simba, eager to one day become king of the Pride Lands, grows up under the watchful eye of his father Mufasa; all the while his villainous uncle Scar conspires to take the throne for himself. Amid betrayal and tragedy, Simba must confront his past and find his rightful place in the Circle of Life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisCurious George 3: Back to the Jungle (2015)
When Curious George is offered a special space mission, Ted (The Man in the Yellow Hat) can't deny his little friend this exciting journey, especially after Curious George completes the training. But when he crash-lands in Africa, a worried Ted goes searching, expecting the worst, only to have it turn out to be the best.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhere the Red Fern Grows (2003)
Set in the Ozark Mountains during the Great Depression, Billy Coleman works hard and saves his earnings for 2 years to achieve his dream of buying two coonhound pups. He develops a new trust in God as he faces overwhelming challenges in adventure and tragedy roaming the river bottoms of Cherokee country with "Old Dan" and "Little Ann."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGreta, the Misfit Greyhound (1963)
A racing greyhound is deserted and has to learn to live on her own. Finally she is taken in by a shepherd, and helps him by using her speed to chase away coyotes threatening the flock and to track down a prowling bear.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
The Seventh Brother (1995)
After his owners abandon him in the woods, a puppy befriends a family of rabbits.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Xeno (2025)
A teenage girl develops an otherworldly bond with an alien after it crash-lands in the desert. As government agents close in, she must protect her new friend, while uncovering a secret that could change the fate of both their worlds.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMadagascar 3: Europe's Most Wanted (2012)
Animal pals Alex, Marty, Melman, and Gloria are still trying to make it back to New York's Central Park Zoo. They are forced to take a detour to Europe to find the penguins and chimps who broke the bank at a Monte Carlo casino. When French animal-control officer Capitaine Chantel DuBois picks up their scent, Alex and company are forced to hide out in a traveling circus.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThree Robbers and a Lion (2022)
The three thieves Kasper, Jesper and Jonathan lives together with their always hungry lion in the little town of Kardemomme town, the home to a fair but kind police officer, and the strict Aunt Sofie.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Savage Harvest (1981)
A family in Africa is besieged by a group of lions, driven to desperation by the drought.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Shimajiro to Ururu no Heroland (2019)
Hero Land is a world where you can meet the heroes and heroines you have been waiting for, created by the inventor girl "Ururu". Shimajiro and his friends were overexcited, but a bad robot appeared there and Hero Land was in big danger. Can Shimajiro and his friends work together to help?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
The Naked Prey (1965)
A group of men are on safari. One of the party refuses to give a gift to a tribe they encounter. The tribe is offended, seizes the party, and one-by-one, kills all but one of the safari members in various creative and horrifying ways. The last surviving member is given "The Lion's Chance" by the tribal leader to be hunted down by a party of tribal warriors.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTarzan and His Mate (1934)
Harry Holt returns to Africa with his friend Martin Arlington to head up a large ivory expedition.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMerry Madagascar (2009)
While trapped on the island of Madagascar, the Central Park Zoo escapees receive a visit from Santa--crash landing on their territory and getting amnesia to boot! The animals must help Santa assume his rightful place in the universe, while King Julian laps up the opportunity for his subjects.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Race for Survival?
The closest matches to Race for Survival are Young Black Stallion (2003), The Wolf and the Lion (2021) and Born Free (1966). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Race for Survival?
Start with Young Black Stallion (2003), the closest match to Race for Survival.
What is the highest-rated movie like Race for Survival?
The Lion King (1994), rated 8.3/10 by 20,399 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Race for Survival?
Xeno (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Race for Survival?
Yes: Young Black Stallion (2003), The Wolf and the Lion (2021) and Born Free (1966).
How are movies similar to Race for Survival chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Race for Survival, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.