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Movies like What Tadoo (1985)

The best movies like What Tadoo (1985) are Sketch (2025), DC Showcase: The Phantom Stranger (2020) and The Snowman (1982). If What Tadoo hooked you with its fantasy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Sketch (2025)

    When a young girl’s sketchbook falls into a strange pond, her drawings come to life—chaotic, real, and on the loose. As the town descends into chaos, her family must reunite and stop the monsters they never meant to unleash.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. DC Showcase: The Phantom Stranger (2020)

    Jess joins her friends at a party in a dilapidated mansion hosted by the mysterious Seth. When odd things begin to happen to Jess and her friends, the Phantom Stranger intervenes to save her from a dreary fate.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. The Snowman (1982)

    A young boy makes a snowman one Christmas Eve, which comes to life at midnight and takes him on a magical adventure to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. Once Upon a Snowman (2020)

    The previously untold origins of Olaf, the innocent and insightful, summer-loving snowman are revealed as we follow Olaf’s first steps as he comes to life and searches for his identity in the snowy mountains outside Arendelle.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. The Ugly Duckling (1931)

    A black duckling is rejected by its mother, a hen, but manages to prove his worth when a tornado threatens the hen's chicks.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. Lou (2017)

    A lost-and-found box holds a mysterious and unseen monster within.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  7. Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022)

    A brave young animal explorer teams up with two trusty friends to find a powerful artifact before his greedy uncle can get his paws on it.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. The Boxtrolls (2014)

    An orphaned boy raised by underground creatures called Boxtrolls comes up from the sewers and out of his box to save his family and the town from the evil exterminator, Archibald Snatcher.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2012)

    After a hurricane levels his city, a young man wanders into a mysterious library where books literally come to life. This film won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2012.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. Day & Night (2010)

    When Day, a sunny fellow, encounters Night, a stranger of distinctly darker moods, sparks fly! Day and Night are frightened and suspicious of each other at first, and quickly get off on the wrong foot. But as they discover each other's unique qualities--and come to realize that each of them offers a different window onto the same world-the friendship helps both to gain a new perspective.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. Rufus (2016)

    Manny has moved to a new school, and it's not easy to fit in. After wishing he had more friends, Manny finds a mysterious collar and puts it on Rufus, the family dog. Suddenly, Rufus turns into a boy! Manny's not sure what to do, so he enrolls Rufus in school. When the other students notice Rufus's silly dog antics -- chasing squirrels, eating without utensils, asking for belly rubs, and catching a soccer ball with his mouth -- he immediately becomes the most popular kid around. Manny is jealous of his new best friend but eventually learns that a dog's loyalty to his owner always comes first.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Party Central (2014)

    Mike and Sulley are back at Monsters University for a fun-filled weekend with their Oozma Kappa fraternity brothers. The gang is throwing their first party, but no one’s showing up. Luckily for them, Mike and Sulley have come up with a plan to make sure “Party Central” is the most epic party the school has ever seen.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Anastasia: Once Upon a Time (2020)

    Anastasia Romanov escapes through a portal when her family is threatened by Vladimir Lenin, and she finds herself in the year 1988, befriended by a young American girl.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

  14. Cranston Academy: Monster Zone (2020)

    An intelligent 15-year-old high school student is unexpectedly transferred to a boarding school where he opens a portal of monsters from another dimension.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. The Twits (2025)

    When the meanest, nastiest villains pull a trick to take over their town, two brave children team up with a family of magical animals to bring them down.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

  16. How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming (2019)

    It's been ten years since the dragons moved to the Hidden World, and even though Toothless doesn't live in New Berk anymore, Hiccup continues the holiday traditions he once shared with his best friend. But the Vikings of New Berk were beginning to forget about their friendship with dragons. Hiccup, Astrid, and Gobber know just what to do to keep the dragons in the villagers' hearts. And across the sea, the dragons have a plan of their own...

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  17. Monster House (2006)

    Monsters under the bed are scary enough, but what happens when an entire house is out to get you? Three teens aim to find out when they go up against a decrepit neighboring home and unlock its frightening secrets.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Marvel One-Shot: All Hail the King (2014)

    A documentary filmmaker interviews the now-famous Trevor Slattery from behind bars.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Marcel the Shell with Shoes On (2022)

    Marcel is an adorable one-inch-tall shell who ekes out a colorful existence with his grandmother Connie and their pet lint, Alan. Once part of a sprawling community of shells, they now live alone as the sole survivors of a mysterious tragedy. When a documentarian discovers them amongst the clutter of his Airbnb, his resulting short film brings Marcel millions of passionate fans, as well as unprecedented dangers and a new hope at finding his long-lost family.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. Sanjay's Super Team (2015)

    SANJAY'S SUPER TEAM follows the daydream of a young Indian boy, bored with his father's religious meditation, who imagines "a kind of ancient, Hindu version of The Avengers," with the gods appearing like superheros.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. Homesick Scientists (2011)

    Four field researchers want to go home. Unfortunately, one of them apparently lost his mind. Since the return is not possible, as long as they remain in this state, ignited a controversy about what to do with him. Where do they come back and what was the object of their research, now becomes a much more important question.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy

  22. Lilies (2014)

    On a lonely night, at an unnamed town, Charlotte sits in a diner after a long drive from the middle of-nowhere. As she drinks her cup of stale coffee and reminisces about her journey, the door suddenly opens, and in come her ex girlfriend, Cleo, with a new male lover.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy

  23. Purple Dictatorship (2020)

    Yeda, the green-faced woman, sells homemade bread to support the house where she lives with her sick husband. Through the context of green-faced people, we know the reality of those who live on the fringes of a purple-faced society.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy

  24. Éiru (2025)

    Éiru is the smallest child of an Iron-Age clan. All she wants is to be a mighty warrior who is taken seriously by her kinfolk. But when the village’s well mysteriously dries up, only she is small enough to descend into the belly of the earth to investigate and bring the water of life back to her people. Éiru is the story of a child in search of a quest, and a goddess in search of a champion.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy

  25. Wolfman vs. Baragon (1972)

    Wolfman instantly appears from behind some trees where he is reputedly abused by armed Japanese army tanks, he allegedly flees and later battles Baragon at a burning construction site.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy

  26. BIGFEET (2023)

    We're all searching for something! Explorer Reed Randle goes deep into the woods on an adventure looking for the "Bigfoot" creature. Lost within himself, can he find meaning again?

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy

  27. The Moddey Dhoo (2025)

    Past and present collide when a mythical beast is reawakened by a couple exploring a historic castle on the Isle of Man.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy

  28. The Heretic (2020)

    The Heretic is a short film created by Unity’s Demo team. With ”The Heretic”, the team used every aspect of Unity’s High Definition Rendering Pipeline, created advanced effects with the VFX Graph, and undertook the challenge of creating a realistic digital human.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy

  29. Wrath of God: Confrontation (2012)

    WRATH OF GOD: CONFRONTATION is the first in a series of films with overarching stories that take us from the dawn of human civilization all the way to its technological epitome. A mysterious relic lies at the heart of their pursuit. Some want power to dominate. Others want peace and freedom. In the end, the choice is our own... Adam is a man with a violent past and a desire to escape the terrible wrath he has wrought on many others. Hurt and betrayed, he turns his anger on those who gave him up in search of the relic he helped steal. Kruger is a man whose allegiance lies to whomever pays him the most. Having lost his family to war early in life, Kruger's innocence was twisted into a solitary desire for self preservation at any cost.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy

  30. A Giant Secret (2025)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy

Like What Tadoo and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like What Tadoo?

The closest matches to What Tadoo are Sketch (2025), DC Showcase: The Phantom Stranger (2020) and The Snowman (1982). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after What Tadoo?

Start with Sketch (2025), the closest match to What Tadoo.

What is the highest-rated movie like What Tadoo?

How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming (2019), rated 8.0/10 by 1,156 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like What Tadoo?

Éiru (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like What Tadoo?

Yes: Sketch (2025), DC Showcase: The Phantom Stranger (2020) and The Snowman (1982).

How are movies similar to What Tadoo chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside What Tadoo, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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