Movies like Light is Like Water (2021)
The best movies like Light is Like Water (2021) are Powder (1995), Mountains of the Moon (1990) and Castaway (1986). If Light is Like Water hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks
- Highest ratedUnbroken (2014)7.4/10 from 4,499 votes
- NewestBoudica (2023)Released 2023
- In SpanishThe Strong Ones (2020)Also in Spanish
Powder (1995)
Harassed by classmates who won't accept his shocking appearance, a shy young man known as "Powder" struggles to fit in. But the cruel taunts stop when Powder displays a mysterious power that allows him to do incredible things. This phenomenon changes the lives of all those around him in ways they never could have imagined.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMountains of the Moon (1990)
The story of Captain Richard Francis Burton's and Lt. John Hanning Speke's expedition to find the source of the Nile river in the name of Queen Victoria's British Empire.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCastaway (1986)
Middle-aged Gerald Kingsland advertises in a London paper for a female companion to spend a year with him on a desert island. Young Lucy Irving takes a chance on contacting him, but once on the island, things prove a lot less idyllic than in the movies. Gradually, it becomes clear that it is Lucy who has the desire and the strength to try and see the year through.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYouth Without Youth (2007)
Professor of language and philosophy Dominic Matei is struck by lightning and ages backwards from 70 to 40 in a week, attracting the world and the Nazis. While on the run, the professor meets a young woman who has her own experience with a lightning storm. Not only does Dominic find love again, but her new abilities hold the key to his research.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Indian in the Cupboard (1995)
A nine-year-old boy gets a plastic Indian and a cupboard for his birthday and finds himself involved in adventure when the Indian comes to life and befriends him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen (2003)
To prevent a world war from breaking out, famous characters from Victorian literature band together to do battle against a cunning villain.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCity of Ember (2008)
For generations, the people of the City of Ember have flourished in an amazing world of glittering lights. But Ember's once powerful generator is failing and the great lamps that illuminate the city are starting to flicker. Now, two teenagers, in a race against time, must search Ember for clues that will unlock the ancient mystery of the city's existence, before the the lights go out forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCold Skin (2017)
A young man who arrives at a remote island finds himself trapped in a battle for his life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Black Stallion Returns (1983)
"Black" is a stunning fire-and-silk stallion celebrated the world over. But to his young American owner, Alec Ramsay, he's much more. So, when the amazing animal is stolen, Alec will stop at nothing to get him back. Alec finally unravels the mystery of Black's theft...only to discover that he must overcome even greater odds to reclaim his beloved horse.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Lost City of Z (2017)
A true-life drama in the 1920s, centering on British explorer Col. Percy Fawcett, who discovered evidence of a previously unknown, advanced civilization in the Amazon and disappeared whilst searching for it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDarby O'Gill and the Little People (1959)
A wily old codger matches wits with the King of the Leprechauns and helps play matchmaker for his daughter and the strapping lad who has replaced him as caretaker.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUnbroken (2014)
A chronicle of the life of Louis Zamperini, an Olympic runner who was taken prisoner by Japanese forces during World War II.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Water Horse (2007)
A lonely boy discovers a mysterious egg that hatches a sea creature of Scottish legend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Blue Bird (1940)
Peasant children Mytyl and Tyltyl are led on a magical quest for the fabulous Blue Bird of Happiness by the fairy Berylune. On their journey, they're accompanied by the anthropomorphized presences of a Dog, a Cat, Light, Fire, and Bread, among other entities.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisBoudica (2023)
Inspired by events in A.D. 60, Boudica follows the eponymous Celtic warrior who rules the Iceni people alongside her husband Prasutagus. When he dies at the hands of Roman soldiers, Boudica’s kingdom is left without a male heir and the Romans seize her land and property. Driven to the edge of madness and determined to avenge her husband’s death, Boudica rallies the various tribes from the region and wages an epic war against the mighty Roman empire.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisSwallows and Amazons (2016)
Four children dream of escaping the tedium of a summer holiday with their mother. When finally given permission to camp on their own on an island in the middle of a vast lake, they are overjoyed. But when they get there they discover they may not be alone… The battle for ownership of a lonely island teaches them the skills of survival, the value of friendship and the importance of holding your nerve.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGabriel's Rapture: Part III (2022)
In the sixth installment of the Gabriel's Inferno series, Julia deals with the aftermath of Gabriel's departure, while Gabriel goes on a journey of self-discovery. Will they reunite and be able to repair what is broken?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisA Stolen Life (1946)
When a woman’s twin sister is drowned, she assumes her identity in order to be close to the man she feels her sister took from her years before.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Strong Ones (2020)
Lucas travels to visit his sister to a remote town in southern Chile. In front of the ocean and the fog, he meets Antonio, a boatswain in a local fishing boat. When an intense romance grows between them, their strength, their independence and their adulthood become immovable in front of the tide.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Jewel of the Nile (1985)
Joan Wilder is thrust back into a world of murder, chases, foreign intrigue... and love. This time out she's duped by a duplicitous Arab dignitary who brings her to the Middle East, ostensibly to write a book about his life. Of course, he's up to no good, and Joan is just another pawn in his wicked game. But Jack Colton and his sidekick Ralph show up to help our intrepid heroine save the day.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
Like Light is Like Water and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Light is Like Water?
The closest matches to Light is Like Water are Powder (1995), Mountains of the Moon (1990) and Castaway (1986). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Light is Like Water?
Start with Powder (1995), the closest match to Light is Like Water.
What is the highest-rated movie like Light is Like Water?
Unbroken (2014), rated 7.4/10 by 4,499 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Light is Like Water?
Boudica (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Spanish movies like Light is Like Water?
Yes: The Strong Ones (2020).
How are movies similar to Light is Like Water chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Light is Like Water, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.



















