Movies like Our Hero, Cadet (2025)
The best movies like Our Hero, Cadet (2025) are Explorers (1985), SpaceCamp (1986) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). If Our Hero, Cadet hooked you with its science fiction and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedProject Hail Mary (2026)8.6/10 from 8,825 votes
- NewestProject Hail Mary (2026)Released 2026
Explorers (1985)
Middle schooler Ben spends his free time watching sci-fi films, playing video games and reading comic books. Surprisingly, his affinity for all things fantastical yields a real result – when he has a vivid dream about technology, his prodigy best friend Wolfgang manages to create a working spacecraft. Joined by their buddy Darren, the boys take off into outer space and encounter some very odd extraterrestrial life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpaceCamp (1986)
Andie Bergstrom, an astronaut eagerly awaiting her first trip to space, runs a summer camp for teenagers with her NASA-employed husband, Zach. One night during an engine test, Andie and four teenage campers are accidentally shot into space. Together, the group -- which includes Kathryn, a pilot-in-training, and Tish, a ditz with a perfect memory -- must work together to operate the spacecraft and return home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
An alien is left behind on Earth and saved by the 10-year-old Elliott who decides to keep him hidden in his home. While a task force hunts for the extra-terrestrial, Elliott, his brother, and his little sister Gertie form an emotional bond with their new friend, and try to help him find his way home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFlight of the Navigator (1986)
12-year-old David is accidentally knocked out in the forest near his home, but when he awakens eight years have passed. His family is overjoyed to have him back, but is just as perplexed as he is that he hasn't aged. When a NASA scientist discovers a UFO nearby, David gets the chance to unravel the mystery and recover the life he lost.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Reluctant Astronaut (1967)
Roy Fleming is a small-town kiddie-ride operator who is deathly afraid of heights. After learning that his father has signed him up for the space program, Roy reluctantly heads for Houston, only to find out upon arriving that his job is as a janitor, not an astronaut. Anxious to live up to the expectations of his domineering father, Roy manages to keep up a facade of being an astronaut to his family and friends. When NASA decides to launch a layperson into space to prove the worthiness of a new automated spacecraft, Roy gets the chance to confront his fears.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisF.R.E.D.I. (2018)
An intelligent, lovable robot known as "F.R.E.D.I." is stolen from a secret research facility by the project's lead scientist. The robot is found by a 15 year old teenager, James. Soon the two begin to communicate and create a bond in which F.R.E.D.I. learns about teenage life and James learns about some new values.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisCrater (2023)
After the death of his father, a boy growing up on a lunar mining colony takes a trip to explore a legendary crater, along with his four best friends, prior to being permanently relocated to another planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisZenon: Girl of the 21st Century (1999)
Zenon Kar, a 13-year-old girl who lives on a space station in the year 2049, gets into some trouble and is banished to Earth. With help from some Earth friends she must find her way back.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIf You Were the Last (2024)
Adrift in their broken-down space shuttle with little hope of rescue, two astronauts argue over whether they're better off spending their remaining days as friends or something more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
The starship Enterprise and its crew is pulled back into action when old nemesis, Khan, steals a top secret device called Project Genesis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGuardians of the Galaxy (2014)
Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisLinoleum (2023)
When the host of a failing children’s science show tries to fulfill his childhood dream of becoming an astronaut by building a rocket ship in his garage, a series of bizarre events occur that cause him to question his own reality.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisProject Hail Mary (2026)
Science teacher Ryland Grace wakes up on a spaceship light years from home with no recollection of who he is or how he got there. As his memory returns, he begins to uncover his mission: solve the riddle of the mysterious substance causing the sun to die out. He must call on his scientific knowledge and unorthodox ideas to save everything on Earth from extinction.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBabylon 5: The River of Souls (1998)
A group of Soul Hunters come to Babylon 5 demanding the return of something that was stolen from them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSolaris (2002)
A troubled psychologist is sent to investigate the crew of an isolated research station orbiting a bizarre planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLockout (2012)
Set in the near future, Lockout follows a falsely convicted ex-government agent , whose one chance at obtaining freedom lies in the dangerous mission of rescuing the President's daughter from rioting convicts at an outer space maximum security prison.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisPandorum (2009)
Two crew members wake up on an abandoned spacecraft with no idea who they are, how long they've been asleep, or what their mission is. The two soon discover they're actually not alone – and the reality of their situation is more horrifying than they could have imagined.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStar Trek: The Motion Picture (1979)
When an unidentified alien destroys three powerful Klingon cruisers, Captain James T. Kirk returns to the newly transformed U.S.S. Enterprise to take command.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStar Wars: The Force Awakens (2015)
Thirty years after defeating the Galactic Empire, Han Solo and his allies face a new threat from the evil Kylo Ren and his army of Stormtroopers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSlingshot (2024)
An elite trio of astronauts aboard a years-long, possibly compromised mission to Saturn's moon, Titan, gears up for a highly dangerous slingshot manoeuvre that will either catapult them to Titan or into deep space.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpace Chimps (2008)
When an unmanned space shuttle crashes on an uncharted planet, a trio of astronaut chimpanzees are launched by NASA into a wormhole to investigate.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisThunderpants (2002)
An 11-year-old boy's amazing ability to break wind leads him first to fame and then to death row, before it helps him to fulfill his ambition of becoming an astronaut.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisGood Boy! (2003)
An intergalactic dog pilot from Sirius (the dog star), visits Earth to verify the rumors that dogs have failed to take over the planet.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like this2010 (1984)
While planet Earth poises on the brink of nuclear self-destruction, a team of Russian and American scientists aboard the Leonov hurtles to a rendezvous with the still-orbiting Discovery spacecraft and its sole known survivor, the homicidal computer HAL.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Astronaut Farmer (2007)
Texan Charles Farmer left the Air Force as a young man to save the family ranch when his dad died. Like most American ranchers, he owes his bank. Unlike most, he's an astrophysicist with a rocket in his barn - one he's built and wants to take into space. It's his dream. The FBI puts him under surveillance when he tries to buy rocket fuel, and the FAA stalls him when he files a flight plan – but Charles is undeterred.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpace Brothers #0 (2014)
Mutta Namba's ambitions are at a disappointing standstill when his brother, Hibito, is selected to train for a coveted NASA space mission — an appointment that sets in motion events that take the brothers to the crossroads of destiny and dreams.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Rebel Moon - Part One: A Child of Fire (2023)
When the ruthless forces of the Motherworld threaten a quiet farming village on a distant moon, a mysterious outsider becomes its best hope for survival.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFamily Guy Presents: It's a Trap! (2010)
With the Griffins stuck again at home during a blackout, Peter tells the story of “Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi.”
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEnemy Mine (1985)
A soldier from Earth crashlands on an alien world after sustaining battle damage. Eventually he encounters another survivor, but from the enemy species he was fighting; they band together to survive on this hostile world. In the end the human finds himself caring for his enemy in a completely unexpected way.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCaptain Cosmotic (1998)
4 stupid aliens want to steal the earth' s core. But Captain Cosmotic, the worlds strongest hero, is hard to defeat!!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Our Hero, Cadet?
The closest matches to Our Hero, Cadet are Explorers (1985), SpaceCamp (1986) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Our Hero, Cadet?
Start with Explorers (1985), the closest match to Our Hero, Cadet.
What is the highest-rated movie like Our Hero, Cadet?
Project Hail Mary (2026), rated 8.6/10 by 8,825 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Our Hero, Cadet?
Project Hail Mary (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Our Hero, Cadet?
Yes: Explorers (1985), SpaceCamp (1986) and E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982).
How are movies similar to Our Hero, Cadet chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Our Hero, Cadet, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.