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Movies like ParaNorman: The Thrifting (2025)

The best movies like ParaNorman: The Thrifting (2025) are Bionicle: Mask of Light (2003), Firebreather (2010) and Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (2007). If ParaNorman: The Thrifting hooked you with its animation and fantasy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Bionicle: Mask of Light (2003)

    With darkness encroaching on the island of Mata Nui, the only hope for the survival of the islanders rests with two Matoran villagers, who must find the seventh Toa and deliver to him the fabled Mask of Light.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy

  2. Firebreather (2010)

    It's not easy being a teen like Duncan. His mom wants him to pay more attention to his homework, while his dad - a 120-foot-tall monster known as a Kaiju - wants him to become the next King of All Monsters. When these worlds collide, Duncan must use his human wits and his Kaiju powers - including super strength, agility and the ability to breathe fire - to protect his family and friends from a giant monster rampage.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & animation

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  3. Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (2007)

    When Hellboy, Liz Sherman, and Abe Sapien are assigned to investigate the ghost-infested mansion of a publicity-hound billionaire, they uncover a plot to resurrect a beautiful yet monstrous vampire from Professor Bruttenholm’s past. But before they can stop her bloodbath, Hellboy will have to battle harpies, hellhounds, a giant werewolf, and even the ferocious goddess Hecate herself.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Bionicle 3: Web of Shadows (2005)

    The Toa Metru return to their glorious city of Metru Nui to finally accomplish their mission, only to find the city in ruins, overrun by the dreaded Visorak horde. Captured by their new enemy and transformed into hideous Toa Hordika, our heroes must find a figure out of myth to be cured of their mutations and fulfill their destiny before the beast within overtakes them.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy

  5. SlugTerra: Return of the Elementals (2014)

    A new member has joined Eli and the Shane Gang! Junjie, once the protector of the Eastern Caverns, is a master of the slugslinging art of Slug Fu! But even with the power of five slingers, the Shane Gang find themselves in over their heads as they race across The 99 Caverns in search of the Legendary Elemental Slugs. The five Elementals are ancient slugs of great power, and the forbearers of all slugs found in SlugTerra today. In the wrong hands, they could bring Slugterra to the brink of destruction. So when an evil alliance starts hunting down the Elementals, Eli and his friends — old and new — take off in pursuit of the greatest threat their world has ever faced!

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. Extraordinary Tales (2015)

    Five tales by Edgar Allan Poe come to life thanks to a pictorical style animation, five tales that exude madness, pestilence, murder and torture.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & animation

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. Monster High: Electrified (2017)

    When Clawdeen dreams of opening a salon made for monsters and normies, Frankie has the perfect place - an abandoned power station outside town. But the idea sparks negative voltage when Moanica plots to ruin the whole thing, and replace the celebration with something a little more... shocking! Luckily the ghouls have a secret weapon on their side...Twyla, the daughter of the Boogey Man, and the perfect ghoul to unearth any mystery. Along with the most voltageous salon ever! So catch every twist, turn, zap and blast...because the Monster High ghouls are about to get ELECTRIC!

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. Marvel Rising: Playing with Fire (2019)

    Inferno’s powers are stolen by a young and powerful villain and it’s up to the Secret Warriors to defeat their new foe and help their friend. But does Inferno even WANT his powers back? Meanwhile, America Chavez learns a lesson about friendship and family from teammate Ms. Marvel.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. Monster High: Why Do Ghouls Fall in Love? (2012)

    Draculaura’s Sweet 1600th birthday is an extra special occasion to party at Monster High! But her high expectations lead to deadly results when she’s faced with the choice between practical boyfriend Clawd, and new vampire heartthrob, Valentine, a romantic blast from her past.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & animation

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  10. Mickey and Friends: Trick or Treats (2023)

    Mickey, Minnie, Goofy, Donald and Daisy are trick-or-treating when Donald spies the spookiest mansion he’s ever seen and assumes it has the best treats. After he convinces his friends to risk a visit, the owner, Witch Hazel, casts a spell that turns them into their costumes.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. Wizards (1977)

    After the death of his mother, evil mutant wizard Blackwolf discovers long-lost military technologies. Full of ego and ambition, Blackwolf claims his mother's throne, assembles an army, and sets out to brainwash and conquer Earth. Meanwhile, Blackwolf's gentle twin brother, the bearded sage Avatar, calls upon his own magical abilities to foil Blackwolf's plans for world domination — even if it means eliminating his own flesh and blood.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. The Batman vs. Dracula (2005)

    Gotham City is terrorized not only by recent escapees Joker and Penguin, but by the original creature of the night, Dracula! Can Batman stop the ruthless vampire before he turns everyone in the city, including The Caped Crusader, Joker and Penguin, into his mindless minions?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies 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 family & fantasy

  14. Basilisk: The Serpent King (2006)

    Two millennia ago, a Lybian king has a basilisk (snake-shaped dragon), which petrifies people, subjected to the same fate with a golden scepter during a solar eclipse. Both these and several victims are dug up by modern archaeologist Harrison 'Harry' McColl's expedition. Despite a cryptic warning from tribal locals, everything goes to his Colorado university's museum. It's all exhibited during another eclipse, which leads to the monster reviving. Harry and some of his friends must try to petrify the monster again.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. The Amazing Mr. Blunden (2021)

    Jamie and Lucy have an encounter with what appears to be a pair of ghost children. But these spooky kids, Sara and Georgie, aren’t actually ghosts. They’ve travelled forwards in time to seek help, believing they’re going to be murdered by the wicked Mr and Mrs Wickens. And Lucy and Jamie’s strange visitor seems to be the key to it all. With his help, they must travel back to 1821 to save Sara and Georgie and redeem their remorseful new friend – The Amazing Mr Blunden.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Sintel (2010)

    A wandering warrior finds an unlikely friend in the form of a young dragon. The two develop a close bond, until one day the dragon is snatched away. She then sets out on a relentless quest to reclaim her friend, finding in the end that her quest exacts a far greater price than she had ever imagined.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. The Haunting Hour: Don't Think About It (2007)

    Cassie, a 13 year old Gothic girl, is trying to fit in at her new school. To entertain herself, she plays a series of pranks on the popular kids and her younger brother, Max. When she goes to a Halloween store looking for new tricks, she finds a little book called "The Evil Thing"

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Hulk vs. Wolverine (2009)

    Department H sends in Wolverine to track down a mysterious beast known by the US Military as the Hulk, who is rampaging across the Canadian wilderness. Surveying the extent of the damage to a destroyed town, Wolverine notices a toxic scent as well as the smell of gunpowder. He is then deployed to the wilderness to resume tracking the creature.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. Labyrinth (1986)

    Frustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah, a teenager with an active imagination, summons the Goblins to take her baby stepbrother away. When little Toby actually disappears, Sarah must follow him into a fantastical world to rescue him from the Goblin King. Guarding his castle is the labyrinth itself, a twisted maze of deception, populated with outrageous characters and unknown dangers.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. Snow Queen (2002)

    Since a bitter winter storm stole the life of Gerda's mother, she and her father have sadly continued to run the remote hotel they call home. Lonely and isolated, Gerda's only joy is Kai, the handsome bellboy. A mysterious guest with an icy stare arrives at the hotel one night, wrapped in fur and diamonds. By daybreak, the "Snow Queen" has vanished with Kai! Gerda embarks on a journey of morphing seasons, fantastical creatures, and long-frozen mysteries in a desperate quest to find her stolen love.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. Francis (2013)

    Francis is a short story written by american novelist Dave Eggers. This is the story of a young boy growing up in the suburbs of chicago. He spent his vacations in Quetico Provincial Park, up on the border of Minnesota and Canada. But he won't be going back any day soon, not after what happened to a girl called Francis Brandywine.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & horror

  22. Finding Nemo (2003)

    Nemo, an adventurous young clownfish, is unexpectedly taken from his Great Barrier Reef home to a dentist's office aquarium. It's up to his worrisome father Marlin and a friendly but forgetful fish Dory to bring Nemo home -- meeting vegetarian sharks, surfer dude turtles, hypnotic jellyfish, hungry seagulls, and more along the way.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  23. Funny Pot (1990)

    Once a potter made a pot that could laugh. Whoever takes it in their hands immediately starts laughing.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & animation

  24. Monsieur l'assassin X (2013)

    Linda is a little girl rejected by other children and by her family. She lives in a small town where a serial killer is prowling. But one day, she sees a strange character on the street carrying a bag with an arm hanging out of it.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both horror & animation

  25. COMBO (2009)

    Street artist Blu animates large-scale creatures as they crawl across an abandoned Argentine cityscape.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation

  26. The Cat That Walked by Himself (1968)

    The story about the wild creatures of the wild forest and one impudent Cat who walks by himself, and all places are alike to him.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation

  27. Guard Dog Global Jam (2011)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation

  28. Spiral (2005)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation

  29. Warm Snow (2015)

    An animated short about the relationship between a father and his grown up daughter. The daughter is waiting for her dinner and is irritated by her father’s nagging questions and suggestions. Soon we’re transported into the surreal and snowy world swirling in her head.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation

  30. Nevermind The Grief (1983)

    A soldier served a long time service. He took as a reward an old drum and went where his eyes were looking. He walked for a long time, and went to the hut, and in it the small girl was crying, because the fierce witch has destroyed her parents.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation

Like ParaNorman: The Thrifting and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like ParaNorman: The Thrifting?

The closest matches to ParaNorman: The Thrifting are Bionicle: Mask of Light (2003), Firebreather (2010) and Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (2007). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after ParaNorman: The Thrifting?

Start with Bionicle: Mask of Light (2003), the closest match to ParaNorman: The Thrifting.

What is the highest-rated movie like ParaNorman: The Thrifting?

Monster High: Why Do Ghouls Fall in Love? (2012), rated 8.0/10 by 208 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like ParaNorman: The Thrifting?

Mickey and Friends: Trick or Treats (2023) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like ParaNorman: The Thrifting?

Yes: Bionicle: Mask of Light (2003), Firebreather (2010) and Hellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (2007).

How are movies similar to ParaNorman: The Thrifting chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside ParaNorman: The Thrifting, 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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