Movies like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954)
The best movies like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954) are Treasure Planet (2002), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and Underwater (2020). If 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea hooked you with its adventure and science fiction, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMetropolis (1927)8.1/10 from 3,266 votes
- NewestMoana 2 (2024)Released 2024
Treasure Planet (2002)
When space galleon cabin boy Jim Hawkins discovers a map to an intergalactic "loot of a thousand worlds," a cyborg cook named John Silver teaches him to battle supernovas and space storms on their journey to find treasure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAtlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
A young linguist named Milo Thatch joins an intrepid group of explorers to find the mysterious lost continent of Atlantis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUnderwater (2020)
After an earthquake destroys their underwater station, six researchers must navigate two miles along the dangerous, unknown depths of the ocean floor to make it to safety in a race against time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAtlantis: Milo's Return (2003)
Milo and Kida reunite with their friends to investigate strange occurances around the world that seem to have links to the secrets of Atlantis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAquaman (2018)
Half-human, half-Atlantean Arthur Curry is taken on the journey of his lifetime to discover if he is worth of being a king.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Black Hole (1979)
The explorer craft USS Palomino is returning to Earth after a fruitless 18-month search for extra-terrestrial life when the crew comes upon a supposedly lost ship, the USS Cygnus, hovering near a black hole. The ship is controlled by Dr. Hans Reinhardt and his monstrous robot companion, but the initial wonderment and awe the Palomino crew feel for the ship and its resistance to the power of the black hole turn to horror as they uncover Reinhardt's plans.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Pirates Ahoy! (2006)
It's horror on the high seas when Scooby-Doo and the gang take a creepy cruise into one of the world's most mysterious places, the Bermuda Triangle! If Scooby, Shaggy and the gang can't solve this mystery, they may have to walk the plank.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like this20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1916)
Captain Nemo has built a fantastic submarine for his mission of revenge. He has traveled over 20,000 leagues in search of Charles Denver - a man who caused the death of Princess Daaker. Seeing what he had done, Denver took the daughter to his yacht and sailed away.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017)
Thrust into an all-new adventure, a down-on-his-luck Capt. Jack Sparrow feels the winds of ill-fortune blowing even more strongly when deadly ghost sailors led by his old nemesis, the evil Capt. Salazar, escape from the Devil's Triangle. Jack's only hope of survival lies in seeking out the legendary Trident of Poseidon, but to find it, he must forge an uneasy alliance with a brilliant and beautiful astronomer and a headstrong young man in the British navy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCreature from the Black Lagoon (1954)
When scientists exploring the Amazon River stumble on a “missing link” connecting humans and fish, they plan to capture it for later study. But the Creature has plans of his own, and has set his sights on the lead scientist's beautiful fiancée, Kay.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction
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 · both fantasy & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBattleship (2012)
When mankind beams a radio signal into space, a reply comes from ‘Planet G’, in the form of several alien crafts that splash down in the waters off Hawaii. Lieutenant Alex Hopper is a weapons officer assigned to the USS John Paul Jones, part of an international naval coalition which becomes the world's last hope for survival as they engage the hostile alien force of unimaginable strength. While taking on the invaders, Hopper must also try to live up to the potential that his brother, and his fiancée's father—an Admiral—expect of him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisMoana 2 (2024)
After receiving an unexpected call from her wayfinding ancestors, Moana journeys alongside Maui and a new crew to the far seas of Oceania and into dangerous, long-lost waters for an adventure unlike anything she's ever faced.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJason and the Argonauts (1963)
Jason, a fearless sailor and explorer, returns to his home land of Thessaly after a long voyage to claim his rightful throne. He learns, however, that he must first find the magical Golden Fleece. To do so, he must embark on an epic quest fraught with fantastic monsters and terrible perils.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFantastic Voyage (1966)
In order to save an assassinated scientist, a submarine and its crew are shrunk to microscopic size and injected into his bloodstream.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPirates of the Caribbean: At World's End (2007)
After losing Captain Jack Sparrow to the locker of Davy Jones, Will Turner, Elizabeth Swann, and Captain Barbossa journey to the ends of the earth to rescue him. And as the East India Trading Company tightens its grip on the seas under Lord Cutler Beckett—now in control of Davy Jones—the fate of piracy hangs by a thread. Now, they must unite the pirate lords for one final stand. But as loyalties are tested and alliances shift, each must ultimately choose where they stand in the battle for freedom on the high seas.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSolo: A Star Wars Story (2018)
Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisForbidden Planet (1956)
Starship C57D travels to planet Altair 4 in search of the crew of spaceship "Bellerophon," a scientific expedition that has been missing for twenty years. They find themselves unwelcome by the expedition's lone survivor and warned of destruction by an invisible force if they don't turn back immediately.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPercy Jackson: Sea of Monsters (2013)
In their quest to confront the ultimate evil, Percy and his friends battle swarms of mythical creatures to find the mythical Golden Fleece and to stop an ancient evil from rising.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
When wily pirate Captain Barbossa seizes Jack Sparrow’s beloved ship, the Black Pearl, and kidnaps the governor’s daughter, Elizabeth Swann, blacksmith Will Turner reluctantly teams up with the unpredictable pirate Jack to rescue her—only to uncover a terrifying curse that turns Barbossa’s crew into the undead.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEye of the Storm (2011)
Steampunk short animated film about a traveler in an airship crossing through a storm.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & science fiction
Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow (2004)
When gigantic robots attack New York City, "Sky Captain" uses his private air force to fight them off. His ex-girlfriend, reporter Polly Perkins, has been investigating the recent disappearance of prominent scientists. Suspecting a link between the global robot attacks and missing men, Sky Captain and Polly decide to work together. They fly to the Himalayas in pursuit of the mysterious Dr. Totenkopf, the mastermind behind the robots.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisCaptain America: Civil War (2016)
Following the events of Age of Ultron, the collective governments of the world pass an act designed to regulate all superhuman activity. This polarizes opinion amongst the Avengers, causing two factions to side with Iron Man or Captain America, which causes an epic battle between former allies.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBig Fish & Begonia (2016)
Beyond the human realm, there is a magical race of beings who control the tides and the changing of the seasons. One of these beings, a young girl named Chun, seeks something more—she wants to experience the human world! At sixteen, she finally gets her chance and transforms into a dolphin in order to explore the world that has her fascinated. But she soon discovers that it's a dangerous place and nearly gets killed in a vortex. Luckily, her life is spared when a young boy sacrifices himself to save her. Moved by his kindness and courage, she uses magic to bring him back to life only to learn that this power comes at a serious price. On a new adventure, she’ll have to make her own sacrifices in order to protect his soul until it is ready to return to the human world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRebel 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 & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
A hapless inventor finally finds success with a flying car, which a dictator from a foreign government sets out to take for himself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe SpongeBob SquarePants Movie (2004)
There's trouble brewing in Bikini Bottom. Someone has stolen King Neptune's crown, and it looks like Mr. Krab, SpongeBob's boss, is the culprit. Though he's just been passed over for the promotion of his dreams, SpongeBob stands by his boss, and along with his best pal Patrick, sets out on a treacherous mission to Shell City to reclaim the crown and save Mr. Krab's life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAlice in Wonderland (1951)
On a golden afternoon, wildly curious young Alice tumbles into the burrow and enters the merry, madcap world of Wonderland full of whimsical escapades.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMetropolis (1927)
In a futuristic city sharply divided between the rich and the poor, the son of the city's mastermind meets a prophet who predicts the coming of a savior to mediate their differences.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Snows of Kilimanjaro (1952)
Writer Harry Street reflects on his life as he lies dying from an infection while on safari in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
SnoozefestMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?
The closest matches to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea are Treasure Planet (2002), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and Underwater (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?
Start with Treasure Planet (2002), the closest match to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
What is the highest-rated movie like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?
Metropolis (1927), rated 8.1/10 by 3,266 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?
Moana 2 (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea?
Yes: Treasure Planet (2002), Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001) and Underwater (2020).
How are movies similar to 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.