Movies like The Kids Are Gone (2026)
The best movies like The Kids Are Gone (2026) are River Wild (2023), The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello (2005) and Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010). If The Kids Are Gone hooked you with its mystery and adventure, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedWhile the Wolf's Away (2017)8.0/10 from 202 votes
- NewestThe Escape (2026)Released 2026
- In SpanishPerdida (2018)Also in Spanish
River Wild (2023)
Follows a pair of siblings who love but distrust each other as they embark on a white-water rafting trip with a small group. One of their friends from childhood turns out to be more dangerous than he appears.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello (2005)
Set in a world of iron dirigibles and steam powered computers, this gothic horror mystery tells the story of Jasper Morello, a disgraced aerial navigator who flees his plague-ridden home on a desperate voyage to redeem himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010)
Scooby-Doo and the gang are on the case when a mysterious lake monster starts scaring the guests at a summer resort in Erie Point, where Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy have taken on seasonal jobs to pay for a barn they accidentally burned down. But in addition to sneaking suspicions, there's some romance in the air.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGold Diggers: The Secret of Bear Mountain (1995)
Two teen girls, one from the city, one from the country, try to find the hidden gold of Bear Mountain learning about friendship, loyalty and courage on the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPerdida (2018)
A policewoman whose childhood friend disappeared in Patagonia years ago starts a new search to find answers, and soon finds her own life in danger.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLive Is Life (2022)
Summer 1985. As every year, Rodri travels from Catalonia to Galicia and is reunited with his four friends. As real-world problems begin to undermine their friendship, the five of them embark on a nighttime adventure in search of a mythical object.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChupa (2023)
While visiting family in Mexico, a lonely boy befriends a mythical creature hiding on his grandfather's ranch and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Kings of the World (2022)
Rá, Culebro, Sere, Winny and Nano. Five boys who live on the streets of Medellín. Five kings with no kingdom, no law, no family, set out on a journey in search of the promised land. A subversive tale told through a wild and endearing clan, somewhere between reality and delirium. A journey to nowhere, where everything happens.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnastasia: 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 adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisStolen Girl (2025)
In 1993, Maureen’s six-year-old daughter Amina is snuck out of the country by her ex-husband, Karim. After years of unsuccessful attempts to find her, Maureen intersects with a professional retriever of internationally abducted children who promises to help her find Amina in exchange for her collaboration.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhile the Wolf's Away (2017)
A young teen and his misfit group of friends try to escape from a strict boarding school that holds dangerous secrets.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisJungle Run (2021)
A brother and sister's journey into the jungle to find their missing father.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisSlumberland (2022)
A young girl discovers a secret map to the dreamworld of Slumberland, and with the help of an eccentric outlaw, she traverses dreams and flees nightmares, with the hope that she will be able to see her late father again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Maze Runner (2014)
A teenager with no memory of his past finds himself among a group of boys living in a walled enclosure surrounded by a massive, ever-changing maze. As he struggles to adapt to their rules and society, he begins to uncover clues that may lead to escape and the truth behind their confinement.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHouse of Anubis: The Touchstone of Ra (2013)
The students of Anubis House are on the eve of their graduation when they encounter a new group of underclassmen and a mysterious stone that leads them on a quest to save the world from evil.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBookworm (2024)
Eleven-year-old Mildred’s life is turned upside down when her mother lands in hospital and estranged, American magician father, Strawn Wise, comes to look after her. Hoping to entertain the bookish tween, Strawn takes Mildred camping in the notoriously rugged New Zealand wilderness, and the pair embark on the ultimate test of family bonding – a quest to find the mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure
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 adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Caller (1987)
One night, an unusual stranger in need asks a woman living alone in a house in the woods if he can use her phone. It soon becomes clear that they're playing a strange mind game and that there's something very wrong about the woods.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisSuburbicon (2017)
In the quiet family town of Suburbicon during the 1950s, the best and worst of humanity is hilariously reflected through the deeds of seemingly ordinary people. When a home invasion turns deadly, a picture-perfect family turns to blackmail, revenge and murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisNancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)
Nancy Drew, a smart high schooler with a penchant for keen observation and deduction, stumbles upon the haunting of a local home. A bit of an outsider struggling to fit into her new surroundings, Nancy and her pals set out to solve the mystery, make new friends, and establish their place in the community
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStand by Me (1986)
After learning that a boy their age has been accidentally killed near their rural homes, four boys decide to go see the body. Gordie, Vern, Chris, and Teddy encounter a mean junk man and a marsh full of leeches, but they also learn more about one another and their very different home lives. Just a lark at first, the boys' adventure evolves into a defining event in their lives.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHarry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (2007)
Returning for his fifth year at Hogwarts, Harry is stunned to find that his warnings about the return of Lord Voldemort have been ignored. Left with no choice, Harry takes matters into his own hands, training a small group of motivated students to defend themselves against the Dark Arts.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWhite Squall (1996)
In 1960, a hardy group of prep school students boards an old-fashioned sailing ship. With Capt. Christopher Sheldon at the helm, the oceangoing voyage is intended to teach the boys fortitude and discipline. But the youthful crew are about to get some unexpected instruction in survival when they get caught in the clutches of a white squall storm.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTreasure 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: Similar story and style · both adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Far Off Place (1993)
Thrown together under incredible circumstances, two strangers must discover courage and strength when they begin a journey across the treacherous African desert! Equipped only with their wits and the expertise of a native bushman who befriends them, they are determined to triumph over impossible odds and reach their destination. But along the way, the trio face a primitive desert wilderness.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRace for Your Life, Charlie Brown (1977)
The Peanuts gang, including Snoopy and Woodstock, have gone off to summer camp. After a few days of the usual activities, they all participate in a river-rafting race. Battling treacherous rapids, wild animals and cheating bullies from a rival tent, the teams make their way downriver to the finish line.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Escape (2026)
Two kids discover a money-filled hole in the forest, but a note reveals the shocking truth about it. Prototype for a feature film concept.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Olsen's Day (2025)
A production assistant goes on a trip with a strange old man and his son who threatens him but at the same time, gives him the answers he seeks.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
The Mermaids: The Secret of the Medallion (2025)
Three teenage friends struggle with the challenges of school while trying to keep a well-hidden secret: they are mermaids. When their secret is exposed on social media, they embark on a journey to a secret island, where they hope to give up their magical powers. Their adventure is full of surprises and the unexpected, and the girls discover what truly matters in life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Life Almost Gone (2025)
A teenage girl embarks on a journey with her loved ones as every night, the world's population cuts in half, counting down to zero.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Kids Are Gone?
The closest matches to The Kids Are Gone are River Wild (2023), The Mysterious Geographic Explorations of Jasper Morello (2005) and Scooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Kids Are Gone?
Start with River Wild (2023), the closest match to The Kids Are Gone.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Kids Are Gone?
While the Wolf's Away (2017), rated 8.0/10 by 202 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Kids Are Gone?
The Escape (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Spanish movies like The Kids Are Gone?
Yes: Perdida (2018), Live Is Life (2022) and The Kings of the World (2022).
How are movies similar to The Kids Are Gone chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Kids Are Gone, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.