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Movies like Descent (2005)

The best movies like Descent (2005) are The Lost World (2001), Stargate: Continuum (2008) and Snow Queen (2002). If Descent hooked you with its science fiction and tv movie, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. The Lost World (2001)

    This Lost World is a splendid BBC TV dramatisation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous adventure story. Bob Hoskins makes an unusually genial Professor Challenger, far less of a bully than Doyle's character, but his slightly stereotyped companions are nicely filled out by a solid cast. James Fox is Challenger's more timid but still covertly adventurous rival, Tom Ward is the moustachioed big game hunter who faces an Allosaurus with an elephant gun, and Matthew Rhys plays the tagalong reporter hoping to impress his faithless fiancée.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction

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  2. Stargate: Continuum (2008)

    Ba'al travels back in time and prevents the Stargate program from being started. SG-1 must somehow restore history.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction

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  3. 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 adventure & science fiction

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  4. The Core (2003)

    Geophysicist Dr. Josh Keyes discovers that an unknown force has caused the earth's inner core to stop rotating. With the planet's magnetic field rapidly deteriorating, our atmosphere literally starts to come apart at the seams with catastrophic consequences. To resolve the crisis, Keyes, along with a team of the world's most gifted scientists, travel into the earth's core. Their mission: detonate a device that will reactivate the core.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure

  5. Meltdown: Days of Destruction (2006)

    Despite scientist Nathan's warnings, his boss continues an experiment meant as publicity for his satellite firm: exploding an asteroid. Instead it splits, and the major piece, the size of Iceland, changes course to earth. It is deflected but so close that it shift our course closer to the sun, causing rapid extreme heating, hopefully only mid-term. Nathan warns his sister, TV journalist Carly, and she her lover, police detective Tom. He brings his unruly daughter Kim, her ex-con lover C.J. and her mother, nurse Bonnie, when Nathan offers a flight to a friend's Arctic weather station. Tom takes charge of a dangerous trip to the airport, as everywhere on earth things catch fire and people fight for water, transport and sheer looting.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction

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  6. 2012 (2009)

    Dr. Adrian Helmsley, part of a worldwide geophysical team investigating the effect on the earth of radiation from unprecedented solar storms, learns that the earth's core is heating up. He warns U.S. President Thomas Wilson that the crust of the earth is becoming unstable and that without proper preparations for saving a fraction of the world's population, the entire race is doomed. Meanwhile, writer Jackson Curtis stumbles on the same information. While the world's leaders race to build "arks" to escape the impending cataclysm, Curtis struggles to find a way to save his family. Meanwhile, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes of unprecedented strength wreak havoc around the world.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction

  7. Underwater (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

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  8. Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom (2018)

    Three years after Jurassic World was destroyed, Isla Nublar now sits abandoned. When the island's dormant volcano begins roaring to life, Owen and Claire mount a campaign to rescue the remaining dinosaurs from this extinction-level event.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction

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  9. The 5th Wave (2016)

    16-year-old Cassie Sullivan tries to survive in a world devastated by the waves of an alien invasion that has already decimated the population and knocked mankind back to the Stone Age.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure

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  10. On the Beach (2000)

    The world has finally managed to blow itself up and only Australia has been spared from nuclear destruction and a gigantic wave of radiation is floating in on the breezes. One American sub located in the Pacific has survived and is met with disdain by the Australians. The calculations of Australia's most renowned scientist says the country is doomed. However, one of his rivals says that he is wrong. He believes that 1000 people can be relocated to the northern hemisphere, where his assumptions indicate the radiation levels may be lower. The American Captain is asked to take a mission to the north to determine which scientist is right.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction

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  11. Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008)

    On a quest to find out what happened to his missing brother, a scientist, his nephew and their mountain guide discover a fantastic and dangerous lost world in the center of the earth.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure

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  12. 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 adventure

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  13. Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005)

    When the sinister Sith unveil a thousand-year-old plot to rule the galaxy, the Republic crumbles and from its ashes rises the evil Galactic Empire. Jedi hero Anakin Skywalker must choose a side.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker (2019)

    The surviving Resistance faces the First Order once again as the journey of Rey, Finn and Poe Dameron continues. With the power and knowledge of generations behind them, the final battle begins.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction

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  15. Jack Hunter and the Star of Heaven (2009)

    Jack Hunter pursues his arch nemesis Littman across ancient Europe, intent on thwarting his attempt to salvage a deadly artefact.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

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  16. Greenland 2: Migration (2026)

    Having found the safety of the Greenland bunker after the comet Clarke decimated the Earth, the Garrity family must now risk everything to embark on a perilous journey across the wasteland of Europe to find a new home.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & science fiction

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  17. Babylon 5: In the Beginning (1998)

    Londo Mollari, the Centauri Emperor, recounts the initial contact between the Humans and Minbari, which resulted in a major incident and subsequent war, for an eager pair of youngsters wanting a story about love and conflict.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  18. MacGyver: Trail to Doomsday (1994)

    A close friend of MacGyver is murdered. In searching for a reason for this assassination MacGyver discovers a secret nuclear weapons plant right in the center of Britain.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure

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  19. Pacific Rim (2013)

    Using massive piloted robots to combat the alien threat, Earth's survivors take the fight to the invading alien force lurking in the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Nearly defenseless in the face of the relentless enemy, the forces of mankind have no choice but to turn to two unlikely heroes who now stand as Earth's final hope against the mounting apocalypse.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. 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: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & adventure

  21. MegaFault (2009)

    When miner Charley 'Boomer' Baxter sets off a series of massive mining detonations in West Virginia, a gigantic earthquake is soon rocking the North Atlantic, exposing a deep seismic fault that runs the length of the North American continent. Joining forces with government seismology expert Dr Amy Lane, Boomer must now race against time to stop the chasm that is threatening to tear America - and the entire world - in half.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & science fiction

  22. The People That Time Forgot (1977)

    Major Ben McBride organizes a mission to the Antarctic wastes to search for his friend who has been missing in the region for several years. McBride's party find themselves in a world populated by primitive warriors and terrifying prehistoric creatures, all of whom they must evade in order to get back safely

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & science fiction

  23. Pterodactyl (2004)

    A dormant volcano deep with the Turkish forest holds within it a deadly secret. Perfectly preserved, a nest of pterodactyl eggs are ready to hatch...

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & science fiction

  24. Tornado Valley (2009)

    Liz McAdams is haunted by the memories of a tornado that destroyed her home 25 years ago. Now a professional storm tracker, she and her family are in danger once again as another devastating twister rapidly gains momentum. Caught in the path of destruction, Liz and her estranged husband struggle to save those they love...

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

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  25. Age of Ice (2014)

    Massive earthquakes open the Arabian tectonic plate, resulting in unstable weather and freezing temperatures that will be unsurvivable by nightfall. Attempting to reach safety, a vacationing family in Egypt must battle the rapidly cooling temperatures that usher in a new Ice Age, covering the Sphinx, Pyramids, and Sahara Desert with mountains of snow.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & science fiction

  26. Godzilla vs. Mothra (1992)

    Mothra's dark counterpart, Battra, emerges to eliminate humanity on behalf of the Earth. Two tiny fairies called the Cosmos offer their help by calling Mothra to battle the creature. Unfortunately a meteorite has awoken a hibernating Godzilla as a three way battle for the Earth begins.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & science fiction

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  27. Dream Journey 2 (2017)

    A volcano wreaks havoc in Sun Wukong's world, sapping the magic banana leaf fan of its power. He must travel five centuries into the past to coax tears from the dry eyes of Princess Iron Fan, but he arrives with no memory of who he is.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

  28. Alien from the Deep (1989)

    Two members of Greenpeace discover that a local factory sheds radioactive waste into an active volcano, which has created a terrifying creature that wreaks havoc in the area.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction

  29. Poseidon (2006)

    A packed cruise ship traveling the Atlantic is hit and overturned by a massive wave, compelling the passengers to begin a dramatic fight for their lives.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

  30. The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)

    In 1429, a French teenager stood before her King with a message she claimed came from God; that she would defeat the world's greatest army and liberate her country from its political and religious turmoil. As she reclaims God's diminished kingdom, this courageous young woman has various amazing victories until her violent and untimely death.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

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Like Descent and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Descent?

The closest matches to Descent are The Lost World (2001), Stargate: Continuum (2008) and Snow Queen (2002). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Descent?

Start with The Lost World (2001), the closest match to Descent.

What is the highest-rated movie like Descent?

Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith (2005), rated 7.5/10 by 15,487 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Descent?

Greenland 2: Migration (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Descent?

Yes: The Lost World (2001), Stargate: Continuum (2008) and Snow Queen (2002).

How are movies similar to Descent chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Descent, 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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