Movies like The Boxcar Children (2014)
The best movies like The Boxcar Children (2014) are Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022), SlugTerra: Return of the Elementals (2014) and The Pagemaster (1994). If The Boxcar Children hooked you with its family and animation, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedRatatouille (2007)7.9/10 from 19,207 votes
- NewestDiary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (2025)Released 2025
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022)
A brave young animal explorer teams up with two trusty friends to find a powerful artifact before his greedy uncle can get his paws on it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSlugTerra: 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 thisThe Pagemaster (1994)
Rich knows a lot about accidents. So much so, he is scared to do anything that might endanger him, like riding his bike, or climbing into his treehouse. While in an old library, he is mystically transported into the unknown world of books, and he has to try and get home again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCurious George 3: Back to the Jungle (2015)
When Curious George is offered a special space mission, Ted (The Man in the Yellow Hat) can't deny his little friend this exciting journey, especially after Curious George completes the training. But when he crash-lands in Africa, a worried Ted goes searching, expecting the worst, only to have it turn out to be the best.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThomas & Friends: Big World! Big Adventures! The Movie (2018)
Thomas leaves Sodor to fulfil his dream of seeing the world. This heroic quest takes Thomas across deserts, through jungles and over dangerous mountains as he travels across five continents seeing sights he has never seen before.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Boss Baby: Christmas Bonus (2022)
Christmas Eve takes a twisty turn when the Boss Baby accidentally swaps places with one of Santa's elves and gets stranded at the North Pole.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRobin Robin (2021)
A bird raised by mice begins to question where she belongs and sets off on a daring journey of self-discovery.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCars Toon Mater's Tall Tales (2008)
Mater the tow truck travels from country to country as he retells his infamous but unbelievable stories.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Willoughbys (2020)
When the four Willoughby children are abandoned by their selfish parents, they must learn how to adapt their Old-Fashioned values to the contemporary world in order to create something new: The Modern Family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbie & Her Sisters in the Great Puppy Adventure (2015)
Barbie and her sisters, Skipper, Stacie and Chelsea, and their adorable new puppy friends find unexpected mystery and adventure when they return to their hometown of Willows. While going through mementos in Grandma's attic, the sisters discover an old map, believed to lead to a long-lost treasure buried somewhere in the town. With their puppy pals in tow, the four girls go on an exciting treasure hunt, along the way discovering that the greatest treasure of all is the love and laughter they share as sisters!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Little Prince (2015)
Based on the best-seller book 'The Little Prince', the movie tells the story of a little girl that lives with resignation in a world where efficiency and work are the only dogmas. Everything will change when accidentally she discovers her neighbor that will tell her about the story of the Little Prince that he once met.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDiary of a Wimpy Kid (2021)
Greg Heffley is a scrawny but ambitious kid with an active imagination and big plans to be rich and famous – he just has to survive middle school first.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLegends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)
Dorothy wakes in post-tornado Kansas, only to be whisked back to Oz to try to save her old friends, the Scarecrow, the Lion, the Tin Man, and Glinda, from a devious new villain, the Jester. New comrades Wiser the Owl, Marshal Mallow, China Princess, and Tugg the Tugboat join Dorothy on her latest magical journey through the colorful landscape of Oz to restore order and happiness to Emerald City.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMonster Family 2 (2021)
To free Baba Yaga and Renfield from the clutches of Monster Hunter Mila Starr, the Wishbone Family once more transforms into a Vampire, Frankenstein's Monster, a Mummy and a Werewolf but when aided by their three pet bats, the Monster Family zooms around the world again to save their friends, make new monstrous acquaintances.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMonster High: Frights, Camera, Action! (2014)
When Draculaura is led to believe she's the rightful heir to the vampire throne, she and her best ghoulfriends are whisked away to Transylvania for a royal coronation to die for. But they soon discover the hunt for the queen is not over yet. The Ghouls must locate an ancient artifact known as the Vampire's Heart in order to discover the identity of the true Vampire Queen. It's a fangtastic adventure that will lead them from the Tower of Londoom, to a haunted river boat in New Goreleans and finally to the glamorous boo-vie lots of Hauntlywood. Could this be the moment when Draculara finally receives her vampire powers and discovers screams really can come true?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Tidal Zone: SpongeBob Universe Special (2023)
GrandPat travels through alternate dimensions and timelines to get home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDragons: Rescue Riders: Secrets of the Songwing (2020)
When a musical dragon with a beautiful voice hypnotizes the dragons and people of Huttsgalor, the Rescue Riders have to find a way to break the spell.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisArctic Dogs (2019)
Animals band together to save the day when the evil Otto Von Walrus hatches a sinister scheme to accelerate global warming and melt the Arctic Circle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisDiary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (2025)
When laidback Greg finds himself at odds with his dad's outsized expectations, pressure builds to turn his act around. After a series of hilarious near disasters, Greg's dad presents him with an ultimatum that just might challenge his wimpy ways for good.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Boxtrolls (2014)
An orphaned boy raised by underground creatures called Boxtrolls comes up from the sewers and out of his box to save his family and the town from the evil exterminator, Archibald Snatcher.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMeet the Robinsons (2007)
Lewis, a brilliant young inventor, is keen on creating a time machine to find his mother, who abandoned him in an orphanage. Things take a turn when he meets Wilbur Robinson and his family.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Hobbit (1977)
The story follows the adventures of Bilbo Baggins, a diminutive creative who resides in a place called Middle-Earth before he is compelled to go on a quest to find a treasure buried deep in the heart of the Lonely Mountain.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisZootopia (2016)
Determined to prove herself, Officer Judy Hopps, the first bunny on Zootopia's police force, jumps at the chance to crack her first case - even if it means partnering with scam-artist fox Nick Wilde to solve the mystery.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBridge to Terabithia (2007)
Jesse Aarons trained all summer to become the fastest runner in school. So he's very upset when newcomer Leslie Burke outruns him and everyone else. Despite this and other differences including that she's rich, he's poor, she's a city girl, and he's a country boy the two become fast friends. Together they create Terabithia, a land of monsters, trolls, ogres, and giants where they rule as king and queen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Return of the King (1980)
Two Hobbits struggle to destroy the Ring in Mount Doom while their friends desperately fight evil Lord Sauron's forces in a final battle.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Lord of the Rings: The War of the Rohirrim (2024)
A sudden attack by Wulf, a clever and traitorous lord of Rohan seeking vengeance for the death of his father, forces Helm Hammerhand, the King of Rohan, and his people to make a daring last stand in the ancient stronghold of the Hornburg.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThrone of Seal The Movie: The Crownless God (2025)
The legendary epic of Elekes, re - presenting the glorious path of the great Necromancer of the Undead Scourge, Elekes.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & adventure
White Fang (2018)
A loyal wolfdog’s curiosity leads him on the adventure of a lifetime while serving a series of three distinctly different masters.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRatatouille (2007)
In one of Paris's finest restaurants, Remy, a determined young rat, dreams of becoming a renowned French chef. Torn between his family's wishes and his true calling, Remy and his pal Linguini set in motion a hilarious chain of events that turns the City of Lights upside down.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisIllumination 7 Mini-Movie Collection (2014)
7 mini-movies starring your favorite characters from Despicable Me, HOP and Dr. Seuss' The Lorax come together in 1 exciting collection! It's fun the whole family can enjoy again and again!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Boxcar Children?
The closest matches to The Boxcar Children are Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022), SlugTerra: Return of the Elementals (2014) and The Pagemaster (1994). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Boxcar Children?
Start with Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022), the closest match to The Boxcar Children.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Boxcar Children?
Ratatouille (2007), rated 7.9/10 by 19,207 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Boxcar Children?
Diary of a Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Boxcar Children?
Yes: Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022), SlugTerra: Return of the Elementals (2014) and The Pagemaster (1994).
How are movies similar to The Boxcar Children chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Boxcar Children, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.