Movies like The Haunting of Barney Palmer (1987)
The best movies like The Haunting of Barney Palmer (1987) are The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018), Mostly Ghostly 3: One Night in Doom House (2016) and The Witches (1990). If The Haunting of Barney Palmer hooked you with its family and mystery, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Lion King (1994)8.3/10 from 20,405 votes
- NewestThe Magic Faraway Tree (2026)Released 2026
The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018)
When ten-year-old Lewis is suddenly orphaned, he is sent to live with his Uncle Jonathan in a creaky (and creepy) old mansion with a mysterious ticking noise that emanates from the walls. Upon discovering that his uncle is a warlock, Lewis begins learning magic, but when he rebelliously resurrects an evil warlock he must find the secret of the house and save the world from destruction.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMostly Ghostly 3: One Night in Doom House (2016)
Just one enchanted jewel stands between earth and an army of evil spirits led by the devious ghoul, Phears. With the help of his new girlfriend and ghost pals, Max Doyle races to find the crystal and save the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Witches (1990)
While staying at a hotel in England with his grandmother, Helga, a young boy named Luke inadvertently spies on a convention of witches. The Grand High Witch reveals a plan to turn all children into mice via a magical formula. When they discover the eavesdropper, the witches test the formula on him. Now, with the help of Helga and hotel manager Mr Stringer, Luke the mouse must fight back against the witches.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Canterville Ghost (2023)
An American family moves in to the Canterville Chase, a London mansion that has been haunted by ghost Sir Simon De Canterville for 300 years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMostly Ghostly (2008)
Based on the successful book series by R.L. Stine, this spooky tale finds 11-year-old Max making a deal with the ghosts who haunt his home. If Max helps them find what was responsible for their parents' disappearance, they'll help him transform from a social nobody to the most popular kid in school.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Legend of Ochi (2025)
In a remote village on the island of Carpathia, a shy farm girl named Yuri is raised to fear an elusive animal species known as ochi. But when Yuri discovers a wounded baby ochi has been left behind, she escapes on a quest to bring him home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInkheart (2008)
The adventures of a father and his young daughter, in their search for a long lost book that will help reunite a missing, close relative.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)
Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNightbooks (2021)
Alex, a boy obsessed with scary stories, is trapped by a witch in her modern, magical New York City apartment. His original hair-raising tales are the only thing keeping him safe as he desperately tries to find a way out of this twisted place.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Magic Faraway Tree (2026)
A modern family relocates to the countryside where the children discover a magical tree with eccentric residents. They're transported to fantastical lands, rekindling their family bond through adventures.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScary Godmother: Halloween Spooktakular (2003)
Scary Godmother is the whimsical all-ages story that follows the first trick-or-treating adventure of Hannah Marie, a young girl whose rotten older cousin is babysitting her one dark Halloween. Unhappy to be saddled with Hannah, her cousin cooks up a scheme to frighten her. But his scheme backfires when Hannah gets help from her Scary Godmother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOrion and the Dark (2024)
A boy with an active imagination faces his fears on an unforgettable journey through the night with his new friend: a giant, smiling creature named Dark.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)
One year after their incredible adventures in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Peter, Edmund, Lucy and Susan Pevensie return to Narnia to aid a young prince whose life has been threatened by the evil King Miraz. Now, with the help of a colorful cast of new characters, including Trufflehunter the badger and Nikabrik the dwarf, the Pevensie clan embarks on an incredible quest to ensure that Narnia is returned to its rightful heir.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
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 family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCoraline (2009)
Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBedknobs and Broomsticks (1971)
Three children evacuated from London during World War II are forced to stay with an eccentric spinster. The children's initial fears disappear when they find out she is in fact a trainee witch.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCinderella (1950)
Cinderella has faith her dreams of a better life will come true. With help from her loyal mice friends and a wave of her Fairy Godmother's wand, Cinderella's rags are magically turned into a glorious gown and off she goes to the Royal Ball. But when the clock strikes midnight, the spell is broken, leaving a single glass slipper... the only key to the ultimate fairy-tale ending!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Christmas Carol (1971)
Miser Ebenezer Scrooge is awakened on Christmas Eve by spirits who reveal to him his own miserable existence, what opportunities he wasted in his youth, his current cruelties, and the dire fate that awaits him if he does not change his ways. Scrooge is faced with his own story of growing bitterness and meanness, and must decide what his own future will hold: death or redemption.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Secret Garden (1993)
A young British girl born and reared in India loses her neglectful parents in an earthquake. She is returned to England to live at her uncle's castle. Her uncle is very distant due to the loss of his wife ten years before. Neglected once again, she begins exploring the estate and discovers a garden that has been locked and forgotten. Aided by one of the servants' boys, she begins restoring the garden, and eventually discovers some other secrets of the manor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies 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 & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThree Wishes for Cinderella (1973)
Popelka, a resourceful and independent young girl, is a servant in her stepmother's house and confides in her closest friend the owl. When she comes across three magical acorns, she's granted a single wish for each one of them.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCasper (1995)
Casper is a kind young ghost who peacefully haunts a mansion in Maine. When specialist James Harvey arrives to communicate with Casper and his fellow spirits, he brings along his teenage daughter, Kat. Casper quickly falls in love with Kat, but their budding relationship is complicated not only by his transparent state, but also by his troublemaking apparition uncles and their mischievous antics.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHarry and the Hendersons (1987)
Returning from a hunting trip in the forest, the Henderson family's car hits an animal in the road. At first they fear it was a man, but when they examine the "body" they find it's a "bigfoot". They think it's dead so they decide to take it home (there could be some money in this). As you guessed, it isn't dead. Far from being the ferocious monster they fear "Harry" to be, he's a friendly giant.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRain in the Sunshine (2013)
Schoolboy Hinata has a big crush on his classmate Shigure, but is too shy to tell her. On the day Shigure is leaving, Hinata flies off on the wings of a bird chasing after her to tell how he feels!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & family
LEGO Scooby-Doo! Blowout Beach Bash (2017)
Mystery, Inc. heads to Blowout Beach for a real swinging beach party when the Ghost Pirates threaten to harsh the good vibes.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPeter Pan (2000)
The stage musical Peter Pan starring Cathy Rigby has toured the world to great acclaim. An adaptation of the famous 1954 musical directed by Jerome Robbins and starring Mary Martin, this new version is lasting proof that J.M. Barrie's tale of the boy who would never grow up is one of the kingpins of family entertainment. All the elements are in good form for this video production shot at the Mirada Theater in 2000 for the A&E Network. Some new songs have been added to the fabulous Moose Charlap-Carolyn Leigh score (which includes "Tender Shepherd," "I Gotta Crow," "I'm Flying," and "I Won't Grow Up"). But the biggest asset to this production are the spectacular flying sequences: Peter even soars over the audience at times. Martin was a stronger actress in a close-up, but Rigby is magical with her athleticism and spark, most notably in a percussion-filled song and dance number "Ugh-a-Wug.".
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & family
VeggieTales: Rack, Shack & Benny (1995)
There's trouble brewing at the Nezzer Chocolate Factory! To celebrate the sale of two million chocolate bunnies, company president Nebby K. Nezzer announces that his workers may eat as many bunnies as they like! This sounds great, until three boys named Rack, Shack and Benny remember that their parents taught them not to eat too much candy. By paralleling the Biblical story of Sadrach, Meschach and Abednego and the fiery furnace, "Rack, Shack, & Benny" teaches kids how to resist peer pressure and stand up for what they believe in. Kids of all ages will love the songs, humor and dazzling 3D computer animation of VeggieTales!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
The Lion King (1994)
Young lion prince Simba, eager to one day become king of the Pride Lands, grows up under the watchful eye of his father Mufasa; all the while his villainous uncle Scar conspires to take the throne for himself. Amid betrayal and tragedy, Simba must confront his past and find his rightful place in the Circle of Life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisWait Till Your Mother Gets Home (1983)
An award winning high school football coach finds himself out of work, and switching roles with his wife for the summer when she goes back to work for the first time in 15 years.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Tiny Light (2020)
Jinmu starts to record things he should remember with a camera after hearing that he could lose his memory due to the prearranged brain surgery. Memories of family and his forgotten father comes to Jinmu's mind as he takes records of his life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Haunting of Barney Palmer?
The closest matches to The Haunting of Barney Palmer are The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018), Mostly Ghostly 3: One Night in Doom House (2016) and The Witches (1990). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Haunting of Barney Palmer?
Start with The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018), the closest match to The Haunting of Barney Palmer.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Haunting of Barney Palmer?
The Lion King (1994), rated 8.3/10 by 20,405 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Haunting of Barney Palmer?
The Magic Faraway Tree (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Haunting of Barney Palmer?
Yes: The House with a Clock in Its Walls (2018), Mostly Ghostly 3: One Night in Doom House (2016) and The Witches (1990).
How are movies similar to The Haunting of Barney Palmer chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Haunting of Barney Palmer, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.