Movies like Rufus (2016)
The best movies like Rufus (2016) are Teen Beach 2 (2015), The Gruffalo's Child (2011) and Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022). If Rufus hooked you with its tv movie and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Gruffalo (2009)7.4/10 from 359 votes
- NewestDRAWN OUT (2025)Released 2025
Teen Beach 2 (2015)
When characters from the movie musical “Wet Side Story” get stuck in the real world, teens Brady and Mack must find a way to return them home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Gruffalo's Child (2011)
A follow up to the 2009 animated feature and adapted from the childrens' book by Julia Donaldson and Alex Scheffler. The Gruffalo's child explores the deep dark wood in search of the big bad mouse and meets the Snake, Owl and Fox in the process. She eventually finds the mouse, who manages to outwit her like the Gruffalo before!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChickenhare 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 comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisZog (2018)
Zog is a keen young dragon who wants to learn to fly, roar, and breathe fire, so he studies at the Dragon School. He is desperate to impress his teacher and win a golden star, but he is prone to accidents and he has to be helped by a kind young girl who patches up his bumps and bruises.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Brave Little Toaster to the Rescue (1997)
When Toaster and the gang spark friendships with the playful animals at the veterinary hospital, they soon discover their new pals are about to be sent to a testing laboratory.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Want a Dog for Christmas, Charlie Brown (2003)
All Rerun wants from Santa is a dog, but his mother won't let him have one. Spending time with Snoopy provides the perfect pick-me-up. But when Snoopy gets too busy to play with Rerun, they call in a substitute—Snoopy's brother Spike.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisInvisible Sister (2015)
Teenager Cleo's school science project goes quite awry, causing her popular older sister Molly to go invisible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSnoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin (2024)
Franklin is new to town and hoping to make friends, but his usual tactics don't work on the Peanuts gang. When the Soap Box Derby arrives, he's sure it's a chance to impress new pals and teams up with the only other unpartnered kid: Charlie Brown.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
Max the terrier must cope with some major life changes when his owner gets married and has a baby. When the family takes a trip to the countryside, nervous Max has numerous run-ins with canine-intolerant cows, hostile foxes and a scary turkey. Luckily for Max, he soon catches a break when he meets Rooster, a gruff farm dog who tries to cure the lovable pooch of his neuroses.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011)
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the tiny pups will stop at nothing to save them - because in good times and hard times, the family always sticks together. So Papi, Chloe and the puppies embark on a heroic adventure, proving once again that big heroes come in small packages.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisTrouble (2019)
A pampered dog named Trouble must learn to live in the real world while trying to escape from his former owner's greedy children and must learn how to survive on the big-city streets.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this100% Wolf (2020)
Freddy Lupin, heir to a proud family line of werewolves, is in for a shock when on his 14th birthday his first 'warfing' goes awry, turning him into a ferocious poodle. The pack elders give Freddy until the next moonrise to prove he has the heart of a wolf, or risk being cast out forever. With the help of an unlikely ally in a streetwise stray named Batty, Freddy must prove he's 100% Wolf.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScooby-Doo! The Mystery Begins (2009)
Unjustly accused of staging a spooky practical joke complete with ghosts, Daphne, Velma, Fred and Shaggy are suspended from Coolsville High. To clear their names, they team up to solve the supernatural mystery…and head straight into nonstop laughs and adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMarvel One-Shot: All Hail the King (2014)
A documentary filmmaker interviews the now-famous Trevor Slattery from behind bars.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSnoopy Presents: Lucy's School (2022)
The Peanuts gang is anxious about starting at a new school in the fall, inspiring Lucy to start her own school instead. She soon learns that teaching isn't as easy as it sounds and that change can be a good thing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThunderstruck (2012)
After NBA star Kevin Durant switches talent with 16 year old Brian, the teenager becomes the star of his high school team, but Durant starts struggling and eventually learns an important lesson.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Gruffalo (2009)
The magical tale of a mouse who sets foot on a woodland adventure in search of a nut. Encountering predators who all wish to eat him - Fox, Owl and Snake - the brave mouse creates a terrifying, imaginary monster to frighten them away. But what will the mouse do when he meets this frightful monster for real?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Fox and the Hound 2 (2006)
Best friends Tod, a fox kit, and Copper, a hound puppy, visit a country fair when they see a band of dogs called "The Singin' Strays". The band has five members: Dixie, Cash, Granny Rose, and twin brothers Waylon and Floyd. It is important that they perform well because a talent scout is visiting.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (2009)
A blue harvest moon will rise, allowing the fairies to use a precious moonstone to restore the Pixie Dust Tree, the source of all their magic. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFirehouse Dog (2007)
Rexxx, Hollywood's top canine star, gets lost and is adopted into a shabby firehouse. He teams up with a young kid to get the station back on its feet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDRAWN OUT (2025)
On the eve of leaving for college, Randy discovers that the childhood drawings she's long forgotten are not quite ready to let her go. When her imaginary friends come to life, they pull her into a surreal final adventure through her own home, one that forces her to confront buried memories, unresolved guilt, and the fear she's been avoiding. As fantasy and reality collide, Randy must decide whether to run from her past or face it head-on, learning that growing up doesn't mean leaving every part of yourself behind.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & fantasy
Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions! Take On Me (2018)
Yuuta and Rikka are in their third year of high school. One day in Spring, Touka declares that she will take Rikka to Italy with her, as her job has stabilized there and thinks they should migrate together as a family. Touka is also worried about Rikka not being competent enough to advance to universities in Japan. The gangs from the club suggested Yuuta, who doesn't want to be separated, to elope with Rikka!! A runaway drama throughout Japan begins.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSunday Driver (2024)
Bazza's late for the match again, but he's confident he'll get there in time...until he bumps into the Sunday drivers...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Anthony (2014)
Christmas Eve. An enormous explosion tears through Lapland. Santa and his elf, Anthony, have crash-landed in the middle of nowhere on their busiest night.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Your Romeo (2016)
Yvette has dreamed of performing Romeo and Juliet since starting high school. Now, in her final year, the headmaster has decided to use the school's entire arts and culture budget to fund a T20 event. In a last ditch effort to put on the play, they ask the school's cricket hero, Marko Marais, to play the role of Romeo.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The Banger Sisters (2002)
In the late '60s, the self-proclaimed belles of the rock 'n' roll ball, rocked the worlds of every music legend whose pants they could take off -- and they have the pictures to prove it. But it's been more than two decades since the Banger Sisters earned their nickname -- or even laid eyes on each other. Their reunion is the collision of two women's worlds; one who's living in the past, and one who's hiding from it. Together they learn to live in the moment.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisLast Interview (2012)
Mr. Baek, a job seeker, is vulnerable to sunlight. Despite his unusual illness, he is eager to get a job. Finally, today is Mr. Baek's last interview.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Beautiful Girls (1996)
During a snowy winter in the small fictional town of Knight's Ridge, Massachusetts, a group of lifelong buddies hang out, drink and struggle to connect with the women who affect their decisions, dreams and desires.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFree!: Timeless Medley - The Promise (2017)
The second Timeless Medley film mainly recaps Eternal Summer and a little bit of the first season. It focuses on Rin and Samezuka. It also includes new scenes and characters from High Speed.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Rufus?
The closest matches to Rufus are Teen Beach 2 (2015), The Gruffalo's Child (2011) and Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Rufus?
Start with Teen Beach 2 (2015), the closest match to Rufus.
What is the highest-rated movie like Rufus?
The Gruffalo (2009), rated 7.4/10 by 359 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Rufus?
DRAWN OUT (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Rufus?
Yes: Teen Beach 2 (2015), The Gruffalo's Child (2011) and Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022).
How are movies similar to Rufus chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Rufus, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.