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Movies like The Boy Who Never Was (1980)

The best movies like The Boy Who Never Was (1980) are PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020), First Kid (1996) and Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring (2002). If The Boy Who Never Was hooked you with its family, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020)

    A royal relative steals a gem with the power to make things fly, the Paw Patrol takes to the skies to stop him and save Barkingburg.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. First Kid (1996)

    Some say that to be the leader of a country is one of the loneliest jobs in the world. But being the child of a world leader can be doubly so. Constantly surrounded by security officers, restricted in movements and having almost every waking moment carefully monitored makes normalcy an impossibility. No one knows this better than young Luke Davenport, the son of U.S. President Davenport. He vents his loneliness, frustration and feelings of isolation from family and friends by being a brat to his private Secret Service agent. When the agent snaps from the strain in front of the First Lady, a new agent is assigned to Luke. He turns out to be the enormous Sam Simms, a bit of a rogue who managed to rise through the ranks by sheer determination rather than strict adherence to Secret-Service protocol. At first, Luke tries all his old tricks upon Sam. But instead of getting angry, Sam seems to actually understand.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

  3. Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring (2002)

    The Oscar-winning cat-and-mouse twosome--Tom and Jerry--returns with another adventure. When Tom and Jerry's irrepressible curiosity gets the best of them, the mysterious magic ring that Tom guards with his life ends up stuck over Jerry's head. Now, Jerry must find a way to free himself of the ring while fleeing Tom, who wants to remove the ring any way he can! Find out if the pair can conjure up a solution in this fur-raising, madcap escapade.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980)

    Young Cedric Errol and his widowed mother live in genteel poverty in 1880s Brooklyn after the death of his father. Cedric's grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt, has long ago disowned his son for marrying an American. But after the death of the Earl's remaining son, he decides to accept Cedric as his heir.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. What a Girl Wants (2003)

    American Daphne Reynolds heads to Europe in search of the father she's never met. But instead of finding a British version of her boho mother, she learns the love of her mom's life is an uptight politician. The only problem now is that her long-lost father is engaged to a fiercely territorial social climber with a daughter who makes Daphne's life miserable.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. Ploey: You Never Fly Alone (2018)

    A plover chick has not learned to fly when his family migrates in the fall. He must survive the arctic winter, vicious enemies and himself in order to be reunited with his beloved one next spring.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. The 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 family

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  8. Bill (2015)

    What really happened during Shakespeare's 'Lost Years'? Hopeless lute player Bill Shakespeare leaves his home to follow his dream.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. Scooby-Doo! and the Legend of the Vampire (2003)

    The Yowie Yahoo starts kidnapping musicians at a concert attended by Scooby and the gang in Vampire Rock, Australia.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  10. Curious George 2: Follow That Monkey! (2009)

    The film chronicles George's adventures as he befriends Kayla, a baby elephant, at a magic circus show and helps her travel across the country to be reunited with her family.Accompanied by his friend, the Man with the Yellow Hat, George travels by foot, train, and truck to reach Kayla's brother and sister in California, only to be accused of elephant-napping and brought all the way back to New York.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Thunderstruck (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 family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Angela's Christmas Wish (2020)

    A determined Angela makes a wish to reunite her family in time for Christmas, then launches a plan to find her way from Ireland to Australia.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Slumberland (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 family

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  14. The Boy in the Dress (2014)

    Dennis feels different - an ordinary boy in an ordinary house in an ordinary street, playing football with his mates and living with his dad and brother, but frustrated by the boring grey world he inhabits. Life has never really been the same since his mum left. However, transformation can happen in the most unexpected places. Aided by Lisa, the coolest girl in school, Dennis creates a whole new persona and puts it to the ultimate test - but can a boy wear a dress, and what will the headmaster, his dad and his friends on the football team think if they find out?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. Hey Arnold! The Movie (2002)

    Arnold and his friends must recover a stolen document in order to prevent the neighborhood from being bulldozed.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Love Don't Co$t a Thing (2003)

    A high school outcast pays a cheerleader to pose as his girlfriend so he can be considered cool.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. Cadet Kelly (2002)

    Hyperactive teenager Kelly is enrolled into a military school when her new stepfather becomes the Commandant. At first she has problems fitting in and taking orders until she tries out for the drill team.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Snoopy Presents: It's the Small Things, Charlie Brown (2022)

    Charlie Brown is determined to win the big baseball game. But things turn into a fiasco right before the matchup, when Sally bonds with a little flower on the pitcher's mound and vows to protect it at all costs.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. Cheaper by the Dozen (2022)

    This remake of the beloved classic follows the raucous exploits of a blended family of 12, the Bakers, as they navigate a hectic home life while simultaneously managing their family business.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Sneakerella (2022)

    When El, an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens, meets Kira King, the fiercely independent daughter of legendary basketball star and sneaker tycoon Darius King, sparks fly as the two bond over their mutual affinity for sneakers. With a little nudge from his best friend and a sprinkle of Fairy Godfather magic, El finds the courage to use his talent to pursue his dream of becoming a ‘legit’ sneaker designer in the industry.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family

Like The Boy Who Never Was and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like The Boy Who Never Was?

The closest matches to The Boy Who Never Was are PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020), First Kid (1996) and Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring (2002). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after The Boy Who Never Was?

Start with PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020), the closest match to The Boy Who Never Was.

What is the highest-rated movie like The Boy Who Never Was?

Love Don't Co$t a Thing (2003), rated 7.7/10 by 743 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like The Boy Who Never Was?

Slumberland (2022) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like The Boy Who Never Was?

Yes: PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020), First Kid (1996) and Tom and Jerry: The Magic Ring (2002).

How are movies similar to The Boy Who Never Was chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Boy Who Never Was, 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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