Movies like Girl on the Ball (1967)
The best movies like Girl on the Ball (1967) are Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical (2022), The One and Only Ivan (2020) and Dumbo (1941). If Girl on the Ball hooked you with its family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe King of Kings (2025)8.3/10 from 220 votes
- NewestFrutinha (2026)Released 2026
Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical (2022)
An extraordinary young girl discovers her superpower and summons the remarkable courage, against all odds, to help others change their stories, whilst also taking charge of her own destiny. Standing up for what's right, she's met with miraculous results.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe One and Only Ivan (2020)
A gorilla named Ivan who’s living in a suburban shopping mall tries to piece together his past, with the help of other animals, as they hatch a plan to escape from captivity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDumbo (1941)
Dumbo is a baby elephant born with over-sized ears and a supreme lack of confidence. But thanks to his even more diminutive buddy Timothy the Mouse, the pint-sized pachyderm learns to surmount all obstacles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDumbo (2019)
A young elephant, whose oversized ears enable him to fly, helps save a struggling circus, but when the circus plans a new venture, Dumbo and his friends discover dark secrets beneath its shiny veneer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCurious 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 thisOz the Great and Powerful (2013)
Oscar Diggs, a small-time circus illusionist and con-artist, is whisked from Kansas to the Land of Oz where the inhabitants assume he's the great wizard of prophecy, there to save Oz from the clutches of evil.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
SnoozefestMovies like thisFerdinand (2017)
Ferdinand, a little bull, prefers sitting quietly under a cork tree just smelling the flowers versus jumping around, snorting, and butting heads with other bulls. As Ferdinand grows big and strong, his temperament remains mellow. But one day five men come to choose the "biggest, fastest, roughest bull" for the bullfights in Madrid— and Ferdinand is mistakenly chosen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbie of Swan Lake (2003)
Barbie as Odette, the young daughter of a baker, follows a unicorn into the Enchanted Forest and is transformed into a swan by an evil wizard intent on defeating the Fairy Queen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPippi Longstocking (1997)
Pippi Longstocking is an extraordinary little girl who lives alone in her house, while her father sails the seven seas. Pippi's irrepressibly fun nature makes her easy to befriend, as neighbors Tommy and Annika find, but can also earn ire, especially from social worker Mrs. Prysselius.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
SnoozefestMovies like thisBarbie in the Nutcracker (2001)
The Mouse King casts an evil spell over Clara that causes her to shrink. Clara and the Nutcracker set out on an adventurous journey to find Sugarplum Princess, who has the power to undo the spell.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThelma the Unicorn (2024)
Thelma dreams of being a glamorous unicorn. Then in a rare pink and glitter-filled moment of fate, Thelma's wish comes true. She rises to instant international stardom, but at an unexpected cost. After a while, Thelma realizes that she was happier as her ordinary, sparkle-free self. So she ditches her horn, scrubs off her sparkles, and returns home, where her best friend is waiting for her with a hug.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGnomeo & Juliet (2011)
A version of Shakespeare's play, set in the world of warring indoor and outdoor gnomes. Garden gnomes Gnomeo and Juliet have as many obstacles to overcome as their quasi namesakes when they are caught up in a feud between neighbors. But with plastic pink flamingos and lawnmower races in the mix, can this young couple find lasting happiness?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe King of Kings (2025)
Charles Dickens tells his young son Walter the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisAnimal Crackers (2018)
A family must use a magical box of Animal Crackers to save a rundown circus from being taken over by their evil uncle Horatio P. Huntington.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDisenchanted (2022)
Disillusioned with life in the city, feeling out of place in suburbia, and frustrated that her happily ever after hasn’t been so easy to find, Giselle turns to the magic of Andalasia for help. Accidentally transforming the entire town into a real-life fairy tale and placing her family’s future happiness in jeopardy, she must race against time to reverse the spell and determine what happily ever after truly means to her and her family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFun and Fancy Free (1947)
Jiminy Cricket hosts two Disney animated shorts: Bongo about a circus bear escaping to the wild, and Mickey and the Beanstalk, a take on the famous fairy tale.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarbie and the Diamond Castle (2008)
Liana and Alexa are best friends who share everything, including their love of singing. Upon meeting a girl inside a mirror, the duo embark on a journey that will put their friendship to the ultimate test.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisInside Out (2015)
When 11-year-old Riley moves to a new city, her Emotions team up to help her through the transition. Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness work together, but when Joy and Sadness get lost, they must journey through unfamiliar places to get back home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Absolute CinemaMovies like this7 Faces of Dr. Lao (1964)
An old Chinese man rides into the town of Abalone, Arizona and changes it forever, as the citizens see themselves reflected in the mirror of Lao's mysterious circus of mythical beasts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Last Unicorn (1982)
A unicorn learns from a riddle-speaking butterfly that she is supposedly the last of her kind, all the others having been herded away by the monstrous Red Bull. The unicorn sets out to discover the truth behind the butterfly's words. She is eventually joined on her quest by Schmendrick, a second-rate magician, and Molly Grue, a middle-aged woman who dreamed all her life of seeing a unicorn. Their journey leads them far from home, all the way to the castle of King Haggard.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFrutinha (2026)
Blindfolded during a children's game, Lucas finds himself facing an unexpected choice that will make him reflect on his friendships and affections, in order to decide who he wants to be before the bell rings.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Hry a sny (1959)
Lyrical short story film about children's fantasy based on Ludvík Aškenázy's short stories Little Christmas and Lovers from the Box.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Summertime Blues (2009)
The life of 15 year old Alex is turned upside down, when his parents are divorced and find new partners right away. After a fight at school, the mother takes him over to England, where Alex chaotic life continues.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad (1949)
A concise adaptation of Kenneth Grahame's "The Wind in the Willows" about Mr. Toad's motor mania, followed by a short retelling of Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" concerning schoolmaster Ichabod Crane.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Circus Kid (1928)
In 'The Circus Kid', Buddy, an orphan who runs away from a a harsh orphanage, joins Cadwallader's Circus.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Un elefante color ilusión (1970)
A boy travels from Chaco to Buenos Aires taking with him an elephant that saved from a circus.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
A Boy, a Dog, and a Frog (1981)
A young boy and his dog spend an afternoon trying to capture a playful frog at a nearby pond.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Magic Candies (2025)
The other kids never ask Dong-Dong to play, but he’s fine just playing marbles on his own. Until one day, he buys a bag of colorful candies and begins to discover new voices and perspectives.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
A Bug's Life (1998)
On behalf of "oppressed bugs everywhere," an inventive ant named Flik hires a troupe of warrior bugs to defend his bustling colony from a horde of freeloading grasshoppers led by the evil-minded Hopper.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like this
Like Girl on the Ball and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Girl on the Ball?
The closest matches to Girl on the Ball are Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical (2022), The One and Only Ivan (2020) and Dumbo (1941). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Girl on the Ball?
Start with Roald Dahl's Matilda the Musical (2022), the closest match to Girl on the Ball.
What is the highest-rated movie like Girl on the Ball?
The King of Kings (2025), rated 8.3/10 by 220 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Girl on the Ball?
Frutinha (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Girl on the Ball chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Girl on the Ball, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.