Movies like Man in the Moon (2016)
The best movies like Man in the Moon (2016) are Cosmos (2019), Videodrome (1983) and Contact (1997). If Man in the Moon hooked you with its science fiction and mystery, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedArrival (2016)7.6/10 from 20,171 votes
- NewestMārama (2026)Released 2026
Cosmos (2019)
Three astronomers accidentally intercept what they believe to be a signal from a distant alien civilization, but the truth is even more incredible than any of them could have imagined.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVideodrome (1983)
As the president of a trashy TV channel, Max Renn is desperate for new programming to attract viewers. When he happens upon "Videodrome," a TV show dedicated to gratuitous torture and punishment, Max sees a potential hit and broadcasts the show on his channel. However, after his girlfriend auditions for the show and never returns, Max investigates the truth behind Videodrome and discovers that the graphic violence may not be as fake as he thought.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisContact (1997)
A radio astronomer receives the first extraterrestrial radio signal ever picked up on Earth. As the world powers scramble to decipher the message and decide upon a course of action, she must make some difficult decisions between her beliefs, the truth, and reality.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFrequencies (2013)
The story of the forbidden relationship between a 'low born' boy and a 'high born' girl in an alternate reality where every person's relationships and life worth are determined by their innate 'frequencies'.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDoctor Who: Dark Water / Death in Heaven (2014)
In this epic two-part finale, the Doctor comes face to face with the mysterious Missy, and an impossible choice is looming. With Cybermen on the streets of London, old friends unite against old enemies, and the Doctor takes to the air in a startling new role.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & mystery
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisCaddo Lake (2024)
When an 8-year-old girl mysteriously vanishes on Caddo Lake, a series of past deaths and disappearances begin to link together, forever altering a broken family’s history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisArrival (2016)
Taking place after alien crafts land around the world, an expert linguist is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMonolith (2023)
A desperate young journalist turns to podcasting to salvage her career, but her rush to make headlines leads her to an alien conspiracy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFrequency (2000)
When a rare phenomenon gives police officer John Sullivan the chance to speak to his father, 30 years in the past, he takes the opportunity to prevent his dad's tragic death. After his actions inadvertently give rise to a series of brutal murders he and his father must find a way to fix the consequences of altering time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEarth to Echo (2014)
After a construction project begins digging in their neighbourhood, best friends Tuck, Munch and Alex inexplicably begin to receive strange, encoded messages on their cell phones. Convinced something bigger is going on, they go to their parents and the authorities. The three embark on a secret adventure to crack the code and follow it to its source, and discover a mysterious being from another world who desperately needs their help. The journey that follows will change all their lives forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Last Mimzy (2007)
Two siblings begin to develop special talents after they find a mysterious box of toys, and soon their parents and even their teacher are drawn into a strange new world – and find a task ahead of them that is far more important than any of them could imagine.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Signal (2014)
On a road trip, Nic and two friends are drawn to an isolated area by a computer genius. When everything suddenly goes dark, Nic regains consciousness – only to find himself in a waking nightmare.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGoodnight Mommy (2022)
When twin brothers arrive home to find their mother’s demeanor altered and face covered in surgical bandages, they begin to suspect the woman beneath the gauze might not be their mother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMārama (2026)
1859. When a young Māori woman is summoned from New Zealand to North Yorkshire, she uncovers her horrific colonial heritage and is compelled to confront and destroy the titled Englishman who devastated her family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAmelia’s Children (2024)
When Edward’s search for his biological family leads him and his girlfriend Ryley to a magnificent villa high in the mountains of Northern Portugal, he is full of excitement at meeting his long-lost mother and twin brother. Finally, he will discover who he is and where he comes from. But nothing is as it seems, and Edward will soon learn that he is linked to them by a monstrous secret.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Commuter (2018)
A businessman, on his daily commute home, gets unwittingly caught up in a criminal conspiracy that threatens not only his life but the lives of those around him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRabbits (2002)
A story of a group of humanoid rabbits and their depressive, daily life. The plot includes Suzie ironing, Jane sitting on a couch, Jack walking in and out of the apartment, and the occasional solo singing number by Suzie or Jane. At one point the rabbits also make contact with their “leader”.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLast Man Down (2021)
After civilization succumbs to a deadly pandemic and his wife is murdered, a special forces soldier abandons his duty and becomes a hermit in the Nordic wilderness. Years later, a wounded woman appears on his doorstep. She's escaped from a lab and her pursuers believe her blood is the key to a worldwide cure. He's hesitant to get involved, but all doubts are cast aside when he discovers her pursuer is none other than Commander Stone, the man that murdered his wife some years ago.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRiver Wild (2023)
Follows a pair of siblings who love but distrust each other as they embark on a white-water rafting trip with a small group. One of their friends from childhood turns out to be more dangerous than he appears.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Engineer (2023)
As Israel is rocked by a series of terrorist bombings, a US senator's daughter is killed in one bloody explosion. Now, ex-Mossad agent Etan must lead an elite, covert team of agents and mercenaries to find the man responsible—the elusive “Engineer.” Can they find and destroy the madman before more innocent lives are lost?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
SnoozefestMovies like this12:21:21 (2017)
A Psychologically ill person with schizophrenia who is undergoing constant medical treatments recalls his past reminiscences.He distinguishes the reality and illusion from a different perspective.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
MutantLand (2010)
As the sun goes down in the dark and terrifying Mutantland, hunters are lured into a forbidden zone in their quest for food only to find themselves candidates for the main course.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Susie Sunshine (2016)
An alternate world void of pollution exists, thanks to Martin Energy, a power plant that runs on the strength of women. 'Energy Makers' are highly trained women that can convert their emotions into renewable resources such as electricity, sunshine, and fire. The men in suits that run Martin Energy push the girls to supply energy in amounts that are sure to burn them out. But Susie, the company's star sunshine maker, threatens the imposed order when she learns she can do more than supply sunshine.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Blackout (2021)
While on a routine mission, an astronaut soon finds herself battling for command, facing forces known -- and unknown -- intent on destroying her.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Luxna (2016)
A man named Tom, who as a young boy, was passionate about astronomy and always dreaming about outer space.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Athena (2017)
Two technicians are stranded on a foreign planet by an unexplained explosion and must act fast to stay alive when their rescue team turns out to be a hit squad.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Batman Beyond (2014)
This short celebrating 75 years of Batman from artist Darwyn Cooke returns fans to the world of Batman Beyond as Terry McGinnis' futuristic Dark Knight faces his most formidable foe of all - himself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOrdeal of Evil (2026)
In a university controlled by a totalitarian regime, Lucas gradually becomes aware of the oppressive world around him. Guided by Elena, he discovers an underground network that is trying to save books by digitizing and distributing them.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
CLEAN (TBA)
"Have you ever answered the wrong call—only to change a life? When a middle-aged sanitation worker picks up a ringing helpline phone, she becomes an unexpected lifeline to a young woman in despair, revealing the quiet power of empathy from society’s most overlooked."
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Return (2008)
Polish animator Anna Błaszczyk’s humorous short—a collage of drawing, cut-out, and computer animation—was inspired by Stanisław Lem’s 1961 novel Return from the Stars, a time-paradox tale of an astronaut who returns to Earth after many years away.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both science fiction
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Man in the Moon?
The closest matches to Man in the Moon are Cosmos (2019), Videodrome (1983) and Contact (1997). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Man in the Moon?
Start with Cosmos (2019), the closest match to Man in the Moon.
What is the highest-rated movie like Man in the Moon?
Arrival (2016), rated 7.6/10 by 20,171 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Man in the Moon?
Mārama (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Man in the Moon?
Yes: Cosmos (2019), Videodrome (1983) and Contact (1997).
How are movies similar to Man in the Moon chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Man in the Moon, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.