Movies like X (1996)
The best movies like X (1996) are Demon City Shinjuku (1988), Urotsukidōji: Legend of the Overfiend (1989) and The Spine of Night (2021). If X hooked you with its action and animation, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDemon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train (2020)8.2/10 from 4,742 votes
- NewestJUJUTSU KAISEN: Execution (2025)Released 2025
- In JapaneseDemon City Shinjuku (1988)Also in Japanese
Demon City Shinjuku (1988)
Ten Years ago, Genichiro Izayoi died trying to stop the sorcerer Rebi Ra, and as a result Shinjuku became a playground for demons. And now, the day approaches when Rebi Ra will complete his decade-long ritual to plunge the rest of the world into chaos! As Genichiro's son, it falls to Kyoya to venture into the heart of Shinjuku and put an end to the sorcerer his father couldn't beat. Can Kyoya exceed his father's legacy, or will the demons of Shinjuku create Hell on Earth?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUrotsukidōji: Legend of the Overfiend (1989)
Legend has it that the human race is not the only dominant civilization living on Earth. Two other races exist in this world: the Makai (a demon race) and the Jujinkai (a half-man, half-beast race). Once every 3,000 years, a supreme being known as the Choujin (Overfiend) will emerge and bring balance to all three realms on Earth. In present-day Japan, after 300 years of endless searching, a Jujinkai named Amano Jyaku has discovered the presence of the Choujin inside high school slacker Tatsuo Nagumo. But now, Amano, along with his sister Megumi and their sidekick Kuroko, must protect Nagumo and his new girlfriend Akemi Ito from the Makai, who believe that Nagumo is not the Choujin, but an evil entity bent on destroying all living beings on Earth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Spine of Night (2021)
When ancient dark magic falls into sinister hands and unleashes ages of suffering onto mankind, a group of heroes from different eras and cultures must band together in order to defeat it at all costs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass (2002)
With their most formidable foe vanquished, Inuyasha and his comrades begin returning to their everyday lives. But their peace is fleeting as another adversary emerges: Kaguya, the self-proclaimed princess from the Moon of Legend, hatches a plot to plunge the world into an eternal night of the full moon. Inuyasha, Kagome, Miroku, Sango and Shippou must reunite to confront the new menace.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFatal Fury: The Motion Picture (1994)
The Armor of Mars -- a suit of armor consisting of six pieces. If anyone from the bloodline of the ancient warrior Godimus were to find all six pieces for himself, he would receive power equal to the level of a god. The Curse of Godimus, however, also dictates that this same person would lose all sense of himself and become an insane killing machine.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Seven Deadly Sins: Grudge of Edinburgh Part 2 (2023)
Reunited with Lancelot for the first time since their tragic accident, Tristan must learn to conquer his inner demons in order to save his mother's life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJUJUTSU KAISEN: Execution (2025)
A veil abruptly descends over the busy Shibuya area amid the bustling Halloween crowds, trapping countless civilians inside. Satoru Gojo, the strongest jujutsu sorcerer, steps into the chaos. But lying in wait are curse users and spirits scheming to seal him away. Yuji Itadori, accompanied by his classmates and other top-tier jujutsu sorcerers, enters the fray in an unprecedented clash of curses — the Shibuya Incident. In the aftermath, ten colonies across Japan are transformed into dens of curses in a plan orchestrated by Noritoshi Kamo. As the deadly Culling Game starts, Special Grade sorcerer Yuta Okkotsu is assigned to carry out Yuji's execution for his perceived crimes. A compilation movie of Shibuya Incident including the first two episodes of the Culling Games arc.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBaki Hanma VS Kengan Ashura (2024)
It's the ultimate showdown. The toughest fighters from "Baki Hanma" and "Kengan Ashura" clash in this unprecedented, hard-hitting martial arts crossover.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBleach the Movie: Hell Verse (2010)
Hell – A place where beings that have committed mortal sins during their lifetime are sent. It is a realm where even Soul Reapers are forbidden to interfere. When a group of vicious Sinners plot to escape from this eternal prison, they discover that Substitute Soul Reaper Ichigo Kurosaki is the key to their freedom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisInuyasha the Movie: Affections Touching Across Time (2001)
InuYasha is a half-demon who was trapped in the Legendary Tree and was set free by Kagome, a girl who traveled 500 years through time. This time, both of them will have to face Menomaru, a Chinese demon whose father, known as Hyoga, came 300 years ago to invade Japan, but was stopped by InuYasha's Father. InuYasha and Kagome, along with Sango, Miroku, Shippou, Kaede and Myoga, will try to stop Menomaru in his becoming the most powerful demon ever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Testament of Sister New Devil: Departures (2018)
After being branded a potential threat by the hero village, Basara returns home with his companions, where their bonds deepen amid growing tension over a summons to face the elders. Encouraged by Chisato and strengthened by his friends, Basara overcomes a trial that forces him to confront his doubts and accept that he doesn’t have to fight alone. United in resolve, the group sets out together for the hero village, ready to face what lies ahead.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSuicide Squad: Hell to Pay (2018)
Amanda Waller's top-secret "Task Force X" — consisting of Deadshot, Bronze Tiger, Killer Frost, Captain Boomerang, Harley Quinn, and Copperhead — is on a mission to retrieve a mystical object so powerful that they're willing to risk their lives to steal it. However, the Suicide Squad isn't the only group of villains seeking to possess the object. It's a race for the golden prize, and second place isn't an option if they want to stay alive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOVERLORD: The Sacred Kingdom (2024)
Facing possible annihilation by the Demon Emperor's demi-human army, the Sacred Kingdom reluctantly seeks aid from the feared, undead Sorcerer King Ainz.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDevilman - Volume 3: Devilman Apocalypse (2000)
Fear runs rampant throughout Tokyo with the revelation that demons in fact exist amongst us. Paranoia and the darker side of humanity boils onto the streets as people turn on one another, suspecting that anyone could in fact be a demon hiding in human clothing. Amidst the growing tensions, tragedy strikes Akira causing his mind to snap, retreating into his subconscious, allowing his Devilish alter-ego Amon to break free from Akira's cage of flesh and wreak havoc on both human and demons alike.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDemon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba Mt. Natagumo Arc (2021)
The special consists of the 15-21 episodes of the Kimetsu no Yaiba Season 1.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Garden of Sinners: Overlooking View (2007)
The story starts following an incident: a young girl jumps from the top of a building. The image provokes a certain dread, as the girl appears to have been a corpse even before she jumped. The case is dismissed, yet more and more of these suicides occur, and all from the same building. Thus began the rumour, that a ghost inhabited the rooftop of the building.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & action
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDemon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train (2020)
Tanjiro Kamado, joined with Inosuke Hashibira, a boy raised by boars who wears a boar's head, and Zenitsu Agatsuma, a scared boy who reveals his true power when he sleeps, boards the Infinity Train on a new mission with the Fire Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku, to defeat a demon who has been tormenting the people and killing the demon slayers who oppose it!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & action
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisInuyasha the Movie 3: Swords of an Honorable Ruler (2003)
Inuyasha and his brother, Sesshomaru, each inherited a sword from their father after his death. However, their father had a third sword, named Sounga, that he sealed away. Seven hundreds years after his death, Sounga awakens and threatens mankind's very existence. How will the children of the Great Dog Demon stop this unimaginable power?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOne Piece Episode of Sabo: The Three Brothers' Bond - The Miraculous Reunion and the Inherited Will (2015)
From a brotherhood bound by three cups of sake, one brother’s story has yet to be told! Visiting Dressrosa under orders of the Revolutionary Army, Sabo’s top-secret mission derails when Doflamingo announces the grand prize for battling in the Colosseum. The tragedy at Marineford still weighing on his mind, Sabo reunites with his little brother to protect the promises they made with Ace. Now, they’ll fight in disguise for the Colosseum’s ultimate prize: Ace’s Flame-Flame Fruit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both action & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMobile Suit Gundam III: Encounters in Space (1982)
Amuro Ray and the rest of the White Base crew, now denominated the 13th Autonomous Corps, return to outer space to support the rest of the Earth Federation forces for the decisive battle against the Principality of Zeon's forces.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPonyo (2008)
When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGunnm 3D Special (2000)
A 3 minute 3D-CGI rendered movie clip included with volume 6 of the Gunnm: Complete Edition manga reprint. It showcases Alita in a Third League motorball race with players from two of her races such as "Armor" Togo, Degchalev, and Valdicci, and depicts events from both of those races.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & animation
maboroshi (2023)
A factory explosion plunges a small town into a timeless freeze, leaving teenage Masamune and his pals to grapple with a quickly collapsing reality.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStreet Fighter II: The Animated Movie (1994)
Bison, the ruthless leader of the international terrorist organization Shadowlaw, has been desperately searching for the greatest fighter on the planet for years. He finds it in Ryu, a young wanderer who never stays in one place long enough for Bison to find him. He does, however, get a fix on Ken Masters, an American martial arts champion who studied with Ryu as a child under the same master. Meanwhile, Major Guile of the United States Army is forced to team up with Chun Li from China in hopes of apprehending Bison and putting a stop his international ring of crime.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & action
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Golden Bird (1987)
"Kin no Tori" is an adaptation of the homonymous fairy tale "The Golden Bird" by Brothers Grimm. A golden apple is stolen from the King's garden. The King orders his three sons to guard the apples in turn and to find out who is the thief. When the youngest son, Hans, presents a feather that he got from the golden bird that stole the apple the king sends his three sons to bring this bird to him and so Hans' journey begins.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & animation
Pokémon the Movie 2000 (1999)
When Lawrence III's scheme to capture the Legendary Pokémon Lugia upsets the balance of nature, it is up to Ash Ketchum and his friends to save the world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRescue Me! (2013)
Masayuki's parents have gone overseas, leaving him alone in the house. To his surprise, they have hired Sayaka, a fellow student from school, to work as his maid while they are gone. Masayuki wants his life to be peaceful, but alongside Sayaka's affections he also has to fend off the attention of his kohai, his younger aunt, and his aunt's yandere lesbian admirer.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & fantasy
Dragon Ball Z Side Story: Plan to Eradicate the Saiyans (1993)
Dr. Raichi is one of the only survivors of the Tuffles, a race that once lived on Planet Plant before the coming of the Saiyans. The Saiyans not only massacred the entire Tuffle race, but also stole their technology and conquered the planet, renaming it Planet Vegeta in honor of their king. Raichi managed to escape with a capsule and found refuge on the Dark Planet, a world at the end of the universe. His only wish is to eradicate the last remaining Saiyans.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both action & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFairy King (1988)
Jack has moved to Hokkaido to get treatment for an illness, but he's lonely and unhappy. One night a man on a horse rides through his window to help him. For a reason he doesn't understand, Jack instantly knows the man's name and feels they've met somewhere before. The man, Cu Chulainn, tells Jack to open the moonlight shadow window, which leads him to Nymphidia, the world of Midsummer Night's Dream, whose inhabitants are waiting for a new Fairy King.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & animation
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 animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like this
Like X and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like X?
The closest matches to X are Demon City Shinjuku (1988), Urotsukidōji: Legend of the Overfiend (1989) and The Spine of Night (2021). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after X?
Start with Demon City Shinjuku (1988), the closest match to X.
What is the highest-rated movie like X?
Demon Slayer -Kimetsu no Yaiba- The Movie: Mugen Train (2020), rated 8.2/10 by 4,742 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like X?
JUJUTSU KAISEN: Execution (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like X?
Yes: Demon City Shinjuku (1988), Urotsukidōji: Legend of the Overfiend (1989) and Inuyasha the Movie 2: The Castle Beyond the Looking Glass (2002).
How are movies similar to X chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside X, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.