Movies like The Little Mermaid (2023)
The best movies like The Little Mermaid (2023) are Maleficent (2014), Aladdin (2019) and Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia (2006). If The Little Mermaid hooked you with its adventure and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSpirited Away (2001)8.5/10 from 19,210 votes
- NewestDescendants: Wicked Wonderland (2026)Released 2026
Maleficent (2014)
A beautiful, pure-hearted young woman, Maleficent has an idyllic life growing up in a peaceable forest kingdom, until one day when an invading army threatens the harmony of the land. She rises to be the land's fiercest protector, but she ultimately suffers a ruthless betrayal – an act that begins to turn her heart into stone. Bent on revenge, Maleficent faces an epic battle with the invading King's successor and, as a result, places a curse upon his newborn infant Aurora. As the child grows, Maleficent realizes that Aurora holds the key to peace in the kingdom – and to Maleficent's true happiness as well.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAladdin (2019)
A kindhearted street urchin named Aladdin embarks on a magical adventure after finding a lamp that releases a wisecracking genie while a power-hungry Grand Vizier vies for the same lamp that has the power to make their deepest wishes come true.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia (2006)
In this animated follow-up to Fairytopia, Elina enlists the help of a mermaid, Nori, to save her friend Nalu, a merman prince who has been captured by the wicked Laverna.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPan (2015)
Living a bleak existence at a London orphanage, 12-year-old Peter finds himself whisked away to the fantastical world of Neverland. Adventure awaits as he meets new friend James Hook and the warrior Tiger Lily. They must band together to save Neverland from the ruthless pirate Blackbeard. Along the way, the rebellious and mischievous boy discovers his true destiny, becoming the hero forever known as Peter Pan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCinderella III: A Twist in Time (2007)
When Lady Tremaine steals the Fairy Godmother's wand and changes history, it's up to Cinderella to restore the timeline and reclaim her prince.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDescendants (2015)
A present-day idyllic kingdom where the benevolent teenage son of King Adam and Queen Belle offers a chance of redemption for the troublemaking offspring of Disney's classic villains: Cruella De Vil (Carlos), Maleficent (Mal), the Evil Queen (Evie) and Jafar (Jay).
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPinocchio (2022)
A wooden puppet embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDescendants: Wicked Wonderland (2026)
Now that the Queen of Hearts is nice and Cinderella is safe, things seem perfect for Red and Chloe… But little do they know that changing the past created a new villain — Maddox Hatter. When Maddox captures the Queen of Hearts, Red and Chloe must work alongside Red’s new sister Pink, Luisa Madrigal’s son Luis, and Maddox’s son Max to save her and Wonderland.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBeauty and the Beast (2017)
A live-action adaptation of Disney's version of the classic tale of a cursed prince and a beautiful young woman who helps him break the spell.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe King's Daughter (2022)
King Louis XIV's quest for immortality leads him to capture and steal a mermaid's life force, a move that is further complicated by his illegitimate daughter's discovery of the creature.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDescendants 2 (2017)
When the pressure to be royal becomes too much for Mal, she returns to the Isle of the Lost where her archenemy Uma, Ursula's daughter, has taken her spot as self-proclaimed queen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbie Fairytopia: Magic of the Rainbow (2007)
Elina goes to a fairy school to learn dancing and fairy magic. The spring of the fairy land is soon threatened by evil Laverna who intends to prevent fairies from performing the annual vital rainbow dance. Elina must stop quarreling with her fellow students and unite them to save the first bud of the spring.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe New Adventures of Pippi Longstocking (1988)
After her father's ship is carried off by a sudden storm, the spunky Pippi Longstocking is stranded with her horse, Alfonso,and her pet monkey, Mr. Neilson, and takes up residence in the old family home, which is thought by neighborhood children to be haunted. Soon, two children, Tommy and his sister Anika, venture into the house only to meet up with Pippi. The three soon become friends and get into various adventures together, including cleaning the floor with scrubbing shoes, dodging the "splunks", going down a waterfall in barrels, and helping Pippi with the problem of having to go to an orphanage. Older children will probably get the most out of this movie.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure
SnoozefestMovies like thisFrozen (2013)
Young princess Anna of Arendelle dreams about finding true love at her sister Elsa’s coronation. Fate takes her on a dangerous journey in an attempt to end the eternal winter that has fallen over the kingdom. She's accompanied by ice delivery man Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and snowman Olaf. On an adventure where she will find out what friendship, courage, family, and true love really means.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMaleficent: Mistress of Evil (2019)
Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies, and dark new forces at play.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Little Mermaid (1989)
This colorful adventure tells the story of an impetuous mermaid princess named Ariel who falls in love with the very human Prince Eric and puts everything on the line for the chance to be with him. Memorable songs and characters -- including the villainous sea witch Ursula.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStrange Magic (2015)
A love potion works its devious charms on fairies, elves and the swamp-dwelling Bog King as they all try to possess the potion for themselves.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHappily Ever After (1989)
In the aftermath of her more famous adventure, Snow White must team up with the dwarves' seven female cousins to battle the late Evil Queen's warlock brother and rescue the captured Prince.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
SnoozefestMovies like thisTangled (2010)
Feisty teenager Rapunzel, who has long and magical hair, wants to go and see sky lanterns on her eighteenth birthday, but she's bound to a tower by her overprotective mother. She strikes a deal with Flynn Rider, a charming wanted thief, and the duo set off on an action-packed escapade.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCinderella (1997)
Cinderella chafes under the cruelty of her wicked stepmother and her evil stepsisters, until her Fairy Godmother steps in to change her life for one unforgettable night. At the ball, she falls for handsome Prince Christopher, whose parents, King Maximillian and Queen Constantina, are anxious for him to find a suitable paramour.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCharlie and the Chocolate Factory (2005)
A young boy wins a tour through the most magnificent chocolate factory in the world, led by the world's most unusual candy maker.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWilly Wonka & the Chocolate Factory (1971)
When eccentric candy man Willy Wonka promises a lifetime supply of sweets and a tour of his chocolate factory to five lucky kids, penniless Charlie Bucket seeks the golden ticket that will make him a winner.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest (2006)
Captain Jack Sparrow’s got a blood debt to pay: he owes his soul to the legendary Davy Jones, ghastly Ruler of the Ocean Depths. To escape eternal servitude aboard the Flying Dutchman, ever-crafty Jack must track down the still-beating heart of Jones. But he won’t do it alone: Will Turner and Elizabeth Swann are drawn back into another one of his perilous quests—assuming they can evade execution for aiding a pirate.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSpirited Away (2001)
A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisWings of Desire (1987)
Two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, glide through the streets of Berlin, observing the bustling population, providing invisible rays of hope to the distressed but never interacting with them. When Damiel falls in love with lonely trapeze artist Marion, the angel longs to experience life in the physical world, and finds — with some words of wisdom from actor Peter Falk — that it might be possible for him to take human form.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Brave Tailor (1964)
The story of how the young worker was bored with life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & adventure
Noelle (2019)
Kris Kringle's daughter, Noelle, sets off on a mission to find and bring back her brother, after he gets cold feet when it's his turn to take over as Santa.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMonsters, Inc. (2001)
Lovable Sulley and his wisecracking sidekick Mike Wazowski are the top scare team at Monsters, Inc., the scream-processing factory in Monstropolis. When a little girl named Boo wanders into their world, it's the monsters who are scared silly, and it's up to Sulley and Mike to keep her out of sight and get her back home.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisBig Fish (2003)
Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, William. Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStar Trek IV: The Voyage Home (1986)
When a huge alien probe enters the galaxy and begins to vaporize Earth's oceans, Kirk and his crew must travel back in time in order to bring back whales and save the planet.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Little Mermaid?
The closest matches to The Little Mermaid are Maleficent (2014), Aladdin (2019) and Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia (2006). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Little Mermaid?
Start with Maleficent (2014), the closest match to The Little Mermaid.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Little Mermaid?
Spirited Away (2001), rated 8.5/10 by 19,210 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Little Mermaid?
Descendants: Wicked Wonderland (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Little Mermaid?
Yes: Maleficent (2014), Aladdin (2019) and Barbie Fairytopia: Mermaidia (2006).
How are movies similar to The Little Mermaid chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Little Mermaid, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.