Movies like The Kidnapping (1984)
The best movies like The Kidnapping (1984) are Thunderstruck (2012), Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011) and A Loud House Christmas (2021). If The Kidnapping hooked you with its comedy and family, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedPlaying with Fire (2019)6.6/10 from 779 votes
- NewestChebi: My Fluffy Friend (2023)Released 2023
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 comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011)
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the tiny pups will stop at nothing to save them - because in good times and hard times, the family always sticks together. So Papi, Chloe and the puppies embark on a heroic adventure, proving once again that big heroes come in small packages.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisA Loud House Christmas (2021)
Lincoln Loud gears up for the ultimate Christmas, until he finds out that most of his sisters have plans to be elsewhere for the big day. Determined to remind his family that they all need to be together, Lincoln and his best friend Clyde McBride embark on a mission to preserve the family’s holiday traditions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDennis the Menace (1993)
Mr. Wilson's ever-present annoyance comes in the form of one mischievous kid named Dennis. But he'll need Dennis's tricks to uncover a collection of gold coins that go missing when a shady drifter named Switchblade Sam comes to town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisCadet 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 & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChebi: My Fluffy Friend (2023)
It takes one little big eared hero to bring back the sun and smiles to the adult world! Amazing adventures await a fluffy restless animal from a distant orange country when he gets to a small sea town. There he will find friends, home and finally a name. Helped – and hindered! – he will be by a unsociable old gardener, a strange fashionista aunt and her capricious granddaughter, a boy who can’t start talking in any way and his mother, who has a hard time, although she cooks the most delicious chocolate in the world. And many, many others, whose lives, along with the aroma of oranges, are about to burst into magic and adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMixtape (2021)
On the eve of Y2K, orphaned 12-year-old Beverly discovers a broken mixtape crafted by her teen parents. Raised by her grandmother – who struggles talking about her late daughter – Beverly sees the mixtape as a chance to finally learn more about her parents.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRookie of the Year (1993)
When the cast comes off his once broken arm, a 12-year-old boy can throw a 100-mile-an-hour fastball, and the Chicago Cubs want him as their new pitcher.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLittle Big League (1994)
When the owner of the Minnesota Twins passes away, he bequeaths the team to his preteen grandson. The newly minted head honcho quickly appoints himself manager, causing unrest in an organization that struggles to take orders from a 12-year-old.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHow to Eat Fried Worms (2006)
During the first day of his new school year, a fifth grade boy squares off against a bully and winds up accepting a dare that could change the balance of power within the class.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSneakerella (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 comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisPlaying with Fire (2019)
A crew of rugged firefighters meet their match when attempting to rescue three rambunctious kids.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRecess: All Growed Down (2003)
T.J. and The Recess Gang are kidnapped by the Third Street School's kindergartners, who are in turn being bullied by a new kid in their class.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSwitched (2020)
Tired of being bullied, Cassandra Evans prays that her nemesis, Katie Sharp, the queen bee of social media, would know what it’s like to walk a day in her shoes. Her prayer is answered in an unexpected way when they get switched.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisProblem Child 2 (1991)
Junior and his father, Ben, move from Cold River to Mortville. Junior becomes threatened by Ben's desire to date again and find a new mother for Junior, and sabotages each of his dates.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCamp Nowhere (1994)
Morris "Mud" Himmel has a problem. His parents desperately want to send him away to summer camp. He hates going to summer camp, and would do anything to get out of it. Talking to his friends, he realizes that they are all facing the same sentence: a boring summer camp. Together with his friends, he hatches a plan to trick all the parents into sending them to a camp of their own design.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPups Alone (2021)
After receiving an exciting new job opportunity at a cutting edge Pet Invention company, Robert, his teenage daughter Jenna and their trusty and special border collie Charlie make the move to the new neighborhood, right before Christmas. Upon arriving, Robert meets his gorgeous next door neighbor Holly, and her sassy and spunky border collie Gidget. Before the sparks can fly, they are set upon my Robert’s conniving and obnoxious next door neighbor and project manager Victor, his neighborhood bully bulldog “Vinnie P” and the sycophantic sidekick Chihuahua “Jose”.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisA Flintstones Christmas Carol (1994)
Fred is cast as Ebenezer Scrooge in a stage adaption of the classic Christmas story, but is acting a bit stingy in real life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOddball (2015)
An eccentric chicken farmer, with the help of his granddaughter, trains his mischievous dog Oddball to protect a penguin sanctuary from fox attacks in an attempt to reunite his family and save their seaside town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMe Time (2022)
With his family away, a devoted stay-at-home dad enjoys his first me time in years by joining his hard-partying old friend on a wild birthday adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Kidnapping?
The closest matches to The Kidnapping are Thunderstruck (2012), Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011) and A Loud House Christmas (2021). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Kidnapping?
Start with Thunderstruck (2012), the closest match to The Kidnapping.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Kidnapping?
Playing with Fire (2019), rated 6.6/10 by 779 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Kidnapping?
Chebi: My Fluffy Friend (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to The Kidnapping chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Kidnapping, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.