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Movies like To Build a Fire (2016)

The best movies like To Build a Fire (2016) are The Little Matchgirl (2006), Strings (2004) and The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2012). If To Build a Fire hooked you with its animation and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. The Little Matchgirl (2006)

    An animated short based on Hans Christian Andersen's tale about a poor young girl with a burning desire to find comfort and happiness in her life. Desperate to keep warm, the girl lights the matches she sells, and envisions a very different life for herself in the fiery flames filled with images of loving relatives, bountiful food, and a place to call home.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama

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  2. Strings (2004)

    The story of Prince Hal who sets out to avenge his dead father against the city's rivals, the Zeriths, little knowing it was his wicked uncle Nezo who is the real killer, with his own designs on the throne.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama

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  3. The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2012)

    After a hurricane levels his city, a young man wanders into a mysterious library where books literally come to life. This film won the Oscar for Best Animated Short Film in 2012.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  4. The Gruffalo (2009)

    The magical tale of a mouse who sets foot on a woodland adventure in search of a nut. Encountering predators who all wish to eat him - Fox, Owl and Snake - the brave mouse creates a terrifying, imaginary monster to frighten them away. But what will the mouse do when he meets this frightful monster for real?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

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  5. Zog (2018)

    Zog is a keen young dragon who wants to learn to fly, roar, and breathe fire, so he studies at the Dragon School. He is desperate to impress his teacher and win a golden star, but he is prone to accidents and he has to be helped by a kind young girl who patches up his bumps and bruises.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

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  6. Alice's Wonderland (1923)

    Instead of Wonderland, Alice visits the Walt Disney animation room.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

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  7. Far from the Tree (2021)

    On an idyllic beach in the Pacific Northwest, curiosity gets the better of a young raccoon whose frustrated parent attempts to keep them both safe.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

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  8. Pigeon: Impossible (2009)

    The tale of Walter, a rookie secret agent faced with a problem seldom covered in basic training: what to do when a curious pigeon gets trapped inside your multi-million dollar, government-issued nuclear briefcase.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

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  9. The Cat in the Hat (1971)

    In a marvelously animated version of one of the most beloved of all Dr. Seuss tales, two youngsters find themselves at home with nothing to do on a rainy afternoon. But when the magical, mischievous Cat in the Hat arrives on the scene, they're all cat-apulted into a day of rousing, romping, outlandish antics they - and you - will never forget!

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

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  10. Winnie the Pooh and the Blustery Day (1968)

    Winnie the Pooh and his friends experience high winds, heavy rains, and a flood in Hundred Acre Wood.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  11. Room on the Broom (2012)

    Animated film based on the wonderful children's picture book written by Julia Donaldson and illustrated by Axel Scheffler. The story of a kind witch who invites a surprising collection of animals to join her on her broom, much to the frustration of her cat. The gang ultimately saves the witch from a fearsome dragon, and in gratitude she rewards them with a magnificent new broom which has room for everyone. A magical tale about friendship and family from Magic Light Pictures, the producers of the hugely successful The Gruffalo and The Gruffalo's Child.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

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  12. Cosmos Laundromat (2015)

    On a desolate island, a suicidal sheep named Franck meets his fate…in the form of a quirky salesman named Victor, who offers him the gift of a lifetime. The gift is many lifetimes, actually, in many different worlds – each lasting just a few minutes. In the sequel to the pilot, Franck will find a new reason to live…in the form of a bewitching female adventurer named Tara, who awakens his long-lost lust for life. But can Franck keep up with her?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

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  13. How to Train Your Dragon: Homecoming (2019)

    It's been ten years since the dragons moved to the Hidden World, and even though Toothless doesn't live in New Berk anymore, Hiccup continues the holiday traditions he once shared with his best friend. But the Vikings of New Berk were beginning to forget about their friendship with dragons. Hiccup, Astrid, and Gobber know just what to do to keep the dragons in the villagers' hearts. And across the sea, the dragons have a plan of their own...

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  14. Babes in the Woods (1932)

    Two Dutch children stumble on a clearing in the woods where gnomes are going about their business. The gnomes are friendly to the children. A witch comes and takes them away on her broom to her gingerbread house, where she turns nasty on them, turning the boy into a spider, her yowling cat to stone, and tries to turn the girl into a rat when a gnome's arrow stops her. While the gnomes are fighting the witch, Hansel and Gretl free the other children who have been imprisoned and transformed by the witch.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

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  15. Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas (2011)

    When Sid accidentally destroys Manny's heirloom Christmas rock and ends up on Santa's naughty list, he leads a hilarious quest to the North Pole to make things right and ends up making things much worse. Now it's up to Manny and his prehistoric posse to band together and save Christmas for the entire world!

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

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  16. PAW Patrol: Jet to the Rescue (2020)

    A royal relative steals a gem with the power to make things fly, the Paw Patrol takes to the skies to stop him and save Barkingburg.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. Sanjay's Super Team (2015)

    SANJAY'S SUPER TEAM follows the daydream of a young Indian boy, bored with his father's religious meditation, who imagines "a kind of ancient, Hindu version of The Avengers," with the gods appearing like superheros.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

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  18. Monster High: Friday Night Frights (2012)

    After Monster High’s roller skating team is defeated at the Skulltimate Roller Maze tournament, the ghouls team up to face an all-boys league, with the hope of winning back the school crest and restoring school spirit.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. Curious 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 animation

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. Pixar Short Films Collection: Volume 1 (2007)

    Experience these masterpieces of storytelling from the creative minds that brought you Toy Story, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo and many more. With revolutionary animation, unforgettable music and characters you love, these dazzling short films have changed the face of animation and entertainment and are sure to delight people of all ages for years to come.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  21. Ninety-Five Senses (2022)

    A heartfelt depiction of a man facing his own mortality while reflecting on the grave mistakes of his youth.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & drama

  22. Scherzo (2002)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  23. Pulsar (2005)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  24. 24 Hour Party People (2002)

    Manchester, 1976. Tony Wilson is an ambitious but frustrated local TV news reporter looking for a way to make his mark. After witnessing a life-changing concert by a band known as the Sex Pistols, he persuades his station to televise one of their performances, and soon Manchester's punk groups are clamoring for him to manage them. Riding the wave of a musical revolution, Wilson and his friends create the legendary Factory Records label and The Hacienda club.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  25. Adaptation. (2002)

    Charlie Kaufman is a confused L.A. screenwriter overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration, self-loathing, and by the screenwriting ambitions of his freeloading twin brother Donald. While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief," by Susan Orlean, Kaufman's life spins from pathetic to bizarre. The lives of Kaufman and Orlean's book become strangely intertwined as each one's search for passion collides with the other's.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  26. The Mousetrap (2016)

    Baptiste is a gay man who can't stop dreaming about a woman who works at a local pub. His desire for her makes him go on a journey that he could had never imagined.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  27. Ah (2011)

    Combined units of colorful blocks. They act like people. However, the color disappears, you feel it differently.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation

  28. In the Name of the Law (1932)

    The story is about a drug ring and the finally successful efforts of the Paris police to break it up. A young detective goes into a den in Paris' Chinatown, following a clue, and that is the last seen of him until his body is found floating in the Seine several days later. The only clue is a woman's glove. The dead man's friends on the force vow to avenge him, and receive information leading them to suspect one Sandra, a beautiful foreigner, played by the stunning Marcelle Chantal.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  29. Across My Land (2017)

    Father and son 'minutemen' patrol the American/Mexican border near their home in Nogales, Arizona.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  30. Lunch Time (2017)

    A 16 year old girl has come to the hospital to identify the body of her mother. The people in charge at the hospital - due to her young age - won't let her into the morgue. After she insists that most of her family is in jail for criminal activities, they acquiesce...

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

Like To Build a Fire and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like To Build a Fire?

The closest matches to To Build a Fire are The Little Matchgirl (2006), Strings (2004) and The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2012). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after To Build a Fire?

Start with The Little Matchgirl (2006), the closest match to To Build a Fire.

What is the highest-rated movie like To Build a Fire?

Far from the Tree (2021), rated 8.1/10 by 395 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like To Build a Fire?

Ninety-Five Senses (2022) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like To Build a Fire?

Yes: The Little Matchgirl (2006), Strings (2004) and The Fantastic Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore (2012).

How are movies similar to To Build a Fire chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside To Build a Fire, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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