Movies like Invention (1989)
The best movies like Invention (1989) are The House (2022), Ferdinand the Bull (1938) and Paperman (2012). If Invention hooked you with its animation, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedOnce Upon a Studio (2023)8.3/10 from 457 votes
- NewestSouth Park: Joining the Panderverse (2023)Released 2023
The House (2022)
Across different eras, a poor family, an anxious developer and a fed-up landlady become tied to the same mysterious house in this animated dark comedy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFerdinand the Bull (1938)
This Oscar-winning short tells of a bull who preferred to sit under trees and smell flowers to clashing horns with his fellow animals. As luck would have it, an untimely bee reveals Ferdinand's ferocious side via pained howls and wild stomping. This lands him in the bull-fighting arena amidst characters based on Walt's animators with a matador reportedly modeled after Walt himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPaperman (2012)
An urban office worker finds that paper airplanes are instrumental in meeting a girl in ways he never expected.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMater and the Ghostlight (2006)
Mater, the rusty but trusty tow truck from Cars, spends a day in Radiator Springs playing scary pranks on his fellow townsfolk. That night at Flo's V8 Café, the Sheriff tells the story of the legend of the Ghostlight, and as everyone races home Mater is left alone primed for a good old-fashioned scare.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAll Wet (1927)
Oswald takes a job as a lifeguard to keep an eye on Miss Rabbit, who in turn stages a boating accident hoping Oswald will come to save her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPanic in the Mailroom (2013)
Two Minions are busy at work in the mailroom. One of them, bored, decides to throw a box of expired PX-41 samples into its designated chute.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMagnum Opus (2022)
Groot sets out to paint a family portrait of himself and the Guardians, only to discover just how messy the artistic process can be.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFor the Birds (2000)
One by one, a flock of small birds perches on a telephone wire. Sitting close together has problems enough, and then comes along a large dopey bird that tries to join them. The birds of a feather can't help but make fun of him—and their clique mentality proves embarrassing in the end.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDay & Night (2010)
When Day, a sunny fellow, encounters Night, a stranger of distinctly darker moods, sparks fly! Day and Night are frightened and suspicious of each other at first, and quickly get off on the wrong foot. But as they discover each other's unique qualities--and come to realize that each of them offers a different window onto the same world-the friendship helps both to gain a new perspective.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCars Toon Mater's Tall Tales (2008)
Mater the tow truck travels from country to country as he retells his infamous but unbelievable stories.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLend a Paw (1941)
Jealous over Mickey's attention to a kitten, Pluto's devil-self argues with his angel-self over whether or not to rescue the kitten when it falls into a well. The angel-self wins, and Pluto is treated like a hero. In the end, he and the kitten become friends.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBird Karma (2018)
A tale of a long-legged bird's journey of blissful joy, inescapable greed and the accidental discovery of the consequences when too much is not enough.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBURN·E (2008)
What lengths will a robot undergo to do his job? BURN·E is a dedicated hard working robot who finds himself locked out of his ship. BURN·E quickly learns that completing a simple task can often be a very difficult endeavor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Radiator Springs 500½ (2014)
A 'leisurely drive' planned in honor of Radiator Springs’ town founder, Stanley, turns precarious as Baja pros descend on the town and challenge Lightning McQueen to an off-road race. Meanwhile, the townsfolk, led by a Stanley-costumed Mater, enjoy the planned 'leisurely drive' to retrace Stanley’s original frontier route. Thinking they’re on the same course, a wrong turn sends McQueen and the Baja pros on a treacherously wild bid for survival. The misunderstanding leaves the racing professionals in awe of the 'legend' of Stanley: the Original Off-Road Racer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Little Guy (2022)
Groot discovers a miniature civilization that believes the seemingly enormous tree toddler is the hero they’ve been waiting for.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Big Bad Wolf (1934)
The Big Bad Wolf torments Little Red Riding Hood and the Three Little Pigs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSouth Park: Joining the Panderverse (2023)
Cartman's deeply disturbing dreams portend the end of the life he knows and loves. Meanwhile, the adults in South Park are wrestling with their own life decisions, as the advent of AI is turning their world upside down.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOnce Upon a Studio (2023)
Created for Disney's 100th anniversary, the short features Mickey Mouse corralling a gallery of legendary Disney characters for a group photo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisGroot's Pursuit (2022)
Groot investigates a spooky noise that’s been haunting the Quadrant, which leads to an intense dance off.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisYellow Is the New Black (2018)
An adventure about two Minions who make a daring (though temporary) escape from jail. As they navigate the chaos of their breakout, their antics showcase the Minions' signature blend of resourcefulness and mischief, resulting in a short filled with hilariously unpredictable moments.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Amphibian (1991)
In a dark subterranean landscape, the Amphibian has lost its way.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Surface Tension (1986)
Intercutting live action footage with animation, a depiction of the possible memories, repressions and fears of the leading character. The animated sections are monologues by a male figure drawn to highlight the tension between rigid and fluid body structures, skeleton and flesh.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Anywhere You Are (2021)
A young woman Perdita is searching for a place she could call home when a small red ball crosses her path.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Batik Girl (2019)
Struggling to cope after a recent tragedy, a young girl finds herself drawn into a magical world within a batik painting.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Tailor (2017)
Tailor is a transgender cartoonist that shares in his web page other trans people’s experiences and their challenges in society. Film about transgender, made by transgender crew.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Devin (2019)
A typical day gets turned on its head for your average ghost when 4 unexpected visitors decide to barge in to his decaying home. See how Devin deals with his company in a freakishly funny way!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Australian History (1971)
Short directed by Bruce Petty.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Canada Vignettes: Newfoundland (1978)
An examination of the Viking explorers who were the first Europeans to discover Canada.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Canada Vignettes: The Maple Leaf (1978)
The maple leaf on the Canadian flag turns into two profiles that illustrate the many relationships between people.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Leviathan (2006)
Jerky but smiling characters from this short film will take the audience through this animated pageant inspired by a book by Thomas Hobbes called 'The Leviathan', written in 1651.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Like Invention and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Invention?
The closest matches to Invention are The House (2022), Ferdinand the Bull (1938) and Paperman (2012). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Invention?
Start with The House (2022), the closest match to Invention.
What is the highest-rated movie like Invention?
Once Upon a Studio (2023), rated 8.3/10 by 457 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Invention?
South Park: Joining the Panderverse (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Invention chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Invention, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.