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Movies like Schadenfreude (2009)

The best movies like Schadenfreude (2009) are Alice in Wonderland (1999), MirrorMask (2005) and The Water Man (2020). If Schadenfreude hooked you with its fantasy, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Alice in Wonderland (1999)

    Alice follows a white rabbit down a rabbit-hole into a whimsical Wonderland, where she meets characters like the delightful Cheshire Cat, the clumsy White Knight, a rude caterpillar, and the hot-tempered Queen of Hearts and can grow ten feet tall or shrink to three inches. But will she ever be able to return home?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  2. MirrorMask (2005)

    In a fantasy world of opposing kingdoms, a 15-year old girl must find the fabled MirrorMask in order to save the kingdom and get home.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. The Water Man (2020)

    Hoping to save his sick mother, a boy named Gunner and his friend Jo venture into the remote Wild Horse forest to search for a mythical figure who possesses the secret to immortality. When they go missing, Gunner's father Amos must immerse himself in his son's world to find them.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Dashing Through the Snow (2023)

    Eddie Garrick is a good-hearted man who has lost his belief in the wonder of Christmas. While spending time with his nine-year-old daughter Charlotte on Christmas Eve, he befriends a mysterious man in a red suit named Nick.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. The Nutcracker (1993)

    On Christmas Eve, a little girl named Marie falls asleep and dreams herself into a fantastic world in which her toys become larger than life. She meets up with the Nutcracker Prince who takes her on a journey to his kingdom and defends her from the Mouse King.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

  6. Strawberry Mansion (2021)

    In the not-too-distant future, an all-seeing surveillance state conducts “dream audits” to collect taxes on the unconscious lives of the populace. Mild-mannered government agent James Preble travels to a remote farmhouse to audit the dreams of Arabella “Bella” Isadora, an eccentric, aging artist. Entering Bella’s vast VHS archive, which contains a lifetime of dreams, Preble stumbles upon a secret that offers him a chance at love—and hope for escape.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. The Blue Bird (1940)

    Peasant children Mytyl and Tyltyl are led on a magical quest for the fabulous Blue Bird of Happiness by the fairy Berylune. On their journey, they're accompanied by the anthropomorphized presences of a Dog, a Cat, Light, Fire, and Bread, among other entities.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

  8. Hideaways (2011)

    The elder one of each generation in the Furlong family is equipped with an extraordinary capacity. James discovers the nature of his at the time of an accident which causes the death of his father and his grandmother. Haunted by this mysterious evil he hides in a forest not to harm anybody. A few years later, Mae also takes refuge it in the forest and meets James.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. A Tooth Fairy Tale (2025)

    Van, the brave son of a tooth fairy leader, meets the goblins girl Gemma on his first mission. Despite the myths about ancient disputes between fairies and goblins, they share common values. When the greedy Spider Queen threatens both tribes, they must work together.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  10. Thinner (1996)

    An obese lawyer finds himself growing "Thinner" when an old Romani man places a hex on him. Now the lawyer must call upon his friends in organized crime to help him persuade the old man to lift the curse. Time is running out for the desperate lawyer as he draws closer to his own death, and grows ever thinner.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

  11. Nine Days (2021)

    A bureaucrat interviews five souls to decide which of them will be given a life on Earth. But he soon faces an existential challenge of his own.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Princess (2008)

    A reclusive princess and a directionless young man embark on a quest to save the world's mythical creatures from becoming extinct.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. A Knight's War (2025)

    A fearless knight braves a deadly realm to save the Chosen One’s soul. Facing witches, demons, and brutal foes, he discovers her return could ignite chaos and doom humanity.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. Aladdin (1992)

    A young man's life is turned around with the help of a genie inside a lamp.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. Bedtime Stories (2008)

    Skeeter Bronson is a down-on-his-luck guy who's always telling bedtime stories to his niece and nephew. But his life is turned upside down when the fantastical stories he makes up for entertainment inexplicably turn into reality. Can a bewildered Skeeter manage his own unruly fantasies now that the outrageous characters and situations from his mind have morphed into actual people and events?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Cinderella's Curse (2024)

    Desperate Cinderella summons her fairy godmother from an ancient flesh-bound book, seeking revenge on her evil stepmother and stepsisters who abuse and torment her daily.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

  17. Kermit's Swamp Years (2002)

    At 12 years old, Kermit the Frog and best friends Goggles and Croaker travel outside their homes in the swamps of the Deep South to do something extraordinary with their lives.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

  18. The Witcher: Sirens of the Deep (2025)

    When human sailors are attacked by mysterious creatures of the deep, only one person can stop the war between land and sea: the Witcher, Geralt of Rivia.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Anastasia: Once Upon a Time (2020)

    Anastasia Romanov escapes through a portal when her family is threatened by Vladimir Lenin, and she finds herself in the year 1988, befriended by a young American girl.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

  20. Unicorn Store (2017)

    A woman named Kit moves back to her parent's house, where she receives a mysterious invitation that would fulfill her childhood dreams.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy

Like Schadenfreude and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Schadenfreude?

The closest matches to Schadenfreude are Alice in Wonderland (1999), MirrorMask (2005) and The Water Man (2020). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Schadenfreude?

Start with Alice in Wonderland (1999), the closest match to Schadenfreude.

What is the highest-rated movie like Schadenfreude?

Nine Days (2021), rated 6.8/10 by 306 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Schadenfreude?

A Tooth Fairy Tale (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Schadenfreude?

Yes: Alice in Wonderland (1999), MirrorMask (2005) and The Water Man (2020).

How are movies similar to Schadenfreude chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Schadenfreude, 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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