Movies like Monsters, Inc. (2001)
The best movies like Monsters, Inc. (2001) are Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story (1995) and Despicable Me (2010). If Monsters, Inc. hooked you with its animation and comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedCoco (2017)8.2/10 from 21,844 votes
- NewestPuss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)Released 2022
- Same seriesMonsters University (2013)Monsters, Inc.
Toy Story 2 (1999)
Andy heads off to Cowboy Camp, leaving his toys to their own devices. Things shift into high gear when an obsessive toy collector named Al McWhiggen, owner of Al's Toy Barn kidnaps Woody. Andy's toys mount a daring rescue mission, Buzz Lightyear meets his match and Woody has to decide where he and his heart truly belong.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisToy Story (1995)
Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy's heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both family & comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDespicable Me (2010)
Determined to prove he's the world's greatest supervillain, Gru hatches an audacious plan to steal the Moon. To pull it off, he adopts three orphaned girls—Margo, Edith, and Agnes—intending to use them as pawns in his scheme. But the unexpected bond they form forces him to question the criminal life he's always known.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Lego Movie (2014)
An ordinary Lego mini-figure, mistakenly thought to be the extraordinary MasterBuilder, is recruited to join a quest to stop an evil Lego tyrant from conquering the universe.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMonsters University (2013)
A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University — when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.
Why it matches: Same series: Monsters, Inc. · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShrek (2001)
It ain't easy bein' green -- especially if you're a likable (albeit smelly) ogre named Shrek. On a mission to retrieve a gorgeous princess from the clutches of a fire-breathing dragon, Shrek teams up with an unlikely compatriot -- a wisecracking donkey.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHotel Transylvania (2012)
Welcome to Hotel Transylvania, Dracula's lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up and no humans are allowed. One special weekend, Dracula has invited all his best friends to celebrate his beloved daughter Mavis's 118th birthday. For Dracula catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem but the party really starts when one ordinary guy stumbles into the hotel and changes everything!
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisZootopia (2016)
Determined to prove herself, Officer Judy Hopps, the first bunny on Zootopia's police force, jumps at the chance to crack her first case - even if it means partnering with scam-artist fox Nick Wilde to solve the mystery.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCloudy with a Chance of Meatballs (2009)
Inventor Flint Lockwood creates a machine that makes clouds rain food, enabling the down-and-out citizens of Chewandswallow to feed themselves. But when the falling food reaches gargantuan proportions, Flint must scramble to avert disaster. Can he regain control of the machine and put an end to the wild weather before the town is destroyed?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMonsters vs Aliens (2009)
When Susan Murphy is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches. The military jumps into action and captures Susan, secreting her away to a covert government compound. She is renamed Ginormica and placed in confinement with a ragtag group of Monsters...
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIgor (2008)
A cliché hunchbacked evil scientist's assistant aspires to become a scientist himself, much to the displeasure of the rest of the evil science community.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRatatouille (2007)
In one of Paris's finest restaurants, Remy, a determined young rat, dreams of becoming a renowned French chef. Torn between his family's wishes and his true calling, Remy and his pal Linguini set in motion a hilarious chain of events that turns the City of Lights upside down.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisCoco (2017)
Despite his family’s baffling generations-old ban on music, Miguel dreams of becoming an accomplished musician like his idol, Ernesto de la Cruz. Desperate to prove his talent, Miguel finds himself in the stunning and colorful Land of the Dead following a mysterious chain of events. Along the way, he meets charming trickster Hector, and together, they set off on an extraordinary journey to unlock the real story behind Miguel's family history.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both family & animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMonster House (2006)
Monsters under the bed are scary enough, but what happens when an entire house is out to get you? Three teens aim to find out when they go up against a decrepit neighboring home and unlock its frightening secrets.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChicken Run (2000)
The creators of Wallace & Gromit bring you an exciting and original story about a group of chickens determined to fly the coop–even if they can’t fly! It’s hardly poultry in motion when Rocky attempts to teach Ginger and her feathered friends to fly…but, with teamwork, determination and a little bit o’ cluck, the fearless flock plots one last attempt in a spectacular bid for freedom.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Peanuts Movie (2015)
Born loser Charlie Brown’s ordinary winter is turned upside down when the Little Red-Haired Girl arrives at school. Determined to impress her, the insecure and accident-prone Charlie Brown tries to become a winner through a series of hilarious attempts. Meanwhile, his loyal dog Snoopy takes to the skies as he writes a larger-than life story about his arch-nemesis—The Red Baron.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHow to Train Your Dragon (2010)
As the son of a Viking leader on the cusp of manhood, shy Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III faces a rite of passage: he must kill a dragon to prove his warrior mettle. But after downing a feared dragon, he realizes that he no longer wants to destroy it, and instead befriends the beast – which he names Toothless – much to the chagrin of his warrior father.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both fantasy & animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisFantastic Mr. Fox (2009)
The Fantastic Mr. Fox, bored with his current life, plans a heist against the three local farmers. The farmers, tired of sharing their chickens with the sly fox, seek revenge against him and his family.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShrek Forever After (2010)
A midlife-crisis burdened Shrek, longing for the days of when he felt like a real ogre, makes a pact with magic deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin. But when he's duped and sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away—where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona have never met—he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Grinch (2018)
The Grinch hatches a scheme to ruin Christmas when the residents of Whoville plan their annual holiday celebration. But a certain little who might change things.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Bug's Life (1998)
On behalf of "oppressed bugs everywhere," an inventive ant named Flik hires a troupe of warrior bugs to defend his bustling colony from a horde of freeloading grasshoppers led by the evil-minded Hopper.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWreck-It Ralph (2012)
Wreck-It Ralph is the 9-foot-tall, 643-pound villain of an arcade video game named Fix-It Felix Jr., in which the game's titular hero fixes buildings that Ralph destroys. Wanting to prove he can be a good guy and not just a villain, Ralph escapes his game and lands in Hero's Duty, a first-person shooter where he helps the game's hero battle against alien invaders. He later enters Sugar Rush, a kart racing game set on tracks made of candies, cookies and other sweets. There, Ralph meets Vanellope von Schweetz who has learned that her game is faced with a dire threat that could affect the entire arcade, and one that Ralph may have inadvertently started.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both family & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisToy Story 3 (2010)
Woody, Buzz, and the rest of Andy's toys haven't been played with in years. With Andy about to go to college, the gang find themselves accidentally left at a nefarious day care center. The toys must band together to escape and return home to Andy.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisInside Out (2015)
When 11-year-old Riley moves to a new city, her Emotions team up to help her through the transition. Joy, Fear, Anger, Disgust and Sadness work together, but when Joy and Sadness get lost, they must journey through unfamiliar places to get back home.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & family
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisHotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation (2018)
Dracula, Mavis, Johnny and the rest of the Drac Pack take a vacation on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship, where Dracula falls in love with the ship’s captain, Ericka, who’s secretly a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, the notorious monster slayer.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShaun the Sheep Movie (2015)
When Shaun decides to take the day off and have some fun, he gets a little more action than he bargained for. A mix up with the Farmer, a caravan and a very steep hill lead them all to the Big City and it's up to Shaun and the flock to return everyone safely to the green grass of home.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both family & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Simpsons Movie (2007)
After Homer accidentally pollutes the town's water supply, Springfield is encased in a gigantic dome by the EPA and the Simpsons are declared fugitives.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAntz (1998)
A neurotic worker ant in love with a rebellious princess rises to unlikely stardom when he switches places with a soldier. Signing up to march in a parade, he ends up under the command of a bloodthirsty general. But he's actually been enlisted to fight against a termite army.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPuss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Puss in Boots discovers that his passion for adventure has taken its toll: He has burned through eight of his nine lives, leaving him with only one life left. Puss sets out on an epic journey to find the mythical Last Wish and restore his nine lives.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & fantasy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisLilo & Stitch (2002)
As Stitch, a runaway genetic experiment from a faraway planet, wreaks havoc on the Hawaiian Islands, he becomes the mischievous adopted alien "puppy" of an independent little girl named Lilo and learns about loyalty, friendship, and ʻohana, the Hawaiian tradition of family.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like this
Like Monsters, Inc. and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Monsters, Inc.?
The closest matches to Monsters, Inc. are Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story (1995) and Despicable Me (2010). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Monsters, Inc.?
People who watched Monsters, Inc. most often go on to Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story (1995) and Despicable Me (2010).
What is the highest-rated movie like Monsters, Inc.?
Coco (2017), rated 8.2/10 by 21,844 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Monsters, Inc.?
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022) is the most recent release on this list.
Is Monsters, Inc. part of a series?
Yes. It belongs to Monsters, Inc., which includes Monsters University (2013).
Are there English movies like Monsters, Inc.?
Yes: Toy Story 2 (1999), Toy Story (1995) and Despicable Me (2010).
How are movies similar to Monsters, Inc. chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Monsters, Inc., then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.