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Movies like Big Fish (2003)

The best movies like Big Fish (2003) are Where the Wild Things Are (2009), A Dog's Purpose (2017) and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). If Big Fish hooked you with its adventure and fantasy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Where the Wild Things Are (2009)

    Max imagines running away from his mom and sailing to a far-off land where large talking beasts—Ira, Carol, Douglas, the Bull, Judith and Alexander—crown him as their king, play rumpus, build forts and discover secret hideaways.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  2. A Dog's Purpose (2017)

    A dog goes on quest to discover his purpose in life over the course of several lifetimes with multiple owners.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  3. Oz the Great and Powerful (2013)

    Oscar Diggs, a small-time circus illusionist and con-artist, is whisked from Kansas to the Land of Oz where the inhabitants assume he's the great wizard of prophecy, there to save Oz from the clutches of evil.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure

  4. The Last Unicorn (1982)

    A unicorn learns from a riddle-speaking butterfly that she is supposedly the last of her kind, all the others having been herded away by the monstrous Red Bull. The unicorn sets out to discover the truth behind the butterfly's words. She is eventually joined on her quest by Schmendrick, a second-rate magician, and Molly Grue, a middle-aged woman who dreamed all her life of seeing a unicorn. Their journey leads them far from home, all the way to the castle of King Haggard.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  5. Pan (2015)

    Living a bleak existence at a London orphanage, 12-year-old Peter finds himself whisked away to the fantastical world of Neverland. Adventure awaits as he meets new friend James Hook and the warrior Tiger Lily. They must band together to save Neverland from the ruthless pirate Blackbeard. Along the way, the rebellious and mischievous boy discovers his true destiny, becoming the hero forever known as Peter Pan.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. FairyTale: A True Story (1997)

    In 1917, two children take a photograph, which is soon believed by some to be the first scientific evidence of the existence of fairies. Based on the true story of the Cottingley Fairies.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. Inkheart (2008)

    The adventures of a father and his young daughter, in their search for a long lost book that will help reunite a missing, close relative.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. Peter Pan (2003)

    In stifling Edwardian London, Wendy Darling mesmerizes her brothers every night with bedtime tales of swordplay, swashbuckling and the fearsome Captain Hook. But the children become the heroes of an even greater story, when Peter Pan flies into their nursery one night and leads them over moonlit rooftops through a galaxy of stars and to the lush jungles of Neverland.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. The Nutcracker and the Four Realms (2018)

    When Clara’s mother leaves her a mysterious gift, she embarks on a journey to four secret realms—where she discovers her greatest strength could change the world.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Pinocchio (2022)

    A wooden puppet embarks on a thrilling adventure to become a real boy.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. Wolfwalkers (2020)

    In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are seen as demonic and nature an evil to be tamed, a young apprentice hunter comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack. But when she saves a wild native girl, their friendship leads her to discover the world of the Wolfwalkers and transform her into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  12. The Spiderwick Chronicles (2008)

    Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. The Legend of Ochi (2025)

    In a remote village on the island of Carpathia, a shy farm girl named Yuri is raised to fear an elusive animal species known as ochi. But when Yuri discovers a wounded baby ochi has been left behind, she escapes on a quest to bring him home.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. A Monster Calls (2016)

    12-year-old Conor encounters an ancient tree monster who proceeds to help him cope with his mother's terminal illness and being bullied in school.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. The Wizard of Oz (1939)

    Young Dorothy finds herself in a magical world where she makes friends with a lion, a scarecrow and a tin man as they make their way along the yellow brick road to talk with the Wizard and ask for the things they miss most in their lives. The Wicked Witch of the West is the only thing that could stop them.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. Peter Pan (1953)

    Leaving the safety of their nursery behind, Wendy, Michael and John follow Peter Pan to a magical world where childhood lasts forever. But while in Neverland, the kids must face Captain Hook and foil his attempts to get rid of Peter for good.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. The House of Magic (2013)

    Thunder, an abandoned young cat seeking shelter from a storm, stumbles into the strangest house imaginable, owned by an old magician and inhabited by a dazzling array of automatons and gizmos. Not everyone welcomes the new addition to the troupe as Jack Rabbit and Maggie Mouse plot to evict Thunder. The situation gets worse when the magician lands in hospital and his scheming nephew sees his chance to cash in by selling the mansion. Our young hero is determined to earn his place and so he enlists the help of some wacky magician's assistants to protect his magical new home.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. The Ewok Adventure (1984)

    Wicket the Ewok and his friends agree to help two shipwrecked human children, Mace and Cindel, on a quest to find their parents.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy

  19. The Pagemaster (1994)

    Rich knows a lot about accidents. So much so, he is scared to do anything that might endanger him, like riding his bike, or climbing into his treehouse. While in an old library, he is mystically transported into the unknown world of books, and he has to try and get home again.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian (2008)

    One year after their incredible adventures in the Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, Peter, Edmund, Lucy and Susan Pevensie return to Narnia to aid a young prince whose life has been threatened by the evil King Miraz. Now, with the help of a colorful cast of new characters, including Trufflehunter the badger and Nikabrik the dwarf, the Pevensie clan embarks on an incredible quest to ensure that Narnia is returned to its rightful heir.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. Medicine Man (1992)

    An eccentric scientist in the Amazon jungle rejects his research assistant for being a woman, but as bulldozers threaten their work on a potential cancer cure, they learn to collaborate and begin to fall in love.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  22. The Craft (1996)

    A Catholic school newcomer falls in with a clique of teen witches who wield their powers against all who dare to cross them -- be they teachers, rivals or meddlesome parents.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  23. The Tree of Life (2011)

    The impressionistic story of a Texas family in the 1950s. The film follows the life journey of the eldest son, Jack, through the innocence of childhood to his disillusioned adult years as he tries to reconcile a complicated relationship with his father. Jack finds himself a lost soul in the modern world, seeking answers to the origins and meaning of life while questioning the existence of faith.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  24. Bibi Blocksberg (2002)

    Elation in Neustadt: by the means of a little witching, Bibi Blocksberg saved two kids from burning to death. While her mother Barbara, a witch of flesh and blood herself, is very proud of her daughter, father Bernhard, overworked and stressed, disapproves greatly of her supernatural antics. Then Bibi gets a message from Walpurgia, the senior witch: she is going to receive her crystel ball, that will make a "real" witch of her, early. Proudly, Bibi jumps up her broom to fly to the Blocksberg, the witches' headquarters. But Rabia, one of the few evil witches, aging in misery and with a secret, begrudges her all the glory...and her youth. And so Rabia sets off events that will soon make Bibi's life fall into pieces.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & fantasy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  25. Don’t Cry, Butterfly (2025)

    After discovering her husband’s affair on live television, a wedding venue worker seeks a powerful spell master to win back his love, while her daughter dreams of a brighter future abroad and a mysterious spirit haunts their crumbling home.

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

  26. Netto (2005)

    Follows the lives of an unemployed drunk and his son as they struggle to adapt to each other.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  27. Usmívat se, prosím (1991)

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy

  28. Love Story (1970)

    Harvard Law student Oliver Barrett IV and music student Jennifer Cavilleri share a chemistry they cannot deny - and a love they cannot ignore. Despite their opposite backgrounds, the young couple put their hearts on the line for each other. When they marry, Oliver's wealthy father threatens to disown him. Jenny tries to reconcile the Barrett men, but to no avail.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  29. The Sword in the Stone (1963)

    Wart is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for him beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give him an education, believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  30. Dying Young (1991)

    After she discovers that her boyfriend has betrayed her, Hilary O'Neil is looking for a new start and a new job. She begins to work as a private nurse for a young man suffering from blood cancer. Slowly, they fall in love, but they always know their love cannot last because he is destined to die.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like Big Fish and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Big Fish?

The closest matches to Big Fish are Where the Wild Things Are (2009), A Dog's Purpose (2017) and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Big Fish?

Start with Where the Wild Things Are (2009), the closest match to Big Fish.

What is the highest-rated movie like Big Fish?

Wolfwalkers (2020), rated 8.2/10 by 1,487 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Big Fish?

The Legend of Ochi (2025) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Big Fish?

Yes: Where the Wild Things Are (2009), A Dog's Purpose (2017) and Oz the Great and Powerful (2013).

How are movies similar to Big Fish chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Big Fish, 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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