Movies like Polly (1989)
The best movies like Polly (1989) are Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special (2020), Sneakerella (2022) and Arlo the Alligator Boy (2021). If Polly hooked you with its family and music, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedHercules (1997)7.5/10 from 8,209 votes
- NewestA Very Jonas Christmas Movie (2025)Released 2025
Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special (2020)
Faced with a holiday cheer crisis, the North Pole knows there's only one person who can save the day: Santa's great friend Mariah Carey. The Queen of Christmas creates a fabulous and star-studded spectacular to make the whole world merry!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSneakerella (2022)
When El, an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens, meets Kira King, the fiercely independent daughter of legendary basketball star and sneaker tycoon Darius King, sparks fly as the two bond over their mutual affinity for sneakers. With a little nudge from his best friend and a sprinkle of Fairy Godfather magic, El finds the courage to use his talent to pursue his dream of becoming a ‘legit’ sneaker designer in the industry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisArlo the Alligator Boy (2021)
Upon learning that he is from New York City, a wide-eyed boy, who is half human and half alligator, decides to leave his sheltered life in the swamp and search for his long lost father. A musical adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMake Mine Music (1946)
In the tradition of Fantasia, Make Mine Music is a glorious collection of musically charged animated shorts featuring such fun-filled favorites as "Peter and the Wolf", narrated by the beloved voice behind Winnie the Pooh. In addition you'll enjoy such classic cartoon hits as "Casey at the Bat," "The Whale Who Wanted to Sing at the Met" and "Johnnie Fedora and Alice Bluebonnet."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisSave the Last Dance (2001)
After the death of her mother, Sara moves to the South Side of Chicago to live with her father and gets transferred to a majority-black school. Her life takes a turn for the better when befriends Chenille and her brother Derek, who helps her with her dancing skills.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTom Thumb (1958)
A boy, no bigger than a thumb, manages to outwit two thieves determined to make a fortune from him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTom Sawyer (1973)
Tom Sawyer and his pal Huckleberry Finn have great adventures on the Mississippi River, pretending to be pirates, attending their own funeral, and witnessing a murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCurly Top (1935)
Wealthy Edward Morgan becomes charmed with a curly-haired orphan and her pretty older sister Mary and arranges to adopt both under the alias of "Mr. Jones". As he spends more time with them, he soon finds himself falling in love with Mary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDolly Parton's Christmas on the Square (2020)
A rich and nasty woman returns to her hometown to evict everyone but discovers the true meaning of Christmas thanks to the local townsfolk – and an actual angel. Features 14 original songs with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisHigh School Musical: The Concert (2007)
An incredible concert as the worldwide phenomenon goes extreme! Inviting you behind the scenes and putting you in the middle of the action. Step out of the audience and jump on stage with Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Tisdale, Corbin Bleu, Monique Coleman, Drew Seeley and more of the cast of the award-winning hit movie High School Musical as they perform their chart-topping songs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLet It Shine (2012)
A teenage rapper must use his musical talent to help a friend and win the girl of his dreams while overcoming self-doubt and the expectations of his strict religious parents.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUnsung Hero (2024)
When David Smallbone's successful music company collapses, he moves his family from Australia to the United States in search of a brighter future. With nothing more than their six children, their suitcases, and their love of music, David and his pregnant wife Helen set out to rebuild their lives from the ground up. Based on a remarkable true story, a mum's faith stands against all odds; and inspires her husband and children to hold onto theirs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnnie (1999)
Things seem pretty bad for a young girl living a "hard-knock life" in an orphanage. Fed up with the dastardly Miss Hannigan, Annie escapes the run-down orphanage determined to find her mom and dad. It's an adventure that takes her from the cold, mean streets of New York to the warm, comforting arms of bighearted billionaire Oliver Warbucks - with plenty of mischief and music in between.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGood Vibrations (2012)
The story of music legend Terri Hooley, a key figure in Belfast's punk rock scene. Hooley founded the Good Vibrations store from which a record label sprung, representing bands such as The Undertones, Rudi and The Outcasts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Very Jonas Christmas Movie (2025)
Kevin, Nick, and Joe Jonas face a series of escalating obstacles as they struggle to make it from London to New York in time to spend Christmas with their families.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLemonade Mouth (2011)
When five ragtag freshman first meet in detention, it seems they have nothing in common. But, through music, they form an unbreakable bond and discover they have the makings of the greatest high school garage band in history! In the face of incredible odds, Olivia, Stella, Wen, Mohini and Charlie find they can make a real difference when they learn to lean on each other and let go of everything holding back their dreams.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Big Store (1941)
A detective is hired to protect the life of a singer, who has recently inherited a department store, from the store's crooked manager.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSnoopy Presents: It's the Small Things, Charlie Brown (2022)
Charlie Brown is determined to win the big baseball game. But things turn into a fiasco right before the matchup, when Sally bonds with a little flower on the pitcher's mound and vows to protect it at all costs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)
Nancy Drew, a smart high schooler with a penchant for keen observation and deduction, stumbles upon the haunting of a local home. A bit of an outsider struggling to fit into her new surroundings, Nancy and her pals set out to solve the mystery, make new friends, and establish their place in the community
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTeen Spirit (2019)
A shy teenager living on the Isle of Wight dreams of pop stardom. With the help of an unlikely mentor, she enters a singing competition that will test her integrity, talent, and ambition.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScooby-Doo! in Arabian Nights (1994)
Scooby-Doo and Shaggy travel to Arabia to become the Caliph's Royal Food Tasters. But they bite off more than they can chew and are forced to run for their lives! It's a wild magic carpet ride as Scooby-Doo, Shaggy and their genie (Yogi Bear) and a jolly sailor named Sinbad (Magilla Gorilla) take you on an adventure of mistaken identities, exotic locations and fun-filled action and surprises!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)
Gym-freak brat Rocky falls in love with Rani, who comes from a well-educated Bengali family. Being from polar opposite worlds, the two decide to switch their families to adjust to each other's cultures and backgrounds and to know if their marriage will survive. Rocky and Rani are trapped in a world where they are united by love but divided by families and the ultimate question is will they fit in?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHappy Wedding (1959)
During the Warring States Period, Nung-yuk, the Princess of Qin, denounces the mundane world and dreams of marrying an immortal. This extends to her criteria for choosing a husband: excelling in flute playing. Once, she is captivated by the tune 'Three Melodies of Rainbow Dress' and mistakes the qin player Siu Sze for a fairy. Yuk then persuades Sze to sit the national exam for a better future. Sze's music attracts hundred of birds. Yuk returns to the palace pleading with her father Esquire Muk to agree to their marriage. Despite the Empress Dowager's opposition, Yuk leads a secluded life with Siu afar; a noble breed thus living a hard life. The King lets her go, only granting an annual visit. A year later, Yuk and her husband returns for a visit. The Queen still wants to break them up. Later, Jin State sends people to discover the whereabouts of their Princes. Siu is in fact the Prince of Jin. With Muk’s blessings, Siu marries Yuk in Jin, a marriage which brings peace to both states.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Hercules (1997)
Bestowed with superhuman strength, a young mortal named Hercules sets out to prove himself a hero in the eyes of his father, the great god Zeus. Along with his friends Pegasus, a flying horse, and Phil, a personal trainer, Hercules is tricked by the hilarious, hotheaded villain Hades, who's plotting to take over Mount Olympus!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisYellow Submarine (1968)
The wicked Blue Meanies take over Pepperland, eliminating all color and music. As the only survivor, the Lord Admiral escapes in the yellow submarine and journeys to Liverpool to enlist the help of the Beatles.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMarriage of Figaro (1949)
Shortly after WWII, the DEFA Studios produced a series of operas and operettas which belonged to the classical German musical heritage. This enchanting film, the very first opera production of DEFA, stands out because of its lavish decor and costumes, its outstanding actors and their masterful voices of that time.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Queen of Niendorf (2017)
The summer holidays have just begun in Brandenburg, but ten-year-old Lea isn’t going to camp this year with her friends as she normally would. One afternoon she spots five boys lifting a large blue oil barrel over the fence of a paint factory and driving away with their loot on a bicycle trailer. Lea's curiosity is piqued. The next chance she gets, she follows the boys and discovers they built a raft on a small lake. The raft is the boys' property and under no circumstances girls are allowed in their gang. But Lea wants to be part of it very badly and takes them up on a dare. Soon summer is full of adventure.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Oliver & Company (1988)
Putting its own 'twist' on the story of Oliver Twist, the orange runt of a litter of kittens must fight for survival on the rough streets on New York City, finding unlikely friends in the dogs owned by a down-on-his luck man named Fagin. Soon, Oliver and his new band of comrades must fight for survival when Fagin is unable to pay his debts.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMulan II (2004)
Fa Mulan gets the surprise of her young life when her love, Captain Li Shang asks for her hand in marriage. Before the two can have their happily ever after, the Emperor assigns them a secret mission, to escort three princesses to Chang'an, China. Mushu is determined to drive a wedge between the couple after he learns that he will lose his guardian job if Mulan marries into the Li family.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHalf-Cocked (1994)
A group of high school teens steal a van full of music equipment and pretend to be a band called "Truckstop" in order to stay on the road. When the band starts playing gigs, their sound is largely inconsistent and incoherent, however, over time the band becomes increasingly competent in their musicianship.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Like Polly and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Polly?
The closest matches to Polly are Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special (2020), Sneakerella (2022) and Arlo the Alligator Boy (2021). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Polly?
Start with Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special (2020), the closest match to Polly.
What is the highest-rated movie like Polly?
Hercules (1997), rated 7.5/10 by 8,209 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Polly?
A Very Jonas Christmas Movie (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Polly?
Yes: Mariah Carey's Magical Christmas Special (2020), Sneakerella (2022) and Arlo the Alligator Boy (2021).
How are movies similar to Polly chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Polly, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.