Movies like National Theatre Live: I Want My Hat Back (2015)
The best movies like National Theatre Live: I Want My Hat Back (2015) are Blue's Big City Adventure (2022), Better Nate Than Ever (2022) and Peter Pan Goes Wrong (2016). If National Theatre Live: I Want My Hat Back hooked you with its comedy and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedLyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022)7.0/10 from 708 votes
- NewestThe Little Black Fish (2025)Released 2025
Blue's Big City Adventure (2022)
When Josh gets the opportunity of a lifetime to audition for Rainbow Puppy’s Broadway musical, Josh and Blue skidoo to NYC for the very first time where they meet new friends and discover the magic of music, dance, and following one’s dreams.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & music
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBetter Nate Than Ever (2022)
13-year-old Nate Foster has big Broadway dreams but there’s only one problem — he can’t even land a part in the school play. When his parents leave town, Nate and his best friend Libby sneak off to the Big Apple for a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to prove everyone wrong. A chance encounter with Nate’s long-lost Aunt Heidi turns his journey upside-down, and together they must learn that life’s greatest adventures are only as big as your dreams.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both music & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPeter Pan Goes Wrong (2016)
The Olivier Award-winning Mischief Theatre brings Peter Pan Goes Wrong to BBC One. As part of its commitment to community theatre, the BBC has commissioned The Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society, an amateur dramatics group, to recreate the JM Barrie classic as part of their festive programming. But can they pull it off? Narrated by David Suchet and filmed in front of a live audience, watch as Peter Pan flies through the air, Captain Hook and his pirates set adrift in the lagoon, and Tinkerbell is due to light up the stage in a stunning electrical costume... what can possibly go wrong?! With their trademark comic mayhem, expect hilarious stunts, chaos, technical hitches, flying mishaps and cast disputes on the way to Neverland with hilarious and disastrous results.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHalloween Is Grinch Night (1977)
When the sour-sweet wind starts blowing again, the Whos retreat to their homes because they know the Grinch will soon be a'prowlin. Young Eukariah Who has to make a trip to the Euphemism (outhouse), when the wind blows him away to a confrontation with the gruesome Grinch. Eukariah decides that the Grinch must be stopped, so he faces his fears and confronts the Grinch and his spooks.
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 & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisBabes in Toyland (1961)
All roads lead to magical, merry Toyland as Mary Contrary and Tom Piper prepare for their wedding! But villainous Barnaby wants Mary for himself, so he kidnaps Tom, setting off a series of comic chases, searches, and double-crosses! The "March Of The Wooden Soldiers" helps put Barnaby in his place, and ensures a "happily ever after" for Tom and Mary!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisLyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022)
When the Primm family moves to New York City, their young son Josh struggles to adapt to his new school and new friends. All of that changes when he discovers Lyle — a singing crocodile who loves baths, caviar and great music — living in the attic of his new home. But when Lyle’s existence is threatened by evil neighbor Mr. Grumps, the Primms must band together to show the world that family can come from the most unexpected places.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGodspell (1973)
In modern-day New York City, John the Baptist calls out to a group of young men and women to learn from the teachings of Jesus. Through song and dance, they relive Christ's crucifixion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 comedy & family
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 thisUglyDolls (2019)
In the adorably different town of Uglyville, weirdness is celebrated, strangeness is special and beauty is embraced as more than meets the eye. After traveling to the other side of a mountain, Moxy and her UglyDoll friends discover Perfection -- a town where more conventional dolls receive training before entering the real world to find the love of a child.
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 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 thisHow to Eat Fried Worms (2006)
During the first day of his new school year, a fifth grade boy squares off against a bully and winds up accepting a dare that could change the balance of power within the class.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRecess: All Growed Down (2003)
T.J. and The Recess Gang are kidnapped by the Third Street School's kindergartners, who are in turn being bullied by a new kid in their class.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Rutles: All You Need Is Cash (1978)
The story of the rise and fall of the Pre-Fab Four.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & music
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPeter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (2021)
Peter Rabbit runs away from his human family when he learns they are going to portray him in a bad light in their book. Soon, he crosses paths with an older rabbit who ropes him into a heist.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Tigger Movie (2000)
Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, Owl, Kanga, Roo, and Rabbit are preparing a suitable winter home for Eeyore, the perennially dejected donkey, but Tigger's continual bouncing interrupts their efforts. Rabbit suggests that Tigger go find others of his kind to bounce with, but Tigger thinks "the most wonderful thing about tiggers is" he's "the only one!" Just in case though, the joyously jouncy feline sets out to see if he can find relatives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Phantom Tollbooth (1970)
A young boy named Milo unexpectedly receives a magic tollbooth and, out of boredom, drives through it and enters a fantastical, animated kingdom in turmoil following the loss of its princesses, Rhyme and Reason.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDennis the Menace (1993)
Mr. Wilson's ever-present annoyance comes in the form of one mischievous kid named Dennis. But he'll need Dennis's tricks to uncover a collection of gold coins that go missing when a shady drifter named Switchblade Sam comes to town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Adventures of Timmy the Tooth: Malibu Timmy (1995)
Timmy and his friends go to the beach, but there is just one problem: Timmy cannot swim, and neither can Waxie! Timmy then imagines himself as a lifeguard, and his friends are competing in a surfing competition against the notorious cheater Goon Doggy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & comedy
The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth: Lost My Brush (1995)
The Cavity Goon and Miss Sweety plot to capture Brushbrush in order to bait Timmy and hand him over to the Tooth Fairy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & comedy
The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth: The Brush in the Stone (1996)
Timmy gets a case of the itchy polka dots on the day of the Flossmore Valley Fair. It's up to Mr. Wisdom to read Timmy a medieval story about the origins of the childhood disease.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & comedy
The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth: An Eye for a Tooth (1995)
Young Sidney Cyclops wants nothing more than to be the greatest paperboy in the world. Unfortunately, he cannot see. It's up to Timmy, Brushbrush and Bubbles to help Sidney.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & comedy
The Adventures of Timmy the Tooth: Rainy Day Adventure (1995)
During a rainy day, Timmy imagines that he is Captain Good Guy, and Brushbrush is his first mate. They work to save Sunny the Sun from The Cavity Goon and Miss Sweety.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & comedy
Bikini Beach (1964)
A millionaire sets out to prove his theory that his pet chimpanzee is as intelligent as the teenagers who hang out on the local beach, where he is intending to build a retirement home.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & music
The Little Black Fish (2025)
The Little Black Fish tells the tale of a small, inquisitive fish who dares to question the limitations of her world—the stream where generations of fish have lived without exploring beyond. Driven by curiosity and a thirst for truth, she embarks on a brave journey beyond the known waters, encountering various creatures, dangers, and wonders. Her journey becomes a powerful metaphor for resistance, growth, and the importance of independent thought.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & music
The Portrait (2018)
A musical tale about two impoverished sisters' anguish over whether or not to sell the final masterpiece of their recluse father days before the second world war, in Manila.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & music
Octet (TBA)
Eight internet-obsessed people meet in a church basement and lock their phones in a box. They follow the octet as they struggle with digital dependency, charting their compulsions using only the analog vibrancy of their own voices.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
Snow Lotus (2008)
A Tibetan girl, who’d be a bride, could sing the traditional folk song Ganglamedo magically and elegantly. Her name was the same as the name of the song. But she disappeared in the night of her wedding. 60 years later, An Yu, a singer of Han nationality, became hot for singing Ganglamedo. But she lost her voice in a performance and then she disappeared, too. Is Ganglamedo a beautiful curse?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both music
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like National Theatre Live: I Want My Hat Back?
The closest matches to National Theatre Live: I Want My Hat Back are Blue's Big City Adventure (2022), Better Nate Than Ever (2022) and Peter Pan Goes Wrong (2016). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after National Theatre Live: I Want My Hat Back?
Start with Blue's Big City Adventure (2022), the closest match to National Theatre Live: I Want My Hat Back.
What is the highest-rated movie like National Theatre Live: I Want My Hat Back?
Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile (2022), rated 7.0/10 by 708 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like National Theatre Live: I Want My Hat Back?
The Little Black Fish (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like National Theatre Live: I Want My Hat Back?
Yes: Blue's Big City Adventure (2022), Better Nate Than Ever (2022) and Peter Pan Goes Wrong (2016).
How are movies similar to National Theatre Live: I Want My Hat Back chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside National Theatre Live: I Want My Hat Back, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.