Skip to content

Movies like Tarka the Otter (1979)

The best movies like Tarka the Otter (1979) are The Fox and the Hound (1981), A Dog's Purpose (2017) and The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022). If Tarka the Otter hooked you with its family and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. The Fox and the Hound (1981)

    When a feisty little fox named Tod is adopted into a farm family, he quickly becomes friends with a fun and adorable hound puppy named Copper. Life is full of hilarious adventures until Copper is expected to take on his role as a hunting dog -- and the object of his search is his best friend!

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

    Worth the HypeMovies 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 & family

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  3. The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022)

    The unlikely friendship of a boy, a mole, a fox and a horse traveling together in the boy's search for home.

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

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  4. The Jungle Book (1994)

    Raised by wild animals since childhood, Mowgli is drawn away from the jungle by the beautiful Kitty. But Mowgli must eventually face corrupt Capt. Boone, who wants both Kitty's hand and the treasures of Monkey City – a place only Mowgli can find.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. Black Beauty (1994)

    The fates of horses, and the people who own and command them, are revealed as Black Beauty narrates the circle of his life.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  6. Watership Down (1978)

    When the warren belonging to a community of rabbits is threatened, a brave group led by Fiver, Bigwig, Blackberry and Hazel leave their homeland in a search of a safe new haven.

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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  7. Flicka (2006)

    Katy McLaughlin desires to work on her family's mountainside horse ranch, although her father insists she finish boarding school. Katy finds a mustang in the hills near her ranch. The headstrong 16 year old then sets her mind to tame a mustang and prove to her father she can run the ranch. But when tragedy happens, it will take all the love and strength the family can muster to restore hope.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. Tom Sawyer (2000)

    Tom Sawyer and his best buddy Huck Finn love going fishing, daydreaming about pirates and stolen gold, and thinking about Becky Thatcher - the pretty new girl at school. But when these pals set out on a quest for buried treasure, they end up face to face with the town's most "grizzly" bear, Injurin' Joe. Giving Joe the slip, they find themselves in the middle of a fantastic adventure that takes them from the mighty Mississippi to the mysterious caverns of a secret hideout where they discover fun, excitement... and a fortune beyond their wildest dreams!

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. Once Upon a Forest (1993)

    A young mouse, mole and hedgehog risk their lives to find a cure for their badger friend, who's been poisoned by men.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. The Secret Garden (2020)

    Mary Lennox is born in India to wealthy British parents who never wanted her. When her parents suddenly die, she is sent back to England to live with her uncle. She meets her sickly cousin, and the two children find a wondrous secret garden lost in the grounds of Misselthwaite Manor.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. The Indian in the Cupboard (1995)

    A nine-year-old boy gets a plastic Indian and a cupboard for his birthday and finds himself involved in adventure when the Indian comes to life and befriends him.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. Iron Will (1994)

    When Will Stoneman's father dies, he is left alone to take care of his mother and their land. Needing money to maintain it, he decides to join a cross country dogsled race. This race will require days of racing for long hours, through harsh weather and terrain. This young man will need a lot of courage and a strong will to complete this race.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Pinocchio (2022)

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

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. The Jungle Book (1967)

    The boy Mowgli makes his way to the man-village with Bagheera, the wise panther. Along the way he meets jazzy King Louie, the hypnotic snake Kaa and the lovable, happy-go-lucky bear Baloo, who teaches Mowgli "The Bare Necessities" of life and the true meaning of friendship.

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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  15. PAW Patrol: Ready, Race, Rescue! (2019)

    It’s the Adventure Bay 500! The pups have built an awesome race track and are ready to be the pit crew for their race hero, The Whoosh! But when the legendary racer is unable to drive in the championship race, he calls on his biggest fan-pup Marshall to take the wheel and race in his place! Marshall has to overcome his lack of confidence and his dastardly competition, The Cheetah, to fulfill his dream of becoming the fastest race-pup ever!

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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. Pete's Dragon (2016)

    For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace, who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales... until she meets Pete, a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliott. And from Pete's descriptions, Elliott seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham's stories. With the help of Natalie, an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  17. 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 family & adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. The Jungle Book (2016)

    After a threat from the tiger Shere Khan, Mowgli, a man-cub fostered by wolves, is forced to flee the jungle, and he embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the help of the panther, Bagheera, and the free-spirited bear, Baloo.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  19. Balto III: Wings of Change (2004)

    Balto and the other sled dogs are feeling dejected because the mail that used to be delivered by dogsled is now being delivered by airplanes. But when a mail plane crashes in the mountains, the dogs come to the rescue.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  20. The Incredible Journey (1963)

    The story of three pets, a cat and two dogs, who lose their owners when they are all on vacation. Can they find their way home?

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. Two Brothers (2004)

    Two tigers are separated as cubs and taken into captivity, only to be reunited years later as enemies by an explorer (Pearce) who inadvertently forces them to fight each other.

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

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  22. The Beach (2000)

    Twenty-something Richard travels to Thailand and finds himself in possession of a strange map. Rumours state that it leads to a solitary beach paradise, a tropical bliss - excited and intrigued, he sets out to find it.

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

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  23. Pikku Pietarin piha (1961)

    A little orphan boy is the focus of attention, as well as his stepmother whose special qualities engender a certain mystery around her person – and hint at magical powers.

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

  24. Eyes Wide Shut (1999)

    After Dr. Bill Harford's wife, Alice, admits to having sexual fantasies about a man she met, Bill becomes obsessed with having a sexual encounter. He discovers an underground sexual group and attends one of their meetings -- and quickly discovers that he is in over his head.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  25. Shaft (2000)

    New York police detective John Shaft arrests Walter Wade Jr. for a racially motivated slaying. But the only eyewitness disappears, and Wade jumps bail for Switzerland. Two years later Wade returns to face trial, confident his money and influence will get him acquitted -- especially since he's paid a drug kingpin to kill the witness.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  26. The Green Mile (1999)

    A supernatural tale set on death row in a Southern prison, where gentle giant John Coffey possesses the mysterious power to heal people's ailments. When the cell block's head guard, Paul Edgecomb, recognizes Coffey's miraculous gift, he tries desperately to help stave off the condemned man's execution.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  27. Mary Poppins (1964)

    In turn of the century London, a magical nanny employs music and adventure to help two neglected children become closer to their father.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  28. A Beautiful Mind (2001)

    From the heights of notoriety to the depths of depravity, John Forbes Nash Jr. experiences it all. As a brilliant but socially awkward mathematician, he made a groundbreaking discovery early in his career and stands on the brink of international acclaim. But as the handsome and arrogant Nash accepts secret work in cryptography, he becomes entangled in a mysterious conspiracy. His life takes a nightmarish turn and he soon finds himself on a painful and harrowing journey of self-discovery.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  29. Casino (1995)

    In Las Vegas, two best friends-a casino executive and a Mafia enforcer--compete for a gambling empire and a fast-living, fast-loving socialite.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  30. Life and Death in Flanders (1963)

    A drama consisting of two parts: In 't Water and De Boer Die Sterft. The first part tells the story of Jan Boele, who is forced to marry Tale Siepers, a girl who is pregnant with his child. However, Jan is in love with Poezeke, the daughter of a wealthy farmer, and dreads his marriage. On their wedding day, he refuses to get up when the bride arrives, leading to a tragic ending. The second part follows Nand, a Flemish farmer who, on his deathbed, looks back on his life, which consisted mainly of working and eating according to the rhythm of the seasons. He remembers his childhood, his wife Wanne, and his mother, and realizes that his life was not as empty as he thought.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

Like Tarka the Otter and something else?

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

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Tarka the Otter?

The closest matches to Tarka the Otter are The Fox and the Hound (1981), A Dog's Purpose (2017) and The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Tarka the Otter?

Start with The Fox and the Hound (1981), the closest match to Tarka the Otter.

What is the highest-rated movie like Tarka the Otter?

The Green Mile (1999), rated 8.5/10 by 20,129 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Tarka the Otter?

The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Tarka the Otter?

Yes: The Fox and the Hound (1981), A Dog's Purpose (2017) and The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse (2022).

How are movies similar to Tarka the Otter chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Tarka the Otter, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

↑ ↓ to move · Enter to open · Full search page