Movies like Primer (1978)
The best movies like Primer (1978) are Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons - The Movie (2020), Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters (2011) and Arctic Dogs (2019). If Primer hooked you with its animation, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedInception: The Cobol Job (2010)7.2/10 from 322 votes
- NewestPlankton: The Movie (2025)Released 2025
Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons - The Movie (2020)
The assassin Deathstroke tries to save his family from the wrath of H.I.V.E. and the murderous Jackal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters (2011)
Po and the Furious Five uncover the legend of three of kung fu's greatest heroes: Master Thundering Rhino, Master Storming Ox, and Master Croc.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisArctic Dogs (2019)
Animals band together to save the day when the evil Otto Von Walrus hatches a sinister scheme to accelerate global warming and melt the Arctic Circle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
SnoozefestMovies like thisDaredevil vs. Spider-Man (2003)
Spider-Man is transported to an alien world by the Beyonder. He must lead a force of Earth's greatest heroes against their greatest foes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBatman vs. Two-Face (2017)
Former Gotham City District Attorney Harvey Dent, one side of his face scarred by acid, goes on a crime spree based on the number '2'. All of his actions are decided by the flip of a defaced, two-headed silver dollar.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInception: The Cobol Job (2010)
Cobb, Arthur and Nash are enlisted by Cobol Engineering.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe House (2022)
Across different eras, a poor family, an anxious developer and a fed-up landlady become tied to the same mysterious house in this animated dark comedy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPhineas and Ferb the Movie: Candace Against the Universe (2020)
Phineas and Ferb travel across the galaxy to rescue their older sister Candace, who has been abducted by aliens and taken to a utopia in a far-off planet, free of her pesky little brothers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJustice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part One (2023)
Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Cyborg, Green Lantern and Vixen are transported to the strange world of Remnant and find themselves turned into teenagers. Meanwhile, Remnant heroes Ruby, Weiss, Blake and Yang must combine forces with the Justice League to uncover why their planet has been mysteriously altered before a superpowered Grimm destroys everything.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJustice League x RWBY: Super Heroes & Huntsmen, Part Two (2023)
On the heels of successfully escaping a deadly digital trap, the members of the Justice League emerge in their own world to discover that Grimm, ravenous creatures from Remnant, have overtaken Earth! In order to defeat the monsters, they must call on their new friends – Team RWBY – for help!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHellboy Animated: Blood and Iron (2007)
When Hellboy, Liz Sherman, and Abe Sapien are assigned to investigate the ghost-infested mansion of a publicity-hound billionaire, they uncover a plot to resurrect a beautiful yet monstrous vampire from Professor Bruttenholm’s past. But before they can stop her bloodbath, Hellboy will have to battle harpies, hellhounds, a giant werewolf, and even the ferocious goddess Hecate herself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhere Is Anne Frank (2021)
The film follows the journey of Kitty, the imaginary friend to whom Anne Frank dedicated her diary. A fiery teenager, Kitty wakes up in the near future in Anne Frank's house in Amsterdam and embarks on a journey to find Anne, who she believes is still alive, in today's Europe. While the young girl is shocked by the modern world, she also comes across Anne's legacy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTango (1985)
A static camera observes a room as it slowly fills with thirty-six characters from different stages of life, looping further through an absurd dance of social disconnection as each character moves in.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFinal Flight of the Osiris (2003)
Immediately before the events of The Matrix Reloaded, the crew of the hovercraft Osiris discovers a quarter of a million sentinels drilling through the surface of the earth towards the last human city of Zion. But can the Osiris survive long enough to warn Zion?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBatman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants (2016)
Mr. Freeze turns Killer Croc and Bane into super-sized monsters, and they bash their way through downtown Gotham until the Caped Crusader and his team of heroes join the fight in their giant robot mechs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPlankton: The Movie (2025)
Plankton's tangled love story with his sentient computer wife goes sideways when she takes a stand — and decides to destroy the world without him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Congress (2013)
An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJimmy Timmy Power Hour 2: When Nerds Collide (2006)
Cartoon worlds collide in this hourlong adventure starring whiz kid Jimmy Neutron and Timmy Turner from "The Fairly OddParents." When the boys duel over Cindy Vortex, it draws the attention of Jimmy's archenemy, Prof. Calamitous, who teams with Wanda and Cosmo, forcing Jimmy and Timmy to work together to save the world from the all-powerful villain.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Tidal Zone: SpongeBob Universe Special (2023)
GrandPat travels through alternate dimensions and timelines to get home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Peasants (2023)
Peasant girl Jagna is forced to marry the much older, wealthy farmer Boryna, despite her love for his son Antek. With time, Jagna becomes the object of envy and disdain with the villagers and she must fight to preserve her independence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Primer?
The closest matches to Primer are Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons - The Movie (2020), Kung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters (2011) and Arctic Dogs (2019). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Primer?
Start with Deathstroke: Knights & Dragons - The Movie (2020), the closest match to Primer.
What is the highest-rated movie like Primer?
Inception: The Cobol Job (2010), rated 7.2/10 by 322 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Primer?
Plankton: The Movie (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to Primer chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Primer, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.