Movies like The Imaginary (2023)
The best movies like The Imaginary (2023) are Hilda and the Mountain King (2021), Pokémon the Movie: White - Victini and Zekrom (2011) and Pokémon the Movie: Black - Victini and Reshiram (2011). If The Imaginary hooked you with its animation and adventure, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedHilda and the Mountain King (2021)7.6/10 from 208 votes
- NewestThe Girl from the Other Side (2023)Released 2023
- In JapanesePokémon the Movie: White - Victini and Zekrom (2011)Also in Japanese
Hilda and the Mountain King (2021)
When Hilda wakes up in the body of a troll, she must use her wits and courage to get back home, become human again — and save the city of Trolberg.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPokémon the Movie: White - Victini and Zekrom (2011)
The Kingdom of the People of the Earth once ruled over the land, but now all that remains is the Sword of the Earth. in the city of Eindoak. Satoshi, Iris, and Dent arrive in Eindoak during a harvest festival's Pokémon Tournament and meet the legendary Pokémon Victini who wishes to share its powers of victory to someone. Elsewhere in the city, a descendant of the People of the Earth named Dred Grangil has arrived who seeks to revive the kingdom's power with the Sword of the Earth, bringing them back into power over the land, and Satoshi and his friends must stop him before he destroys the land along with Victini.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPokémon the Movie: Black - Victini and Reshiram (2011)
The Kingdom of the People of the Earth once ruled over the land, but now all that remains is the Sword of the Earth. in the city of Eindoak. Satoshi, Iris, and Dent arrive in Eindoak during a harvest festival's Pokémon Tournament and meet the legendary Pokémon Victini who wishes to share its powers of victory to someone. Elsewhere in the city, a descendant of the People of the Earth named Dred Grangil has arrived who seeks to revive the kingdom's power with the Sword of the Earth, bringing them back into power over the land, and Satoshi and his friends must stop him before he destroys the land along with Victini.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (2015)
Ash, Pikachu, and their friends come to a desert city by the sea. Here they meet the Mythical Pokémon Hoopa, which has the ability to summon things—including people and Pokémon—through its magic rings. After a scary incident, they learn of a story about a brave hero who stopped the rampage of a terrifying Pokémon long ago. Now, the threat that has been bottled up for years is in danger of breaking loose again.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPokémon the Movie: Kyurem vs. the Sword of Justice (2012)
Ash and his two friends Iris and Cilan help a Keldeo battle against a powerful Dragon-type Pokémon named Kyurem its his test to become a Sacred Swordsman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPokémon the Movie: Genesect and the Legend Awakened (2013)
A group of five Genesect have invaded the big city and pose a threat to the supply of electricity, which attracts the attention of the legendary Pokémon Mewtwo. Satoshi, Pikachu and his friends must come to the rescue when the powerful leader, a red Genesect, faces Mewtwo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNapping Princess (2017)
Japan, 2020, a few days before the opening of the Tokyo Olympics. Although she should be studying for her final exams, Kokone, a schoolgirl who lives in a small town with her widowed father, a mysterious and talented mechanic, falls asleep often, anywhere, anytime, entering, over and over, a dream-world where a squad of fantastic motorized contraptions fights against magic, a world close to reality where she will find out the keys of her true past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisModest Heroes (2018)
Two tiny, aquatic humanoids search for their missing father, a boy battles a lethal allergy to eggs, and an invisible salaryman tries to become a hero.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTinker Bell and the Lost Treasure (2009)
A blue harvest moon will rise, allowing the fairies to use a precious moonstone to restore the Pixie Dust Tree, the source of all their magic. But when Tinker Bell accidentally puts all of Pixie Hollow in jeopardy, she must venture out across the sea on a secret quest to set things right.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Little Pony: The Movie (2017)
A new dark force threatens Ponyville, and the Mane 6 – Twilight Sparkle, Applejack, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie, Fluttershy and Rarity – embark on an unforgettable journey beyond Equestria where they meet new friends and exciting challenges on a quest to use the magic of friendship and save their home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPokémon the Movie: Volcanion and the Mechanical Marvel (2016)
Ash meets the Mythical Pokémon Volcanion when it crashes down from the sky, creating a cloud of dust—and a mysterious force binds the two of them together! Volcanion despises humans and tries to get away, but it’s forced to drag Ash along as it continues its rescue mission. They arrive in a city of cogs and gears, where a corrupt official has stolen the ultimate invention: the Artificial Pokémon Magearna, created 500 years ago. He plans to use its mysterious power to take control of this mechanical kingdom! Can Ash and Volcanion work together to rescue Magearna? One of the greatest battles in Pokémon history is about to unfold!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStrange World (2022)
A journey deep into an uncharted and treacherous land, where fantastical creatures await the legendary Clades—a family of explorers whose differences threaten to topple their latest, and by far most crucial, mission.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPoupelle of Chimney Town (2020)
The story is about a young boy named Lubicchi and a trashman named Poupelle who meet on a Halloween night in a city that is full of tall chimneys. The chimneys pour out black smoke and the true sky cannot be seen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLu Over the Wall (2017)
In a small fishing village, a gloomy middle school student named Kai meets a mermaid named Lu.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBrave Story (2006)
Jr. High School Student Wataru and his friends like playing in an abandond building and looking for ghosts. However it seems he is not the only one. Another mysterious student Mitsuru shows Wataru that there is a magical door to another world where one can go and get the Goddess of Fortune to grant one wish! When tragedy strikes Wataru's family he decides to open the door for himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCrayon Shinchan the Movie: Dangerous Honeymoon -The Lost Daddy- (2019)
Hiroshi and Misae have never been to a honeymoon trip to a foreign country. One day, Misae discovered an inexpensive and family-friendly holiday package to Australia and the Nohara family decided to make it their first honeymoon vacation. Hiroshi gets kidnapped upon arrival to Australia, leaving Shinnosuke, Misae and others on a dangerous journey. It turns out that Hiroshi is the key to a secret treasure. The remaining members of the Nohara Family must rescue Hiroshi, while a mysterious masked man and treasure hunters from all over the world are after him. The struggle is among three different groups in this action-filled treasure hunting adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Girl from the Other Side (2023)
Once upon a time, in a far, faraway place, there were two lands. The world was divided into an inner land and an outer land. People feared the outer land, inhabited by eerie beings, the carriers of curse. One day, on the border to the inner land inhabited by humans, one such being finds a girl on heaps of abandoned dead bodies. The girl says her name is Shiva and shows affection to the "being" who found her, calling him "Teacher." This is a story of two people—one human, one inhuman—who linger in the hazy twilight that separates night from day.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMai Mai Miracle (2009)
Inspired by her grandfather's stories, young Shinko embarks on wild flights of fancy about the history of the little town she lives in. But dreams can't fend off the realities of growing up.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbie Presents: Thumbelina (2009)
Meet a tiny girl named Thumbelina who lives in harmony with nature in the magical world of the Twillerbees that's hidden among the wildflowers. At the whim of a spoiled young girl named Makena, Thumbelina and her two friends have their patch of wildflowers uprooted and are transported to a lavish apartment in the city.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPuella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part I: Beginnings (2012)
Madoka Kaname, an ordinary middle-schooler, along with her best friend Sayaka Miki, are offered the chance to have any wish they want granted by the mysterious Kyubey, and become magical girls and fight witches. However, fellow magical girl Homura Akemi seems intent on stopping Madoka from becoming a magical girl at any cost. Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie Part I: Beginnings is a retelling of the first half of the TV anime series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDoraemon: Nobita's Great Adventure in the Antarctic Kachi Kochi (2017)
Doraemon and Nobita discover a mysterious golden ring far beneath the ice in Antarctica, leading them to uncover an ancient, ruined city.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & adventure
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPokémon: The First Movie (1998)
Determined to prove its superiority, a bio-engineered Pokémon called Mewtwo lures Ash, Pikachu and others into a Pokémon match like none before.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCurious George (2006)
When The Man in the Yellow Hat befriends Curious George in the jungle, they set off on a non-stop, fun-filled journey through the wonders of the big city toward the warmth of true friendship.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRevolutionary Girl Utena: The Movie (1999)
In a loose retelling of the Revolutionary Girl Utena TV series, Utena Tenjou arrives at Ohtori Academy, only to be immediately swept up in a series of duels for the hand of her classmate Anthy Himemiya and the power she supposedly holds. At the same time, Utena reunites with Touga Kiryuu, a friend from her childhood who seems to know the secrets behind the duels. Utena must discover those secrets for herself, before the power that rules Ohtori claims her and her friends, new and old.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOne Piece: The Movie (2000)
There once was a pirate known as the Great Gold Pirate Woonan, who obtained almost one-third of the world's gold. Over the course of a few years, the pirate's existence faded, and a legend grew that he disappeared with his gold to a remote island, an island pirates continue to search for. Aboard the Going Merry, Luffy and his crew, starved and reckless, are robbed of their treasure. In an attempt to get it back, they wreck the getaway ship, guided by a young boy named Tobio, who's a captured part of El Drago's pirate crew. El Drago's love for gold has driven him to look for Woonan's island, and thanks to Woonan's treasure map, he finds it. During this time, Luffy's crew have been split up, and despite their own circumstances, they must find a way to stop El Drago from obtaining Woonan's gold.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & adventure
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStormy Night (2005)
After hiding together in an abandoned barn one stormy night, wolf Gabu and goat Mei pledge to be secret friends, despite being natural enemies. They must overcome hardship and persecution in hopes of finding another forest where they can be together in peace.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDigimon: The Movie (2000)
When a powerful new Internet Digimon hatches and begins to consume data at an alarming rate, the Digidestined - kids chosen to save the digital world - must put an end to the destruction before the damage becomes irreversible and worldwide communication halts forever. As computer-based missiles are launched, and a wayward Digimon kidnaps the Digidestined, only the combined efforts of a worldwide network of kids and a new group of "Digidestined" can rescue the others and stop global disaster.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnimal Crossing: The Movie (2006)
Ai, a self-reliant girl who moves to Animal Village and works at Nook's Cranny, gradually becomes part of the community with guidance from its residents and embarks on a quest to plant pine trees for a Winter Festival miracle after finding a message in a bottle.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Witches (1990)
While staying at a hotel in England with his grandmother, Helga, a young boy named Luke inadvertently spies on a convention of witches. The Grand High Witch reveals a plan to turn all children into mice via a magical formula. When they discover the eavesdropper, the witches test the formula on him. Now, with the help of Helga and hotel manager Mr Stringer, Luke the mouse must fight back against the witches.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCharlotte's Web (2006)
Wilbur the pig is scared of the end of the season, because he knows that come that time, he will end up on the dinner table. He hatches a plan with Charlotte, a spider that lives in his pen, to ensure that this will never happen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Imaginary?
The closest matches to The Imaginary are Hilda and the Mountain King (2021), Pokémon the Movie: White - Victini and Zekrom (2011) and Pokémon the Movie: Black - Victini and Reshiram (2011). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Imaginary?
Start with Hilda and the Mountain King (2021), the closest match to The Imaginary.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Imaginary?
Hilda and the Mountain King (2021), rated 7.6/10 by 208 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Imaginary?
The Girl from the Other Side (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like The Imaginary?
Yes: Pokémon the Movie: White - Victini and Zekrom (2011), Pokémon the Movie: Black - Victini and Reshiram (2011) and Pokémon the Movie: Hoopa and the Clash of Ages (2015).
How are movies similar to The Imaginary chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Imaginary, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.