Movies like I'll Return as the Rain (1986)
The best movies like I'll Return as the Rain (1986) are Frozen (2013), Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979) and Once Upon a Snowman (2020). If I'll Return as the Rain hooked you with its animation and fantasy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMemoir of a Snail (2024)8.1/10 from 859 votes
- NewestFrozen: The Hit Broadway Musical (2025)Released 2025
Frozen (2013)
Young princess Anna of Arendelle dreams about finding true love at her sister Elsa’s coronation. Fate takes her on a dangerous journey in an attempt to end the eternal winter that has fallen over the kingdom. She's accompanied by ice delivery man Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and snowman Olaf. On an adventure where she will find out what friendship, courage, family, and true love really means.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979)
Winterbolt is trying to make the North Pole his evil wonderland, and it is up to Frosty the Snowman, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and others to stop him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOnce Upon a Snowman (2020)
The previously untold origins of Olaf, the innocent and insightful, summer-loving snowman are revealed as we follow Olaf’s first steps as he comes to life and searches for his identity in the snowy mountains outside Arendelle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Book of Life (2014)
The journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOlaf's Frozen Adventure (2017)
Olaf is on a mission to harness the best holiday traditions for Anna, Elsa, and Kristoff.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThat Christmas (2024)
It's an unforgettable Christmas for the townsfolk of Wellington-on-Sea when the worst snowstorm in history alters everyone's plans — including Santa's.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLegends of Oz: Dorothy's Return (2014)
Dorothy wakes in post-tornado Kansas, only to be whisked back to Oz to try to save her old friends, the Scarecrow, the Lion, the Tin Man, and Glinda, from a devious new villain, the Jester. New comrades Wiser the Owl, Marshal Mallow, China Princess, and Tugg the Tugboat join Dorothy on her latest magical journey through the colorful landscape of Oz to restore order and happiness to Emerald City.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShrek's Yule Log (2010)
Inside the Shrek home, a fire blazes in the fireplace during a Christmas party. Christmas music plays in the background as Shrek, his family, and his friends, come and go while tending the fire and engaging in various Christmas activities.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Snowman (1982)
A young boy makes a snowman one Christmas Eve, which comes to life at midnight and takes him on a magical adventure to the North Pole to meet Santa Claus.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSing: Thriller (2024)
Buster Moon dreams up a star-studded spectacle set to Michael Jackson's "Thriller" in this animated short featuring characters from the hit "Sing" films.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFrozen II (2019)
Elsa, Anna, Kristoff and Olaf head far into the forest to learn the truth about an ancient mystery of their kingdom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation & fantasy
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 & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJack Frost (1998)
A father who can't keep his promises dies in a car accident. One year later, he returns as a snowman, who has one final chance to put things right with his son before he is gone forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFrozen: The Hit Broadway Musical (2025)
Young princess Anna of Arendelle dreams about finding true love at her sister Elsa’s coronation. Fate takes her on a dangerous journey in an attempt to end the eternal winter that has fallen over the kingdom. She's accompanied by ice delivery man Kristoff, his reindeer Sven, and snowman Olaf. On an adventure where she will find out what friendship, courage, family, and true love really means.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies 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 animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFrosty the Snowman (1969)
A discarded silk top-hat becomes the focus of a struggle between a washed-up stage magician and a group of schoolchildren, after it magically brings a snowman to life. Realizing that newly-living Frosty will melt in spring unless he takes refuge in a colder climate, the magic snowman and Karen, a young girl whom he befriends, stow away on a freight train headed for the North Pole. Little do they know that the magician is following them, and he wants his hat back!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKnick Knack (1989)
Life on a shelf as a snowman trapped in a snow-globe blizzard can become wearing, especially when you're surrounded by knickknacks from sunnier locales. When the jaded snowman finally breaks free of his glass house, his vacation plans are cut short.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMemoir of a Snail (2024)
Forcibly separated from her twin brother when they are orphaned, a melancholic misfit learns how to find confidence within herself amid the clutter of misfortunes and everyday life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisFrosty's Winter Wonderland (1976)
Years have passed since Frosty left for the North Pole, but his promise is kept when he hears news of the first snowfall of the season, and decides to return.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHappy Feet Two (2011)
Mumble the penguin has a problem: his son Erik, who is reluctant to dance, encounters the Mighty Sven — a penguin who can fly! Things get worse for Mumble when the world is shaken by powerful forces, causing him to bring together the penguin nations and their allies to set things right.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Great Easter Egg Hunt (2000)
See Whiskers and his toy friends Harley, Celeste, Sabre, Trogg and VCR come alive as they search for the real Easter Bunny and his legendary Magic Egg, that can help their sick owner Peter, get well in time for Easter.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & fantasy
Corpse Bride (2005)
In a 19th-century European village, a young man about to be married is whisked away to the underworld and wed to a mysterious corpse bride, while his real bride waits bereft in the land of the living.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBeauty and the Beast (1991)
Follow the adventures of Belle, a bright young woman who finds herself in the castle of a prince who's been turned into a mysterious beast. With the help of the castle's enchanted staff, Belle soon learns the most important lesson of all -- that true beauty comes from within.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation & fantasy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSailor Moon - Beginning of the New Legend (1998)
Beginning of the New Legend (Shin Densetsu Kourin) was the first musical to star Fumina Hara as Sailor Moon.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Sailor Moon - Legend of Kaguya Island (1999)
Legend of Kaguya Island (Kaguya Shima Densetsu) was the second musical starring Fumina Hara as Sailor Moon and the first musical with an original plot.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Sailor Moon - Decisive Battle / Transylvania's Forest ~ New Appearance! The Warriors Who Protect Chibi Moon ~ (2000)
Sailor Moon - Decisive Battle / Transylvania's Forest (Kessen / Transylvania no Mori) was the second installment of the Dracul Musical Arc.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Sailor Moon - Birth! Princess of Darkness Black Lady (Revision) - The Secret of the Planet Nemesis (2002)
Princess of Darkness Black Lady (Revision) was the revision to the previous Black Lady musical, featuring some plot and character changes from the original.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Sailor Moon - Infinity Academy - Mistress Labyrinth (Revision) (2003)
The revision of the previous musical, Infinity Academy, with plot and cast changes.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Sailor Moon - The Advent of Princess Kakyuu - The Second Stage Final (2004)
The Advent of Princess Kakyuu (Kakyuu-Ouhi Kourin) was the revision of the previous musical, but it also followed the Sailor Stars arc of the manga.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
Sailor Moon - New Legend of Kaguya Island (2004)
New Legend of Kaguya Island was a remake and revision of the musical Legend of Kaguya Island.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like I'll Return as the Rain?
The closest matches to I'll Return as the Rain are Frozen (2013), Rudolph and Frosty's Christmas in July (1979) and Once Upon a Snowman (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after I'll Return as the Rain?
Start with Frozen (2013), the closest match to I'll Return as the Rain.
What is the highest-rated movie like I'll Return as the Rain?
Memoir of a Snail (2024), rated 8.1/10 by 859 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like I'll Return as the Rain?
Frozen: The Hit Broadway Musical (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to I'll Return as the Rain chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside I'll Return as the Rain, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.