Movies like 22 Light-Years (2020)
The best movies like 22 Light-Years (2020) are Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus (2019), Monster High: Welcome to Monster High (2016) and Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 6 (2016). If 22 Light-Years hooked you with its animation, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMonster High: Why Do Ghouls Fall in Love? (2012)8.0/10 from 208 votes
- NewestYellow Mirror (2026)Released 2026
Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus (2019)
ZIM discovers his almighty leaders never had any intention of coming to Earth and he loses confidence in himself for the first time in his life, which is the big break his human nemesis, Dib has been waiting for.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMonster High: Welcome to Monster High (2016)
Monsters once lived in hiding—even from each other—because they were afraid they would be in danger if humans knew they existed. But Draculaura, the daughter of Dracula, along with her best ghoulfriends, dreamt of a school where everyone was welcome and accepted for who they are. Determined to make their dream come true, the ghouls travel the world on an epic adventure to recruit new students. But even in this amazing place, there's drama: a villainess zombie is spreading trouble rather than friendship, and every student must live with the fear that their secret will be revealed. Now the ghouls must save their school so that every monster has a place where they belong and their uniqueness is celebrated!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon't Hug Me I'm Scared 6 (2016)
All alone, Yellow Guy tries to stop a lamp from teaching him about dreams. While Red Guy finds out the truth about the puppets' existence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies 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 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 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDog Star Man (1965)
Described as a "cosmological epic" and "creation myth", Dog Star Man illustrates the odyssey of a bearded woodsman climbing through a snow-covered mountain with his dog to chop down a tree. While doing so, he witnesses various mystical visions with various recurring imagery such as a woman, child, nature, and the cosmos while making his ascent.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPhineas and Ferb: Star Wars (2014)
Phineas and Ferb become the galaxy's unlikeliest last hope when they must return the Death Star plans to the Rebel Alliance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisWho Are You, Charlie Brown? (2021)
Lupita Nyong'o narrates a documentary about Peanuts and its creator, Charles M. Schulz. Famous fans—including Drew Barrymore, Kevin Smith, and Al Roker—share its influence on them, and a new animated story finds Charlie Brown on a quest.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Grandmother (1970)
To escape neglect and abuse from his parents, a young boy plants some strange seeds and they grow into a grandmother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDexter's Laboratory (1995)
Dexter and Dee Dee wreck havok using Dexter's latest invention: a hand-held device that turns people into various animals. The short film that inspired the TV-series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisWhen the Day Breaks (1999)
A rooster has his last biscuit for breakfast and goes grocery shopping. A pig prepares her breakfast (potato peelings, with the potatoes thrown in the trash) and discovers she needs more milk. Their paths cross, a lemon falls into the sewer, and both lives are changed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMonster High: Friday Night Frights (2012)
After Monster High’s roller skating team is defeated at the Skulltimate Roller Maze tournament, the ghouls team up to face an all-boys league, with the hope of winning back the school crest and restoring school spirit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDeathstroke: 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 thisMonster High: Why Do Ghouls Fall in Love? (2012)
Draculaura’s Sweet 1600th birthday is an extra special occasion to party at Monster High! But her high expectations lead to deadly results when she’s faced with the choice between practical boyfriend Clawd, and new vampire heartthrob, Valentine, a romantic blast from her past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisCranston Academy: Monster Zone (2020)
An intelligent 15-year-old high school student is unexpectedly transferred to a boarding school where he opens a portal of monsters from another dimension.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBig City Greens the Movie: Spacecation (2024)
When thrill-seeker Cricket tricks his family into taking a "road trip" in space, chaos in the cosmos quickly ensues. Despite growing frustrations between Cricket and his dad, Bill, the two must learn to appreciate each other's unique perspectives in order to prevent Big City from being destroyed by an interstellar disaster.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisYellow Mirror (2026)
A defective lamp reveals a heartbreaking truth about what Homer believes is reality, and an AI-powered tablet befriends and controls Maggie. The Simpsons struggle to find the light through two dark tales of the curious and bizarre.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisChristopher Walken's Coffee Shop (2016)
Christopher Walken has branched out from his very successful acting career to pursue his true passion, creating artisanal coffee beverages and pastries, but be warned his concoctions have more than just meets the eye.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Kieselchen (1979)
A pretty mouse, gray as a pebble, comes into money, builds herself a cabbage house and looks around for a man. As she likes to sing herself, she wants him to have a nice voice. She doesn't like sheep, frog and rooster, so she gives her favor to a tomcat. One day, when he gets to lick her blood, his appetite overcomes him. She manages to escape - and they have lived in enmity ever since.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
About Dressy Sally (1976)
Sally, a dressy little girl, receives a lesson from a sorcerer about lying and happiness.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Agua Viva (2018)
A Chinese manicurist in Miami attempts to describe feelings she doesn't have the words for.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Robot Carnival (1987)
An anthology of various tales told in various styles with robots being the one common element among them.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon't Hug Me I'm Scared 3 (2014)
During a chicken picnic, Yellow Guy gets upset after Green Bird kills a butterfly. Yellow Guy then meets a butterfly that takes him on a journey to discover his concept of love.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRad Plaid (2010)
A series of chromatic intersections. Audience members form teams who respond to vertical lines by shouting "plaid" and to horizontal lines by shouting "rad". This approximation of the sound was recorded at the Anthology Film Archives in February, 2011.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
The Bremen Town Musicians (1969)
The adventures of the wandering musicians from Bremen such as Troubadour, Donkey, Dog, Cat and Rooster. In one of the towns Troubadour falls in love with a Princess and makes up a plan how to get the King's confidence.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAgnes Escapes from the Nursing Home (1989)
A hauntingly beautiful film, the poetic reflections of a disturbed mind.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Chaos (2000)
Hand-drawn animation exploring the subjectivity of perception, chaos theory, and the universe.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like 22 Light-Years?
The closest matches to 22 Light-Years are Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus (2019), Monster High: Welcome to Monster High (2016) and Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 6 (2016). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after 22 Light-Years?
Start with Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus (2019), the closest match to 22 Light-Years.
What is the highest-rated movie like 22 Light-Years?
Monster High: Why Do Ghouls Fall in Love? (2012), rated 8.0/10 by 208 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like 22 Light-Years?
Yellow Mirror (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like 22 Light-Years?
Yes: Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus (2019), Monster High: Welcome to Monster High (2016) and Don't Hug Me I'm Scared 6 (2016).
How are movies similar to 22 Light-Years chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside 22 Light-Years, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.