Films like Pan's Labyrinth
8 picks with a similar feel
What defines Pan's Labyrinth, going by its Boxlist taste profile: A stirring war film that is weighty, fantastical and sweeping. Best if you like stories that hit hard. Its strongest markers on Boxlist are themes of social commentary, underdogs and mysteries that are not what they seem, plus tags such as hiding, labyrinth and children in wartime.
Here are 8 films with a similar feel, ranked by how closely they match that profile. Treat them as picks to try, not a definitive list.
Based on Pan's Labyrinth (2006).
- 1
Beasts of No Nation (2015)
Film7.6
Why it's like Pan's Labyrinth: Also weighty and emotional, with themes of resilience and survival. Common ground: children in wartime.
- 2
Allied (2016)
Film6.8Faster-paced
Why it's like Pan's Labyrinth: Also weighty and emotional, with themes of underdogs and love against the odds. Common ground: resistance, love.
- 3
The Pianist (2002)
Film8.4
Why it's like Pan's Labyrinth: Also weighty and emotional, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: resistance.
- 4
The Shape of Water (2017)
Film7.3
Why it's like Pan's Labyrinth: Also heightened and weighty, with themes of underdogs and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: magic realism, fairy tale.
- 5
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Film8.2Easier to follow
Why it's like Pan's Labyrinth: Also weighty and emotional, with themes of an all-consuming quest and resilience and survival. Common ground: brutal violence, army.
- 6
Fury (2014)
Film7.5Easier to follow
Why it's like Pan's Labyrinth: Also weighty and emotional, with themes of underdogs and resilience and survival. Common ground: brutal violence.
- 7
Paths of Glory (1957)
Film8.3
Why it's like Pan's Labyrinth: Also weighty and emotional, with themes of resilience and survival. Common ground: army.
- 8
Apocalypse Now (1979)
Film8.3Slower burn
Why it's like Pan's Labyrinth: Also weighty and emotional, with themes of mysteries that are not what they seem and an all-consuming quest. Common ground: army.
Boxlist compares Pan's Labyrinth with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point. Ratings are TMDB audience scores out of 10.
Which of these suit you?
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Take the taste testQuestions
- What should I watch if I like Pan's Labyrinth?
- Picks with a similar feel include Beasts of No Nation, Allied, The Pianist and The Shape of Water. Each shares part of Pan's Labyrinth's taste profile, themes or tags; the full list has 8 films.
- How are these films like Pan's Labyrinth chosen?
- Boxlist compares Pan's Labyrinth with every film in its catalogue on ten taste scores (pace, tone, weight, realism and more), story themes, genres and TMDB keywords, and ranks the closest. Every pick has a TMDB rating of 6.7 or more from at least 1,000 votes, new releases wait until their ratings settle, and only one title per franchise makes the list. It is an approximation of feel, so treat it as a starting point.