Films like Rise of the Planet of the Apes
14 picks with a similar feel
What defines Rise of the Planet of the Apes, going by its Boxlist taste profile: Expect an otherworldly, wide-ranging sci-fi film, fresh rather than familiar. Best if you like spectacle over intimacy. Its strongest markers on Boxlist are themes of social commentary, underdogs and mysteries that are not what they seem, plus tags such as cage, medical research and alzheimer's disease.
Here are 14 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 Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011).
- 1
Serenity (2005)
Film7.4Heavier option
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened and inventive, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: dystopia.
- 2
Chaos Walking (2021)
Film6.9Lighter option
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary. Common ground: dystopia.
- 3
The Book of Eli (2010)
Film6.8Easier to follow
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: dystopia.
- 4
World War Z (2013)
Film6.8
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened and inventive, with themes of social commentary and resilience and survival. Common ground: dystopia.
- 5
Starship Troopers (1997)
Film6.9
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary and mysteries that are not what they seem. Common ground: intelligence, dystopia.
- 6
Alita: Battle Angel (2019)
Film7.2
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened and inventive, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: dystopia.
- 7
Jurassic World (2015)
Film6.7Easier to follow
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of underdogs and an all-consuming quest.
- 8
I Am Legend (2007)
Film7.2Easier to follow
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: dystopia.
- 9
Children of Men (2006)
Film7.6Heavier option
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: dystopia.
- 10
The Island (2005)
Film6.7
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: dystopia.
- 11
Film7.1Easier to follow
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of underdogs and resilience and survival. Common ground: monkey.
- 12
Film7.2
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: dystopia.
- 13
The Mist (2007)
Film6.8Heavier option
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary and underdogs.
- 14
Equilibrium (2002)
Film7.0
Why it's like Rise of the Planet of the Apes: Also heightened and sweeping, with themes of social commentary and underdogs. Common ground: dystopia.
Boxlist compares Rise of the Planet of the Apes 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?
Take the taste test and every pick shows how well it matches you.
Take the taste testQuestions
- What should I watch if I like Rise of the Planet of the Apes?
- Picks with a similar feel include Serenity, Chaos Walking, The Book of Eli and World War Z. Each shares part of Rise of the Planet of the Apes's taste profile, themes or tags; the full list has 14 films.
- How are these films like Rise of the Planet of the Apes chosen?
- Boxlist compares Rise of the Planet of the Apes 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.
- Is there a lighter film like Rise of the Planet of the Apes?
- Chaos Walking has a similar feel but scores lighter on Boxlist's weightiness scale.