Films like Up
15 picks with a similar feel
What defines Up, going by its Boxlist taste profile: Good-natured and wide-ranging: a breezy animated family film, fast rather than slow-burning. Best if you like spectacle over intimacy. Its strongest markers on Boxlist are themes of unlikely connections, love against the odds and an all-consuming quest, plus tags such as balloon, central and south america and age difference.
Here are 15 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 Up (2009).
- 1
Trolls World Tour (2020)
Film7.5Darker
Why it's like Up: Also heightened and glossy, with themes of unlikely connections and an all-consuming quest.
- 2
The Secret Life of Pets 2 (2019)
Film7.0
Why it's like Up: Also warm-hearted and light, with themes of unlikely connections.
- 3
Madagascar (2005)
Film6.9
Why it's like Up: Also warm-hearted and light, with themes of unlikely connections.
- 4
- 5
- 6
Ferdinand (2017)
Film7.2
Why it's like Up: Also warm-hearted and light, with themes of unlikely connections.
- 7
The Goonies (1985)
Film7.5
Why it's like Up: Also warm-hearted and light, with themes of unlikely connections.
- 8
Paddington 2 (2017)
Film7.5
Why it's like Up: Also warm-hearted and light, with themes of an all-consuming quest.
- 9
Cars 3 (2017)
Film6.9
Why it's like Up: Also warm-hearted and sweeping, with themes of an all-consuming quest. Common ground: travel.
- 10
Klaus (2019)
Film8.3
Why it's like Up: Also warm-hearted and light, with themes of unlikely connections.
- 11
Zootopia 2 (2025)
Film7.6More intricate
Why it's like Up: Also warm-hearted and light, with themes of unlikely connections.
- 12
Shaun the Sheep Movie (2015)
Film7.0
Why it's like Up: Also warm-hearted and light, with themes of unlikely connections. Common ground: dog.
- 13
Oliver & Company (1988)
Film6.7
Why it's like Up: Also warm-hearted and light, with themes of an all-consuming quest. Common ground: dog.
- 14
Scoob! (2020)
Film7.3
Why it's like Up: Also heightened and warm-hearted, with themes of unlikely connections.
- 15
The Emperor's New Groove (2000)
Film7.5
Why it's like Up: Also warm-hearted and heightened. Common ground: central and south america.
Boxlist compares Up 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.
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- What should I watch if I like Up?
- Picks with a similar feel include Trolls World Tour, The Secret Life of Pets 2, Madagascar and Asterix: The Mansions of the Gods. Each shares part of Up's taste profile, themes or tags; the full list has 15 films.
- How are these films like Up chosen?
- Boxlist compares Up 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.