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Movies that feel likeAvatar (2009)

In the 22nd century, a paraplegic Marine is dispatched to the moon Pandora on a unique mission, but becomes torn between following orders and protecting an alien civilization.

If you loved Avatar, the closest films we have are Aliens (1986), Star Trek (2009) and Avengers: Endgame (2019). All three share Avatar's awe and kinetic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Salyut-7 (2017).

🍅 81% Rotten Tomatoes★ 7.9 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. James Cameronepicawekineticromantic
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · Hulu · Disney Plus

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If Avatar hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) · Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)

Aliens poster
Aliens
1986 · dir. James Cameron
🍅 93%★ 8.4action · thriller · science fictionNetflix

Cameron's marines dropped onto a world that outmatches them

The difference: Horror-forward and claustrophobic — no lush paradise to love

Ripley, the sole survivor of the Nostromo's deadly encounter with the monstrous Alien, returns to Earth after drifting through space in hypersleep for 57 years. Although her story is initially met with skepticism, she agrees to accompany a team of Colonial Marines back to LV-426.

Star Trek poster
Star Trek
2009 · dir. J.J. Abrams
🍅 94%★ 7.9science fiction · action · adventureParamount+

A reckless outsider finding his purpose among the stars

The difference: Brisk and banter-driven — crew chemistry over immersion

The fate of the galaxy rests in the hands of bitter rivals. One, James Kirk, is a delinquent, thrill-seeking Iowa farm boy. The other, Spock, a Vulcan, was raised in a logic-based society that rejects all emotion. As fiery instinct clashes with calm reason, their unlikely but powerful partnership is the only thing capable of leading their crew through unimaginable danger, boldly going where no one has gone before. The human adventure has begun again.

Avengers: Endgame poster
Avengers: Endgame
2019 · dir. Joe Russo
🍅 94%★ 8.4adventure · science fiction · actionDisney+

The other era-defining event film built on sheer scale

The difference: A franchise farewell — payoff over discovery

After the devastating events of Avengers: Infinity War, the universe is in ruins due to the efforts of the Mad Titan, Thanos. With the help of remaining allies, the Avengers must assemble once more in order to undo Thanos' actions and restore order to the universe once and for all, no matter what consequences may be in store.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones poster
🍅 62%★ 6.6adventure · action · science fictionDisney+

Lush alien worlds rendered as total sensory immersion

The difference: Galactic politics and prophecy over one moon's ecosystem

Following an assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi investigate a mysterious plot into the heart of the Separatist movement and the beginning of the Clone Wars.

Iron Man poster
Iron Man
2008 · dir. Jon Favreau
🍅 94%★ 7.9action · science fiction · adventureHuluDisney+

A cocky soldier-of-industry rebuilt into something better

The difference: Earthbound tech satire — wit over wilderness

After being held captive in an Afghan cave, billionaire engineer Tony Stark creates a unique weaponized suit of armor to fight evil.

Salyut-7 poster
Salyut-7
2017 · dir. Klim Shipenko
🍅 100%★ 7.2action · drama · adventure

The same mix in both: scale, then awe

The difference: Trades the romance of Avatar for an angle of its own

USSR, June 1985. After contact with the Salyut 7 space station is lost, cosmonauts Vladimir Dzhanibekov and Viktor Savinykh dock with the empty, frozen craft, and bring her back to life. Based on actual events.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets poster
🍅 47%★ 6.4adventure · science fiction · actionMaxHulu

A dense, gorgeous alien ecosystem you want to wander through

The difference: The leads are weightless — spectacle carries no conviction

In the 28th century, Valerian and Laureline are special operatives charged with keeping order throughout the human territories. On assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two undertake a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where species from across the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence, and cultures. At the center of Alpha is a mysterious dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe.

Transformers: Dark of the Moon poster
Transformers: Dark of the Moon
2011 · dir. Michael Bay
🍅 35%★ 6.2action · science fiction · adventureParamount+Starz

Maximal alien-war spectacle staged for sensory overload

The difference: Chaos without an ecosystem — nothing here to fall in love with

The Autobots continue to work for NEST, now no longer in secret. But after discovering a strange artifact during a mission in Chernobyl, it becomes apparent to Optimus Prime that the United States government has been less than forthright with them.

John Carter poster
John Carter
2012 · dir. Andrew Stanton
🍅 52%★ 6.6action · adventure · science fictionDisney+

A soldier reborn on another world and drawn into its ancient war

The difference: Old-fashioned pulp pacing that never finds Avatar's flow

John Carter is a war-weary, former military captain who's inexplicably transported to the mysterious and exotic planet of Barsoom (Mars) and reluctantly becomes embroiled in an epic conflict. It's a world on the brink of collapse, and Carter rediscovers his humanity when he realizes the survival of Barsoom and its people rests in his hands.

Independence Day poster
Independence Day
1996 · dir. Roland Emmerich
🍅 77%★ 7action · adventure · science fiction

Planet-scale invasion awe with crowd-cheering set pieces

The difference: Humans versus aliens, full stop — no sympathy for the other side

Strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world's major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has arrived. Its mission: total annihilation over the Fourth of July weekend. The last hope to stop the destruction is an unlikely group of people united by fate and unimaginable circumstances.

The Wandering Earth II poster
The Wandering Earth II
2023 · dir. Frant Gwo
🍅 83%★ 6.7science fiction · action · adventure

Humanity betting everything on impossible engineering to survive

The difference: Hardware-first epic — machines are the marvel, not a world's soul

Humans built huge engines on the surface of the earth to find a new home. But the road to the universe is perilous. In order to save earth, young people once again have to step forward to start a race against time for life and death.

Jurassic World poster
Jurassic World
2015 · dir. Colin Trevorrow
🍅 72%★ 6.9adventure · science fiction · thrillerHuluApple TV+

Kinetic science fiction in both cases

The difference: Easier on the romance than Avatar

Twenty-two years after the events of Jurassic Park, Isla Nublar now features a fully functioning dinosaur theme park, Jurassic World, as originally envisioned by John Hammond.

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The best-reviewed films that share Avatar’s defining feeling.