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Independence Day poster

Movies that feel likeIndependence Day (1996)

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.

If you loved Independence Day, the closest films we have are Stargate (1994), Star Trek Beyond (2016) and Solo: A Star Wars Story (2018). All three share Independence Day's kinetic and epic feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Wandering Earth II (2023).

🍅 77% Rotten Tomatoes★ 7 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Roland Emmerichkineticepiccerebralawe
11 of 12 streaming nowHulu · Disney Plus · Paramount Plus Premium

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If Independence Day hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: Independence Day: Resurgence (2016)

Stargate poster
Stargate
1994 · dir. Roland Emmerich
🍅 53%★ 7action · adventure · science fiction

Emmerich's earlier awe — ancient mystery meets alien power

The difference: Slower archaeological build — wonder before fireworks

An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra.

Star Trek Beyond poster
Star Trek Beyond
2016 · dir. Justin Lin
🍅 86%★ 7action · adventure · science fictionParamount+

A crew rallying against a foe who wants civilization broken

The difference: Franchise optimism — exploration first, destruction second

The USS Enterprise crew explores the furthest reaches of uncharted space, where they encounter a mysterious new enemy who puts them and everything the Federation stands for to the test.

Solo: A Star Wars Story poster
Solo: A Star Wars Story
2018 · dir. Ron Howard
🍅 69%★ 6.9science fiction · adventure · actionDisney+

A roguish pilot's swagger carrying a space adventure

The difference: A heist origin tale — no invasion, no united-Earth stakes

Through a series of daring escapades deep within a dark and dangerous criminal underworld, Han Solo meets his mighty future copilot Chewbacca and encounters the notorious gambler Lando Calrissian.

Return of the Jedi poster
Return of the Jedi
1983 · dir. Richard Marquand
🍅 83%★ 8.3adventure · action · science fictionDisney+

The same preoccupation in both: spacecraft

Luke Skywalker leads a mission to rescue his friend Han Solo from the clutches of Jabba the Hutt, the Emperor prepares to crush the Rebellion with a more powerful Death Star, and the Rebel fleet mounts a massive attack on the space station. Luke Skywalker confronts Darth Vader in a final climactic duel before the evil Emperor.

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

Kinetic and epic in the same breath

The difference: Made in the 2020s, in a different era of the craft

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.

Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 poster
Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3
2023 · dir. James Gunn
🍅 82%★ 7.9science fiction · adventure · actionDisney+

The same mix in both: ideas, then awe

Peter Quill, still reeling from the loss of Gamora, must rally his team around him to defend the universe along with protecting one of their own. A mission that, if not completed successfully, could quite possibly lead to the end of the Guardians as we know them.

Moonfall poster
Moonfall
2022 · dir. Roland Emmerich
🍅 35%★ 5.2science fiction · adventure · actionRent or buy

Emmerich again throwing the sky itself at humanity

The difference: Conspiracy-brained silliness — awe curdles into camp

A mysterious force knocks the moon from its orbit around Earth and sends it hurtling on a collision course with life as we know it.

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

Old-fashioned planetary adventure with sincere sweep

The difference: Pulp-era Mars fantasy — swords and princesses, no Area 51

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.

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

City-leveling alien warfare at maximum volume

The difference: Bayhem overload — an hour longer and twice as numbing

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.

2012 poster
2012
2009 · dir. Roland Emmerich
🍅 40%★ 5.9action · adventure · science fictionHuluStarz

Global destruction staged as a nonstop escape ride

The difference: No enemy to punch back at — just collapsing geography

Dr. Adrian Helmsley, part of a worldwide geophysical team investigating the effect on the earth of radiation from unprecedented solar storms, learns that the earth's core is heating up. He warns U.S. President Thomas Wilson that the crust of the earth is becoming unstable and that without proper preparations for saving a fraction of the world's population, the entire race is doomed. Meanwhile, writer Jackson Curtis stumbles on the same information. While the world's leaders race to build "arks" to escape the impending cataclysm, Curtis struggles to find a way to save his family. Meanwhile, volcanic eruptions and earthquakes of unprecedented strength wreak havoc around the world.

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

An overstuffed universe rendered with jaw-dropping visuals

The difference: Wooden leads — the eye candy outacts the cast

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.

Power Rangers poster
Power Rangers
2017 · dir. Dean Israelite
🍅 51%★ 5.9action · adventure · science fictionRent or buy

Underdogs suiting up to save their town from alien attack

The difference: A teen origin slow-burn — the action waits till the end

Five ordinary teens must become something extraordinary when they learn that their small town of Angel Grove — and the world — is on the verge of being obliterated by an alien threat. Chosen by destiny, our heroes quickly discover they are the only ones who can save the planet. But to do so, they will have to overcome their real-life issues and before it’s too late, band together as the Power Rangers.

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