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Monsters University poster

Movies that feel likeMonsters University (2013)

A look at the relationship between Mike and Sulley during their days at Monsters University — when they weren't necessarily the best of friends.

If you loved Monsters University, the closest films we have are Onward (2020), Hotel Transylvania (2012) and The Boxtrolls (2014). All three share Monsters University's whimsical and warm feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999).

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If Monsters University hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: Monsters, Inc. (2001)

Onward poster
Onward
2020 · dir. Dan Scanlon
🍅 88%★ 7.4adventure · animation · comedyDisney+

Scanlon's next odd couple — brothers this time — learning what they are worth

The difference: More bittersweet than funny — the ending aims straight for tears

In a suburban fantasy world, two teenage elf brothers embark on an extraordinary quest to discover if there is still a little magic left out there.

Hotel Transylvania poster
Hotel Transylvania
2012 · dir. Genndy Tartakovsky
🍅 45%★ 7animation · comedy · familyHuluParamount+

A monster world built for comedy, where the scares are the joke

The difference: Broader and simpler — a doting-dad cartoon without the underdog arc

Welcome to Hotel Transylvania, Dracula's lavish five-stake resort, where monsters and their families can live it up and no humans are allowed. One special weekend, Dracula has invited all his best friends to celebrate his beloved daughter Mavis's 118th birthday. For Dracula catering to all of these legendary monsters is no problem but the party really starts when one ordinary guy stumbles into the hotel and changes everything!

The Boxtrolls poster
The Boxtrolls
2014 · dir. Graham Annable
🍅 78%★ 6.8animation · comedy · familyMaxHulu

Gentle monsters misunderstood by the world above them

The difference: Grubby stop-motion strangeness — an acquired taste next to Pixar gloss

An orphaned boy raised by underground creatures called Boxtrolls comes up from the sewers and out of his box to save his family and the town from the evil exterminator, Archibald Snatcher.

Turning Red poster
Turning Red
2022 · dir. Domee Shi
🍅 95%★ 6.9animation · family · comedyDisney+

Growing pains, embarrassment and friendship carrying the whole story

The difference: More personal and specific coming-of-age — middle school, not college

Thirteen-year-old Mei is experiencing the awkwardness of being a teenager with a twist – when she gets too excited, she transforms into a giant red panda.

Encanto poster
Encanto
2021 · dir. Byron Howard
★ 7.2animation · comedy · familyDisney+

Feeling like the one ordinary member of an extraordinary family

The difference: A musical family drama — songs and magic instead of campus comedy

The tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family—every child except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family's last hope.

The Grinch poster
The Grinch
2018 · dir. Yarrow Cheney
🍅 60%★ 6.4animation · comedy · familyRent or buy

A grump softened by connection, animated with candy-bright polish

The difference: A padded-out holiday retelling — cute but slight

The Grinch hatches a scheme to ruin Christmas when the residents of Whoville plan their annual holiday celebration. But a certain little who might change things.

The Smurfs 2 poster
The Smurfs 2
2013 · dir. Raja Gosnell
🍅 14%★ 5.3fantasy · family · comedyNetflixParamount+

Bright creature comedy about belonging with the group that gets you

The difference: Live-action hybrid noise — far below Pixar craft

The evil wizard Gargamel creates a couple of mischievous Smurf-like creatures called the Naughties that he hopes will let him harness the all-powerful, magical Smurf-essence. But when he discovers that only a real Smurf can give him what he wants, and only a secret spell that Smurfette knows can turn the Naughties into real Smurfs, Gargamel kidnaps Smurfette and brings her to Paris, where he has been winning the adoration of millions as the world¹s greatest sorcerer. It's up to Papa, Clumsy, Grouchy, and Vanity to return to our world, reunite with their human friends Patrick and Grace Winslow, and rescue her! Will Smurfette, who has always felt different from the other Smurfs, find a new connection with the Naughties Vexy and Hackus or will the Smurfs convince her that their love for her is True Blue?

Alvin and the Chipmunks poster
Alvin and the Chipmunks
2007 · dir. Tim Hill
🍅 28%★ 5.3comedy · family · fantasyDisney+

Mismatched housemates driving each other crazy into friendship

The difference: Formulaic kids' comedy — the weakest film on this list by a stretch

A struggling songwriter named Dave Seville finds success when he comes across a trio of singing chipmunks: mischievous leader Alvin, brainy Simon, and chubby, impressionable Theodore.

The Addams Family poster
The Addams Family
2019 · dir. Conrad Vernon
🍅 46%★ 5.9family · animation · comedyPeacock

A proudly weird clan clashing with a world that wants them normal

The difference: Coasts on the family's brand — the jokes are thinner than the designs

The Addams family's lives begin to unravel when they face-off against a treacherous, greedy crafty reality-TV host while also preparing for their extended family to arrive for a major celebration.

Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs poster
Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs
2019 · dir. Hong Sung-ho
🍅 40%★ 6.5animation · fantasy · familyRent or buy

A fairy-tale comedy about being judged for how you look

The difference: A knockoff-feeling production with a message it handles clumsily

Princes who have been turned into Dwarfs seek the red shoes of a lady in order to break the spell, although it will not be easy.

Shrek 2 poster
Shrek 2
2004 · dir. Conrad Vernon
🍅 89%★ 7.4animation · comedy · familyPeacock

Whimsical and warm in the same breath

The difference: Sits closer to romance than Monsters University does

Happily ever after never seemed so far far away when a trip to meet the in-laws turns into a hilariously twisted adventure for Shrek and Fiona. With the help of ever-faithful Donkey, Shrek takes on the potion-brewing Fairy Godmother, pompous Prince Charming, and infamous ogre-killer Puss In Boots.

My Neighbors the Yamadas poster
My Neighbors the Yamadas
1999 · dir. Isao Takahata
🍅 78%★ 7.1animation · comedy · familyMax

Cozy where it counts, witty underneath

The Yamadas are a typical middle class Japanese family in urban Tokyo and this film shows us a variety of episodes of their lives. With tales that range from the humorous to the heartbreaking, we see this family cope with life's little conflicts, problems, and joys in their own way.

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