feelsalike.com

Movies that feel like The Book of Life (2014)

If you loved The Book of Life, the closest films we have are Epic (2013), The Boxtrolls (2014) and Song of the Sea (2014). All three share The Book of Life's whimsical and warm feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 8 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Netflix, HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video and others, checked against today's data.

The journey of Manolo, a young man who is torn between fulfilling the expectations of his family and following his heart. Before choosing which path to follow, he embarks on an incredible adventure that spans fantastical worlds where he must face his greatest fears.

πŸ… 82% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.2 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Jorge R. Gutierrezwhimsicalwarmcozydreamlikeromantic
Stream it:Disney+ β†—
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If The Book of Life hit the spot, these will too

Epic poster
Epic
2013 Β· dir. Chris Wedge
πŸ… 65%β˜… 6.6animation Β· adventure Β· family

The same mix in both: whimsy, then warmth

The difference: Missing the romance of The Book of Life

A teenager finds herself transported to a deep forest setting where a battle between the forces of good and the forces of evil is taking place. She bands together with a rag-tag group characters in order to save their worldβ€”and ours.

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The Boxtrolls poster
The Boxtrolls
2014 Β· dir. Graham Annable
πŸ… 78%β˜… 6.8animation Β· comedy Β· family

Cozy where it counts, dreamlike underneath

The difference: Not nearly as romantic as The Book of Life

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.

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Song of the Sea poster
Song of the Sea
2014 Β· dir. Tomm Moore
πŸ… 99%β˜… 8family Β· animation Β· fantasy

Animation with a pulse of whimsy, in both cases

The story of the last Seal Child’s journey home. After their mother’s disappearance, Ben and Saoirse are sent to live with Granny in the city. When they resolve to return to their home by the sea, their journey becomes a race against time as they are drawn into a world Ben knows only from his mother’s folktales. But this is no bedtime story; these fairy folk have been in our world far too long. It soon becomes clear to Ben that Saoirse is the key to their survival.

Feels alike?
The Secret of Kells poster
The Secret of Kells
2009 Β· dir. Tomm Moore
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.5animation Β· family Β· fantasy

Family built on warmth, twice over

Adventure awaits 12 year old Brendan who must fight Vikings and a serpent god to find a crystal and complete the legendary Book of Kells. In order to finish Brother Aiden's book, Brendan must overcome his deepest fears on a secret quest that will take him beyond the abbey walls and into the enchanted forest where dangerous mythical creatures hide. Will Brendan succeed in his quest?

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The Princess and the Frog poster
The Princess and the Frog
2009 Β· dir. Ron Clements
πŸ… 86%β˜… 7.2animation Β· romance Β· fantasy

The same preoccupation in both: musical

The difference: Leans harder into romance than The Book of Life does

A waitress, desperate to fulfill her dreams as a restaurant owner, is set on a journey to turn a frog prince back into a human being, but she has to face the same problem after she kisses him.

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Arthur and the Invisibles poster
Arthur and the Invisibles
2006 Β· dir. Luc Besson
πŸ… 21%β˜… 6adventure Β· fantasy Β· animation

Cozy fantasy in both cases

The difference: Critics were much harder on this one

Ten-year-old Arthur, in a bid to save his grandfather's house from being demolished, goes looking for some much-fabled hidden treasure in the land of the Minimoys, tiny people living in harmony with nature.

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Frankenweenie poster
Frankenweenie
2012 Β· dir. Tim Burton
πŸ… 87%β˜… 6.9animation Β· comedy Β· family

Both lean on romance more than on animation

When a car hits young Victor's pet dog Sparky, Victor decides to bring him back to life the only way he knows how. But when the bolt-necked "monster" wreaks havoc and terror in the hearts of Victor's neighbors, he has to convince them that Sparky's still the good, loyal friend he was.

Feels alike?
The Grinch poster
The Grinch
2018 Β· dir. Yarrow Cheney
πŸ… 60%β˜… 6.4animation Β· comedy Β· family

Dreamlike family, and it commits to that

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.

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Ponyo poster
Ponyo
2008 Β· dir. Hayao Miyazaki
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7.6animation Β· fantasy Β· family

Whimsical fantasy in both cases

When Sosuke, a young boy who lives on a clifftop overlooking the sea, rescues a stranded goldfish named Ponyo, he discovers more than he bargained for. Ponyo is a curious, energetic young creature who yearns to be human, but even as she causes chaos around the house, her father, a powerful sorcerer, schemes to return Ponyo to the sea.

Feels alike?
The Lorax poster
The Lorax
2012 Β· dir. Chris Renaud
β˜… 6.4animation Β· family

One thread runs through both: musical

A 12-year-old boy searches for the one thing that will enable him to win the affection of the girl of his dreams. To find it he must discover the story of the Lorax, the grumpy yet charming creature who fights to protect his world.

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Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation poster
Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation
2018 Β· dir. Genndy Tartakovsky
πŸ… 63%β˜… 6.3animation Β· comedy Β· family

Warm animation in both cases

Dracula, Mavis, Johnny and the rest of the Drac Pack take a vacation on a luxury Monster Cruise Ship, where Dracula falls in love with the ship’s captain, Ericka, who’s secretly a descendant of Abraham Van Helsing, the notorious monster slayer.

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The Croods: A New Age poster
The Croods: A New Age
2020 Β· dir. Joel Crawford
πŸ… 76%β˜… 6.9animation Β· family Β· adventure

Both lean on comfort more than on family

Searching for a safer habitat, the prehistoric Crood family discovers an idyllic, walled-in paradise that meets all of its needs. Unfortunately, they must also learn to live with the Bettermans -- a family that's a couple of steps above the Croods on the evolutionary ladder. As tensions between the new neighbors start to rise, a new threat soon propels both clans on an epic adventure that forces them to embrace their differences, draw strength from one another, and survive together.

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The best-reviewed films that share The Book of Life’s defining feeling.