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The NeverEnding Story poster

Movies that feel likeThe NeverEnding Story (1984)

While hiding from bullies in his school's attic, a young boy discovers the extraordinary land of Fantasia, through a magical book called The Neverending Story. The book tells the tale of Atreyu, a young warrior who, with the help of a luck dragon named Falkor, must save Fantasia from the destruction of The Nothing.

If you loved The NeverEnding Story, the closest films we have are The Dark Crystal (1982), Jason and the Argonauts (1963) and Peter Pan (2003). All three share The NeverEnding Story's epic and dreamlike feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Escape to Witch Mountain (1975).

πŸ… 84% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.3 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Wolfgang Petersenepicdreamlikewarmcozy
11 of 12 streaming nowNetflix Β· Disney Plus Β· Peacock Premium

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If The NeverEnding Story hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: The NeverEnding Story II: The Next Chapter (1990)

The Dark Crystal poster
The Dark Crystal
1982 Β· dir. Jim Henson
πŸ… 78%β˜… 7.1adventure Β· family Β· fantasyPeacock

Both keep coming back to the same thing: creature

On another planet in the distant past, a Gelfling embarks on a quest to find the missing shard of a magical crystal and restore order to his world, before the grotesque race of Skeksis find and use the crystal for evil.

Jason and the Argonauts poster
Jason and the Argonauts
1963 Β· dir. Don Chaffey
πŸ… 85%β˜… 7.3adventure Β· family Β· fantasy

Epic and dreamlike in the same breath

The difference: Made in the 1960s, in a different era of the craft

Jason, a fearless sailor and explorer, returns to his home land of Thessaly after a long voyage to claim his rightful throne. He learns, however, that he must first find the magical Golden Fleece. To do so, he must embark on an epic quest fraught with fantastic monsters and terrible perils.

Peter Pan poster
Peter Pan
2003 Β· dir. P.J. Hogan
πŸ… 77%β˜… 6.8adventure Β· fantasy Β· family

Both land warmth and comfort at once

In stifling Edwardian London, Wendy Darling mesmerizes her brothers every night with bedtime tales of swordplay, swashbuckling and the fearsome Captain Hook. But the children become the heroes of an even greater story, when Peter Pan flies into their nursery one night and leads them over moonlit rooftops through a galaxy of stars and to the lush jungles of Neverland.

The Jungle Book poster
The Jungle Book
2016 Β· dir. Jon Favreau
πŸ… 94%β˜… 7.3adventure Β· family Β· fantasyDisney+

Both are working the same pair: wolf, anthropomorphism

After a threat from the tiger Shere Khan, Mowgli, a man-cub fostered by wolves, is forced to flee the jungle, and he embarks on a journey of self-discovery with the help of the panther, Bagheera, and the free-spirited bear, Baloo.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe poster
πŸ… 76%β˜… 6.9adventure Β· family Β· fantasyDisney+

The same preoccupation in both: fairy tale

Four kids travel through a wardrobe to the land of Narnia and learn of their destiny to free it with the guidance of a mystical lion.

The Black Stallion poster
The Black Stallion
1979 Β· dir. Carroll Ballard
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.4family Β· adventure

Both are built on the same subject: horse

The difference: Easier on the dream logic than The NeverEnding Story

While traveling with his father, young Alec becomes fascinated by a mysterious Arabian stallion that is brought on board and stabled in the ship he is sailing on. When it tragically sinks both he and the horse survive only to be stranded on a deserted island. He befriends it, so when finally rescued both return to his home where they soon meet Henry Dailey, a once successful trainer. Together they begin training the horse to race against the fastest ones in the world.

Return to Oz poster
Return to Oz
1985 Β· dir. Walter Murch
πŸ… 59%β˜… 6.7adventure Β· family Β· fantasyDisney+

Adventure with a pulse of scale, in both cases

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

Dorothy, saved from a psychiatric experiment by a mysterious girl, finds herself back in the land of her dreams, and makes delightful new friends, and dangerous new enemies.

Maleficent: Mistress of Evil poster
Maleficent: Mistress of Evil
2019 Β· dir. Joachim RΓΈnning
πŸ… 40%β˜… 6.6family Β· fantasy Β· adventureDisney+

One thread runs through both: magic

Maleficent and her goddaughter Aurora begin to question the complex family ties that bind them as they are pulled in different directions by impending nuptials, unexpected allies, and dark new forces at play.

Kleks Academy poster
Kleks Academy
2024 Β· dir. Maciej Kawulski
β˜… 4.5fantasy Β· adventure Β· familyNetflix

Common ground: school

A seemingly ordinary girl finds her way into the eponymous Academy to explore the world of fairy tales, imagination and creativity. With the help of a crazy, talented teacher, she develops her unique abilities and also stumbles upon a clue that will help her unravel the biggest secret of the family...

Pete's Dragon poster
Pete's Dragon
2016 Β· dir. David Lowery
πŸ… 88%β˜… 6.7adventure Β· family Β· fantasyDisney+

Fantasy built on dream logic, twice over

For years, old wood carver Mr. Meacham has delighted local children with his tales of the fierce dragon that resides deep in the woods of the Pacific Northwest. To his daughter, Grace, who works as a forest ranger, these stories are little more than tall tales... until she meets Pete, a mysterious 10-year-old with no family and no home who claims to live in the woods with a giant, green dragon named Elliott. And from Pete's descriptions, Elliott seems remarkably similar to the dragon from Mr. Meacham's stories. With the help of Natalie, an 11-year-old girl whose father Jack owns the local lumber mill, Grace sets out to determine where Pete came from, where he belongs, and the truth about this dragon.

The BFG poster
The BFG
2016 Β· dir. Steven Spielberg
πŸ… 74%β˜… 6.3adventure Β· family Β· fantasyDisney+

Both lean on warmth more than on family

An orphan little girl befriends a benevolent giant who takes her to Giant Country, where they attempt to stop the man-eating giants that are invading the human world.

Escape to Witch Mountain poster
Escape to Witch Mountain
1975 Β· dir. John Hough
πŸ… 87%β˜… 6.3adventure Β· fantasy Β· science fictionDisney+

Cozy adventure in both cases

The difference: Leans harder into science fiction than The NeverEnding Story does

Tia and Tony are two orphaned youngsters with extraordinary powers. Lucas Deranian poses as their uncle in order to get the kids into the clutches of Deranian's megalomaniacal boss, evil millionaire Aristotle Bolt, who wants to exploit them. Jason, a cynical widower, helps Tia and Tony escape to witch mountain, while at the same time Tia and Tony help Jason escape the pain of the loss of his wife.

In the mood for more epic?

all epic movies β†’

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