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Movies that feel like The Secret of Kells (2009)

If you loved The Secret of Kells, the closest films we have are Song of the Sea (2014), Coraline (2009) and Ponyo (2008). All three share The Secret of Kells's whimsical and warm feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 10 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on HBO Max Amazon Channel, HBO Max and Disney Plus and others, checked against today's data.

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?

πŸ… 90% Rotten Tomatoesβ˜… 7.5 IMDb β†—TMDB β†—dir. Tomm Moorewhimsicalwarmcozydreamlike

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If The Secret of Kells hit the spot, these will too

Looking for the series itself? Also in this series: The Secret of NIMH (1982)

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

Tomm Moore working the same nerve twice

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?
Coraline poster
Coraline
2009 Β· dir. Henry Selick
πŸ… 91%β˜… 7.8animation Β· family Β· fantasy

Both land whimsy and warmth at once

Wandering her rambling old house in her boring new town, 11-year-old Coraline discovers a hidden door to a strangely idealized version of her life. In order to stay in the fantasy, she must make a frighteningly real sacrifice.

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

Cozy and dreamlike in the same breath

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?
Spirited Away poster
Spirited Away
2001 Β· dir. Hayao Miyazaki
πŸ… 96%β˜… 8.6animation Β· family Β· fantasy

Animation built on whimsy, twice over

A young girl, Chihiro, becomes trapped in a strange new world of spirits. When her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, she must call upon the courage she never knew she had to free her family.

Feels alike?
The Nightmare Before Christmas poster
The Nightmare Before Christmas
1993 Β· dir. Henry Selick
πŸ… 95%β˜… 7.9fantasy Β· animation Β· family

Both trade on warmth more than on being family

Tired of scaring humans every October 31 with the same old bag of tricks, Jack Skellington, the spindly king of Halloween Town, kidnaps Santa Claus and plans to deliver shrunken heads and other ghoulish gifts to children on Christmas morning. But as Christmas approaches, Jack's rag-doll girlfriend, Sally, tries to foil his misguided plans.

Feels alike?
My Neighbor Totoro poster
My Neighbor Totoro
1988 Β· dir. Hayao Miyazaki
πŸ… 94%β˜… 8.1fantasy Β· animation Β· family

Cozy fantasy in both cases

The difference: A 1980s film, from a different era of filmmaking

Two sisters move to the country with their father in order to be closer to their hospitalized mother, and discover the surrounding trees are inhabited by Totoros, magical spirits of the forest. When the youngest runs away from home, the older sister seeks help from the spirits to find her.

Feels alike?
Pinocchio poster
Pinocchio
1940 Β· dir. Hamilton Luske
πŸ… 100%β˜… 7.5animation Β· family Β· fantasy

Dreamlike animation, and it commits to that

When the gentle woodcarver Geppetto builds a marionette to be his substitute son, a benevolent fairy brings the toy to life. The puppet, named Pinocchio, is not yet a human boy. He must earn the right to be real by proving that he is brave, truthful, and unselfish.

Feels alike?
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs poster
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs
1938 Β· dir. David Hand
β˜… 7.6fantasy Β· animation Β· family

Family with a pulse of whimsy, in both cases

A beautiful girl, Snow White, takes refuge in the forest in the house of seven dwarfs to hide from her stepmother, the wicked Queen. The Queen is jealous because she wants to be known as "the fairest in the land," and Snow White's beauty surpasses her own.

Feels alike?
The Sword in the Stone poster
The Sword in the Stone
1963 Β· dir. Wolfgang Reitherman
πŸ… 65%β˜… 7.1animation Β· family Β· fantasy

Fantasy built on warmth, twice over

The difference: Reviewed a good deal more coolly

Wart is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for him beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give him an education, believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.

Feels alike?
The Secret World of Arrietty poster
The Secret World of Arrietty
2010 Β· dir. Hiromasa Yonebayashi
πŸ… 94%β˜… 7.6fantasy Β· animation Β· family

Cozy animation, and it commits to that

14-year-old Arrietty and the rest of the Clock family live in peaceful anonymity as they make their own home from items "borrowed" from the house's human inhabitants. However, life changes for the Clocks when a human boy discovers Arrietty.

Feels alike?
The Little Mermaid poster
The Little Mermaid
1989 Β· dir. John Musker
πŸ… 92%β˜… 7.6animation Β· family Β· fantasy

Dreamlike family in both cases

This colorful adventure tells the story of an impetuous mermaid princess named Ariel who falls in love with the very human Prince Eric and puts everything on the line for the chance to be with him. Memorable songs and characters -- including the villainous sea witch Ursula.

Feels alike?
How to Train Your Dragon poster
How to Train Your Dragon
2010 Β· dir. Chris Sanders
πŸ… 99%β˜… 8.1fantasy Β· adventure Β· animation

Vikings (norsemen) is the engine of both

The difference: Plays it as adventure more than The Secret of Kells does

As the son of a Viking leader on the cusp of manhood, shy Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III faces a rite of passage: he must kill a dragon to prove his warrior mettle. But after downing a feared dragon, he realizes that he no longer wants to destroy it, and instead befriends the beast – which he names Toothless – much to the chagrin of his warrior father.

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In the mood for more whimsical?

all whimsical movies β†’

The best-reviewed films that share The Secret of Kells's defining feeling.