15 Movies to Watch If You Loved ‘Wildwood’

Laika’s animated feature ‘Wildwood‘ transports audiences into the Impassable Wilderness, blending portal fantasy, dark folklore, and stop-motion craft. Adapted from Colin Meloy’s novel, the story chronicles a perilous rescue mission through an enchanted forest filled with sentient animals and warring factions.

Viewers captivated by its balance of atmospheric danger, whimsical folklore, and meticulous artistry often seek out similar cinematic journeys. The following selections encompass stop-motion wonders, hand-drawn fairy tales, and live-action portal fantasies that share comparable narrative and aesthetic sensibilities.

‘Coraline’ (2009)

Directed by Henry Selick, this stop-motion feature served as Laika’s inaugural film and established the studio’s affinity for dark fantasy. The story follows young Coraline Jones as she discovers a secret doorway inside her new home leading to an idealized alternate reality. Coraline must summon her courage to outwit the sinister Other Mother when the parallel world turns predatory and traps her real parents. Much like ‘Wildwood’, the narrative explores themes of youthful bravery in the face of terrifying supernatural realm dynamics.

‘Kubo and the Two Strings’ (2016)

Directed by Travis Knight, this Laika stop-motion adventure draws from Japanese folklore to depict an epic quest of magic and memory. The plot centers on Kubo, a young boy with magical shamisen powers, who must locate his late father’s enchanted armor to defeat vengeful spirits. Joined by a protective monkey and an amnesiac beetle warrior, Kubo travels through dangerous mythical lands while evading the Moon King’s deadly minions. The production utilizes intricate stop-motion techniques and dynamic creature choreography that directly mirror Knight’s directorial approach in ‘Wildwood’.

‘ParaNorman’ (2012)

Directed by Sam Fell and Chris Butler, this stop-motion comedy-thriller focuses on Norman Babcock, an isolated boy who possesses the ability to speak with the dead. When an ancient witch’s curse threatens his historic New England town, Norman must rally his unconventional peers to prevent a zombie apocalypse. The film examines mob mentality, historical prejudice, and the moral complexities surrounding misunderstood outsiders. Its blending of eerie supernatural perils with deeply rooted regional atmosphere closely matches the environmental tension presented in ‘Wildwood’.

‘The Boxtrolls’ (2014)

Adapted from Alan Snow’s novel, this Laika production is set in the Victorian-era town of Cheesebridge, where eccentric subterranean creatures dwell. An orphaned boy named Eggs, raised by the mechanical scavengers known as Boxtrolls, must venture above ground to defend his adoptive family from an exterminator. The narrative addresses societal division, fabricated urban legends, and self-identity amid oppressive political structures. Viewers who appreciate the detailed underground politics and animal factions in ‘Wildwood’ will recognize similar thematic construction throughout this world.

‘Wolfwalkers’ (2020)

Directed by Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart, this hand-drawn Irish fantasy explores the tension between human colonization and ancient nature spirits. Set in seventeenth-century Kilkenny, apprentice hunter Robyn Goodfellowe forms an unexpected friendship with Mebh, a free-spirited girl capable of transforming into a wolf. Together, the two girls must navigate tyrannical authority figures and defend the mystical forest from complete eradication. The film shares with ‘Wildwood’ an enchanted woodland setting, animal alliances, and a young protagonist caught between civilization and primal wilderness.

‘The Secret of Kells’ (2009)

This animated fantasy by Cartoon Saloon draws upon Celtic mythology and historical events surrounding the illumination of the Book of Kells. Young monk Brendan must overcome his fearful abbot’s strict rules by venturing into the surrounding enchanted forest to harvest special berries for manuscript ink. Within the woods, Brendan encounters the shape-shifting forest spirit Aisling and confronts the monstrous dark entity Crom Cruach. Its atmospheric depiction of an ancient, dangerous wilderness hiding magical guardians parallels the mystical perimeter guarding ‘Wildwood’.

‘Song of the Sea’ (2014)

Drawing from Gaelic folklore, this Tomm Moore film follows a ten-year-old boy named Ben and his mute younger sister Saoirse. Upon discovering that Saoirse is a selkie whose song can free trapped fairies, the siblings embark on an urgent journey across Ireland. Along their trek, they must elude the owl witch Macha and her winged sentinels who seek to strip creatures of their emotional pain. Like ‘Wildwood’, the film centers on a protective sibling dynamic tested by powerful supernatural rulers within a mythological world.

‘Guillermo del Toro’s Pinocchio’ (2022)

Co-directed by Guillermo del Toro and Mark Gustafson, this stop-motion reinvention reframes the classic wooden puppet story during interwar Fascist Italy. Pinocchio navigates a cruel and militarized world, experiencing themes of mortality, paternal grief, and autonomy. Del Toro utilizes macabre visual designs, mythical underworld encounters, and detailed physical puppets built by the McKinnon & Saunders workshop. The film’s combination of historical tension, dark folklore, and boundary-pushing stop-motion craft aligns closely with the aesthetic ambitions of ‘Wildwood’.

‘Wendell & Wild’ (2022)

Directed by Henry Selick from a screenplay co-written with Jordan Peele, this stop-motion dark fantasy focuses on troubled teenager Kat Elliot. Kat inadvertently summons two scheming demon brothers into the land of the living in exchange for reviving her deceased parents. The storyline merges supernatural underworld bureaucracy with a critique of corporate greed and private prisons. Fans of ‘Wildwood’ will appreciate the elaborate character design, punk-rock energy, and complex moral dilemmas faced by young protagonists in strange realms.

‘The Boy and the Heron’ (2023)

Directed by Hayao Miyazaki, this semi-autobiographical Studio Ghibli fantasy centers on Mahito Maki, a boy grieving his mother during World War II. Guided by a mysterious, talking gray heron, Mahito enters an abandoned tower that serves as a gateway to an eccentric parallel world. Inside the surreal afterlife realm, he encounters predatory parakeets, pelican flocks, and elemental forces while attempting to rescue his stepmother. Both this feature and ‘Wildwood’ frame avian beings as pivotal guides and adversaries across a perilous portal fantasy landscape.

‘Spirited Away’ (2001)

This Academy Award-winning feature directed by Hayao Miyazaki follows ten-year-old Chihiro, who is accidentally stranded in a mystical bathhouse for spirits. After a powerful sorceress transforms her parents into pigs, Chihiro must secure employment and navigate intricate supernatural politics to win their freedom. Chihiro forms vital alliances with river spirits, soot sprites, and transformed creatures to survive the perilous spirit hierarchy. The plot mirrors ‘Wildwood’ in depicting a determined young girl thrust into an unfamiliar realm ruled by formidable magical matriarchs.

‘The Spiderwick Chronicles’ (2008)

Based on the fantasy book series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black, this live-action film follows the Grace children after they move into an isolated estate. Jared Grace discovers an enchanted field guide that reveals an entire ecosystem of fairies, brownies, and goblins coexisting secretly with humans. The siblings are forced to mount a defense against an ogre leader named Mulgarath, who commands a violent goblin horde to seize the knowledge. Its premise of an invisible magical frontier existing directly adjacent to everyday human civilization reflects the core geography of ‘Wildwood’.

‘The Secret of NIMH’ (1982)

Directed by Don Bluth, this hand-drawn animated classic adapts Robert C. O’Brien’s novel about a widowed field mouse named Mrs. Brisby. In a bid to save her sick son from an approaching tractor plow, Mrs. Brisby seeks out a hidden colony of hyper-intelligent laboratory rats. The colony is embroiled in internal political conflict, mystical technology, and imminent danger from external threats. The hidden animal society with distinct factions, ceremonial wisdom, and woodland dangers directly evokes the political landscape of ‘Wildwood’.

‘A Monster Calls’ (2016)

Directed by J.A. Bayona, this dark fantasy drama adapts Patrick Ness’s acclaimed novel about twelve-year-old Conor O’Malley. Struggling with his mother’s terminal illness and relentless school bullying, Conor is visited past midnight by an ancient, towering yew tree monster. The creature narrates three parabolic tales containing morally ambiguous fables to help the boy confront uncomfortable truths. The story explores wilderness mythology as an emotional conduit for grief and youthful transformation, echoing the deeper psychological undertones of ‘Wildwood’.

‘Where the Wild Things Are’ (2009)

Directed by Spike Jonze, this adaptation of Maurice Sendak’s picture book follows a lonely boy named Max who sails to an uncharted island. Max is crowned king by a community of towering, emotionally volatile woodland beasts who crave companionship and stability. As Max struggles to keep peace among the diverse personalities in the group, he learns the heavy burden of leadership and adult emotions. Its raw, naturalistic wilderness atmosphere and complex creature interactions resonate strongly with the tone established in ‘Wildwood’.

Share which of these fantastical wilderness adventures captured your imagination the most in the comments.