Redefining what is possible with CGI and fantasy while introducing us to the world of Pandora is Avatar, directed by James Cameron. In the original film, Marine Jake Sully takes his brother’s place in a mission on the world of Pandora after he is killed in a robbery. While learning about the native Na’vi, the humans are truly there to mine the precious metal scattered throughout the Na’vi’s homeland. But, when Sully successfully infiltrates the Na’vi community with the use of an “avatar” identity, he realizes he needs to take a stand to protect the fate of Pandora.
If you enjoy other worlds filled with fantasy and science fiction, or ones that explore the drive for humans to conquer, check out these seven other great movies like Avatar for your next movie night.
7. Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001)
Our seventh selection for movies like Avatar is the only animated film on the list, Atlantis: The Lost Empire. While not a completely new planet, young linguist Milo Thatch does encounter an ancient group of people, the Atlantians. It’s 1914, and Milo works in the basement of a museum, knowing that the legend of Atlantis is real and can be unlocked with the Shephard’s journal. When an old friend of his grandfather gives him the journal, he also provides equipment and a crew to find Atlantis once and for all, but not everyone’s true intentions are honorable.
–IMDb score: 6.9
6. Prometheus (2012)
Next up on our movies like Avatar list is Prometheus, one of the many installments from the Alien franchise. While not stealing anything, humans get more than they bargained for when searching for extraterrestrial life. It’s 2093, and Doctor Elizabeth Shaw, alongside Charlie Holloway, are embarking on a deep-space journey to explore the existence of a supernatural species called the Engineers. When they venture onto the desolate exomoon though, more questions arise than answers, and the threat to mankind may be more dangerous than ever.
–IMDb score: 7.0
5. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
Of course, we can’t have a movies like Avatar list without including the second installment in the series, Avatar: The Way of Water. Jake Sully has built a family with Neytiri on Pandora, successfully getting rid of many dangerous humans for years. But, when a familiar threat returns to finish what they started, Jake must work with Netiri and the army of the Na’vi to protect their home, including new Na’vi tribes from mostly water-based lands.
–IMDb score: 7.5
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4. Rise of the Planet of the Apes (2011)
Another huge science fiction series, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, ranks fourth on our list of movies like Avatar. Everything started with a chimpanzee named Caesar and a substance that gave advanced intelligence to him. Caesar is raised by the drug’s creator, Will Rodman, and primatologist Caroline Aranha until he is taken away and imprisoned in an ape sanctuary in San Bruno. Seeking justice for himself and his fellow inmates, Caesar gives the apes the same drug he received, creating an intelligent simian army that could change the world forever. While not mining for a prized metal, the film explores the idea of humans versus another race.
–IMDb score: 7.6
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3. Dune (2021)
Jumping into the top three movies like Avatar is Dune, where groups of humans fight over precious commodities on a foreign planet instead of humans versus aliens. Paul Atreides is the gifted son of the steward of Arrakis, a planet filled with precious resources and dangerous forces. As tensions build across the planet, Paul must figure out his destiny in a world where only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
–IMDb score: 8.0
2. Aliens (1986)
We cannot have a movies like Avatar list without including Aliens, one of the quintessential aliens vs. humans films centered around resources. Set 57 years after the first film and Ellen Ripley’s encounter with the reptilian alien, she is called back to action to fight off more extraterrestrials. This time, the aliens have taken over a space colony on the moon LV-426. Using modified firepower, the Marines and Ellen will quickly realize they are up against a greater force and will have to fight for their lives.
–IMDb score: 8.4
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1. Interstellar (2014)
Last but not least on our movies like Avatar list is Interstellar. While there are no aliens in the film, Earth is dying, and the human race must find another planet with sufficient resources to survive. As devastating sandstorms ravage an uninhabitable Earth, pilot Joseph Cooper is recruited for a mission to fly into a wormhole and find a new home for humanity. Cooper must decide whether to stay with his family on a dying planet, or try and save future generations by leaving them behind and exploring planets unlike our own.
–IMDb score: 8.7
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