Best Movies like Men in Black (1997)

R.I.P.D. follows a police officer who joins a secret agency dealing with supernatural threats, paralleling Men in Black’s premise of law enforcement entering an undercover organization overseeing extraordinary (alien or afterlife) phenomena hidden from the public.

A recently slain cop joins a team of undead police officers working for the Rest in Peace Department and tries to find the man who murdered him. R.I.P.D. is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 5.9 by 4,339 people. The movie made an estimated total of $61,600,000 in the box office.

The Watch centers on a group facing off against aliens threatening their community, echoing the source film's focus on comedic alien encounters and Earth-based settings involving ordinary people confronting extraterrestrial threats.

Four everyday suburban guys come together as an excuse to escape their humdrum lives one night a week. But when they accidentally discover that their town has become overrun with aliens posing as ordinary suburbanites, they have no choice but to save their neighborhood – and the world – from total extermination. The Watch is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 5.6 by 2,502 people. The movie made an estimated total of $68,267,862 in the box office.

Ghostbusters features a team using unconventional means to monitor and battle non-human entities in New York City, similar to Men in Black’s agents policing alien activity, both mixing science fiction elements with comedic teamwork against extraordinary threats.

After losing their university jobs, three parapsychologists start a ghost-catching business in New York City and uncover a supernatural threat that could destroy the world. Ghostbusters is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 45m runtime, released in 1984 with an average rating of 7.5 by 9,865 people. The movie made an estimated total of $296,640,120 in the box office.

Men in Black II directly continues the adventures of Agents J and K, maintaining the core structure of a secret agency policing alien creatures in urban America, and the comedic partnership at the center of the series.

Kay and Jay reunite to provide our best, last and only line of defense against a sinister seductress who levels the toughest challenge yet to the MIB's untarnished mission statement – protecting Earth from the scum of the universe. It's been four years since the alien-seeking agents averted an intergalactic disaster of epic proportions. Now it's a race against the clock as Jay must convince Kay – who not only has absolutely no memory of his time spent with the MIB, but is also the only living person left with the expertise to save the galaxy – to reunite with the MIB before the earth submits to ultimate destruction. Men in Black II is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 28m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 6.4 by 10,778 people. The movie made an estimated total of $445,135,288 in the box office.

Bright also depicts an unconventional law enforcement pair in a city where hidden otherworldly beings coexist with humans, blending action, fantasy, and buddy-cop dynamics reminiscent of the premise driving Men in Black.

In an alternate present-day where magical creatures live among us, two L.A. cops become embroiled in a prophesied turf battle. Bright is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 57m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.2 by 6,026 people.

Evolution brings together an unlikely team dealing with alien organisms threatening Earth, sharing Men in Black’s science-fiction adventure structure and comedic approach to humanity’s encounter with invading extraterrestrials.

A comedy that follows the chaos that ensues when a meteor hits the Earth carrying alien life forms that give new meaning to the term "survival of the fittest." David Duchovny, Orlando Jones, Seann William Scott, and Julianne Moore are the only people standing between the aliens and world domination... which could be bad news for the Earth. Evolution is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 2001 with an average rating of 6.1 by 2,543 people. The movie made an estimated total of $98,376,292 in the box office.

Paul follows ordinary people as they encounter and attempt to protect an extraterrestrial on the run in America, mirroring Men in Black's blend of road-movie comedy and hidden alien societies within a contemporary setting.

For the past 60 years, a space-traveling smart-ass named Paul has been locked up in a top-secret military base, advising world leaders about his kind. But when he worries he’s outlived his usefulness and the dissection table is drawing uncomfortably close, Paul escapes on the first RV that passes by his compound in Area 51. Fortunately, it contains the two earthlings who are most likely to rescue and harbor an alien on the run. Paul is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 44m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 6.7 by 6,388 people. The movie made an estimated total of $98,000,000 in the box office.

The Brothers Grimm involves protagonists uncovering secret supernatural forces beneath everyday life, paralleling Men in Black’s theme of hidden worlds and the comedic dynamic of partners stumbling into extraordinary adventures.

Folklore collectors and con artists, Jake and Will Grimm, travel from village to village pretending to protect townsfolk from enchanted creatures and performing exorcisms. However, they are put to the test when they encounter a real magical curse in a haunted forest with real magical beings, requiring genuine courage. The Brothers Grimm is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 5.9 by 3,005 people. The movie made an estimated total of $105,300,000 in the box office.

Galaxy Quest draws humor from humans reluctantly facing intergalactic threats, combining the ensemble’s comedic chemistry with science fiction conflicts and an Earth-based cast navigating alien problems, a thematic pairing with Men in Black.

For four years, the courageous crew of the NSEA Protector — Commander Peter Quincy Taggart, Lieutenant Tawny Madison, and Doctor Lazarus — set off on a thrilling and often dangerous mission in space... until their series was cancelled! Now, twenty years later, aliens under attack have mistaken the Galaxy Quest television transmissions for "historical documents" and beam up the crew of has-been actors to save the universe. With no script, no director, and no clue, the actors must turn in the performances of their lives. Galaxy Quest is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 42m runtime, released in 1999 with an average rating of 7.1 by 2,585 people. The movie made an estimated total of $90,683,916 in the box office.

Hellboy centers on a covert organization that defends humanity from supernatural and alien entities, echoing Men in Black’s narrative of agents policing hidden threats and mixing action-adventure with comic-book absurdity.

In the final days of World War II, the Nazis attempt to use black magic to aid their dying cause. The Allies raid the camp where the ceremony is taking place, but not before they summon a baby demon who is rescued by Allied forces and dubbed "Hellboy". Sixty years later, Hellboy serves the cause of good rather than evil as an agent in the Bureau of Paranormal Research & Defense, along with Abe Sapien - a merman with psychic powers, and Liz Sherman - a woman with pyrokinesis, protecting America against dark forces. Hellboy is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 2m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 6.7 by 7,532 people. The movie made an estimated total of $99,318,987 in the box office.

The World's End depicts an ordinary location overtaken by alien influence and a mismatched group discovering a hidden invasion, aligning with Men in Black’s blend of mundane settings disrupted by extraterrestrial conflicts and comedic character responses.

Five friends who reunite in an attempt to top their epic pub crawl from 20 years earlier unwittingly become humankind's only hope for survival. The World's End is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.8 by 5,978 people. The movie made an estimated total of $46,100,000 in the box office.

Attack the Block places a group of unlikely defenders against a sudden alien invasion in an urban environment, similarly mixing science fiction, action, and humor involving everyday characters facing off against extraterrestrial threats.

A South London teen gang must team up with the other residents of their housing estate to protect the neighbourhood from a terrifying alien invasion. Attack the Block is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 28m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 6.5 by 2,317 people. The movie made an estimated total of $6,333,688 in the box office.

The Adjustment Bureau introduces a clandestine organization exerting invisible influence over people's lives, akin to the secretive Men in Black agency monitoring realities just beyond ordinary perception.

A man glimpses the future Fate has planned for him – and chooses to fight for his own destiny. Battling the powerful Adjustment Bureau across, under and through the streets of New York, he risks his destined greatness to be with the only woman he's ever loved. The Adjustment Bureau is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 46m runtime, released in 2011 with an average rating of 6.8 by 5,004 people. The movie made an estimated total of $127,900,000 in the box office.

Hellboy II: The Golden Army continues the saga of a hidden supernatural law-enforcement team, developing the concept of agents battling unseen threats in parallel with the structure and urban-fantasy premise established in Men in Black.

Hellboy, his pyrokinetic girlfriend, Liz, and aquatic empath, Abe Sapien, face their biggest battle when an underworld elven prince plans to reclaim Earth for his magical kindred. Tired of living in the shadow of humans, Prince Nuada tries to awaken an ancient force of killing machines, the all-powerful Golden Army, to clear the way for fantasy creatures to roam free. Only Hellboy can stop the dark prince and prevent humanity's annihilation. Hellboy II: The Golden Army is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 6.8 by 5,680 people. The movie made an estimated total of $160,388,063 in the box office.

Stargate explores contact with advanced alien civilizations and intergalactic diplomacy, echoing Men in Black’s theme of humans discovering and navigating complex interstellar relationships and threats.

An interstellar teleportation device, found in Egypt, leads to a planet with humans resembling ancient Egyptians who worship the god Ra. Stargate is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 1m runtime, released in 1994 with an average rating of 7.0 by 3,898 people. The movie made an estimated total of $196,567,262 in the box office.

Jupiter Ascending presents Earthlings uncovering their connection to vast alien empires and conspiracies, reflecting Men in Black’s motif of hidden alien dealings influencing events on Earth in a science fiction adventure framework.

In a universe where human genetic material is the most precious commodity, an impoverished young Earth woman becomes the key to strategic maneuvers and internal strife within a powerful dynasty… Jupiter Ascending is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 7m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 5.5 by 7,182 people. The movie made an estimated total of $184,000,000 in the box office.

The Fifth Element shares Men in Black’s fusion of science fiction action, Earth-based and intergalactic conflict, and comedic elements, all packaged within a narrative involving eccentric heroes tasked with protecting humanity from cosmic threats.

In 2257, a taxi driver is unintentionally given the task of saving a young girl who is part of the key that will ensure the survival of humanity. The Fifth Element is a movie from France in French, with a total 2h 6m runtime, released in 1997 with an average rating of 7.6 by 11,963 people. The movie made an estimated total of $263,920,180 in the box office.

Kingsman: The Secret Service revolves around an undercover agency recruiting a new member who must foil a global threat, paralleling Men in Black’s structure of secret organizations, mentorship, and action-comedy in contemporary settings.

The story of a super-secret spy organization that recruits an unrefined but promising street kid into the agency's ultra-competitive training program just as a global threat emerges from a twisted tech genius. Kingsman: The Secret Service is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 2h 9m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 7.6 by 17,988 people. The movie made an estimated total of $414,351,546 in the box office.

The Nice Guys features a mismatched detective duo investigating criminal conspiracies, mirroring Men in Black’s central partnership and comedic interplay in unraveling extraordinary threats hidden within modern society.

A private eye investigates the apparent suicide of a fading porn star in 1970s Los Angeles and uncovers a conspiracy. The Nice Guys is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 56m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 7.1 by 8,791 people. The movie made an estimated total of $71,261,763 in the box office.

District 9 examines the complexities of extraterrestrial beings integrated into human society, exploring themes of alien integration, coexistence, and conflict similar to those central in the Men in Black universe.

Thirty years ago, aliens arrive on Earth. Not to conquer or give aid, but to find refuge from their dying planet. Separated from humans in a South African area called District 9, the aliens are managed by Multi-National United, which is unconcerned with the aliens' welfare but will do anything to master their advanced technology. When a company field agent contracts a mysterious virus that begins to alter his DNA, there is only one place he can hide: District 9. District 9 is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 52m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 7.5 by 10,501 people. The movie made an estimated total of $210,888,950 in the box office.

Invasion of the Body Snatchers focuses on secret alien infiltration and the tension of hidden threats within familiar environments, echoing Men in Black’s foundation of covert extraterrestrial activity shaping daily life.

The residents of San Francisco are becoming drone-like shadows of their former selves, and as the phenomenon spreads, two Department of Health workers uncover the horrifying truth. Invasion of the Body Snatchers is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 56m runtime, released in 1978 with an average rating of 7.2 by 1,362 people. The movie made an estimated total of $24,946,533 in the box office.

Monsters vs Aliens features government involvement in managing otherworldly creatures and intergalactic dangers on Earth, resonating with Men in Black’s premise of official agencies surreptitiously protecting humanity from hidden alien threats.

When Susan Murphy is unwittingly clobbered by a meteor full of outer space gunk on her wedding day, she mysteriously grows to 49-feet-11-inches. The military jumps into action and captures Susan, secreting her away to a covert government compound. She is renamed Ginormica and placed in confinement with a ragtag group of Monsters... Monsters vs Aliens is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 34m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 6.3 by 5,056 people. The movie made an estimated total of $381,509,870 in the box office.

Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles highlights secretive, extraordinary beings living beneath a major city and engaging in comedic, action-driven adventures, aligning with Men in Black’s focus on hidden societies and urban-based heroics.

A quartet of humanoid turtles, trained by their mentor in Ninjutsu, must learn to work together to face the menace of Shredder and the Foot Clan. Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 6.7 by 1,990 people. The movie made an estimated total of $201,965,915 in the box office.

They Live revolves around a protagonist who discovers aliens disguised among humans and a clandestine fight against their hidden control, aligning with Men in Black’s themes of secret extraterrestrial presence and action within ordinary environments.

A lone drifter stumbles upon a unique pair of sunglasses that reveal aliens are systematically gaining control of the Earth by masquerading as humans and lulling the public into submission. They Live is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 1988 with an average rating of 7.3 by 3,549 people. The movie made an estimated total of $13,000,000 in the box office.

Night Watch explores a hidden world of supernatural forces influencing modern life and an organization tasked with keeping balance, a structure similar to the covert agency and monstrous threats found in Men in Black.

Among normal humans live the "Others" possessing various supernatural powers. They are divided up into the forces of light and the forces of the dark, who signed a truce several centuries ago to end a devastating battle. Ever since, the forces of light govern the day while the night belongs to their dark opponents. In modern day Moscow the dark Others actually roam the night as vampires while a "Night Watch" of light forces, among them Anton, the movie's protagonist, try to control them and limit their outrage Night Watch is a movie from Russia in Russian, with a total 1h 54m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 6.2 by 834 people. The movie made an estimated total of $50,336,279 in the box office.

Big Trouble in Little China plunges ordinary characters into a hidden underworld of magical threats within a contemporary city, paralleling the blend of comedy, action, and concealed fantastical dangers present in Men in Black.

Truck driver Jack Burton gets embroiled in a supernatural battle when his best friend Wang Chi's green-eyed fiancée is kidnapped by henchmen of the sorcerer Lo Pan, who must marry a girl with green eyes in order to return to the human realm. Big Trouble in Little China is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 1986 with an average rating of 7.2 by 3,434 people. The movie made an estimated total of $11,102,672 in the box office.

The Hidden features law enforcement tracking deadly extraterrestrial entities secretly operating among humans in an urban setting, a premise aligned with Men in Black’s mix of undercover agencies, alien infiltrators, and police procedural elements.

When average, law-abiding citizens suddenly turn to a life of hedonistic behavior and violent crime, Detective Tom Beck is tasked with helping young FBI agent Lloyd Gallagher determine the cause. The Hidden is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 37m runtime, released in 1987 with an average rating of 6.9 by 503 people. The movie made an estimated total of $9,747,988 in the box office.

Dark City introduces a city manipulated by mysterious non-human entities and explores reality-bending conspiracies, echoing Men in Black’s perspective of hidden forces shaping familiar environments.

A man struggles with memories of his past, including a wife he cannot remember, in a nightmarish world with no sun and run by beings with telekinetic powers who seek the souls of humans. Dark City is a movie from Australia in English, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 7.3 by 3,273 people. The movie made an estimated total of $27,200,000 in the box office.

Black Dynamite adopts a comedic, action-driven take on urban heroics, focusing on characters unraveling criminal conspiracies with stylized flair, comparable to the genre-blending and buddy-dynamic comedy-action structuring Men in Black.

This is the story of 1970s African-American action legend Black Dynamite. The Man killed his brother, pumped heroin into local orphanages, and flooded the ghetto with adulterated malt liquor. Black Dynamite was the one hero willing to fight The Man all the way from the blood-soaked city streets to the hallowed halls of the Honky House. Black Dynamite is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 25m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 7.1 by 718 people. The movie made an estimated total of $296,557 in the box office.

Push follows individuals with unusual abilities navigating clandestine government operations in a modern city, sharing Men in Black’s themes of hidden powers, secret agencies, and action-oriented journeys through urban landscapes.

After his father, an assassin, is brutally murdered, Nick Gant vows revenge on Division, the covert government agency that dabbles in psychic warfare and experimental drugs. Hiding in Hong Kong's underworld, Nick assembles a band of rogue psychics dedicated to destroying Division. Together with Cassie, a teenage clairvoyant, Nick goes in search of a missing girl and a stolen suitcase that could be the key to accomplishing their mutual goal. Push is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 51m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 6.1 by 2,477 people. The movie made an estimated total of $49,678,401 in the box office.

Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones presents galactic politics, assassination plots, and humans embroiled in interplanetary conflicts, echoing the high-stakes extraterrestrial intrigue and cosmic scale found in Men in Black.

Following an assassination attempt on Senator Padmé Amidala, Jedi Knights Anakin Skywalker and Obi-Wan Kenobi investigate a mysterious plot into the heart of the Separatist movement and the beginning of the Clone Wars. Star Wars: Episode II - Attack of the Clones is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 22m runtime, released in 2002 with an average rating of 6.6 by 14,532 people. The movie made an estimated total of $649,398,328 in the box office.

The Arrival deals with secret alien infiltration and humanity’s efforts to uncover extraterrestrial threats, closely related to Men in Black’s focus on covert monitoring of alien activity and the suspense of hidden non-human agents.

Zane Ziminski is an astrophysicist who receives a message that seems to have extraterrestrial origins. Eerily soon after his discovery, Zane is fired. He then embarks on a search to determine the origins of the transmission that leads him into a Hitchcockian labyrinth of paranoia and intrigue. The Arrival is a movie from Mexico in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 1996 with an average rating of 6.0 by 863 people. The movie made an estimated total of $14,063,331 in the box office.

End of Watch chronicles a police partnership confronting life-and-death stakes on city streets, reflecting Men in Black’s police-procedural roots and the central dynamic of a mismatched duo tackling dangerous assignments.

Two young officers are marked for death after confiscating a small cache of money and firearms from the members of a notorious cartel during a routine traffic stop. End of Watch is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 7.4 by 3,701 people. The movie made an estimated total of $55,078,146 in the box office.

Joe's Apartment places an ordinary tenant in an urban setting among talking, non-human creatures, infusing comedy into the concept of hidden subcultures alongside familiar locations, thematically resonating with Men in Black’s comedic take on secret societies.

A nice guy has just moved to New York and discovers that he must share his run-down apartment with a couple thousand singing, dancing cockroaches. Joe's Apartment is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 21m runtime, released in 1996 with an average rating of 5.8 by 385 people. The movie made an estimated total of $4,600,000 in the box office.

Who Framed Roger Rabbit blends live-action and hidden cartoon worlds in a comedic detective story, sharing Men in Black's premise of a protagonist encountering secret, fantastical communities within a familiar city and investigating irregular mysteries.

Toon star Roger is worried that his wife Jessica is playing pattycake with someone else, so the studio hires detective Eddie Valiant to snoop on her. But the stakes are quickly raised when Marvin Acme is found dead and Roger is the prime suspect. Who Framed Roger Rabbit is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 44m runtime, released in 1988 with an average rating of 7.5 by 6,266 people. The movie made an estimated total of $329,800,000 in the box office.