Best Movies like Jumanji (1995)

Zathura: A Space Adventure centers on siblings whose home becomes a battleground for otherworldly threats after they activate a magical board game, creating escalating challenges and forcing family members to rely on one another—an echo of the unpredictable, game-driven chaos that defines Jumanji’s narrative structure and sense of wonder.

After their father is called into work, two young boys, Walter and Danny, are left in the care of their teenage sister, Lisa, and told they must stay inside. Walter and Danny, who anticipate a boring day, are shocked when they begin playing Zathura, a space-themed board game, which they realize has mystical powers when their house is shot into space. With the help of an astronaut, the boys attempt to return home. Zathura: A Space Adventure is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 6.5 by 3,657 people. The movie made an estimated total of $65,079,104 in the box office.

Night at the Museum follows a regular person unexpectedly drawn into a magical situation when museum exhibits come to life, much like the way everyday life is upended by fantastical events in Jumanji. Both films blend real-world settings with magical elements and focus on the chaos that ensues.

Chaos reigns at the natural history museum when night watchman Larry Daley accidentally stirs up an ancient curse, awakening Attila the Hun, an army of gladiators, a Tyrannosaurus rex and other exhibits. Night at the Museum is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 6.6 by 11,086 people. The movie made an estimated total of $574,480,841 in the box office.

The Spiderwick Chronicles shares Jumanji’s theme of children encountering a hidden magical world that disrupts their lives. Both stories revolve around young protagonists facing supernatural creatures and dangers after stumbling upon an enchanted object, blending adventure and fantasy with family dynamics.

Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures. The Spiderwick Chronicles is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 35m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 6.7 by 2,916 people. The movie made an estimated total of $164,200,000 in the box office.

Bridge to Terabithia explores how children create and traverse magical worlds as an escape from their everyday lives. Like Jumanji, it emphasizes child protagonists entering fantastical realms, facing transformative experiences, and deepening their connections with each other in the process.

Jesse Aarons trained all summer to become the fastest runner in school. So he's very upset when newcomer Leslie Burke outruns him and everyone else. Despite this and other differences including that she's rich, he's poor, she's a city girl, and he's a country boy the two become fast friends. Together they create Terabithia, a land of monsters, trolls, ogres, and giants where they rule as king and queen. Bridge to Terabithia is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 35m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 7.3 by 5,387 people. The movie made an estimated total of $137,587,063 in the box office.

Goosebumps features characters facing unleashed monsters after real-world objects become conduits for supernatural occurrences, paralleling Jumanji’s premise of everyday spaces invaded by imagination and danger. Both movies turn childhood fantasy into real, unpredictable peril and adventure in a modern setting.

After moving to a small town, Zach Cooper finds a silver lining when he meets next door neighbor Hannah, the daughter of bestselling Goosebumps series author R.L. Stine. When Zach unintentionally unleashes real monsters from their manuscripts and they begin to terrorize the town, it’s suddenly up to Stine, Zach and Hannah to get all of them back in the books where they belong. Goosebumps is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 43m runtime, released in 2015 with an average rating of 6.3 by 4,024 people. The movie made an estimated total of $158,952,243 in the box office.

The NeverEnding Story centers on a child swept into a magical adventure by a mysterious book, blending fantasy creatures and world-altering tasks. This mirrors Jumanji’s setup, where an enchanted game draws children into otherworldly challenges that transform their reality and require courage to overcome.

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. The NeverEnding Story is a movie from Germany in German, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 1984 with an average rating of 7.2 by 4,443 people. The movie made an estimated total of $20,158,808 in the box office.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe features siblings entering a magical world through a mundane object, leading to epic battles with fantastical beings. Both movies intertwine the ordinary and extraordinary, focusing on young people’s bravery under magical duress.

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 Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 23m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 7.1 by 11,654 people. The movie made an estimated total of $745,013,115 in the box office.

Monster House puts children at the center of supernatural chaos when their neighborhood home becomes monstrous. Like Jumanji, it mixes the ordinary setting of suburbia with startling fantasy threats, pushing its young characters to bond and outwit magical dangers they never expected.

Monsters under the bed are scary enough, but what happens when an entire house is out to get you? Three teens aim to find out when they go up against a decrepit neighboring home and unlock its frightening secrets. Monster House is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 31m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 6.7 by 4,391 people. The movie made an estimated total of $140,175,006 in the box office.

Inkheart revolves around characters whose lives become entangled with fantastical beings brought forth by reading a magical book. This idea of reality blending with fantasy objects and the unintended consequences of such magical interactions connects closely with Jumanji’s core conflict.

The adventures of a father and his young daughter, in their search for a long lost book that will help reunite a missing, close relative. Inkheart is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 46m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 6.3 by 2,304 people. The movie made an estimated total of $62,803,180 in the box office.

The Indian in the Cupboard is about a young boy discovering that a toy comes to life thanks to a magical object, resulting in adventures and unforeseen difficulties. Both stories use enchanted items to turn regular homes into sites of wonder and surprise for child protagonists.

A nine-year-old boy gets a plastic Indian and a cupboard for his birthday and finds himself involved in adventure when the Indian comes to life and befriends him. The Indian in the Cupboard is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 6.5 by 700 people. The movie made an estimated total of $35,700,000 in the box office.

Alice in Wonderland follows its protagonist down a rabbit hole into a surreal and magical realm, echoing the concept of Jumanji’s characters being thrown into an unpredictable world brimming with fantastical creatures and challenging tasks. Both films center on ordinary people confronted by extraordinary realities.

Alice, now 19 years old, returns to the whimsical world she first entered as a child and embarks on a journey to discover her true destiny. Alice in Wonderland is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 6.6 by 14,954 people. The movie made an estimated total of $1,025,467,110 in the box office.

Labyrinth draws its audience into a fantasy quest as a teenager navigates a dreamlike world filled with strange creatures to save a loved one. It shares Jumanji’s motif of characters struggling through enchanted landscapes where everything is just a bit askew from reality.

Frustrated with babysitting on yet another weekend night, Sarah, a teenager with an active imagination, summons the Goblins to take her baby stepbrother away. When little Toby actually disappears, Sarah must follow him into a fantastical world to rescue him from the Goblin King. Guarding his castle is the labyrinth itself, a twisted maze of deception, populated with outrageous characters and unknown dangers. Labyrinth is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 1986 with an average rating of 7.3 by 2,802 people. The movie made an estimated total of $12,729,917 in the box office.

Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone introduces viewers to a hidden magical world existing alongside the everyday, following a young protagonist as he discovers his own powers. Both movies blend familiar settings with adventure, magical creatures, and the challenge of overcoming supernatural obstacles.

Harry Potter has lived under the stairs at his aunt and uncle's house his whole life. But on his 11th birthday, he learns he's a powerful wizard—with a place waiting for him at the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he learns to harness his newfound powers with the help of the school's kindly headmaster, Harry uncovers the truth about his parents' deaths—and about the villain who's to blame. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 2h 32m runtime, released in 2001 with an average rating of 7.9 by 29,907 people. The movie made an estimated total of $976,475,550 in the box office.

The Pagemaster centers on a young boy who becomes lost in a library and is transported into a world of imagination, where stories come alive. This mirrors Jumanji’s premise, with a central focus on the transformative power of magical objects and the fantastical trials they unleash.

Rich knows a lot about accidents. So much so, he is scared to do anything that might endanger him, like riding his bike, or climbing into his treehouse. While in an old library, he is mystically transported into the unknown world of books, and he has to try and get home again. The Pagemaster is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 15m runtime, released in 1994 with an average rating of 6.4 by 798 people. The movie made an estimated total of $13,670,688 in the box office.

Coraline involves a child protagonist discovering an alternate, magical world hidden in her home. This exploration of secret portals, wondrous but perilous alternate realities, and the journey toward courage and maturity is closely aligned with Jumanji’s own blend of fantasy and personal growth.

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. Coraline is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 40m runtime, released in 2009 with an average rating of 7.9 by 9,223 people. The movie made an estimated total of $185,860,104 in the box office.

ParaNorman follows a child who must handle supernatural occurrences affecting his town, blending youthful perspective with paranormal threats. Both films mix real-world locations with magical disturbances and highlight how young people rise to the occasion when faced with fantastical challenges.

In the town of Blithe Hollow, Norman Babcock can speak to the dead, but no one other than his eccentric new friend believes his ability is real. One day, Norman's eccentric uncle tells him of a ritual he must perform to protect the town from a curse cast by a witch centuries ago. ParaNorman is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 7.0 by 2,825 people. The movie made an estimated total of $107,307,220 in the box office.

The Borrowers features miniature people living secretly within a house, introducing unseen magic to a familiar setting. Like Jumanji, it employs an ordinary backdrop transformed by extraordinary beings, centering on young characters discovering and interacting with the magical elements hidden all around them.

The four-inch-tall Clock family secretly share a house with the normal-sized Lender family, "borrowing" such items as thread, safety pins, batteries and scraps of food. However, their peaceful co-existence is disturbed when evil lawyer Ocious P. Potter steals the will granting title to the house, which he plans to demolish in order to build apartments. The Lenders are forced to move, and the Clocks face the risk of being exposed to the normal-sized world. The Borrowers is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 27m runtime, released in 1997 with an average rating of 6.1 by 532 people. The movie made an estimated total of $22,619,699 in the box office.

Small Soldiers is about toys that come to life due to technological meddling, leading to chaos for an unsuspecting family. This premise—ordinary objects becoming cause for mayhem in a household—parallels Jumanji’s central idea of everyday environments overtaken by magical disruptions.

When missile technology is used to enhance toy action figures, the toys soon begin to take their battle programming too seriously. Small Soldiers is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 50m runtime, released in 1998 with an average rating of 6.6 by 2,370 people. The movie made an estimated total of $54,682,547 in the box office.

The Phantom Tollbooth depicts a young boy transported via magical means into a realm of fantasy and riddles, where he must overcome strange obstacles to return home. Its plot of ordinary-to-extraordinary transformation closely mirrors the structure found in Jumanji’s board game adventure.

The Phantom Tollbooth, based upon the children's adventure novel by Norton Juster, tells the story of a bored young boy named Milo. Unexpectedly receiving a magic tollbooth and, having nothing better to do, Milo drives through it and enters a kingdom in turmoil following the loss of its princesses, Rhyme and Reason. The Phantom Tollbooth is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 1970 with an average rating of 6.9 by 84 people.

Five Children and It involves children who discover a magical creature with wish-granting powers, resulting in adventures with unintended consequences. The core of young protagonists encountering something supernatural and reckoning with its unpredictable results strongly resembles Jumanji’s narrative beats.

The Psammead is an 'it', an ancient, ill-tempered sand-fairy with a spider-shaped body, bat-like ears, and snail-like eyes. It is grumpy but has the power to grant one wish a day, which must be made before sunset. Five siblings—Cyril, Anthea, Robert, Jane, and infant Hilary—encounter It and experience the highs and lows of frivolous wish-making. Five Children and It is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 28m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 5.6 by 233 people. The movie made an estimated total of $5,072,125 in the box office.

The BFG tells of a child who discovers a magical world inhabited by fantastical beings after meeting a mysterious outsider. Like Jumanji, it centers on a young person drawn into a secret and dangerous magical reality, blending childlike wonder with episodes of peril and courage.

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. The BFG is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 57m runtime, released in 2016 with an average rating of 6.3 by 3,673 people. The movie made an estimated total of $195,243,411 in the box office.

Pan's Labyrinth features a young girl navigating an enchanted yet often perilous fantasy realm, echoing Jumanji’s concept of ordinary children traversing mystical worlds filled with strange creatures and daunting trials. Both narratives blend reality with fantasy to explore deeper themes of escape and courage.

In post–civil war Spain, 10-year-old Ofelia moves with her pregnant mother to live under the control of her cruel stepfather. Drawn into a mysterious labyrinth, she meets a faun who reveals that she may be a lost princess from an underground kingdom. To return to her true father, she must complete a series of surreal and perilous tasks that blur the line between reality and fantasy. Pan's Labyrinth is a movie from Mexico in Spanish, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 2006 with an average rating of 7.8 by 11,608 people. The movie made an estimated total of $83,258,226 in the box office.

Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events follows siblings thrust into a series of dangerous situations involving eccentric adults and macabre mysteries. This focus on children forced to use their wits in extraordinary, often perilous circumstances connects with Jumanji’s core dynamic.

Three wealthy children's parents are killed in a fire. When they are sent to a distant relative, they find out that he is plotting to kill them and seize their fortune. Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 48m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 6.8 by 5,346 people. The movie made an estimated total of $209,073,645 in the box office.

The Kid Who Would Be King involves a group of schoolchildren discovering that legendary magic has invaded their contemporary world, demanding teamwork and bravery to confront supernatural foes. Like Jumanji, it aligns kids’ everyday experiences with the adventure and danger of magical forces spilling into reality.

Old-school magic meets the modern world when young Alex stumbles upon the mythical sword Excalibur. He soon unites his friends and enemies, and they become knights who join forces with the legendary wizard Merlin. Together, they must save mankind from the wicked enchantress Morgana and her army of supernatural warriors. The Kid Who Would Be King is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 2019 with an average rating of 6.2 by 851 people. The movie made an estimated total of $32,140,970 in the box office.

Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief features a young protagonist who is drawn into a world of magic and myth, facing extraordinary challenges and monstrous creatures. Both movies spotlight children navigating wondrous, dangerous worlds triggered by seemingly ordinary events.

Accident prone teenager, Percy discovers he's actually a demi-God, the son of Poseidon, and he is needed when Zeus' lightning is stolen. Percy must master his new found skills in order to prevent a war between the Gods that could devastate the entire world. Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 6.2 by 7,901 people. The movie made an estimated total of $226,497,209 in the box office.

Explorers follows kids who construct a spaceship and journey into the unknown, blending the familiarity of childhood friendship with the thrill of fantastic adventure. Both Jumanji and Explorers center on youth protagonists facing the unknown with courage and resourcefulness.

Middle schooler Ben spends his free time watching sci-fi films, playing video games and reading comic books. Surprisingly, his affinity for all things fantastical yields a real result – when he has a vivid dream about technology, his prodigy best friend Wolfgang manages to create a working spacecraft. Joined by their buddy Darren, the boys take off into outer space and encounter some very odd extraterrestrial life. Explorers is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 1985 with an average rating of 6.3 by 515 people. The movie made an estimated total of $9,900,000 in the box office.

The Forbidden Kingdom is about an ordinary teenager swept into a fantastical adventure when he discovers an enchanted artifact. This theme of everyday youth suddenly navigating magical realms because of a mysterious object reflects the central premise of Jumanji.

An American teenager who is obsessed with Hong Kong cinema and kung-fu classics makes an extraordinary discovery in a Chinatown pawnshop: the legendary stick weapon of the Chinese sage and warrior, the Monkey King. With the lost relic in hand, the teenager unexpectedly finds himself travelling back to ancient China to join a crew of warriors from martial arts lore on a dangerous quest to free the imprisoned Monkey King. The Forbidden Kingdom is a movie from China in English, with a total 1h 44m runtime, released in 2008 with an average rating of 6.6 by 1,958 people. The movie made an estimated total of $127,906,624 in the box office.

Ernest Scared Stupid features characters battling supernatural forces let loose in an unsuspecting small town, echoing Jumanji’s motif of extraordinary chaos erupting from everyday settings. Both movies center on combating magical threats that transform the mundane into the unpredictable.

Well-intentioned, eternally bumbling Ernest P. Worrell accidentally releases an evil demon from its sacred tomb. As the demon flexes its power and goes on a ruinous rampage, good-guy Ernest tries to step in to save the town from mass destruction. Trouble is, a 200-year-old curse has scared Ernest stupid, and that means hilarity all around! So, kick back and let the laugh-ridden adventures begin. Ernest Scared Stupid is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 31m runtime, released in 1991 with an average rating of 5.3 by 214 people.

The House with a Clock in Its Walls unfolds as a child enters a new home filled with magic and must stop supernatural dangers from spilling into everyday life. This blend of fantasy elements with ordinary childhood experience is a key theme shared with Jumanji.

When ten-year-old Lewis is suddenly orphaned, he is sent to live with his Uncle Jonathan in a creaky (and creepy) old mansion with a mysterious ticking noise that emanates from the walls. Upon discovering that his uncle is a warlock, Lewis begins learning magic, but when he rebelliously resurrects an evil warlock he must find the secret of the house and save the world from destruction. The House with a Clock in Its Walls is a movie from Canada in English, with a total 1h 45m runtime, released in 2018 with an average rating of 6.3 by 2,330 people. The movie made an estimated total of $131,523,093 in the box office.

Time Bandits sends a boy through different worlds and eras thanks to a magical map, placing him at the center of epic, whimsical chaos. Both films take young protagonists on unpredictable, high-stakes adventures triggered by enchanted objects, blending humor with fantasy storytelling.

Young history buff Kevin can scarcely believe it when six dwarfs emerge from his closet one night. Former employees of the Supreme Being, they've purloined a map charting all of the holes in the fabric of time and are using it to steal treasures from different historical eras. Taking Kevin with them, they variously drop in on Napoleon, Robin Hood and King Agamemnon before the Supreme Being catches up with them. Time Bandits is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 56m runtime, released in 1981 with an average rating of 6.6 by 1,175 people. The movie made an estimated total of $42,365,581 in the box office.

The Princess Bride involves a fantastical adventure filled with creatures, treacherous settings, and children as its audience, all framed within the context of a story being played out. Like Jumanji, it blends magical danger, humor, and childlike wonder into a memorable narrative.

In this enchantingly cracked fairy tale, the beautiful Princess Buttercup and the dashing Westley must overcome staggering odds to find happiness amid six-fingered swordsmen, murderous princes, Sicilians and rodents of unusual size. But even death can't stop these true lovebirds from triumphing. The Princess Bride is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 39m runtime, released in 1987 with an average rating of 7.7 by 5,201 people. The movie made an estimated total of $30,900,000 in the box office.

The Sorcerer's Apprentice centers on a young person who encounters a world of magic through contact with an extraordinary mentor and enchanted objects. The premise of discovering hidden magical realms beneath the everyday surface aligns closely with Jumanji’s core structure.

Balthazar Blake is a master sorcerer in modern-day Manhattan trying to defend the city from his arch-nemesis, Maxim Horvath. Balthazar can't do it alone, so he recruits Dave Stutler, a seemingly average guy who demonstrates hidden potential, as his reluctant protégé. The sorcerer gives his unwilling accomplice a crash course in the art and science of magic, and together, these unlikely partners work to stop the forces of darkness. The Sorcerer's Apprentice is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 2010 with an average rating of 6.1 by 5,333 people. The movie made an estimated total of $215,300,000 in the box office.

The Monster Squad gathers young characters in a suburban setting to battle supernatural creatures unleashed in their midst, relying on their resourcefulness and bravery. This dynamic, where kids face unpredictable threats in an ordinary world, resonates with the tone and structure of Jumanji.

Count Dracula returns to the world of humans accompanied by Frankenstein's Monster, the Wolfman, the Mummy, and the Gillman. The uglies are in search of a powerful amulet that will grant them the ability to rule the world. A group of horror-loving heroes are the only ones daring to stand in their way. The Monster Squad is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 22m runtime, released in 1987 with an average rating of 6.7 by 655 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,769,990 in the box office.

Return to Oz sees a familiar protagonist swept back into a magical world, where she must overcome fantastic obstacles to restore order. Its structure of a child navigating magical perils outside her control closely aligns with the set-up and progression found in Jumanji.

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. Return to Oz is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 1985 with an average rating of 6.7 by 1,081 people. The movie made an estimated total of $11,137,801 in the box office.

Flight of the Navigator is about a boy who is unexpectedly transported into a world of high adventure, encountering new challenges and forming unexpected bonds. Both films center on child protagonists experiencing the extraordinary through contact with otherworldly phenomena.

12-year-old David is accidentally knocked out in the forest near his home, but when he awakens eight years have passed. His family is overjoyed to have him back, but is just as perplexed as he is that he hasn't aged. When a NASA scientist discovers a UFO nearby, David gets the chance to unravel the mystery and recover the life he lost. Flight of the Navigator is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 1986 with an average rating of 7.0 by 966 people. The movie made an estimated total of $18,564,613 in the box office.