Best Movies like The Fifth Element (1997)

Lucy features a protagonist who stumbles into a larger conflict, echoing The Fifth Element's theme of an ordinary life disrupted by cosmic events and world-saving stakes. Both films are directed by Luc Besson, who blends science fiction with action and unique lead characters navigating extraordinary abilities.

A woman, accidentally caught in a dark deal, turns the tables on her captors and transforms into a merciless warrior evolved beyond human logic. Lucy is a movie from France in English, with a total 1h 29m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 6.5 by 17,227 people. The movie made an estimated total of $469,058,574 in the box office.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets shares with The Fifth Element a far-future science fiction universe filled with visual spectacle and imaginative world-building, as well as a narrative centered on preventing the destruction of humanity through reluctant heroes immersed in planet-spanning adventure.

In the 28th century, Valerian and Laureline are special operatives charged with keeping order throughout the human territories. On assignment from the Minister of Defense, the two undertake a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where species from across the universe have converged over centuries to share knowledge, intelligence, and cultures. At the center of Alpha is a mysterious dark force which threatens the peaceful existence of the City of a Thousand Planets, and Valerian and Laureline must race to identify the menace and safeguard not just Alpha, but the future of the universe. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets is a movie from France in English, with a total 2h 17m runtime, released in 2017 with an average rating of 6.7 by 8,135 people. The movie made an estimated total of $225,973,340 in the box office.

Total Recall, like The Fifth Element, is set in a futuristic world and follows a protagonist thrust from mundane existence into a dangerous journey to save humanity, blending action, inventive technology, and extraterrestrial threats within a sprawling science fiction story.

Construction worker Douglas Quaid's obsession with the planet Mars leads him to visit Rekall, a virtual vacation company that manufactures memories. When something goes wrong during Quaid's memory implant procedure, his life turns upside down, leading him to question what is reality and what isn't. Total Recall is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 53m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 7.3 by 6,582 people. The movie made an estimated total of $261,317,921 in the box office.

Blade Runner is set in a technologically advanced future and explores survival in a world shaped by humanity’s creations. While its tone is darker, it shares with The Fifth Element an imaginativeist vision of the future and the entwining of individual stories with large-scale consequences for humanity.

In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans. Blade Runner is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 58m runtime, released in 1982 with an average rating of 7.9 by 15,201 people. The movie made an estimated total of $41,722,424 in the box office.

Dark City and The Fifth Element both position a man in an urbanized, stylized future who gradually uncovers his importance in an existential threat to mankind, blending science fiction, action, and the struggle to unravel a world-changing mystery.

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.

The Matrix presents a protagonist yanked from an ordinary life into the center of a struggle for humanity’s future in a richly constructed science fiction universe, mirroring The Fifth Element’s themes of reluctant heroism and the battle against existential catastrophe.

Set in the 22nd century, The Matrix tells the story of a computer hacker who joins a group of underground insurgents fighting the vast and powerful computers who now rule the earth. The Matrix is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 16m runtime, released in 1999 with an average rating of 8.3 by 28,355 people. The movie made an estimated total of $463,517,383 in the box office.

The Empire Strikes Back unfolds in a distant future and centers on a diverse group fighting to save civilization, matching The Fifth Element’s focus on galaxy-spanning adventure, battle for survival, inventive technology, and characters swept into epic destinies.

The epic saga continues as Luke Skywalker, in hopes of defeating the evil Galactic Empire, learns the ways of the Jedi from aging master Yoda. But Darth Vader is more determined than ever to capture Luke. Meanwhile, rebel leader Princess Leia, cocky Han Solo, Chewbacca, and droids C-3PO and R2-D2 are thrown into various stages of capture, betrayal and despair. The Empire Strikes Back is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 4m runtime, released in 1980 with an average rating of 8.4 by 18,641 people. The movie made an estimated total of $538,400,000 in the box office.

Jupiter Ascending tells of a young woman unknowingly key to humanity’s fate, paralleling The Fifth Element’s narrative of ordinary individuals discovering world-saving significance in a futuristic universe filled with imaginative settings and high-stakes conflict.

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.

Galaxy Quest uses a far-future setting and an ensemble of unlikely heroes who are pulled into interstellar danger, reminiscent of The Fifth Element’s mix of action, humor, and saving humanity amidst advanced technology and cosmic peril.

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.

Serenity features a ragtag crew on a spaceship facing existential threats in a richly depicted science fiction world. Like The Fifth Element, its structure centers on saving humanity, reluctant heroes, and an adventure-filled narrative set against the backdrop of a future society.

A group of rebels travel the outskirts of space evading the sinister Alliance regime. Their lives of smuggling and cargo-running are interrupted by a psychic passenger who harbours a dangerous secret. Soon, the crew find themselves being pursued by an Alliance agent who will stop at nothing to find them. Serenity is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 7.4 by 3,936 people. The movie made an estimated total of $38,869,464 in the box office.

Men in Black shares The Fifth Element’s blend of science fiction and action in a world where everyday characters confront alien threats, both utilizing inventive futuristic technology and weaving humor into stories about safeguarding mankind.

After a police chase with an otherworldly being, a New York City cop is recruited as an agent in a top-secret organization established to monitor and police alien activity on Earth: the Men in Black. Agent K and new recruit Agent J find themselves in the middle of a deadly plot by an intergalactic terrorist who has arrived on Earth to assassinate two ambassadors from opposing galaxies. Men in Black is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 1997 with an average rating of 7.2 by 15,022 people. The movie made an estimated total of $589,390,539 in the box office.

The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension offers a science fiction adventure where eccentric heroes combat peril threatening humanity, aligning with The Fifth Element’s creative blend of genres and its narrative of saving the world through unexpected characters.

Adventurer/surgeon/rock musician Buckaroo Banzai and his band of men, the Hong Kong Cavaliers, take on evil alien invaders from the 8th dimension. The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 43m runtime, released in 1984 with an average rating of 6.0 by 504 people. The movie made an estimated total of $6,254,148 in the box office.

Innerspace presents a protagonist unexpectedly caught up in a larger-than-life adventure with world-altering consequences, paralleling The Fifth Element’s blend of reluctant heroism, imaginative technology, and a high-stakes race to avert disaster.

Test pilot Tuck Pendleton volunteers to test a special vessel for a miniaturization experiment. Accidentally injected into a neurotic hypochondriac, Jack Putter, Tuck must convince Jack to find his ex-girlfriend, Lydia Maxwell, to help him extract Tuck and his ship and re-enlarge them before his oxygen runs out. Innerspace is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 0m runtime, released in 1987 with an average rating of 6.8 by 1,429 people. The movie made an estimated total of $25,900,000 in the box office.

The Chronicles of Riddick centers on an outlaw entwined in a fight for humanity’s survival across distant worlds, akin to The Fifth Element’s setting and overarching life-or-death conflict, blending action, science fiction, and the journey of a reluctant protagonist.

After years of outrunning ruthless bounty hunters, escaped convict Riddick suddenly finds himself caught between opposing forces in a fight for the future of the human race. Now, waging incredible battles on fantastic and deadly worlds, this lone, reluctant hero will emerge as humanity's champion - and the last hope for a universe on the edge of annihilation. The Chronicles of Riddick is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 59m runtime, released in 2004 with an average rating of 6.6 by 4,575 people. The movie made an estimated total of $115,772,733 in the box office.

The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy features an everyman pushed into a galaxy-spanning quest to save humanity, bringing together humor, adventurous storytelling, and imaginative futuristic elements much like The Fifth Element’s approach to epic, otherworldly rescue.

Mere seconds before the Earth is to be demolished by an alien construction crew, Arthur Dent is swept off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher penning a new edition of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy." The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 49m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 6.7 by 4,315 people. The movie made an estimated total of $104,500,000 in the box office.

Guardians of the Galaxy shares an outer-space setting, ensemble cast, and a central focus on a mismatched group tasked with stopping a threat to civilization, echoing The Fifth Element’s combination of adventure, inventive technology, and offbeat heroism.

Light years from Earth, 26 years after being abducted, Peter Quill finds himself the prime target of a manhunt after discovering an orb wanted by Ronan the Accuser. Guardians of the Galaxy is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 1m runtime, released in 2014 with an average rating of 7.9 by 30,030 people. The movie made an estimated total of $772,776,600 in the box office.

Starchaser: The Legend of Orin involves a reluctant hero thrust into an intergalactic adventure with humanity’s fate at stake, echoing The Fifth Element’s futuristic world, sweeping journey, and theme of unexpected saviors.

Set on the subterranean Mine-World, a band of human worker are treated like slaves under the power of the evil overlord Zygon until one, Orin, unearths the hilt of a mythical sword that only he can master. Escaping the planet, he runs into the rogue smuggler Dagg and a pair of helpful droids and the princess, who all team up to return to the Mine-World with a plan to defeat Zygon and free Orin's enslaved people. Starchaser: The Legend of Orin is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 47m runtime, released in 1985 with an average rating of 6.3 by 55 people. The movie made an estimated total of $3,360,800 in the box office.

Explorers centers on ordinary individuals encountering advanced technology and being swept into extraordinary interstellar adventures, similar to The Fifth Element’s juxtaposition of everyday life and cosmic destinies in a sci-fi context.

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.

Escape from New York situates its protagonist in a dystopian urban future where survival hinges on the efforts of a reluctant hero, reflecting the structure and setting of The Fifth Element’s action-driven fight to avert catastrophe.

In a world ravaged by crime, the entire island of Manhattan has been converted into a walled prison where brutal prisoners roam free. After the US president crash-lands inside, war hero Snake Plissken has 24 hours to bring him back. Escape from New York is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 39m runtime, released in 1981 with an average rating of 7.0 by 3,578 people. The movie made an estimated total of $50,244,700 in the box office.

Demolition Man, set in a future society, features a protagonist forced to save the world from existential danger, mirroring The Fifth Element’s themes of advanced societal order, disruptive individuals, and the battle for humanity’s survival.

In 1996, brash L.A. detective John Spartan and maniac killer Simon Phoenix are both sentenced to decades in a cryogenic prison as punishment for a rescue mission gone wrong. When Phoenix escapes 36 years later to wreak havoc on the future, Spartan is awakened to capture his nemesis the old-fashioned way. Demolition Man is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 55m runtime, released in 1993 with an average rating of 6.8 by 4,185 people. The movie made an estimated total of $159,055,768 in the box office.

Maz Jobrani: I Come in Peace is included due to its science fiction-themed title, indicating a possible comedic reflection on interspecies relations and peacekeeping, concepts found amid the humor and futuristic setting in The Fifth Element.

Maz Jobrani goes to Stockholm, Sweden for his third stand-up special and he shows that comedy can truly be a diplomatic tool when he makes an international audience laugh at topics from his family, to racism, politics and media. "I Come in Peace" is a comedy special that will have you laughing out loud while making you think. Maz Jobrani: I Come in Peace is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 12m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 7.4 by 8 people.

Space Sweepers, much like The Fifth Element, operates in a futuristic universe where a group becomes involved in a struggle with galaxy-wide consequences, blending inventive action, advanced technology, and reluctant characters thrust into heroic roles.

When the crew of a space junk collector ship called The Victory discovers a humanoid robot named Dorothy that's known to be a weapon of mass destruction, they get involved in a risky business deal which puts their lives at stake. Space Sweepers is a movie from South Korea in Korean, with a total 2h 16m runtime, released in 2021 with an average rating of 7.0 by 1,161 people. The movie made an estimated total of $24,571 in the box office.

Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone follows an adventure in a science fiction setting centered on rescue and survival in a dangerous alien environment, aligning with The Fifth Element’s core structure of future worlds and life-or-death missions.

On a distant planet inhabited by mutants, two bounty hunters race to rescue three Earth female captives from the clutches of an evil warlord. Spacehunter: Adventures in the Forbidden Zone is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 30m runtime, released in 1983 with an average rating of 5.4 by 140 people. The movie made an estimated total of $16,478,265 in the box office.

Oblivion features a protagonist navigating a post-apocalyptic world with high-stakes mysteries about the fate of humanity, similar to The Fifth Element’s focus on unraveling a cosmic threat to survival within a visually creative sci-fi landscape.

Jack Harper is one of the last few drone repairmen stationed on Earth. Part of a massive operation to extract vital resources after decades of war with a terrifying threat known as the Scavs, Jack’s mission is nearly complete. His existence is brought crashing down when he rescues a beautiful stranger from a downed spacecraft. Her arrival triggers a chain of events that forces him to question everything he knows and puts the fate of humanity in his hands. Oblivion is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 4m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.7 by 11,677 people. The movie made an estimated total of $286,168,572 in the box office.

Æon Flux takes place in a distant future with a heroine trying to prevent catastrophe, mirroring The Fifth Element’s blend of science fiction, action, and the journey of a central character unraveling their importance to humanity’s survival.

400 years into the future, disease has wiped out the majority of the world's population, except one walled city, Bregna, ruled by a congress of scientists. When Æon Flux, the top operative in the underground 'Monican' rebellion, is sent on a mission to kill a government leader, she uncovers a world of secrets. Æon Flux is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 33m runtime, released in 2005 with an average rating of 5.6 by 2,494 people. The movie made an estimated total of $53,321,673 in the box office.

Cyborg merges a post-apocalyptic future with high-stakes action and a protagonist vital to humanity’s continued existence, comparable with The Fifth Element’s use of advanced technology and the journey of a reluctant world-saver.

A martial artist hunts a killer in a plague-infested urban dump of the future. Cyborg is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 26m runtime, released in 1989 with an average rating of 5.7 by 841 people. The movie made an estimated total of $10,166,459 in the box office.

Outland is set in a future where an ordinary individual confronts corruption and danger on a distant outpost, resembling The Fifth Element’s narrative of everyday people becoming central to a struggle within a futuristic, isolated world.

On the sunless moon Io, Marshall William T. O’Niel goes toe-to-toe with the corrupt manager of a mining colony and his gang of roughnecks while investigating a rash of worker suicides. Outland is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 50m runtime, released in 1981 with an average rating of 6.4 by 716 people. The movie made an estimated total of $17,374,595 in the box office.

Strange Days explores the impact of advanced technology on society and the efforts of a protagonist to uncover a critical truth, lining up with The Fifth Element’s future setting, personal journeys, and the intersection of ordinary lives with world-altering events.

In the last days of 1999, ex-cop turned street hustler Lenny Nero receives a disc which contains the memories of the murder of a prostitute. With the help of bodyguard Mace, he starts to investigate and is pulled deeper and deeper in a whirl of murder, blackmail and intrigue. Strange Days is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 25m runtime, released in 1995 with an average rating of 7.0 by 1,583 people. The movie made an estimated total of $17,000,000 in the box office.

The Running Man revolves around a near-future world where a reluctant hero fights against a society threatening lives on a grand scale, akin to The Fifth Element’s conflict involving a larger conspiracy and the drive to avert disaster.

By 2017, the global economy has collapsed and U.S. society has become a totalitarian police state, censoring all cultural activity. The government pacifies the populace by broadcasting a number of game shows in which convicted criminals fight for their lives, including the gladiator-style The Running Man, hosted by the ruthless Damon Killian, where “runners” attempt to evade “stalkers” and certain death for a chance to be pardoned and set free. The Running Man is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 41m runtime, released in 1987 with an average rating of 6.5 by 2,906 people. The movie made an estimated total of $38,122,105 in the box office.

Dredd features a law enforcer in a dystopian future city who becomes central to confronting existential urban threats, reflecting The Fifth Element’s futuristic metropolis, action-centric narrative, and themes of fighting to restore safety.

In the future, America is a dystopian wasteland. The latest scourge is Ma-Ma, a prostitute-turned-drug pusher with a dangerous new drug and aims to take over the city. The only possibility of stopping her is an elite group of urban police called Judges, who combine the duties of judge, jury and executioner to deliver a brutal brand of swift justice. But even the top-ranking Judge, Dredd, discovers that taking down Ma-Ma isn’t as easy as it seems in this explosive adaptation of the hugely popular comic series. Dredd is a movie from United Kingdom in English, with a total 1h 36m runtime, released in 2012 with an average rating of 6.9 by 5,632 people. The movie made an estimated total of $41,037,742 in the box office.

Timecop presents a world where a protagonist is unexpectedly tasked with preventing time-altering threats in a high-technology future, paralleling The Fifth Element’s theme of an accidental hero forced into extraordinary action to save humanity.

In 2004, an officer for a security agency that regulates time travel must fend for his life against a shady politician who has a tie to his past. Timecop is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 38m runtime, released in 1994 with an average rating of 6.0 by 1,351 people. The movie made an estimated total of $128,953,581 in the box office.

Hardware sets its action within a future dystopia where technology can imperil human survival, echoing The Fifth Element’s concerns with advanced societies, individual agency, and looming threats demanding resourceful acts.

Mark 13 is a government-built killing machine programmed with artificial intelligence, able to repair and recharge itself from any energy source. Through a series of coincidences, the cyborg's head ends up in the home of a sculptress as a bizarre Christmas present from her boyfriend. Once inside its new home, the cyborg promptly reconstructs the rest of its body using a variety of household utensils and proceeds to go on a murderous rampage. Hardware is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 34m runtime, released in 1990 with an average rating of 5.9 by 352 people. The movie made an estimated total of $5,728,953 in the box office.

Repo Man weaves science fiction with quirky storytelling and a protagonist who becomes entangled in bizarre events fraught with cosmic significance, sharing The Fifth Element’s offbeat tone and collision of mundane life with world-shifting dangers.

A down and out young punk gets a job working with a seasoned repo man, but what awaits him in his new career is a series of outlandish adventures revolving around aliens, the CIA, and a most wanted '64 Chevy. Repo Man is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 1h 32m runtime, released in 1984 with an average rating of 6.7 by 685 people. The movie made an estimated total of $2,300,000 in the box office.

Kin-dza-dza! involves an accidental journey into a dystopian world with social commentary and absurdist humor, overlapping with The Fifth Element’s mix of futuristic settings, unlikely heroes, and unconventional stakes for humanity.

Two Soviet humans previously unknown to each other are transported to the planet Pluke in the Kin-dza-dza galaxy due to a chance encounter with an alien teleportation device. They must come to grips with a language barrier and Plukian social norms (not to mention the laws of space and time) if they ever hope to return to Earth. Kin-dza-dza! is a movie from Soviet Union in Russian, with a total 2h 15m runtime, released in 1986 with an average rating of 7.7 by 297 people.

Aelita: Queen of Mars is an early science fiction tale about venturing to another world and confronting existential conflict, providing a thematic precursor to The Fifth Element’s adventure in far-off futures and the imperative of saving mankind.

A young man travels to Mars in a rocket ship, where he leads a popular uprising against the ruling group with the support of Queen Aelita, who has fallen in love with him after watching him through a telescope. Aelita: Queen of Mars is a movie from Soviet Union in Russian, with a total 1h 51m runtime, released in 1924 with an average rating of 5.9 by 80 people.

Southland Tales puts ordinary individuals amid a future society teetering on the brink of disaster, echoing The Fifth Element’s blend of ensemble action, advanced technology, and the centrality of personal choices in preventing global catastrophe.

Set in the futuristic landscape of Los Angeles on July 4, 2008, as it stands on the brink of social, economic and environmental disaster. Boxer Santaros is an action star who's stricken with amnesia. His life intertwines with Krysta Now, an adult film star developing her own reality television project, and Ronald Taverner, a Hermosa Beach police officer who holds the key to a vast conspiracy. Southland Tales is a movie from United States of America in English, with a total 2h 25m runtime, released in 2007 with an average rating of 5.2 by 620 people. The movie made an estimated total of $374,743 in the box office.

Snowpiercer, set in a post-apocalyptic future, follows individuals fighting for survival within a rigorously structured society, echoing The Fifth Element’s portrayal of advanced civilization, imminent existential threat, and the actions of unexpected saviors.

In a future where a failed global-warming experiment kills off most life on the planet, a class system evolves aboard the Snowpiercer; a train that travels around the globe via a perpetual-motion engine. Snowpiercer is a movie from South Korea in Korean, with a total 2h 7m runtime, released in 2013 with an average rating of 6.9 by 10,549 people. The movie made an estimated total of $86,758,912 in the box office.