12 Movies Like Back to the Future You Need to Watch

Find the best picks for fans of Back to the Future, from Flight of the Navigator to Meet the Robinsons, plus classic time-travel fun and sci-fi adventure.

12 Movies Like Back to the Future You Need to Watch

If you want movies like Back to the Future, the best picks blend time travel, big heart, and just enough chaos to keep every scene moving. This list brings together the original Back to the Future trilogy, along with spirited companions such as Flight of the Navigator, Honey, I Shrunk the Kids, and Meet the Robinsons. For a deeper cut, you can also check out the playful sci-fi of Missile to the Moon and the early wonder of A Trip to the Moon. Whether you’re after action, comedy, adventure, or a little western flavor, these films capture the same sense of discovery that made Marty McFly’s story unforgettable.

  1. 01

    Back to the Future Part II

    ★ 7.81989Movie

    comedy · science-fiction

    Marty and Doc are at it again as the time-traveling duo head to 2015 to nip some McFly family woes in the bud. But things go awry thanks to bully Biff Tannen and a pesky sports almanac. In a last-ditch attempt to set things straight, Marty finds himself bound for 1955 and face to face with his teenage parents -- again.

    Directed by Robert ZemeckisCast Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Lea Thompson, Tom Wilson, Elisabeth Shue
    Starz
  2. 02

    Back to the Future Part III

    ★ 7.51990Movie

    action & adventure · comedy · science-fiction · western

    The final installment finds Marty digging the trusty DeLorean out of a mineshaft and looking for Doc in the Wild West of 1885. But when their time machine breaks down, the travelers are stranded in a land of spurs. More problems arise when Doc falls for pretty schoolteacher Clara Clayton, and Marty tangles with Buford Tannen.

    Directed by Robert ZemeckisCast Michael J. Fox, Christopher Lloyd, Mary Steenburgen, Tom Wilson, Lea Thompson
    Starz
  3. 03

    Flight of the Navigator

    ★ 6.91986Movie

    adventure · comedy · family · sci-fi

    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.

    Directed by Randal KleiserCast Joey Cramer, Paul Reubens, Cliff De Young, Veronica Cartwright, Sarah Jessica Parker
    Disney Plus
  4. 04

    Honey, I Shrunk the Kids

    ★ 6.51989Movie

    adventure · comedy · family · sci-fi

    The scientist father of a teenage girl and boy accidentally shrinks his and two other neighborhood teens to the size of insects. Now the teens must fight diminutive dangers as the father searches for them.

    Directed by Joe JohnstonCast Rick Moranis, Matt Frewer, Marcia Strassman, Kristine Sutherland, Thomas Wilson Brown
    Disney Plus
  5. 05

    Missile to the Moon

    ★ 4.11958Movie

    drama · sci-fi

    Two escaped convicts are found hiding in a rocketship built by a renegade inventor, who forces them to become the crew for a trip to the Moon. Also on board, as inadvertent stowaways, are his assistant and his secretary; and none of them are aware that the inventor is actually a Lunarian explorer sent to Earth by the dying Lunar civilization and the only remaining male member of that civilization.

    Directed by Richard E. CunhaCast Richard Travis, Cathy Downs, K.T. Stevens, Tommy Cook, Nina Bara
    Freevee
  6. 06

    A Trip to the Moon

    ★ 8.11902Movie

    short · adventure · comedy · fantasy · sci-fi

    Professor Barbenfouillis and five of his colleagues from the Academy of Astronomy travel to the Moon aboard a rocket propelled by a giant cannon. Once on the lunar surface, the bold explorers face the many perils hidden in the caves of the mysterious planet.

    Directed by Georges MélièsCast Victor André, Bleuette Bernon, Brunnet, Jehanne d'Alcy, Henri Delannoy
    Max
  7. 07

    Meet the Robinsons

    ★ 6.82007Movie

    animation · adventure · comedy · family · sci-fi

    Lewis, a brilliant young inventor, is keen on creating a time machine to find his mother, who abandoned him in an orphanage. Things take a turn when he meets Wilbur Robinson and his family.

    Directed by Stephen J. AndersonCast Angela Bassett, Daniel Hansen, Jordan Fry, Matthew Josten, John H. H. Ford
    Disney Plus
  8. 08

    Scouts Guide to the Zombie Apocalypse

    ★ 6.32015Movie

    action & adventure · comedy · horror · science-fiction

    Three scouts and lifelong friends join forces with one badass cocktail waitress to become the world’s most unlikely team of heroes. When their peaceful town is ravaged by a zombie invasion, they’ll fight for the badge of a lifetime and put their scouting skills to the test to save mankind from the undead.

    Directed by Christopher LandonCast Tye Sheridan, Logan Miller, Joey Morgan, Sarah Dumont, David Koechner
    Paramount Plus
  9. 09

    Watch the Skies

    ★ 6.42022Movie

    action · adventure · mystery · sci-fi

    When a foster home placed teenage rebel suspects that her father is not dead but kidnapped by UFOs, she takes help from a UFO association to find out the truth. Together, they embark on a risky adventure that takes them far beyond the laws borders and into a world filled with UFO expeditions, conspiracies and inexplicable phenomena.

    Directed by Victor DanellCast Inez Dahl Torhaug, Jesper Barkselius, Sara Shirpey, Eva Melander, Håkan Ehn
    Amazon Prime Video
  10. 10

    My Science Project

    ★ 5.91985Movie

    action · adventure · comedy · sci-fi

    His high school teacher issues an ultimatum: turn in a science project or flunk. So Mike Harlan scavenges a military base's junk pile for a suitable gizmo. He finds one... and unwittingly unleashes the awesome power and energy of the unknown. Twisted dimensions. Time warps. A fantastic realm where the past, present, and future collide in a whirling vortex of startling adventure and superlative special effects.

    Directed by Jonathan R. BetuelCast John Stockwell, Danielle von Zerneck, Fisher Stevens, Raphael Sbarge, Richard Masur
    Amazon Prime Video
  11. 11

    All Roads Lead to Rome

    ★ 4.92015Movie

    comedy · drama · romance

    Maggie is an uptight, single mother and college writing teacher from New York City. In an effort to reconnect with her troubled teen daughter Summer, she decides to embark on a journey to a Tuscan village where she frequented in her younger days. Upon arrival, Maggie runs into Luca a handsome former lover who is still a bachelor and lives with his eighty-year-old mother Carmen. Summer (missing her “bad boy” boyfriend in NYC) and Carmen (secretly planning a wedding against Luca’s wishes to MARCELINO, her one true love in Rome) impulsively steal Luca’s car and race off to Rome. Maggie and Luca quickly pursue allowing the two mismatched couples to spend some time together and develop a new understanding of each other.

    Directed by Ella LemhagenCast Sarah Jessica Parker, Raoul Bova, Claudia Cardinale, Rosie Day, Paz Vega
    Peacock Premium
  12. 12

    Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist

    ★ 5.12005Movie

    drama · horror · thriller

    Father Merrin takes a sabbatical from the Church to devote himself to history and archaeology as he struggles with his shattered faith.

    Directed by Paul SchraderCast Stellan Skarsgård, Gabriel Mann, Clara Bellar, Billy Crawford, Ralph Brown
    Freevee

Wrapping Up

From classic space-age curiosity to family-friendly sci-fi and wild time-bending adventures, this roundup gives you plenty of smart follow-ups to try next. It’s an easy way to revisit the energy, humor, and imagination that made these stories endure for decades. Bookmark this page so you can come back whenever you’re in the mood for another ride through the past, future, or somewhere in between. We update this page regularly to keep the recommendations fresh and worth your time.

Frequently Asked Questions

What makes these movies similar to Back to the Future?

These picks were matched by tone, themes, and story style using a similarity model trained on plot synopses, genres, and cast — not just shared genre tags — so the connection runs deeper than a simple category match.

Last updated: September 7, 2026