feelsalike.comSign in
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! poster

Movies that feel likeHow the Grinch Stole Christmas! (1966)

Bitter and hateful, the Grinch is irritated at the thought of a nearby village having a happy time celebrating Christmas. Disguised as Santa Claus, with his dog made to look like a reindeer, he decides to raid the village to steal all the Christmas things.

If you loved How the Grinch Stole Christmas!, the closest films we have are My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999), Fun and Fancy Free (1947) and Asterix and Cleopatra (1968). All three share How the Grinch Stole Christmas!'s whimsical and warm feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales (2017).

10 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Hulu

Can't choose? Answer three questions and get one movie for tonight.

Stream it:Peacock ↗
See it on the Mood Map

When is How the Grinch Stole Christmas! streaming? →

If How the Grinch Stole Christmas! hit the spot, these will too

My Neighbors the Yamadas poster
My Neighbors the Yamadas
1999 · dir. Isao Takahata
🍅 78%★ 7.1animation · comedy · familyMax

Both are built on the same subject: surrealism

The difference: Made in the 1990s, in a different era of the craft

The Yamadas are a typical middle class Japanese family in urban Tokyo and this film shows us a variety of episodes of their lives. With tales that range from the humorous to the heartbreaking, we see this family cope with life's little conflicts, problems, and joys in their own way.

Fun and Fancy Free poster
Fun and Fancy Free
1947 · dir. Hamilton Luske
🍅 73%★ 6.3animation · family · fantasyDisney+

Whimsical and warm in the same breath

The difference: Leans further into fantasy

Jiminy Cricket hosts two Disney animated shorts: Bongo about a circus bear escaping to the wild, and Mickey and the Beanstalk, a take on the famous fairy tale.

Asterix and Cleopatra poster
Asterix and Cleopatra
1968 · dir. René Goscinny
★ 7.2family · animation · adventure

Both land comfort and wit at once

The difference: Goes its own way on the dream logic

Popular animated hero Asterix and his faithful sidekick Obelix travel to ancient Egypt to help Cleopatra build a new summer home. Cleopatra and Julius Caesar have made a bet, with Caesar wagering the project cannot be completed in a few weeks time. With the help of a magic potion, Asterix comes to the rescue of the Queen of the Nile as Caesar and an angry architect plot against them.

The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales poster
The Big Bad Fox and Other Tales
2017 · dir. Benjamin Renner
🍅 97%★ 7.4family · animation · comedy

Common ground: santa claus

The difference: Lighter on dream logic

The countryside isn't always as calm and peaceful as it's made out to be, and the animals on this farm are particularly agitated: a fox who mothers a family of chicks, a rabbit who plays the stork, and a duck who wants to be Santa Claus.

The Boxtrolls poster
The Boxtrolls
2014 · dir. Graham Annable
🍅 78%★ 6.8animation · comedy · familyMaxHulu

Playful where it counts, dreamlike underneath

An orphaned boy raised by underground creatures called Boxtrolls comes up from the sewers and out of his box to save his family and the town from the evil exterminator, Archibald Snatcher.

The Grinch poster
The Grinch
2018 · dir. Yarrow Cheney
🍅 60%★ 6.4animation · comedy · familyPeacock

Both keep coming back to the same thing: holiday

The Grinch hatches a scheme to ruin Christmas when the residents of Whoville plan their annual holiday celebration. But a certain little who might change things.

Pete's Dragon poster
Pete's Dragon
1977 · dir. Don Chaffey
🍅 56%★ 6.4fantasy · animation · comedyDisney+

Whimsical animation in both cases

Pete, a young orphan, runs away to a Maine fishing town with his best friend a lovable, sometimes invisible dragon named Elliott! When they are taken in by a kind lighthouse keeper, Nora, and her father, Elliott's prank playing lands them in big trouble. Then, when crooked salesmen try to capture Elliott for their own gain, Pete must attempt a daring rescue.

Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs poster
Red Shoes and the Seven Dwarfs
2019 · dir. Hong Sung-ho
🍅 40%★ 6.5animation · fantasy · familyRent or buy

Family built on warmth, twice over

Princes who have been turned into Dwarfs seek the red shoes of a lady in order to break the spell, although it will not be easy.

The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh poster
The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh
1977 · dir. John Lounsbery
🍅 100%★ 7.5animation · family · adventureDisney+

Cozy comedy, and it commits to that

Whether we’re young or forever young at heart, the Hundred Acre Wood calls to that place in each of us that still believes in magic. Join pals Pooh, Piglet, Kanga, Roo, Owl, Rabbit, Tigger and Christopher Robin as they enjoy their days together and sing their way through adventures.

The Sword in the Stone poster
The Sword in the Stone
1963 · dir. Wolfgang Reitherman
🍅 65%★ 7.1animation · family · fantasyDisney+

Animation with a pulse of dream logic, in both cases

Wart is a young boy who aspires to be a knight's squire. On a hunting trip he falls in on Merlin, a powerful but amnesiac wizard who has plans for him beyond mere squiredom. He starts by trying to give him an education, believing that once one has an education, one can go anywhere. Needless to say, it doesn't quite work out that way.

Klaus poster
Klaus
2019 · dir. Sergio Pablos
🍅 95%★ 8.2animation · family · comedyNetflix

The same preoccupation in both: holiday

A selfish postman and a reclusive toymaker form an unlikely friendship, delivering joy to a cold, dark town that desperately needs it.

Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory poster
🍅 84%★ 7.8family · fantasy · comedyMax

Both lean on wit more than on family

When eccentric candy man Willy Wonka promises a lifetime supply of sweets and a tour of his chocolate factory to five lucky kids, penniless Charlie Bucket seeks the golden ticket that will make him a winner.

In the mood for more whimsical?

all whimsical movies →

The best-reviewed films that share How the Grinch Stole Christmas!’s defining feeling.