15 Movies Like Emil and the Detectives

Loved Emil and the Detectives? Based on its unique Cinema DNA—including its pacing, themes, and emotional tone—we've curated the ultimate list of what you should watch next.

14 and Under
#1

14 and Under

This episodic film is a close relative of Wolf Hartwig's schoolgirl report movies, made by the same people, in a similar style, around similar topics. However, this one specifically focuses on the coming-of-age aspects, to an extent that it also touches on delicate issues such as paedophilia.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.

Heidi
#2

Heidi

Heidi, is an eight-year-old Swiss orphan who is given by her aunt to her mountain-dwelling grandfather. She is then stolen back by her aunt from her grandfather to live in the wealthy Sesemann household in Frankfurt, Germany as a companion to Klara, a sheltered, disabled girl in a wheelchair. Heidi is unhappy but makes the best of the situation, always longing for her grandfather.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.

Woodwalkers 2
#3

Woodwalkers 2

For shapeshifter Carag and his friends Brandon, Holly, and Lou, a new school year begins at Clearwater High. But first, the Woodwalker Council must decide whether Carag's mentor and patron of the school, Andrew Milling, is guilty of attacking humans. Carag is in a dilemma: he wants to put a stop to Milling's actions, but Milling promises to take him to his true puma family if he covers for him before the council.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.

Adventures in Babysitting
#4

Adventures in Babysitting

Two teen rival babysitters, Jenny and Lola, team up to hunt down one of their kids who accidentally ran away into the big city without any supervision.

💡Why it's a match: A highly-rated genre match based on the viewing habits of people who liked Emil and the Detectives.

The NeverEnding Story
#5

The NeverEnding Story

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.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.

Woodwalkers
#6

Woodwalkers

Humans who can shapeshift into animals struggle to integrate with others without revealing their special abilities. As a group, they strive to inform and institute change in the perspective of deforestation and the importance of natural habitats. However, when that cannot happen, they're forced to take matters into their own hands.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.

Siegfried
#7

Siegfried

The tale of Siegfried, a fearless dragon slayer who wins the heart of Celtic beauty Kriemhild.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.

Smurfs: The Lost Village
#8

Smurfs: The Lost Village

In this fully animated, all-new take on the Smurfs, a mysterious map sets Smurfette and her friends Brainy, Clumsy and Hefty on an exciting race through the Forbidden Forest leading to the discovery of the biggest secret in Smurf history.

💡Why it's a match: A highly-rated genre match based on the viewing habits of people who liked Emil and the Detectives.

The Amorous Sisters
#9

The Amorous Sisters

Comedy about some schoolgirls being taught anatomy (of the sexual nature) by the sexually frustrated Barbara Moose. In bed at nighttime the girls practice their daily lessons on each other and on any unsuspecting visitors of the night. When they're not in class they enjoy frolicking around outside (naked most of the time!) experiencing the joys of nature.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.

Pornorama
#10

Pornorama

A free-wheeling chronicle of the Munich sex film industry in the 1970s.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.

Grand Prix of Europe
#11

Grand Prix of Europe

Edda, a young mouse and the daughter of fairground operator Erwin, dreams of becoming a race car driver. Ahead of the 50th anniversary of the European Grand Prix, Edda gets the opportunity to meet her idol, racing star Ed, and to help her father save his failing business. But to do so, she'll have to get behind the wheel herself.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.

Eat Pray Bark
#12

Eat Pray Bark

In this tumultuous comedy, five eccentric dog owners seek help in dealing with their four-legged friends. Their last hope: an intensive course with the charismatic and legendary dog trainer Nodon in the Tyrolean mountains.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.

Angst
#13

Angst

A killer is released from prison and breaks into a remote home to kill a woman, her handicapped son and her pretty daughter.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.

Ach, diese Lücke, diese entsetzliche Lücke
#14

Ach, diese Lücke, diese entsetzliche Lücke

Twenty-year-old Joachim is unexpectedly accepted at drama school in Munich and moves into his grandparents' upper-class villa. From then on, he tries to find his identity as a young man between the world of theater and the everyday life of his eccentric grandparents.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.

M
#15

M

In this classic German thriller, Hans Beckert, a serial killer who preys on children, becomes the focus of a massive Berlin police manhunt. Beckert's heinous crimes are so repellant and disruptive to city life that he is even targeted by others in the seedy underworld network. With both cops and criminals in pursuit, the murderer soon realizes that people are on his trail, sending him into a tense, panicked attempt to escape justice.

💡Why it's a match: A fantastic follow-up watch to Emil and the Detectives.