Movies Like Emil and the Detectives
If you liked Emil and the Detectives (2026), a family and adventure movie directed by David Dietl, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.
- 1
The Three Investigators in The Secret of Terror Castle (2009)
★ 6.3/10Also mystery and adventureA new case for the cult detectives! Not by coincidence, a mysterious videotape falls into the hands of Jupiter Jones, Pete Crenshaw and Bob Andrews during Jupiter's birthday party in Rocky Beach. On it is a recording…
- 2
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)
★ 6.3/10Also family and mysteryNancy Drew, a smart high schooler with a penchant for keen observation and deduction, stumbles upon the haunting of a local home. A bit of an outsider struggling to fit into her new surroundings, Nancy and her pals set…
- 3
Enola Holmes (2020)
★ 7.2/10Also adventure and mysteryWhile searching for her missing mother, intrepid teen Enola Holmes uses her sleuthing skills to outsmart big brother Sherlock and help a runaway lord.
- 4
Holes (2003)
★ 6.9/10Also adventure and familyAfter being wrongfully convicted for stealing a pair of shoes, Stanley Yelnats is sent away to Camp Green Lake, a boys detention facility where inmates are forced to dig holes all day in the hot desert sun as a form of…
- 5
Enola Holmes 3 (2026)
★ 6.7/10Also adventure and mysteryAdventure follows detective Enola Holmes to Malta, where her plans to tie the knot unravel when Sherlock's disappearance plunges her into a perilous case.
- 6
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made (2020)
★ 6.2/10Also family and mysteryAn 11-year old boy believes that he is the best detective in town and runs the agency Total Failures with his best friend, an imaginary 1,200 pound polar bear.
- 7
The Sheep Detectives (2026)
★ 7.9/10Also family and mysteryGeorge Hardy is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can't possibly understand. But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realize they must…
- 8
Shorts (2009)
★ 5.9/10Also family and adventureA young boy's discovery of a colorful, wish-granting rock causes chaos in the suburban town of Black Falls when jealous kids and scheming adults alike set out to get their hands on it.
- 9
The Thief Lord (2006)
★ 6/10Also adventure and familyA tale about two young boys, Prosper and Bo, who flee to Venice after being orphaned and dumped in the care of a cruel auntie. Hiding in the canals and alleyways of the city, the boys are befriended by a gang of young…
- 10
Scooby-Doo (2002)
★ 6.1/10Also mystery and adventureWhen the Mystery Inc. gang is invited to Spooky Island, a popular amusement park, they soon discover that the attractions aren't the only things that are spooky. Strange things are happening, and it's up to Scooby…
- 11
Benji (2018)
★ 6.9/10Also family and adventureTwo school kids strike up a friendship with an orphaned puppy named Benji. When danger befalls them and they end up kidnapped by robbers who are in over their heads, Benji and his scruffy sidekick come to the rescue.
- 12
Momo (2025)
★ 7.1/10Also family and adventureMomo is a young orphan girl who lives in the ruins of an old Roman amphitheater and becomes friends with everybody in the neighborhood. But when a powerful international corporation starts stealing everybody’s time…
- 13
The Physician II (2025)
★ 6.7/10Also adventure and mystery1050 AD: Robert Cole returns to England to bring the medical light of the Orient to his countrymen. But he fails because of the intrigues of the established London doctors, who feel threatened by the new knowledge. And…
- 14
The Crocodiles Strike Back (2010)
★ 6.9/10Also family and adventureNew summer adventure of the Crocodiles, who set up their detective skills to find out who is behind the accidents of the factory where Ollie and Mary's parents work , which could mean the closure of the plant, the move…
- 15
Trick or Treat Scooby-Doo! (2022)
★ 6.9/10Also mystery and familyMystery Inc. has cracked the case to top all cases! They’ve tracked down Coco Diablo, the head of a notorious costume crime syndicate. With Coco and her kitty in prison, Mystery Inc. thinks that they can finally enjoy…
- 16
Nancy Drew (2007)
★ 6.1/10Also family and adventureIntrepid teenage private eye Nancy Drew heads to Tinseltown with her father to investigate the unsolved murder of a movie star in this old-fashioned whodunit based on Carolyn Keene's popular series of books for young…
- 17
Balto: Wolf Quest (2002)
★ 6.4/10Also family and adventureBalto and his daughter Aleu embark on a journey of adventure and self discovery.
- 18
Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library (2017)
★ 6/10Also family and adventureCan twelve 12-year-olds escape from the most ridiculously brilliant library ever created? Escape from Mr. Lemoncello's Library plunks a dozen sixth-graders into the middle of a futuristic library for a night of nonstop…
- 19
Dog Gone (2023)
★ 6.2/10Also family and adventureWhen his beloved dog goes missing, a young man embarks on an incredible search with his parents to find him and give him life-saving medication.
- 20
The Land Before Time III: The Time of the Great Giving (1995)
★ 6.2/10Also adventure and familyWhen the water supply to the Great Valley is blocked, Littlefoot and his friends must cooperate with a group of bullies to find the reason the cause.