Movies Like Close Encounters of the Third Kind

If you liked Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977), a science fiction and drama movie directed by Steven Spielberg, 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 Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
★ 7.4/10Also science fiction and drama
An alien and a robot land on Earth after World War II and tell mankind to be peaceful or face destruction.
2
Forbidden Planet (1956)
★ 7.3/10Also science fiction
Starship C57D travels to planet Altair 4 in search of the crew of spaceship "Bellerophon," a scientific expedition that has been missing for twenty years. They find themselves unwelcome by the expedition's lone…
3
Escape from the Planet of the Apes (1971)
★ 6.4/10Also science fiction
The world is shocked by the appearance of three talking chimpanzees, who arrived mysteriously in a spacecraft. Intrigued by their intelligence, humans use them for research - until the apes attempt to escape.
4
Disclosure Day (2026)
★ 7.4/10Also science fiction
A cybersecurity expert becomes a whistleblower after uncovering secrets about aliens, putting him on the run from a corporation. Meanwhile, a meteorologist experiencing strange phenomena joins forces with him to prove…
5
Tomorrowland (2015)
★ 6.3/10Also science fiction
Bound by a shared destiny, a bright, optimistic teen bursting with scientific curiosity and a former boy-genius inventor jaded by disillusionment embark on a danger-filled mission to unearth the secrets of an enigmatic…
6
Independence Day (1996)
★ 6.9/10Also science fiction
Strange phenomena surface around the globe. The skies ignite. Terror races through the world's major cities. As these extraordinary events unfold, it becomes increasingly clear that a force of incredible magnitude has…
7
Chronicle (2012)
★ 6.9/10Also science fiction and drama
Three high school students make an incredible discovery, leading to their developing uncanny powers beyond their understanding. As they learn to control their abilities and use them to their advantage, their lives…
8
Ben 10 vs. the Universe: The Movie (2020)
★ 7.4/10Also science fiction
A blast from Ben's past returns to do double the damage on Team Tennyson and planet Earth itself, forcing Ben to go interstellar to save the day. Based on the 2016 reboot.
9
The End of Oak Street (2026)
★ 7.1/10Also science fiction
After a mysterious cosmic event rips Oak Street from suburbia and transports their neighborhood to someplace unknown, the Platt family soon discovers that their very survival depends on them sticking together as they…
10
Land (2021)
★ 6.7/10Also drama
Edee, in the aftermath of an unfathomable event, finds herself unable to stay connected to the world she once knew and in the face of that uncertainty, retreats to the magnificent, but unforgiving, wilds of the…
11
Stargate: The Ark of Truth (2008)
★ 7/10Also science fiction
SG-1 searches for an ancient weapon which could help them defeat the Ori, and discover it may be in the Ori's own home galaxy. As the Ori prepare to send ships through to the Milky Way to attack Earth, SG-1 travels to…
12
Frequency (2000)
★ 7.3/10Also science fiction
When a rare phenomenon gives police officer John Sullivan the chance to speak to his father, 30 years in the past, he takes the opportunity to prevent his dad's tragic death. After his actions inadvertently give rise…
13
Midnight Special (2016)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and science fiction
A father and son go on the run after the dad learns his child possesses special powers.
14
Flight of the Navigator (1986)
★ 7/10Also science fiction
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…
15
Star Trek: Insurrection (1998)
★ 6.5/10Also science fiction
When an alien race and factions within Starfleet attempt to take over a planet that has "regenerative" properties, it falls upon Captain Picard and the crew of the Enterprise to defend the planet's people as well as…
16
Explorers (1985)
★ 6.3/10Also science fiction
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…
17
The Vast of Night (2019)
★ 6.6/10Also drama and science fiction
At the dawn of the space-race, two radio-obsessed teens discover a strange frequency over the airwaves in what becomes the most important night of their lives and in the history of their small town.
18
Ben 10: Alien Swarm (2009)
★ 6.2/10Also science fiction
Ben and a mysterious girl from his past must prevent an alien threat from destroying the world.
19
The Arrival (1996)
★ 6/10Also science fiction
Zane Ziminski is an astrophysicist who receives a message that seems to have extraterrestrial origins. Eerily soon after his discovery, Zane is fired. He then embarks on a search to determine the origins of the…
20
Ben 10: Race Against Time (2008)
★ 5.9/10Also science fiction
Ben, Gwen, and Max must stop an extraterrestrial who plans to open a gateway that leads to an alien invasion.