Movies Like The Mysterious Old Man

If you liked The Mysterious Old Man (1981), a family and adventure movie directed by Leonid Makarychev, 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
Moon the Panda (2025)
★ 6.5/10Also family and adventure
Due to his poor academic performance, twelve-year-old Tian is sent to live with his grandmother in the remote mountains of Sichuan. Far from the hustle and bustle of the city, he finds himself immersed in nature and…
2
Oddball (2015)
★ 6.9/10Also family and adventure
An eccentric chicken farmer, with the help of his granddaughter, trains his mischievous dog Oddball to protect a penguin sanctuary from fox attacks in an attempt to reunite his family and save their seaside town.
3
Shorts (2009)
★ 5.9/10Also family and adventure
A 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.
4
The Magic Faraway Tree (2026)
★ 6.7/10Also adventure and family
A modern family relocates to the countryside where the children discover a magical tree with eccentric residents. They're transported to fantastical lands, rekindling their family bond through adventures.
5
The Legend of Ochi (2025)
★ 6.1/10Also family and adventure
In a remote village on the island of Carpathia, a shy farm girl named Yuri is raised to fear an elusive animal species known as ochi. But when Yuri discovers a wounded baby ochi has been left behind, she escapes on a…
6
White Fang 2: Myth of the White Wolf (1994)
★ 6.9/10Also adventure and family
A boy and his dog, White Fang, must try to save the noble Haida tribe from evil white men in turn-of-the-century Alaska.
7
Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022)
★ 7.2/10Also adventure and family
A brave young animal explorer teams up with two trusty friends to find a powerful artifact before his greedy uncle can get his paws on it.
8
Dora and the Search for Sol Dorado (2025)
★ 6.6/10Also family and adventure
Dora, Diego, and their new friends trek through the perilous dangers of the Amazonian jungle in search of the ancient and powerful treasure of Sol Dorado to keep it out of enemy hands.
9
The Adventures of Buratino (1976)
★ 6.7/10Also family and adventure
A wooden boy Buratino tries to find his place in life. He befriends toys from a toy theater owned by evil Karabas-Barabas, gets tricked by Alice the Fox and Basilio the Cat and finally discovers the mystery of a golden…
10
The Willoughbys (2020)
★ 7.1/10Also adventure and family
When the four Willoughby children are abandoned by their selfish parents, they must learn how to adapt their Old-Fashioned values to the contemporary world in order to create something new: The Modern Family.
11
Anastasia: Once Upon a Time (2020)
★ 5.9/10Also family and adventure
Anastasia Romanov escapes through a portal when her family is threatened by Vladimir Lenin, and she finds herself in the year 1988, befriended by a young American girl.
12
Upon the Magic Roads (2021)
★ 6.8/10Also adventure
Romantic John the Fool and his friend Foal set out on a series of unpredictable adventures in different magical worlds. The two buddies will have to outsmart an evil tyrant king, catch the firebird, and find John’s…
13
Old Man Khottabych (1957)
★ 7/10Also adventure and family
A boy named Volka discovers an ancient vessel on the bottom of a river. When he opens it, a genie emerges from there. He calls himself Hassan Abdurrahman ibn Khottab, or in Russian style Khottabych. Grateful Khottabych…
14
Once Upon a Forest (1993)
★ 6.5/10Also family and adventure
A young mouse, mole and hedgehog risk their lives to find a cure for their badger friend, who's been poisoned by men.
15
Return to Nim's Island (2013)
★ 6.5/10Also family and adventure
Fourteen year old Nim, more determined than ever to protect her island and all the wildlife that call it home, faces off against resort developers and animal poachers. Soon she realizes she can’t depend on her animal…
16
Welcome to Smelliville (2021)
★ 6.7/10Also adventure and family
The Oggly family arrive at the municipal rubbish dump of Smelliville and must look for a new home, but they never feel really welcome anywhere. They stink and are for most humans just a tad too oggly. When Firebottom…
17
The Adventures of Buratino (1959)
★ 6.7/10Also family and adventure
A wooden boy Buratino tries to find his place in life. He befriends toys from a toy theater owned by evil Karabas-Barabas, gets tricked by Alice the Fox and Basilio the Cat and finally discovers the mystery of a golden…
18
Lassie (1994)
★ 6.1/10Also family and adventure
On their way to start a new life at a sheep farm in rural Virginia, the Turner family are halted by a wreck on the highway that has claimed the life of a truck driver. Spotting the trucker's now-abandoned collie on the…
19
The Wizard of the Emerald City, Part I (2025)
★ 7.2/10Also family and adventure
Ellie lives in a distant city. One day, the evil witch Gingema conjured a hurricane that took Ellie and her dog Totoshka to the country of the Munchkins. To return home, Ellie and her friends the Scarecrow, the Tin…
20
Pan (2015)
★ 6/10Also adventure and family
Living a bleak existence at a London orphanage, 12-year-old Peter finds himself whisked away to the fantastical world of Neverland. Adventure awaits as he meets new friend James Hook and the warrior Tiger Lily. They…