Orion and the Dark is a delightful animated film about a boy and his unusual friend, and his fear of the dark personified. Together, they discover the beauty and secrets of the night, learning to conquer their fears. If you like this heartwarming and funny ride, you’ll enjoy these ten films with similar themes. Whether it is fantasy or comedy, these ten films will both entertain and uplift you.
Coraline (2009)
Can you think of a secret door in your new home that can take you to a perfect world? This is what happens with Coraline Jones. She uses such a door and walks into an amazing place where everything seems better. There are others who look just like Caroline’s real mother, but she has buttons for eyes. There are also other friends, other toys, and fun that is never going to end. T
rouble starts to show herself when Coraline suspects this perfect world is hiding something not-so-perfect.
Puss in Boots: The Last Wish (2022)
Do you know who Puss in Boots is? Yes! He is the same daring cat with a hat and a sword, and in this film, he is on a new mission. The only problem is that Puss is now down to his last life, meaning if he dies now, he will not be ever coming back. Thus, to save himself, Puss needs to find the Last Wish, a magical treasure many people and criminals are after.
Joining Puss on the mission are his old flame Kitty Softpaws and Perrito, and together, they face fairy tale foes, pirates, and a fierce wolf.
Hotel Transylvania (2012)
Is there a place where monsters are not hated and can kick back and relax, far from humans and their frights? The palace is called Hotel Transylvania, which is a luxurious hotel run by none other than Count Dracula who goes by the name Drax, who has built it for his daughter Mavis. She wants to see the world but her father is against it and instead organizes a monster bash for Mavis’s birthday so she can forget about going inside. Everything was going well until Jonathan knocked at the hotel’s door.
Song of the Sea (2014)
In this film, we’re introduced to a selkie, which is a mythical creature who can alternate between a seal and a human. Saoirse is a girl who can’t speak and finds her mother’s magical coat. Saoirse wears it, but little does she know that being a selkie isn’t just about transformation and it needs you to fulfil a destiny, which is Saoirse must sing the Song of the Sea to free magical beings trapped by an evil witch. With her brother Ben and their dog Cú, Saoirse sets off across Ireland to conquer her purpose.Â
Monsters Inc. (2013)
We know that every kid in the world is afraid of monsters that hide in their closets. In this film, monsters hiding in the closet are also afraid of the kids on the other end of the door as well. Two scary but harmless monsters named Sully and Mike accidentally bring a little girl named Boo into their world, where evil monsters use children’s screams and fears to make themselves strong, but nothing scares Boo. She sees Sully as a big, cuddly teddy bear and Mike as a silly, green ball. It is the film that will teach you a great lesson, which is friendship can best anything, even monsters.
The Nightmare Before Christmas (1993)
You must visit Halloween Town once in a while. It is a place where monsters and ghouls have a blast every Halloween, but only Jack Skellington, who is the Pumpkin King, is bored with the same old scares. When Jack learns about Christmas Town, he wants to experience the holiday’s joy and decides to become a Santa.
So what does Jack do? Rather than asking nicely for it, Jack kidnaps Santa and tries to spread his own definition of Christmas cheer. Sally, who loves Jack, tries her best to warn him of the chaos he’s causing. Will Jack understand, or will his antics ruin the holiday?
ParaNorman (2012)
Everyone knows Normal Babcock. He is a unique kid who can see and talk with ghosts, but this makes him an oddball in Blithe Hollow. When Norman learns that only he can break a witch’s 300-year-old curse on the town, he starts to see his ghostly gift as a blessing in disguise. With Neil, Courtney, and a gang of misfits, Norman sets off on a journey, where he comes across zombies, witches, bullies, and who knows what else (you’ll if you watch the film.) In addition to an adventure, Normal also learns that being different isn’t so bad and that the true monsters aren’t always what they seem.
Inside Out (2015)
We are sure that everyone has once in their lifetime wondered about what really goes inside our heads. Inside Out takes us on a trip through Riley’s mind, who is facing a horde of changes and challenges. Riley’s emotions, including Joy, Sadness, Fear, Disgust, and Anger, are colourful characters who control her feelings and memories from Headquarters (the brain), but when Riley moves, every single one of her emotions goes haywire, and Joy and Sadness get lost. Now, they must find their way back while the other emotions try to keep Riley stable.
Turning Red (2022)
We all know that being a teenager is hard enough, but what if you also have a furry problem that makes you turn into a giant red panda whenever you get too emotional? Mei Lee deals with this problem on a daily basis, so imagine what she is going through. Mei’s quirks make her already complicated life more complicated, especially when it comes to her overly protective mother, who constantly watches over her.
If you love animated films with a killer soundtrack, cheer, and tears, it doesn’t get any better with Turning Red.
Soul (2020)
Everyone knows life can be full of surprises, and for Joe Gardner, who is a music teacher with a deep love for jazz, life changes when he gets one surprise. Joe gets to play with his idol, Dorothea Williams, but a misstep sends him to a place where souls are created. It was here Joe met 22 who is a soul not interested in life on Earth. Together, they set out to find Joe’s way back to his body.
Not only is this film heartwarming and hilarious, but it will also teach you what life really means. If you’re going to watch only one film from this list, this one is it.
So there we have it, our 10 movies alternatives to watch when you’re finished watching Orion and the Dark.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!