Here are Cinephile Corner’s 10 recommendations for movies like The Mandalorian and Grogu:
Predator: Badlands
Predator: Badlands is a baffling turn for Dan Trachtenberg after the clean thrills of Prey and the surprise bite of the animated Predator: Killer of Killers. Coming off those entries in his Predator reboot, I expected craft, tension, and clever constraint. What arrives is scale without spectacle, a loud, CG smeared detour that forgets why this series works.
Superman
I had mixed feelings heading into James Gunn’s 2025 Superman, his latest take on one of the most iconic superheroes in popular culture. Early trailers and previews left me underwhelmed, with so-so CGI and dialogue that didn’t land. Die-hard Superman fans seemed intrigued by Gunn’s approach, especially since this film effectively ends the DCEU and launches a newly defined DCU.
TRON: Ares
TRON: Ares arrives with a lot working against it. I skipped it in theaters after the rough word of mouth and because this is a franchise I have never felt much for. TRON has always struck me as sleek and narratively thin, and TRON: Legacy doubled down on the clunk. Joachim Rønning takes the reins here, with Jared Leto in the lead and Greta Lee in support, and on paper that did not inspire confidence. What surprised me is that I had more fun than expected, even if the film is still a mixed bag.
Project Hail Mary
A tremendous amount of heart went into Project Hail Mary, and a ton of heart and sentimentality bleeds through the final product. Whether that’s a detriment for any given audience member will only be up to them. I’ve seen a few reviews note they felt they were being overworked or sold a specific tone to the point of exhaustion. But for my money, if I could have any director or pair of directors trying this sort of pop-culture-riffing, winking blockbuster with a constant tongue-in-cheek tone, I’d pick Phil Lord and Christopher Miller every single time.
Blade Runner 2049
Blade Runner 2049 tries to operate in two separate modes, as a humane and personal drama, and a science fiction epic. While these two styles work in their own separate veins, they cross to make a visually stunning, emotionally hollow movie. Denis Villeneuve directs himself into a corner with this one.
The Adam Project
It has a heaping amount of heart and a dash of whit, but The Adam Project failed to deliver the breathtaking science fiction blockbuster that Netflix was hoping it would. The action vehicle for Ryan Reynolds lands with a soft thud.
The Fantastic Four: First Steps
The Fantastic Four: First Steps makes a case that goopy, comic book looking superhero movies are back. In Superman, it felt like a conscious choice from James Gunn to lean into cartoons and pulp. Here it reads more like a limitation. The visual effects often look unfinished, and the soundstage lighting keeps scenes flat. As a soft reset for Marvel Studios, that is a frustrating place to start, even if the core family arrives with potential.
Jurassic World Rebirth
“A new era is born.” is the promise, but Jurassic World Rebirth mostly confirms that this franchise is long past rebirth. Three years after Jurassic World Dominion and decades after the singular magic of Steven Spielberg’s Jurassic Park, Gareth Edwards steps in with a clean slate and a prestige cast, yet the result is another groaning carousel of CG set pieces that never find awe or fear. It is especially frustrating because Edwards has proved he can revitalize legacy IP with scale and tact. Godzilla (2014) remains the best American take on the kaiju, Rogue One is the standout of the Disney Star Wars era, and even The Creator made striking worldbuilding on a smaller budget. Here, the spectacle looks expensive but rarely convincing, and the tension never lands.
Avatar: Fire and Ash
I had fun, and the filmmaking is rarely less than impressive, but Avatar: Fire and Ash is named for a new corner of Pandora that it only partially explores. If these films are going to keep coming, I want Cameron to keep pushing into unfamiliar terrain instead of returning to the same interpersonal circuits. Otherwise, what is the point of having a world this big?
Dune: Part Two
There’s nothing like Dune: Part Two, which feels like it could only be conceived by Denis Villeneuve and the best crew around him possible. Everyone is working at the top of their game to create one of the best theatergoing experiences of 2024. Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya star in the science fiction movie that stands against the genre’s best.
READ MORE: Movies Like Predator: Badlands, Movies Like Project Hail Mary
