10 Movies to Watch If You Love Paddington

You could watch Wonka and immediately know it’s a Paul King film without having to be told as much. The director carries over all the charm, whimsy, and vibrancy that we’ve come to expect from the man responsible for Paddington and its sequel–it’s clear to see why he got the gig for Wonka. 

There are so many familiar faces here, including Paddington stars Sally Hawkins, Hugh Grant, and Olivia Colman, but it’s Timothee Chalamet’s performance as the titular character that elevates this musical beyond a bit of family movie fluff to one of the most impressive Roald Dahl adaptations ever made. Wonka combines the worldbuilding and energy of something akin to Barbie with the showmanship and delightful cheesiness of the Mamma Mia! movies, and gives it all a good, old British twist. 

If you’re tired of watching the same Disney movies with the kids again and again, Wonka is a brilliant change of pace.

Remember in Paddington 2 when our half-pint hero is incarcerated and turns everyone’s prison gear pink? Well, imagine that, but with a Wes Anderson spin, and you’ve got a perfect match in The Grand Budapest Hotel. It’s not only one of the most aesthetically pleasing films of the 21st Century, but also an oddly sweet film; for all its madcap antics and tomfoolery, Anderson’s Oscar-winning tale is, at its core, a story of friendship and camaraderie.

Be warned, though, The Grand Budapest is not suitable for young children. It comes with a healthy dose of profanity and even a bit of violence, albeit of a slapstick variety. I even tried to get my teenage daughter to give it a go, given she loves Fantastic Mr. Fox, and she wasn’t into the irreverent humour. I’d mark this one as a recommendation for adults who love Paddington.

What is Paddington, if not the story of a fluffy animal going on wild adventures with his human friends? In that respect, you’ll get the same kicks out of this Studio Ghibli movie, and then some. The prolific anime house has produced some of the best animated movies of all time, but My Neighbour Totoro might just be the finest of them all. It’s endearing, funny, imaginative, and has an emotional undercurrent that elevates it beyond mere kids’ entertainment into something truly beautiful.

If you’re looking to get the kids into the world of anime, there can be no better choice for your introductory screening. My Neighbour Totoro is not even 90 minutes long, so they’re not going to lose focus; plus, it’s easily available on Netflix right now, so there’s really no excuse not to watch it!

Speaking of beautiful animated movies, Cartoon Saloon is one of the most exciting new studios on the block – they’re yet to miss with their relatively small but superb catalogue of films. One could argue that My Father’s Dragon has more in common with Paddington, given the playful nature of the eponymous creature, but it’s Wolfwalkers that is most deserving of your attention. 

With an unflinching approach to death, grief, and xenophobia, there’s a real profundity to Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart’s mythical tale, which makes it a far more serious viewing experience than Paddington. Yet it still evokes that same childlike wonder that we cherish so much in the latter, largely thanks to the stunning 2D animation style and the more playful moments littered throughout. 

If you have an Apple TV+ subscription, Wolfwalkers is a must (and if you don’t have one, it’s genuinely worth a trial for this film alone).

Paddington may be adorable, but Marcel has him beat paws down. This unique and delightful A24 flick combines clever stop-motion animation with real-world settings to tell the simple story of a little shell trying to find his place and purpose in life. Much of the credit for this brilliant film has to go to Jenny Slate, who does a wonderful job bringing the titular character to life with her voice work.

While the mockumentary framing device here is very different to Paddington – and probably puts Marcel the Shell with Shoes On out of reach for younger viewers – there’s no denying that, tonally, these two films share a kinship rooted in heart and humour. If you enjoy films like My Life as a Courgette or Memoir of a Snail, which use animated characters to tell a weighty story, you’ll definitely connect with Marcel the Shell with Shoes On.

You wouldn’t ordinarily expect to see a Bong Joon-ho picture on a list making comparisons with Paddington, but here we are. Thankfully, Okja doesn’t align with the blood-soaked chaos one would normally get from the acclaimed director. Instead, the Netflix movie goes hard on emotional weight and childish innocence. Not only is it an intriguing and imaginative story, but Okja also boasts some superb technical work, particularly in the CGI crafting of the central creature.

Okja is humorous – in that dark manner in which Bong excels – but it carries a strong environmentalist message, too, and one that Paddington Bear himself would be proud to endorse, we’re sure. 

Just a warning, though: If you’re sensitive to depictions of animal cruelty, Okja might be an uncomfortable watch at times. I don’t often cry when watching movies, but this one even managed to get me weeping.

From one British institution to another, it would be foolish of us to neglect the work of Aardman Animation on this list. The only difficult part is picking which Wallace and Gromit film to focus on. However, in selecting their most recent effort, Vengeance Most Fowl, we can also sneakily persuade you to watch The Wrong Trousers, too, as the newer movie relies on you having seen the iconic 1993 film first. Given Paddington’s propensity for dealing with nefarious characters, it wouldn’t be out of place to see him battling returning villain Feathers McGraw in Gromit’s place. 

What’s great about this new entry is that it captures everything that makes these characters so special and entertaining, while also offering a fresh, modern story laced with technological anxieties about the rise of AI for them to exist within. 

I remember when this movie came out just before Christmas 2024, my young son wanted to watch it over and over again, which I had zero complaints about!

A quick game of word association can connect the dots between Paddington and Ratatouille quite easily: Animal, hat, food, mischief… You get the picture. 

The Disney-Pixar movie is a bona fide classic and a deserving winner of the 2008 Oscar for Best Animated Feature. And yet, it does feel like one of the lesser-known Disney movies among younger audiences today. My kids hadn’t seen it until very recently, but their first watch went down a treat (giving me a newfound appreciation for the movie, too).

At its core, Ratatouille is a story about finding a passion in life underpinned by the universal feeling of leaving a past life behind to pursue a new one: In this case, Remy the rat leaves behind the garbage cans of the Parisian streets to ingratiate himself in the grandeur of fine dining restaurants. It’s something Paddington knows all too well, having upped sticks and taken on a big adventure in London after leaving Peru. 

Another big plus is that this is an easy one to find online for streaming – it’s permanently housed on Disney+.

With a classic fish-out-of-water story and found-family elements, The Wild Robot has the same themes you find in the Paddington trilogy. There’s actually an argument to be made that The Wild Robot could be even more wholesome than Paddington. If that’s what you’re in the mood to watch, you could certainly do far worse.

One of the best recent animated movies, The Wild Robot has such a sweet story and stylish animation style, you cannot help but fall in love with Roz and her animal companions. I particularly love the landscapes in the film and the way they transition through the seasons – from bright, luscious summer through to the cold, desolate winter. 

Despite The Wild Robot being a pretty upsetting movie, it didn’t seem to affect my four-year-old when he watched it, so I’d say it’s still very child-friendly.

Spike Jonze’s adaptation of the classic children’s book is a spectacularly imaginative and nuanced interpretation of a source material that is actually incredibly short. Jonze imbues his version of Where The Wild Things Are with such a surprising degree of humanity and realism that you’ll soon forget you’re watching a bunch of giant monsters on a fantasy island.

This is not one that younger children are likely to engage with, truth be told. However, for slightly older kids who are perhaps beginning to get to grips with their emotions (or indeed, any adults who are doing the same), Where The Wild Things Are is a poignant experience. It’s very much along the lines of films like A Monster Calls and Pan’s Labyrinth. 

The only issue is you can’t watch this for free anywhere at the time of writing, but it’s not too expensive to rent or buy, and certainly worth 100 minutes of your time.