7 heartwarming movies to watch if you loved Disney's 'Encanto'
With its catchy soundtrack, magical themes, and relatable story about family, Encanto has quickly become a favorite among Disney fans.
On YouTube, music videos from the movie have reached millions of views in less than a month—over 95 million users have watched the earworm-inducing We Don't Talk About Bruno. Meanwhile, on TikTok, #encanto has over 10.3 billion views with numerous creators making videos about the animated flick.
If you're part of the countless people online hit with Encanto fever and are looking for other movies rich in culture, magic, music, and family, here's a list of heartwarming flicks to add to your watch list.
Moana
This 2016 Disney movie tells the story of Moana (Auli'i Cravalho), the daughter of a Polynesian village chief, who is chosen by the ocean to reunite a mystical relic with the goddess Te Fiti to save her tribe.
Similar to Encanto's main character Mirabel, Moana comes to terms with her identity and calling in her story. That's not where the similarities end—both films feature songs written by Lin-Manuel Miranda.
Coco
Another movie that dives into familial relationships is Pixar's Coco. Aspiring musician Miguel lives in a household that forbids music so he crosses over to the Land of the Dead to uncover details about his family, much like Mirabel.
Coco and Encanto also both highlight Hispanic culture, traditions, and heritage.
The Book of Life
If you loved Encanto's stunning visuals and Hispanic themes, The Book of Life is a must-watch. This movie is also about subverting family expectations and pressures as Manolo (Diego Luna), who comes from a long line of bullfighters, disappoints his family after telling them he wants to pursue music.
This movie also shares similarities with Coco as both are centered around the Mexican Day of the Dead.
In the Heights
In the Heights is a musical written by Encanto composer Miranda—he even starred as main character Usnavi in its initial Broadway run. Some songs in the movie have the same Latinx meets hip-hop vibes, too.
Vivo
This animated musical also features music from Miranda, and he even stars in it as Vivo the kinkajou. The titular character from Havana, Cuba travels to Florida to deliver a love song to an old friend. Along the way, Vivo makes new friends, including his master's grand-niece, the energetic Gabi who is happily marching to the beat of her own drum.
Monster House
Now, if you're looking for another movie with a magical house, Monster House fits the bill. This horror-comedy revolves around a house that comes to life to terrorize a neighborhood as Halloween approaches. A trio of teens tries to get into the abode to destroy the structure before it harms innocent trick-or-treaters.
Tick, Tick...Boom!
Fans of Miranda's work will also enjoy his directorial debut, Tick, Tick...Boom!, an autobiographical story of Rent playwright Jonathan Larson (Andrew Garfield). In the movie, Larson struggles with the pressure of reaching his goals as he nears the age of 30.
