Liked Chupa? 8 Similar Movies For You

Directed by Jonás Cuarón, Netflix’s ‘Chupa’ is an adventure movie that explores the legend of the Chupacabra through the tale of a young boy named Alex. While spending time with his extended family in Mexico, Alex encounters and befriends a mysterious creature. However, Alex and his family must reunite the creature with its family before it’s too late. The heartfelt film is packed with emotional moments and highlights the importance of family along with Mexican culture. If you enjoyed the movie’s depiction of a family-friendly adventure and sought more such tales, we’ve got you covered with a list of movies like ‘Chupa.’

8. King Kong (2005)

‘King Kong‘ is an adventure monster film co-written and directed by Peter Jackson. It stars Andy Serkis, Naomi Watts, Jack Black, and Adrien Brody. Set in 1933, the film revolves around an ambitious filmmaker who leads his cast and crew to the mysterious Skull Island, only for the group to encounter the legendary giant gorilla, Kong. The film is a glowing example of a monster movie that subverts expectations of horror tropes. Instead, it provides a heartfelt and emotionally charged adventure akin to ‘Cupa.’ However, it will only appeal to viewers looking for a more mature take on creature flicks compared to ‘Chupa.’

7. Journey 2: The Mysterious Island (2012)

Directed by Brad Peyton, ‘Journey 2: The Mysterious Island‘ is a fantasy adventure film based on author Jules Verne’s 1974 novel ‘ The Mysterious Island.’ It features Dwayne Johnson, Josh Hutcherson, Vanessa Hudgens, Luis Guzmán, and Michael Caine in the lead roles and serves as a sequel to 2008’s ‘Journey to the Center of the Earth.’ The movie follows Sean, a teenager who teams up with his stepfather to embark on a quest to find the titular island. Like ‘Chupa,’ the film is a rich tale of adventure aimed at children with strong family values and plenty of humor. Moreover, the bond between Sean and his grandfather forms the movie’s emotional core, much like Alex and Chava’s bond does for ‘Chupa.’

6. Antlers (2021)

‘Antlers‘ is a supernatural horror film directed by Scott Cooper and adapted from Nick Antosca’s short story ‘The Quiet Boy.’ The film stars Keri Russell, Jesse Plemons, and Jeremy T. Thomas in the lead roles. The plot revolves around a young but troubled child harboring a sinister evil. Meanwhile, his teacher and her brother, the town’s sheriff, try to help the boy, unaware of the monster’s existence. If you missed the scary and spine-chilling aspects of the creature horror genre absent from ‘Chupa,’ you will certainly relish ‘Antlers.’ Moreover, both movies are centered on young boys and explore lesser-known mythical creatures, making them fundamentally similar.

5. The Goonies (1985)

Directed by Richard Donner, ‘The Goonies‘ is an adventure comedy film written by Chris Columbus, based on a story by Steven Spielberg. The film follows a group of children who embark on a quest to find a long-lost treasure after discovering a pirate map. However, the children must find the treasure in time to save their homes from foreclosure. The movie is arguably one of the best family adventure films ever made and remains culturally relevant even in the modern era. Viewers will find several aesthetic similarities between ‘The Goonies’ and ‘Chupa’ as the former inspired the latter. Moreover, Chris Columbus, who wrote the movie, also served as a producer on ‘Chupa.’

4. Troll (2022)

‘Troll‘ is a Norwegian monster film directed by Roar Uthaug. It features Ine Marie Wilmann, Kim Falck, and Mads Sjøgård Pettersen in the lead roles. In the movie, after an ancient troll is awakened in a Norwegian mountain, a group of unlikely heroes must band together to stop the creature from wreaking havoc across the nation. Like ‘Chupa,’ the movie explores the lesser-known myth of the Trolls from Norse mythology and adds a fresh spin to it by exploring the emotional nature of the creature’s backstory. As a result, both movies subvert the monster genre, while the Norwegian mountains of ‘Troll’ provide a stark visual contrast to the Mexican village in ‘Chupa.’

3. Gremlins (1984)

‘Gremlins’ is a black comedy horror film directed by Joe Dante and starring Zach Galligan, Phoebe Cates, Frances Lee McCain, and Hoyt Axton. It tells the story of a young boy who breaks three important rules regarding his new pet. As a result, he ends up unleashing a group of malevolent and mischievous monsters on a small town. The film draws inspiration from folkloric creatures invented to explain aircraft malfunctions during the early 20th century. The film’s depiction of Gremlins, right from their physical appearance to their personality, is similar to the Chupacabras in ‘Chupa.’ Aside from these cosmetic similarities, ‘Gremlins’ also creates an interesting dynamic between its child protagonist and the featured monster.

2. Indigenous (2014)

Directed by Alastair Orr, ‘Indigenous’ is a horror film written by Max Roberts. It stars Zachary Soetenga, Lindsey McKeon, Sofia Pernas, and Pierson Fodé. The film revolves around five American friends on vacation in Panama. After meeting a woman, the group takes a hike with her in the jungle. However, they are soon hunted down by mysterious blood-thirsty creatures lurking in the shadows. While the film explores the legend of Chupacabra, it takes a completely different take on the creatures compared to ‘Chupa.’ Therefore, the film will appeal to viewers who enjoy gore, violence, and bloodshed.

1. E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial‘ (or simply ‘E.T.’) is a science fiction film produced and directed by Steven Spielberg. It tells the story of a young boy named Elliott who finds and befriends an alien creature dubbed “E.T.,” who is left behind on Earth. With the help of his friends and family, Elliott embarks on a quest to reunite the creature with its own family. The film served as a major influence on ‘Chupa,’ with the latter sharing several story beats with the Spielberg directorial. Moreover, the bond between Elliott and E.T. is incredibly heart-touching and delivers some moments of cinematic brilliance that make the movie an evergreen masterpiece. For these reasons, ‘E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial’ takes the top spot on our list!