If you like/love Doctor Who...
Then I recommend these films...
These films include many that involve time travel via device, suspended animation/other hibernation, paradoxes, aliens, etc. In addition, as the show has been on/off since 1963, many genres have been echoed in Doctor Who including leveraging of classic films, mainly sci-fi but sometimes horror. In some cases, sources may have been remade themselves and if I reference both, that means elements from both could be Doctor Who-esque and/or have equal value/merit of their quality.
Many stories in Doctor Who of course involve time travel as well as space travel (usually both), however quite often the story is monster of the week or mystery where the Doctor and companions arrive in a place with a group of people dealing with some horror/deaths, assume they’re the cause, they then eventually solve the mystery and move on. Frequently referenced as the “base under siege” motif. And then more historical-focused stories.
Because of the diverse array of hundreds of Doctor Who stories since 1963, there are many elements that would lead to a film recommendation if you liked a particular story. Love "Brain of Morbius" then watch "Frankenstein" which it remade. Like "Ark in Space" then check out "Alien." Enjoyed "Dragonfire" then check out "Aliens." Enjoyed the "Android Invasion" then check out "Invasion of the Body Snatchers."
In fact, you'd be hard pressed to find a Doctor Who episode without some analogue in film (let alone TV which would be another list altogether). Sometimes, the connection is spiritual. When Stanley Kubrick, who lived most of his life in the UK, was working on "2001: A Space Odyssey" he apparently sent some of his team over to the BBC to meet with the Doctor Who production team about portraying weightlessness in space specifically scenes from the 1967 Patrick Troughton story "The Moonbase" which featured scenes set on the moon.
Some of these are classics that should jump right out as obvious, but hopefully blended into this are ones you’ve never heard of that I hope you enjoy seeking them out and diving in. I should note, for this exercise I am aware of others, but have stuck to only those I’ve seen. And given revelations about a director and abuse of an ex, I have intentionally left a 2004 film off this list even though prior to 2020 it was in my top 10 best indie/sci-fi/time travel films and recommended it left and right. In good conscience, I can’t include it.
I first stumbled upon Doctor Who while growing up in Ohio, in 1985 one night before dinner flipping channels on the local PBS channel. They were showing one episode a night and it happened to be the start of the Tom Baker story "The Ark in Space" and I was hooked by how different it was. But being 1985, long pre-Internet and Social Media I enjoyed it in a vacuum and thought Doctor Who was just the adventures of Tom Baker from "Ark in Space" to "The Invasion of Time."
I subsequently found books and comics that opened my mind to the deeper richer world of Doctor Who. Unfortunately, until the BBC worked out licensing with American channels, it would be many years before I was able to see what remains of the classic series (1963-1989). On top of D&D and Choose Your Own Adventure books, mysteries and such I also watched a ton of fantasy and science fiction TV series and films.
So while you'll see a large amount of 70s/80s films in the list, I have since worked to see other films from earlier decades and continue to watch films in many genres to this day, in particular science fiction and often see films that are though-provoking, disturbing, just fun, etc. that give me the same feeling Doctor Who has even to this day with the current adventures (2005-present).
I hope you enjoy my list, and that there are some hidden gems you may not have heard of mixed in with the more obvious ones. If you are curious why I included a film, happy to discuss. Take care.
If you like Doctor Who, Then try these films...
The Mummy (1932)
The Most Dangerous Game (1932)
The Lady Vanishes (1938)
The Thing from Another World (1951)
Godzilla (1954)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1956)
The Time Machine (1960)
La Jetée (French short film 1962) - inspiration for 12 Monkeys
The Day of the Triffids (1962)
Icarus XB-1 (1963) Czech film & needs to be original NOT US cut
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
The Andromeda Strain (1971)
Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978)
Alien (1979)
Time After Time (1979)
The Final Countdown (1980)
The Fog (1980)
Time Bandits (1981)
Blade Runner (1982)
The Dead Zone (1983)
Terminator (1984)
Trancers (1984)
Starman (1984)
The Adventures of Buckaroo Banzai Across the 8th Dimension (1984)
Star Trek 4: The Voyage Home (1984)
Lifeforce (1985)
Back to the Future (1985)
Zone Troopers (1985)
Enemy Mine (1985)
Highlander (1986)
Aliens (1986)
The Hidden (1987)
Alien Nation (1988)
They Live (1988)
The Abyss (1989)
Back to the Future Part II (1989)
Tremors (1990)
Back to the Future Part III (1990)
Terminator 2: Judgement Day (1991)
Demolition Man (1993)
Stargate (1994)
12 Monkeys (1995)
Star Trek: First Contact (1996)
The Arrival (1996)
Gattaca (1997)
The Matrix (1999)
Galaxy Quest (1999)
Donnie Darko (2001)
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Children of Men (2006)
The Prestige (2006)
The Fountain (2006)
Sunshine (2007)
Moon (2009)
Triangle (2009)
Frequently Asked Questions About Time Travel (2009)
District 9 (2009)
Inception (2010)
Monsters (2010)
The Adjustment Bureau (2011)
41 (2012)
Looper (2012)
Safety Not Guaranteed (2012)
Only Lovers Left Alive (2013)
Coherence (2013)
Europa Report (2013)
Ex Machina (2014)
Interstellar (2014)
The Signal (2014)
Edge of Tomorrow (2014)
What We Do in the Shadows (2015) - and the TV series which is an extension of this
Arrival (2016)
Midnight Special (2016)
Blade Runner 2049 (2017)
Annihilation (2018)
About the Creator
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