Explorers

Explorers

The adventure begins in your own back yard.

Directed by Joe Dante

Produced by Paramount Pictures

1985109 min6.3 / 10

A whimsical, earnest adventure about friendship and imagination that transforms a boy's sci-fi dreams into an actual journey through space.

Middle schooler Ben spends his free time watching sci-fi films, playing video games and reading comic books. Surprisingly, his affinity for all things fantastical yields a real result – when he has a vivid dream about technology, his prodigy best friend Wolfgang manages to create a working spacecraft. Joined by their buddy Darren, the boys take off into outer space and encounter some very odd extraterrestrial life.

Where to watch

Questions people ask

  • Does Explorers end with hope? Yes. More hopeful than 85% of films.

  • Is Explorers easy watching? Yes. More comforting than 82% of films.

  • Is Explorers sad? Barely. Less sad than 80% of films.

  • Is Explorers scary? Barely. Less frightening than 76% of films.

  • Is Explorers violent? Not especially. Less violent than 74% of films.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

Written about

32/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

You have seen this shape before.

Rarity29

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise34

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love35

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Everything like Explorers, and what each one shares →

Like Explorers

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Explorers

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Explorers, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Explorers, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Explorers, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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