15 Best Movies Like The Goonies

For kids growing up in the 1980s, "The Goonies" became a quintessential part of childhood. It all started with a simple question that executive producer Steven Spielberg wanted to explore: What do kids do on rainy days? What followed was an instant cinematic classic about a group of friends who stumble upon a pirate treasure map and go on an epic adventure where they get more than they bargained for and test the limits of their friendship. 

"The Goonies" is still worth watching today thanks to its myriad lessons, like the importance of working together and never judging someone by the way they look. But if you've already seen it a million times, and you maybe bought "The Goonies" LEGO set, you might wonder what other coming-of-age stories show how kids can save the day just as well as any adult. There's no shortage of movies like "The Goonies" about precocious kids figuring out how to solve some problem, so put these films on your watchlist next. 

"Stand By Me" is certainly less wacky than "The Goonies." Instead of being about a group of friends trying to find treasure, it's about some friends setting out to find a dead body. We'd expect nothing less based on a Stephen King story, but make no mistake, there's not much in the way of horror here. It's more focused on these friends spending an unforgettable summer together, and even though they may have gone their separate ways later in life, they'll always have these memories.

Director Rob Reiner has said that "Stand By Me" is his most personal film, and it's probably personal for most folks who watch it. Most of us probably never ventured into the woods to find corpses, but we probably have fond memories having fun with the friends we had at 12 years old. There's something carefree about that time when friendships are unburdened by other responsibilities, but sooner or later, those responsibilities creep up on you...

There are two types of kids growing up: the kind who like to play outside and the kind who enjoys staying indoors with a more silent activity like reading. There's nothing wrong with reading, of course, and "The NeverEnding Story" is a great reminder of the power of imagination. It involves a boy who stumbles upon a magical book and becomes engulfed in a conflict to prevent the Nothing from consuming all that is great about the magical realm of Fantasia. 

"The NeverEnding Story" is a great piece of pure escapism, and it's worth watching today for the practical effects amid a deluge of CGI. Falkor (voiced by Alan Oppenheimer) is naturally the standout, but you come to appreciate how vividly realized everyone from the Rock Biter to Morla the Ancient One are, too. These puppets weren't just a bunch of discount Yoda clones, and they helped make the story wholly its own.

When you're in the mood to watch "The Goonies" but it also happens to be around Halloween, you can't go wrong with "The Monster Squad." A group of monsters, including Dracula (Duncan Regehr), the Mummy (Michael Reid MacKay), and Frankenstein's monster (Tom Noonan) begin wreaking havoc, and it's up to a group of kids to stop them. It's a PG-rated affair, so you don't have to worry about any children getting into mortal danger. Instead, it's a ton of fun filled with witty one-liners courtesy of screenwriter Shane Black.

Yes, Black (along with Fred Dekker who also directed) wrote "The Monster Squad," and you can kind of tell from the way the kids act. There's some mild profanity, which, to be fair, it accurate to how a lot of kids were in the 1980s. You'll also find all of Black's typical quips here, like a child kicking Wolf Man (Carl Thibault) in the groin only to proclaim, "Wolf Man's got nards!" If you watch "Monster Squad" as a kid, you almost feel like you're getting away with watching something you shouldn't. Even as an adult, it'll bring a smirk to your face.

It's impossible to talk about coming-of-age movies like "The Goonies" without getting into "Labyrinth." It's a touchstone of so many childhoods, following Sarah Williams (Jennifer Connelly) journeying into a strange world and contending with the Goblin King (David Bowie) to rescue her baby brother. Most will remember the film for its array of creatures, which were puppets designed by The Jim Henson Company (with Henson also directing). It's a fantasy movie and a Muppet flick all wrapped into one, but there's something deeper and darker lurking beneath the surface. 

"Labyrinth" can really speak to kids about how scary it is to grow up. Like the titular labyrinth, it can feel like it's impossible to navigate all of the newfound responsibilities associated with adulthood. It's a deeply symbolic film, so you might discover other interpretations too, and that's okay. "Labyrinth" may not have wound up being the story screenwriter Terry Jones wanted to tell, but it's the one audiences needed to see. 

"E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" was originally going to be a horror movie, and thank goodness Steven Spielberg went down a different path. Considering "Jaws," there's little doubt Spielberg could craft an excellent alien-based horror flick, but there's something so magical and miraculous about "E.T." The fact this movie exists is a testament to the power of cinema, as it remains a landmark achievement in the medium.

We all should know the story of a young boy, Elliott (Henry Thomas), who befriends a strange extra-terrestrial and has to find a way to reunite him with others of his kind. They may be from completely different species, but Elliott forms a strong friendship with E.T., showing how love can transcend even the most difficult of circumstances. Others, from parents to the United States government, might fear E.T., but Elliott sees the alien for what it truly is: a kind soul, just like him. 

"Hook" gets far on its simple premise: What if Peter Pan (Robin Williams) grew up and forgot about all of his wonderful adventures with the Lost Boys? He's thrust back into adventure after Captain Hook (Dustin Hoffman) kidnaps his kids, so he'll have to rediscover magic to save them. "Hook" wasn't as well-received as some of Steven Spielberg's other films around that time period, but it's remained a classic for so many who grew up on it. 

Movies like "The Goonies" tend to focus on coming-of-age stories. They focus on kids who need to realize that it's okay to grow up and become an adult someday. But intriguingly, "Hook" is almost the reverse of this story. It's not a devolution, but Peter Pan only becomes a fully-realized person when he remembers his childhood memories as Peter Pan. Growing up isn't about forgetting what it means to be a kid; it's about embracing all that you were back then.

"Jumanji" has turned into a full-fledged film franchise, with the later installments mostly focusing on action-adventure elements. But for those who want to take a trip back to the '90s, the original still has a lot to offer. Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter (Bradley Pierce) play a mysterious board game called Jumanji and unwittingly unleash all sorts of jungle animals into their suburban area. They also unleash a wild, bearded man named Alan Parrish (Robin Williams), who got trapped in the game decades earlier. 

Everything about this film just works. James Horner's score offers ample excitement during big set pieces, like the rhino stampede, but it also gets surprisingly emotional. After all, this is a story about a boy who missed out on his childhood being trapped inside a game. The movie isn't just about figuring out how to put all of the animals back inside the game; it's about acclimating Alan to the modern world, dealing with his unresolved emotions toward his father and childhood bully. As much as we all would like to escape our problems, that's not the way to live a healthy life. We have to fight everything, from relationships to lions, head-on. 

"Super 8" is basically J.J. Abrams doing his best Steven Spielberg impression, although there are plenty of other influences to appreciate in this underrated gem. "Super 8" is a movie about making movies, as it follows a group of friends who make their own films together only to stumble upon a massive train derailment. Afterward, strange occurrences crop up around their town, and they take on the responsibility of figuring out what's going on. 

The film came out in 2011 but is set in 1979, which puts it of the era of other classic coming-of-age stories like "The Goonies" and "Stand By Me." These kids are figuring out their place in the world, with Joe (Joel Courtney) picking up the pieces from his mother's death. But he'll need to grow up fast once a strange force starts kidnapping people, including his friend Alice (Elle Fanning). Like other great coming-of-age movies, "Super 8" shows how everyone undergoes tragedy sooner or later. The important thing is continuing to live and finding new things and relationships that make life worthwhile. 

It's amazing how much of "The Sandlot" feels like it was designed to be referenced decades after the movie came out. From "You're killing me, Smalls" to "Heroes get remembered, but legends never die," "The Sandlot" was instantly quotable. It's about a new kid who joins a makeshift baseball team, but the movie's less concerned about baseball and more about watching these kids figure out who they are. 

Unlike other sports movies, there's no adult coach to guide these kids. This isn't "The Mighty Ducks," where it's just as much about the grown-up's journey as the children's. Instead, these kids are left to their own devices, harkening back to the days of latchkey sensibilities. As such, they have to learn harsh lessons on their own, like how you shouldn't go on an amusement park ride after chewing tobacco. Like "Stand By Me," "The Sandlot" really hones in on how special those summers as a kid are and how much you can look back on them fondly years later. If you want to feel old, you can see where the cast of "The Sandlot" is now. 

Babysitting is a rite of passage for many teenagers, but hopefully, many have an easier time with it than what's portrayed in 1987's "Adventures in Babysitting." Chris Parker (Elisabeth Shue) would rather go out with her boyfriend than babysit, but when she gets wrapped up looking after three kids, she unexpectedly winds up taking them on a city-wide journey to help out her friend. It's a classic road trip movie disguised as a coming-of-age journey for Chris, who simultaneously is in charge of these kids but has a lot of growing up herself to do. 

Chris' boyfriend Mike (Bradley Whitford) is pretty manipulative. He treats her poorly, but she doesn't see that right away. Young children know they have a lot of growing up and maturing to do, but teenagers tend to already think they know how the world is supposed to work. It can lead to quite the culture shock, especially when having as many encounters as Chris does throughout "Adventures in Babysitting," but one thing all adults need to realize is how little they truly know. 

The 1980s were truly a golden era for the "kids go on a cool adventure" sub-genre. "The Goonies" had kids exploring caves, but "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" arguably had the coolest concept of them all. Scientist Wayne Szalinski (Rick Moranis) invents a shrinking device, which inadvertently leads to his children getting shrunk and thrown outside as part of the trash. The kids then go on an odyssey through their own backyard, but since they're tiny, they have to contend with all of the foliage and insects, including a menacing scorpion, to get back home. 

The main attraction when it comes to watching "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" is the spectacular VFX and practical assets. For example, the sequence of some kids riding around on a bee's back is incredibly elaborate, and it's genuinely impressive to hear about how they made it a reality. The joy of watching something like "Honey, I Shrunk the Kids" is that it's one of those movies that feels like it was just as much fun to make as it is to see. 

These days, "The Wizard" is mostly known as one giant commercial for Nintendo, specifically its Power Glove controller accessory that just so happened to come out at the same time as the 1989 movie. But when you get right down to it, "The Wizard" is far deeper and more emotional than it has any right to be. A family is falling apart at the seams with young Jimmy (Luke Edwards) on the verge of getting institutionalized for severe mental problems following the death of his twin sister. However, Corey (Fred Savage) finds a way to help Jimmy by entering him into a video game tournament to show just how talented he is. 

"The Wizard" wasn't met kindly by critics, but to be fair, it wasn't made with them in mind. It was designed for kids who were already obsessed with everything Nintendo had to offer, and it makes for a fascinating time capsule of the late '80s when putting it on today. 

/Film's review of "Moonrise Kingdom" spends a good amount of time talking about how tonally different the film feels from other coming-of-age adventures. Two kids, Sam (Jared Gilman) and Suzy (Kara Hayward), run away together after falling in love, which causes panic amongst the adults in their vicinity. There's a sweetness to how childhood is presented in this movie, which contrasts interestingly with similar movies about the inevitable darkness that encompasses everyone's lives as they transition into adulthood. 

Of course, the film looks marvelous, as is the case with any Wes Anderson film. The cinematography and color palettes are on point, providing a touching tribute to childhood. Movies like "The Goonies" and "Hook" feel like they were meant to be watched by children to prepare them for what's to come. But "Moonrise Kingdom" feels like it's meant to be watched by adults to remember how simple things could be if we let them. 

It's a sad reality that most mainstream coming-of-age movies are focused on boys. Boys go on an adventure, travel into the woods, or compete in video game tournaments. Girls may function as a love interest or pesky little sister, but there are differences in the ways girls come of age compared to boys that's worth portraying on the big screen. It's what makes 1995's "Now and Then" an underrated gem within the genre.

The film follows four women who were close when they were younger but have since drifted apart. They reminisce on one particular summer in 1970 that brought them closer as they navigate newfound feelings for boys and confront parents' divorcing. Death also rears its head in this storyline, but everything comes from the perspective of young girls. The film was undoubtedly aided by the fact the screenwriter and director are women, bringing a sense of authenticity to the proceedings.

"E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial" may get the lion's share of love when it comes to '80s sci-fi movies directed toward kids, but don't overlook "Flight of the Navigator." It's a thrilling adventure film that sees 12-year-old David (Joey Cramer) getting abducted by an alien vessel only to realize eight years have passed on Earth while he's stayed the same age. He then discovers a new adventure awaits him, and despite the inherently dark nature of seeing everyone around you age, the special effects are great for the time period, and Alan Silvestri's score perfectly encapsulates a sense of childlike wonder. 

The emotional core of David relearing how to connect with his family helps ground the more fantastical elements of the film. But it's easy to see why it's become such a nostalgic favorite for so many who grew up in the 1980s. There's been talk of a "Flight of the Navigator" remake for a while, but honestly, it feels like one of those movies that belongs to the '80s. It would be like remaking "The Goonies" or "E.T." There's an intangible quality to these stories where they just wouldn't feel right coming out now.