• Critics Polls
  • Yearly Top Tens
  • Interviews
Menu

World of Reel

Street Address
City, State, Zip
Phone Number
Home
IMG_9604.jpeg
‘River': Horror Movie Sells to Universal and Blumhouse for $10M+ TIFF 2026’s First Big Deal

Still no distributor for "Bucking Fastard," "Alpha Gang," "The Last Photograph," "Closing Night," and "The Life and Deaths of Wilson Shedd." The issue seems to be quality more than a lack of willingness to buy.

Read more →
IMG_9603.jpeg
Jeremy Saulnier’s Next Film Retitled to ‘Slayground,’ Current Runtime is 2.5 Hours, Plot Details

Jeremy Saulnier’s mysterious A24 project, formerly “October,” still has no release date. You’d think, given that it has been in post-production for almost a year now.

Read more →
IMG_9599.webp
‘Minotaur' Trailer: Andrey Zvyagintsev's Cannes Grand Prix Winner Gets November Release from MUBI

"Minotaur" won the Grand Prix at Cannes. A two-time Oscar nominee who already has the Golden Lion for "The Return," Best Screenplay at Cannes for "Leviathan," and the Jury Prize in 2017 for "Loveless.

Read more →
IMG_9597.jpeg
‘Cosmic Motors,' John Lasseter's First Film in 15 Years, Moves from Netflix to Paramount Theatrical Release

Netflix and Skydance Animation have also called it quits. The two sides announced Monday that they're ending the animated film deal struck back in 2023, framing it as a mutual decision.

Read more →
IMG_9594.webp
Edward Berger’s Lance Armstrong Biopic, Starring Austin Butler, Starts Production in January

Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.

Read more →
Featured
Capture.PNG
August 19, 2019
3-Hour ‘Midsommar' Director's Cut Screened in NYC
August 19, 2019

This year’s 12th edition of the Scary Movies festival at Film at Lincoln Center premiered Ari Aster’s extended version of “Midsommar” this past Saturday.

Read more →
August 19, 2019

World of Reel

  • Critics Polls
  • Yearly Top Tens
  • Interviews

The Goonies Is an ‘80s Classic, But Check Out These Alternatives

June 23, 2022 John Torre

Most people grew up with a selection of memorable movies that accompanied them throughout their childhood. Some movies have even followed people into adult life as they occasionally dip back in for a nostalgic look at the past. From The Wizard of Oz to Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory, there have been a number of iconic releases that have received five star reviews and will be remembered fondly by millions of people around the world. The Goonies is another classic movie that fits the bill in that respect, too.

Brought to life by a cast led by some of the best kid actors from the ‘80s, The Goonies is a truly iconic production that featured some excellent young personalities as they hunted down treasure and created a few comical moments along the way. The movie was such a hit that there’s even a Goonies online slot game named after it, while also providing a solid platform for the likes of Josh Brolin to have a great career in acting. Brolin is well known for starring in the Marvel movies as supervillain Thanos, with his youthful appearance in The Goonies playing a part in his overall rise.

The Goonies’ appeal will potentially never wane, but there are some similar movies that have come to the fore since that certainly deserve more of a mention. While The Goonies inspired some of the releases that followed it, these particular movies are excellent productions in their own right. So, without further ado, let’s look at some other kid-led movies that are similar to The Goonies.

Hook (1991)  

Released in 1991, Hook is actually directed by Steven Spielberg, The Goonies writer. A magical take on the classic story of Peter Pan, it’s a fantastic movie to sit back and sample. Robin Williams, who plays Peter, unsurprisingly nails the role, and there are some other excellent performances on show, namely from Dustin Hoffman who plays Captain Hook. A movie that regularly seems to escape praise when assessing some of Spielberg’s masterpieces, Hook is a great film.  

(Image via https://twitter.com/OldSchool80s)

(Image via https://twitter.com/OldSchool80s)

E.T. The Extra-Terrestrial (1982)

If you haven’t seen E.T. then you’re in for a real treat. Another classic production by Steven Spielberg, it followed the success of The Goonies and helped catapult Spielberg up the director rankings and firmly into the minds of the public. Following the story of a peaceful alien who gets taken in by a boy named Elliot, it’s a movie with a number of comical moments as the creature from another world adapts to human life and Elliotthas to keep it all hidden from his parents.  

The Harry Potter Franchise 

If there’s a selection of movies that don’t require any extra attention, then the Harry Potter franchise is probably it. A perfect novel to film adaptation, the transformation from a magical movie franchise filled with child actors to a production with a genuinely dark fantasy storyline makes it a classic that will probably never die. The fact that the likes of Daniel Radcliffe and Emma Watson have gone on to forge successful acting careers is no surprise either.  

It (2017) 

If you aren’t too keen on clowns, then It will almost certainly provide you with a few spine-chilling moments. A famous Stephen King novel, the movie flips between the past and the present as a group of friends aim to put an end to the horrorPennywise, an evil clown, has put them through during their lives to date. Released in 2017, the exploration element of the movie creates a tense overall watch too, while also offering some similarities to The Goonies.

← Taika Waititi’s ‘Next Goal Wins’ Will Finally Be Released This FallOfficial: Yorgos Lanthimos’ ‘Poor Things’ Coming in 2023 →

FOLLOW US!

Subscribe to our newsletter

Enjoying World of Reel?

Get film news, rumors and industry stories delivered straight to your inbox.

Thank you!
No results found

Trending

Featured
IMG_9412.jpeg
Joaquin Phoenix Reuniting with Mike Mills for Next Film, Shooting in January 2027

Phoenix is set to reunite with Mills on this next film, which is being distributed by A24 and starts shooting January 2027. This will be Phoenix’s first film since “Eddington.”

Read more →
IMG_9228.jpeg
Paul Thomas Anderson Has Already Chosen His Next Film, Jonny Greenwood Says

“Paul is getting close to pressing the button on the next film, I believe, and I’m already trying to learn a new instrument that would be central to it,” Greenwood tells Screen Daily. 

Read more →
IMG_9202.jpeg
Ridley Scott Says “I Didn’t Say That” After Calling ‘The Dog Stars’ His Best Movie Since ‘The Martian’

In June 2026, Scott told The Buyer that “The Dog Stars” is “probably the best movie I’ve done since The Martian.” He’s now denying he ever said that.

Read more →
IMG_9001.jpeg
Todd Field-Written ‘The Girls’ Sets Antoneta Alamat Kusijanovic to Direct, November Shoot

Cinephiles another Todd Field movie, and although we might have to wait for his next directorial effort, “The Girls” will have to suffice for now.

Read more →

Critics Polls

Featured
IMG_4965.jpeg
Fritz Lang’s ‘M’ Tops the Best Films of the 1930s, According to 100+ Critics

We’ve gone through the decades. The ‘40s ‘50s, ‘60s, ‘70s, ‘80s, ‘90s, ‘2000s, and ‘2010s. — all revisited, argued over. Now, here are the results for the best films of the 1930s.

Read more →
Capture.PNG
Critics Poll: ‘Citizen Kane' Named Best Film of the 1940s

The results are in, and according to critics, this decade filled with cinematic riches did not have a better film than Orson Welles’ “Citizen Kane.” Nobody should be surprised by this result. “Citizen Kane” changed cinema forever.

Read more →
Capture.PNG
Critics Poll: ‘Vertigo’ Named Best Film of the 1950s, Over 120 Participants

It was a closer race than anticipated, but Alfred Hitchcock’s “Vertigo” has topped our best of the ’50s poll, besting Gene Kelly and Stanley Donen’s “Singin’ in the Rain” by just two votes.

Read more →
B16BAC21-5652-44F6-9E83-A1A5C5DF61D7.jpeg
Critics Poll: Kubrick’s ‘2001: A Space Odyssey’ Tops Our 1960s Critics Poll

We’ve already covered the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, 2000s, and 2010s. Now we have the results for the Best Films of the 1960s.

Read more →
 

SEND NEWS TIPS

Summary Block
This block is invalid. Please check the block settings and try again.
Featured
Aenean eu leo Quam
Aenean eu leo Quam

Quisque iaculis facilisis lacinia. Mauris euismod pellentesque tellus sit amet mollis.

Read more →
World of Reel tagline.PNG
 

Content

Contribute

Subscribe

 

Support

Advertise

Donate

 

About

Team

Contact

Privacy Policy

Site designed by Jordan Ruimy © 2026