Star Wars: 10 Movies To Watch If You Love The Franchise

The Star Wars franchise has finally come to an end after 30 plus years of lore and movies. Many fans are upset by the end of a long saga but also excited by the spinoffs and movies Disney plans on rolling out in the near future.

But for true fans, that time is too much to bear and we need our space opera sci-fi action soon rather than later. Lucky for us fans, there are some movies that have taken influence or are very similar to the saga that could open our eyes to new movies to binge on. Here are 10 movies you need to watch if you loved Star Wars.

10 The Fifth Element (1997)

This movie has an all-star cast of Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, and Milla Jovovich. It takes place in the 23rd century where the earth is more advanced than ever before.

Willis finds the fate of the world in his shoulders when Milla’s character finds her way in his cab and on a quest to recover four mystical stones.

The movie takes place in London which looks eerily similar to Coruscant in the prequels.

9 Dune (1984)

This movie takes place in a world where the entire galaxy is run by a power-hungry emperor who’s on the hunt for a powerful commodity that promises eternal life. The movie revolves around a planet and a prophecy of a man who is set to free the galaxy of the emperor’s evil rule. Sound familiar?

It’s almost exactly the plot of the original Star Wars trilogy with a few changes and differences of course. But if you liked the storytelling, you would love it. With a remake set to hit theaters later in 2020, it could be something fans could get excited for.

8 Guardians Of The Galaxy (2014)

This next movie would be like if Star Wars met the Marvel universe, exploring space and its planets with all the heroics we see in our marvel heroes. With ship designs, planets, aliens, and costumes all very similar to Star Wars, Guardians of the Galaxy bring a lot of similar things we already loved in SW and bring new characters.

Otherwise fairly unknown, the Guardians of the Galaxy comics became huge with the success of the movie, inspiring a sequel and even a third movie coming out.

7 Star Trek Trilogy (2009-)

The most common comparisons that Star Wars has drawn is from Star Trek, so it’s only natural we include the trilogy in the list. It even has the same director as the new Star Wars Trilogy, JJ Abrams.

The movie follows a young Captain Kirk and his crew as they embark on a journey commanding the Enterprise and traveling the depths of space. It’s time to end the long debate of what’s better, Star Wars vs Star Trek? Why can’t we enjoy both franchises?

6 The Last Starfighter (1985)

This next movie is a fantasy world in which every sci-fi or video game fan wishes they could be in. It follows a young boy, an expert in the popular game Starfighter who must use his skills to save the world when he is the only one who can.

It would like a diehard Star Wars fan discovering they have the force and having to become a Jedi to save the world from danger. It’s a fantasy we all wish we could be a part of.

5 Battle Beyond The Stars (1980)

The title of this movie is literally a synonym for Star Wars, and coming out just a couple years after A New Hope, many believe it was simply a rip-off.

The movie follows Shad, a young farmer, who assembles a team from all over outer space to defend his peaceful planet from the evil tyrant Sador and his armada of aggressors. Each member has their own unique backstory and expertise with certain weapons and fighting.

Although it’s eerily similar to A New Hope, it has it’s own story and is very much worth watching if you’re a Star Wars fan.

4 Krull (1983)

Competing with the much more popular Empire Strikes Back, Krull came out the same year and was therefore dismissed as a knockoff of the fifth Star Wars movie.

RELATED: The Mandalorian: 10 Things It Revealed About The Star Wars Universe

Combining a little bit of Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and Hamlet, this movie is nothing like its competitor and offers a lot more, and is worthy of watching. Even if you’re not a Star Wars fan.

3 Seven Samurai (1954)

This 1954 classic has no space or future tech but is the only movie on this list that has directly influenced Star Wars creator George Lucas. By using similar cinematic tricks and camera movements, the influence of the empire, and even similar fighting styles of the Samurai all make their way into the movie.

The movie follows an aging Samuari who is recruited to protect a small village to protect them from thugs. He recruits another and they set out to protect the small village and action ensues.

Apart from that its a really solid story that is a staple to cinema.

2 Bladerunner (1982)

Starring Han Solo himself, Harrison Ford takes on the role of a former detective hell-bent on capturing a fugitive group of clones outside of earth and he does this in a futuristic city that looks an awful lot like something you’d see in a Star Wars movie.

With the sequel including Ryan Gosling, this movie not only checks the boxes for what Star Wars fans want to see but also shows great visuals that are worth watching. It definitely rivals Star Wars in terms of effects.

1 Message From Space (1978)

This movie is almost a dead ringer for A New Hope, coming out just a year after its release. Although many complained the movie lacked the same execution of special effects that Star Wars did, it’s still a solid action-packed Japanese space opera.

The movie follows a group of rebels who band together to save their peaceful planet and rid the world of the evil invaders. Much like Star Wars, it has heroes fighting for the greater good although they are heavily outnumbered.

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