As the latest installment of the final season dropped this year, the hype around Attack On Titan only continues to increase, making it one of the most globally renowned anime today. Based on the manga of the same name by Hajime Isayama, Attack on Titan blends several genres like action and fantasy to tell a tale that is violent but philosophical at the same time.
The Survey Corps' constant missions to take down the creatures known as Titans yields some new secrets that are rooted in spiritual and historical concepts while revealing diverse character motivations. Hence, fans of the anime can also binge on similar multi-genre movies that include a similar period premise or characters with grey areas.
Neon Genesis Evangelion: The End Of Evangelion (1997)
Stream On Netflix
Much like Attack on Titan, the pathbreaking anime Neon Genesis Evangelion stunned audiences back in the 1990s with its genre subversions. It looked like a mecha-anime with some of the coolest battles on the surface but went on to explore human despair and loneliness. Just like how the Survey Corps battle the Titans, the premise kicks off with mechanized "Evas" fighting the kaiju-like "Angels." But what follows eventually is something that viewers aren't prepared for.
To supplement a polarizing finale, The End of Evangelion was released as a cinematic conclusion to the series with an all-new ending. The movie still carries forward director Hideaki Anno's creative vision incorporating religious and historical motifs to represent the human condition.
Reign Of Fire (2002)
Stream On Hulu
In a post-apocalyptic world taken over by fire-breathing dragons, it is up to a ragtag bunch of survivors to take back the planet. One of Christian Bale's lesser-known movies, Reign of Fire incorporates some interesting dragon-hunting sequences that would amuse fans of the Titan-hunting members of the Survey Corps and Military Police.
Even though it is set in the future, Reign of Fire also incorporates a medieval period visual aesthetic owing to the mythical nature of the beasts. This is similar to Attack on Titan in that it sometimes leans toward the sci-fi genre but also looks like it is set in older times, visually.
Train To Busan (2016)
Stream On Prime Video
There is no dearth of foreign zombie movies but the Korean cult hit Train To Busan redefines the genre with a more personalized touch. With the main plot dealing with a father and his daughter trying to survive in a train full of zombies, a complicated and ultimately heartbreaking tale of parenthood is also weaved. And then, of course, there are enough creative ways of killing zombies present throughout the movie.
This perfect balance of emotional drama and gory violence has been the formula for animes like Attack on Titan and hence, Train To Busan is a perfect watch for its fans.
9 (2009)
Rent On VUDU
When a rag doll wakes up in an undefined future where humanity is extinct, he discovers that he might be the key to a larger conspiracy. 9 isn't only a fresh sci-fi pick among animated movies of the 2000s but it also acts as a thrilling tale of survival despite all odds.
Much like the titular protagonist of 9, Eren Yeager from Attack on Titan is introduced to a chaotic world that is ravaged by human actions. But as he comes closer to his goals, he realizes that he is indeed an integral part of a conspiracy that can alter humanity forever.
Kingdom Of Heaven (2005)
Rent On Redbox
A period drama set during the Crusades, Kingdom of Heaven involves multiple perspectives on the "Holy Wars" that were fought on the basis of religious conflicts and geographical control.
With multiple interpretations of the creation of the Titans and the nature of humanity, Attack on Titan does incorporate spiritualist themes at times. In fact, the heretic "Wall Worshippers" even consider the Walls to be holy and some even venerate the Titans. Their presence shows how religion can breed within chaotic wars as the warring human factions Marley and Eldia wage their own extremist crusades.
The Maze Runner (2014)
Rent On VUDU
Based on the young adult novels of the same name, The Maze Runner deals with a group of teenagers who are stuck within the confines of a dystopian maze. As they try to make their way out of the maze's colossal walls, a scientific project is unearthed.
Because of the movie's fixation with walls and the character's motivations to discover what lies beyond, Attack on Titan fans would have fun engaging with this sci-fi thriller. Instead of the Titans, the young ensemble of heroes fights bio-engineered creatures known as Grievers.
Men (2022)
Buy On DIRECTV
A folk horror from the mind of Alex Garland, the new A24 movie Men merges melancholic plotlines with surrealist elements. It is essentially the story of a woman haunted by several men who serve as the real-life "monsters" in the context of this movie. Not only is it an interesting work of realistic horror but it also proves how the genre can be used to depict socio-political realities of the time.
Not only should Attack on Titan fans watch Men for its genre-bending exercises but also because the anime inspired Garland in some surprising ways. Apparently, the director based the grotesque and frightening facial expressions of the "men" on the equally scary facial features of the Titans.
Shin Godzilla (2016)
Rent On AMC On Demand
The thermonuclear lizard Gojira aka Godzilla has been wreaking havoc in Japan and revolutionizing the kaiju genre of monster cinema for decades. But it was Shin Godzilla that added a more introspective take on the character turning the narrative into not just a mindless monster movie but also a contemporary political thriller.
Similarly, the Titans in Hajime Isayama's work aren't mere flesh-eating beasts. But as the episodes progress, some Titans belong to an intelligent species and carry crucial secrets behind human history. The internal rivalries between the Eldians and Marleyans further make Attack on Titan a heavily political anime series.
Waltz With Bashir (2008)
Stream On DIRECTV
A classic entry in the pantheon of foreign animated movies, this Israeli Oscar nominee is director Ari Folman's attempt at searching for lost memories during his time as a soldier in the 1982 Lebanon War. Like many philosophical war movies, the narrative of Waltz with Bashir ultimately takes an anti-war stance given how the conflict offered soldiers nothing but nightmarish experiences.
Eren Yaeger and his fellow Corps members start off with violent motivations to massacre all Titans. But as the days pass and the burden of warfare looms on them, viewers can see a visible change. The soldiers start growing weary and just yearn for a normal life, much like the tragic characters of Waltz With Bashir.
Snowpiercer (2013)
Stream On VUDU
After a global catastrophe inflicts freezing temperatures on Earth, the survivors reside in a train called Snowpiercer. However, as the inhabitants are divided according to social classes, a revolution ensues unearthing a larger conspiracy behind the train's very origins.
The post-apocalyptic thriller has no dearth of action and sci-fi elements, but the political themes around social inequality are also quite stark, much like other Bong Joon-Ho movies. With the Eldians trapped inside the Walls by the Marleyans, interesting parallels can be made between Attack on Titan and Snowpiercer.