arloGet the appMovies like John Carter
2012 · Movie · PG-13 · your starting pointIf John Carter is the itch, these scratch it — some louder, some quieter. Free ones first.
Movies like John Carter, ranked
2. Captain America: Brave New World (2025)
Steve Rogers' reluctant hero arc and the film's exploration of duty across hostile terrain mirror John Carter's journey from cynical outsider to reluctant savior on an alien world.
3. Tarzan The Fearless (1933)
An earthling thrust into an alien civilization discovers unexpected kinship with its inhabitants while navigating tribal politics and physical combat across a vast, visually striking landscape.
4. Tarzan of the Apes (1918)
A reluctant outsider thrust into an alien world discovers unexpected belonging through connection with its people, exchanging cynicism for purpose across an untamed frontier.
5. Starship Troopers (1997)
A cynical soldier thrust into an alien war discovers redemption through duty, as Andrew Fleischer's satirical militarism and Martian landscapes share that same pulp-adventure DNA of reluctant heroes learning to lead.
6. Conan the Destroyer (1984)
An ensemble of misfits journeys across a hostile fantasy landscape, with a reluctant strongman learning to lead a ragtag group while discovering unexpected bonds beneath the sword-and-sorcery spectacle.
7. Battle Of The Worlds (1961)
A reluctant earthling thrust into an alien planetary conflict discovers unexpected purpose while defending an otherworldly civilization against overwhelming extraterrestrial forces.
8. Cowboys & Aliens (2011)
A reluctant outsider thrust into an alien conflict finds redemption through unexpected heroism, anchored by the same blend of Western sensibilities and high-stakes sci-fi spectacle that defines pulp adventure.
Tell me what kind of night it is — I'll pick the one for you.