arloGet the appMovies like Stand by Me
1986 · Movie · R · your starting pointIf Stand by Me is the itch, these scratch it — some louder, some quieter. Free ones first.
Movies like Stand by Me, ranked
1. The Goonies (1985)
The Goonies captures that same bittersweet magic of childhood friendships tested by real danger, as a ragtag group of kids must rely on each other to survive encounters with ruthless adults in a hostile world.
2. Without a Paddle (2004)
Three friends honor a deceased companion by venturing into dangerous wilderness to complete his unfinished quest, discovering that the real treasure is confronting how much they've changed since childhood.
3. Grown Ups (2010)
Director Denis Villeneuve brings the same nostalgic melancholy to this story of childhood friends reconnecting decades later, capturing how time reshapes bonds forged in simpler moments.
4. Graduation (2007)
Rob Reiner's nostalgic lens captures the bittersweet alchemy of youthful mischief colliding with moral complexity, finding its echo in how four inseparable friends navigate loyalty tested by circumstances beyond their control.
5. Desert Son (2018)
The harsh desert landscape isolates these three children just as the Oregon wilderness tests Stand by Me's protagonists, forcing both groups to confront moral consequences that shatter their innocence.
Tell me what kind of night it is — I'll pick the one for you.