Film

Help! I'm a Fish

A Danish animated adventure about three kids transformed into fish and racing against a 48-hour countdown to find the antidote. It's a spirited, colourful film that balances genuine peril with humour and heart, grounded in real consequences despite its fantastical premise. Perfect for children who've outgrown picture books but still want warmth alongside the stakes.

TMDb rating3.4

If you liked this

The Little Mermaid1989

Disney's underwater fantasy with unforgettable songs, gorgeous animation, and Ursula as one of cinema's great villains. A timeless adventure about discovering who you are away from home.

But If you've seen it countless times already, or if you find the pacing slow by modern standards.

The Little Mermaid poster

Ponyo2008

Miyazaki's whimsical tale of a goldfish who becomes human, brimming with imagination and wonder. Stunningly animated with genuine emotional weight beneath the fantasy.

But The plot is deliberately dreamlike and loose; if you need narrative clarity and forward momentum, this will frustrate you.

Ponyo poster

Finding Nemo2003

Pixar's ocean adventure about a father searching for his son across the reef. Funny, visually stunning, and surprisingly moving about parental love and letting go.

But The emotional beats are well-trodden now; it's been absorbed into the culture so thoroughly it may feel familiar rather than fresh.

Finding Nemo poster

Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Help! I'm a Fish

The wildcard

Something you would not have found on your own.

The NeverEnding Story1984

Both centre a child protagonist fighting a literal deadline in an alien world, where transformation and survival are physical realities, not metaphors. Both understand that real stakes deepen rather than diminish a children's story.

A child pulled into a magical world races to save it from destruction—a high-stakes adventure with genuine dread woven through the wonder. Practical effects and real sets give it weight modern animation sometimes lacks.

But Some of the creatures are deliberately grotesque and unsettling; the pacing drags in places, and the 80s aesthetic may feel dated.

The NeverEnding Story poster
More like this (7)

Moana2016

A spirited ocean-set adventure with excellent songs, a determined protagonist, and glorious animation. Balances action, humour, and genuine character growth with ease.

But If you're tired of the modern Disney formula—the uplifting songs, the sidekick comic relief, the self-aware humour.

Moana poster

The Secret of Roan Inish1994

A haunting, lyrical film about Irish folklore and selkies—humans who become seals. Visually beautiful and steeped in myth, with a child protagonist uncovering family secrets.

But It's deliberately slow and contemplative; there's no action sequence rescue and minimal plot mechanics. It asks you to sit with atmosphere.

The Secret of Roan Inish poster

Song of the Sea2014

A gorgeously hand-drawn Irish fantasy about a selkie boy and his human sister. Stunning art, Celtic folklore richly realised, and emotional depth that lingers.

But Wordless sequences and minimal dialogue mean you're reading visuals and mood instead of following plot; some find this frustrating.

Song of the Sea poster

Shark Tale2004

DreamWorks' colourful underwater comedy with a charismatic fish protagonist navigating a mob-run reef. Fast-paced, funny, and visually vibrant with a solid voice cast.

But The humour is very 2004 and hasn't aged brilliantly; the story is a familiar underdog tale done more memorably elsewhere.

Shark Tale poster

Eight Crazy Nights2002

Adam Sandler's animated musical about redemption and community. Genuinely heart-filled beneath the comedy, with a character arc that actually means something.

But The animation is deliberately cheap and crude; Sandler's comedy style is loud and abrasive, which wears on some people quickly.

Eight Crazy Nights poster

My Life as a Teenage Robot2003

Both feature protagonists forced into a form that isn't theirs, struggling with the speed of adaptation and the social alienation that comes with physical difference. Both ask: who are you when your body has changed?

A Nickelodeon series about a girl who is a robot hiding her true nature from the world. Wildly inventive action sequences, genuine character development, and a protagonist caught between two identities trying to belong.

But It's a TV series, not a film, so it requires investment across multiple episodes. The animation is deliberately stylised and angular, which some find off-putting.

My Life as a Teenage Robot poster

The Shape of Water2017

Both use the figure of a non-human aquatic being as the emotional core of the story, asking the audience to see past the strange form to recognise kinship and intelligence. Both suggest that being 'other' doesn't make you less deserving of connection and dignity.

A Cold War romance between a mute woman and a captured amphibious creature. Guillermo del Toro's masterpiece—visually sumptuous, tender, and thrilling, with a love story that defies category.

But It's adult-oriented with sexual content and violence; the pacing is deliberate rather than propulsive. If you want plot-driven action, this is languorous and sensory instead.

The Shape of Water poster

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