Avatar and its sequel remain the most visually immersive blockbusters ever made — alien worlds built with obsessive detail, environments you want to step into. If you've watched them repeatedly and want more films with that sense of visual wonder, here are 10 that deliver.
All streaming in the UK.
The List
1. Avatar: The Way of Water (2022)
UK streaming: Disney+
The sequel takes you underwater. James Cameron spent a decade perfecting aquatic motion capture. Worth it.
Why it fits: Literally the same universe. The underwater sequences are unlike anything else in cinema.
Watch Avatar: The Way of Water
2. Dune (2021) / Dune: Part Two (2024)
UK streaming: Netflix, Prime Video / NOW
A desert planet, spice, sandworms. Denis Villeneuve made Avatar's equal in world-building.
Why it fits: Same visual ambition, same "lost in another world" quality. Different aesthetic — sand instead of jungle.
3. Interstellar (2014)
UK streaming: Prime Video
A pilot leads humanity's last hope through a wormhole. Christopher Nolan's most visually ambitious film.
Why it fits: Same sense of scale. The alien planets feel genuinely alien.
4. Gravity (2013)
UK streaming: Netflix, Prime Video
An astronaut stranded in orbit tries to survive. Alfonso Cuarón made space feel real.
Why it fits: Same "you are there" immersion. The long takes put you in the spacesuit.
5. The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)
UK streaming: Netflix, Prime Video
A hobbit carries a ring to Mount Doom. Peter Jackson built Middle-earth for real.
Why it fits: Same world-building obsession. New Zealand became another planet.
6. Life of Pi (2012)
UK streaming: Disney+
A boy survives a shipwreck with a tiger. Ang Lee made the ocean an alien landscape.
Why it fits: Same visual poetry. The bioluminescent whale scene is pure Avatar energy.
7. Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017)
UK streaming: Netflix, Prime Video
Two agents investigate a conspiracy across alien dimensions. Luc Besson's most expensive film.
Why it fits: Same visual maximalism. The opening 20 minutes are extraordinary alien world-building.
8. Planet of the Apes Trilogy (2011-2017)
UK streaming: Disney+
Apes rise. Humans fall. The motion capture revolutionised the industry.
Why it fits: Same technology Cameron uses. Andy Serkis as Caesar is the best motion-capture performance.
9. Arrival (2016)
UK streaming: Prime Video
A linguist tries to communicate with aliens. Denis Villeneuve made first contact feel genuinely alien.
Why it fits: Different tone — thoughtful rather than action — but same "another intelligence" wonder.
10. Prometheus (2012)
UK streaming: Disney+
A team seeks humanity's creators on a distant moon. Ridley Scott returned to alien worlds.
Why it fits: Same H.R. Giger-influenced aesthetic as Alien, massive practical sets, genuine wonder at the unknown.
UK Streaming Quick Reference
| Title | Netflix | Prime Video | Disney+ |
|---|---|---|---|
| Avatar: The Way of Water | — | — | ✓ |
| Dune | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Interstellar | — | ✓ | — |
| Gravity | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Fellowship of the Ring | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Life of Pi | — | — | ✓ |
| Valerian | ✓ | ✓ | — |
| Planet of the Apes | — | — | ✓ |
| Arrival | — | ✓ | — |
| Prometheus | — | — | ✓ |
Availability checked March 2026
By Type
Visual Spectacle: → Avatar 2, Dune, Valerian
Space: → Interstellar, Gravity, Arrival
World-Building: → Lord of the Rings, Dune
Motion Capture: → Planet of the Apes
FAQ
What's the most visually similar? Valerian — same maximalist alien world design, though the story is weaker.
Best for the same sense of wonder? Dune or Arrival — both make you feel like you're somewhere genuinely new.
Any that are actually better than Avatar? Lord of the Rings and Interstellar are arguably better films. Avatar is about the experience.
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