1. April and the Extraordinary World (2015)
Imagine a Paris perpetually stuck in the age of steam, where scientists have mysteriously vanished for decades. This is the backdrop for a whip-smart animated adventure about a young girl named April who continues her family's secret scientific work.
With its steampunk aesthetic, determined young hero, and a plot revolving around invention and conspiracy, this French film is perhaps the closest animated cousin to Hugo. The beautifully rendered, alternate-history Paris is a visual delight, echoing the intricate world-building that made Scorsese’s vision so enchanting.
2. The City of Lost Children (1995)
From Jean-Pierre Jeunet, the director of Amélie, comes this visually stunning but darker fantasy. The story follows a circus strongman and a clever young orphan as they navigate a surreal, grimy city to rescue children from a mad scientist who steals their dreams. Like Hugo, this film features a resilient child protagonist, an incredibly detailed and imaginative world, and a fascination with bizarre gadgetry. It trades Hugo's bright-eyed wonder for a more nightmarish, steampunk tone, but its creative spirit and focus on the bond between a lost child and an unlikely guardian will feel deeply familiar.
3. The Illusionist (2010)
Based on an unproduced script by the legendary French comedian Jacques Tati, this melancholic animated masterpiece from the director of The Triplets of Belleville is a must-see. It follows an aging magician whose traditional act is being pushed aside by rock and roll in the late 1950s. He finds a brief, beautiful connection with a young woman in Scotland who believes his magic is real. The film shares Hugo's deep nostalgia for a bygone era of entertainment and its bittersweet exploration of the relationship between an older artist and a younger admirer. It’s a quiet, poignant film about the moment the magic fades.
4. The Triplets of Belleville (2003)
Another nearly dialogue-free animated gem from France, this film is a whirlwind of creative energy. When her cyclist grandson is kidnapped during the Tour de France, the elderly Madame Souza and her faithful dog Bruno track him to the sprawling metropolis of Belleville. There, they team up with a trio of eccentric, frog-eating former vaudeville singers. The film's celebration of old-timey performance, its handcrafted visual style, and its ability to tell a rich story through music and imagery alone make it a perfect companion piece to Hugo's tribute to the silent films of Georges Méliès.
5. Paper Moon (1973)
While it lacks the magical realism of Hugo, Peter Bogdanovich's black-and-white classic captures a similar sense of nostalgia and the formation of an unlikely family. Set in the Great Depression, it tells the story of a sharp-witted orphan girl, Addie, who teams up with a con man who may or may not be her father. Addie is as resourceful and precocious as Hugo, navigating a world of adults with a wisdom beyond her years. The film’s gorgeous black-and-white cinematography evokes a bygone era, and its central relationship between a cynical adult and a determined child is full of heart and humor.
6. A Monster Calls (2016)
This film might seem like an outlier, but its emotional core resonates deeply with Hugo. A young boy named Conor, struggling with his mother's terminal illness, is visited by a giant, story-telling yew tree monster. Like Hugo, this is a story about a lonely boy processing grief and fear through a lens of fantasy. Where Hugo finds solace in clockwork and cinema history, Conor finds it in the monster's allegorical tales. It’s a powerful, visually inventive film that understands how imagination can be a vital tool for survival.
7. The Red Turtle (2016)
A man is shipwrecked on a deserted tropical island. Every attempt he makes to escape is thwarted by a mysterious, giant red turtle. What unfolds is a dialogue-free, animated fable about man's relationship with nature and the unexpected turns a life can take. Co-produced by the legendary Studio Ghibli, the film shares Hugo's profound sense of wonder and its ability to tell a powerful story without words. It trusts the audience to find meaning in its beautiful, meditative imagery, much like the silent films that Hugo and Isabelle worked so hard to preserve.
