Movies Like The African Lion (1955)

The African Lion is a 1955 documentary, family film from James Algar with a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Living Desert and The Vanishing Prairie.

Documentary Family

The Living Desert

1953

Although first glance reveals little more than stones and sand, the desert is alive. Witness moving rocks, spitting mud pots, gorgeous flowers and the never-ending battle for survival between desert creatures of every shape, size and description.

7.1

MagicScore

The Vanishing Prairie

1954

Story of the American Prairie as it was when vast herds of bison and elk grazed.

7.2

MagicScore

Perri

1957

This True Life Fantasy follows and shows how the life of a female squirrel, Perri, in the forest is filled with danger and fraught with peril. When not fleeing her natural enemy, the Marten, Perri finds time to fall in love with her prince-charming male squirrel.

6.5

MagicScore

Jungle Cat

1960

This final True-Life Adventure would also appear to be one of the best, as we go into the South American jungle to observe the jaguar. Jungle Cat is more intimate than its kin, allowing individual animal characters to be developed. Central to the cast is a pair of jaguars (one ebony), whose fighting leads to love and, not long after, two babies (one resembling each parent).

7.3

MagicScore

African Cats

2011

African Cats captures the real-life love, humor and determination of the majestic kings of the savanna. The story features Mara, an endearing lion cub who strives to grow up with her mother’s strength, spirit and wisdom; Sita, a fearless cheetah and single mother of five mischievous newborns; and Fang, a proud leader of the pride who must defend his family from a once banished lion.

7.4

MagicScore

The Last Lions

2011

In Botswana's Okavango Delta, an ostracized lioness and her two cubs must fight alone to survive - overcoming all manner of hazards. Their only defense is to escape to Duba Island -- and with that, an unknown future. The setting for this epic tale is one of the last regions where lions can live in the wild. Faced with dwindling land and increasing pressure from hunting, lions - like our lone lioness and her cubs - are approaching the brink of extinction.

7.2

MagicScore

Africa: The Serengeti

1994

The equation of life on the Serengeti is simple: carnivores eat plants, herbivores eat carnivores. Africa: The Serengeti takes you on an extraordinary journey to view a spectacle few humans have ever witnessed. The Great Migration. Journey with more than two million wildebeests, zebras and antelopes in their annual 500 mile trek across the Serengeti plains

6.8

MagicScore

Born Free

1966

At a national park in Kenya, English game warden George Adamson and his wife, Joy, care for three orphaned lion cubs. After the two larger lions are shipped off to a zoo in the Netherlands, the smallest of the three, Elsa, stays with the couple. When Elsa is blamed for causing an elephant stampede in the nearby village, head warden John Kendall demands the young lion either be trained to survive in the wilds of the Serengeti or be sent to a zoo.

6.7

MagicScore

Tarzan and His Mate

1934

Harry Holt returns to Africa with his friend Martin Arlington to head up a large ivory expedition.

6.5

MagicScore

#10

Roar

1981

Roar follows a family who are attacked by various African animals at the secluded home of their keeper.

5.9

MagicScore

#11

Pandas

2018

In the mountains of Sichuan, China, a researcher forms a bond with Qian Qian, a panda who is about to experience nature for the first time.

8.2

MagicScore

#12

Elephant

2020

Disneynature’s Elephant follows African elephant Shani and her spirited son Jomo as their herd make an epic journey hundreds of miles across the vast Kalahari Desert. Led by their great matriarch, Gaia, the family faces brutal heat, dwindling resources and persistent predators, as they follow in their ancestors’ footsteps on a quest to reach a lush, green paradise.

7.7

MagicScore

#13

One Life

2011

One Life captures unprecedented and beautiful sequences of animal behaviour guaranteed to bring you closer to nature than ever before, as well as a second disc packed full of never before seen extras including an exclusive making of featurette narrated by Daniel Craig.

7.4

MagicScore

#14

Animals Are Beautiful People

1974

Animals Are Beautiful People (also called Beautiful People) is a 1974 South African nature documentary written, produced, directed, filmed and edited by Jamie Uys, about the wildlife in Southern Africa, presented with comedic elements. It was filmed in the Namib Desert, the Kalahari Desert and at the Okavango River and Okavango Delta. It was the recipient of the 1974 Golden Globe Award for Best Documentary Film. The film, a critical and commercial success, was independently made by Uys, also known for his later African comedy The Gods Must Be Crazy (1980).

7.4

MagicScore

#15

Polar Bear

2022

A new mother’s memories of her own youth prepare her to navigate motherhood in the increasingly challenging world that polar bears face today.

7.2

MagicScore

#16

Penguins

2019

The story of Steve, an Adélie penguin, on a quest to find a life partner and start a family. When Steve meets with Wuzzo the emperor penguin they become friends. But nothing comes easy in the icy Antarctic.

7.1

MagicScore

#17

March of the Penguins

2005

Every year, thousands of Antarctica's emperor penguins make an astonishing journey to breed their young. They walk, marching day and night in single file 70 miles into the darkest, driest and coldest continent on Earth. This amazing, true-life tale is touched with humour and alive with thrills. Breathtaking photography captures the transcendent beauty and staggering drama of devoted parent penguins who, in the fierce polar winter, take turns guarding their egg and trekking to the ocean in search of food. Predators hunt them, storms lash them. But the safety of their adorable chicks makes it all worthwhile. So follow the leader... to adventure!!

7.1

MagicScore

#18

March of the Penguins 2: The Next Step

2017

A young penguin, driven by his instinct, embarks on his first major trip to an unknown destination.

6.9

MagicScore

#19

A Reindeer's Journey

2018

Narrated by Golden Globe winner, Donald Sutherland, this is the incredible story of Ailo, the little reindeer. This uplifting tale follows the journey of baby Ailo as he navigates his first year of life in the snowy landscapes of a picturesque Lapland. Frail and vulnerable, Ailo must learn to walk, run, leap and hide to ensure he survives the long, treacherous journey with the herd. Ailo’s Journey is an inspirational story, in which a bleak wilderness is warmed by a mother’s endless love as she watches over Ailo in his incredible adventures with other creatures of the Arctic.

6.5

MagicScore

#20

Untamed Romania

2018

Untamed Romania provides insight into the stunning natural wonders of Romania, with the Carpathian Mountains, the Danube Delta, and Transylvania as its major areas of interest.

7.9

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The African Lion?

The top films similar to The African Lion by MovieMagicScore are The Living Desert (7.1), The Vanishing Prairie (7.2), Perri (6.5). Each shares documentary/family themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The African Lion worth watching?

The African Lion holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10 from 34 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is The African Lion?

The African Lion (1955) is a documentary, family film directed by James Algar, starring Winston Hibler.

Where can I find more recommendations like The African Lion?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more documentary recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like The Living Desert Movies like The Vanishing Prairie Movies like Perri Movies like Jungle Cat Movies like African Cats Movies like The Last Lions

About movies like The African Lion

This ranked list pairs The African Lion (1955), a documentary and family film from James Algar, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Winston Hibler take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

← Back to The African Lion