10 Best Movies Like Space Cadet

Amazon Prime Video’s Space Cadet has earned comparisons to movies that came before it, and there are many movies viewers can watch after finishing the 2024 romantic comedy. Space Comedy stars Emma Roberts as Tiffany “Rex” Simpson, a woman who gets inspired at her 10-year high school reunion to return to her dream of being an astronaut. Despite her lack of qualifications, with the help of her friend who falsifies her resume behind her back, Rex gets accepted into a training program at the NASA Johnson Space Center.

The Space Cadet cast helps bring the unrealistic space plot to life with their comedic talent. Roberts shines as Rex, and her chemistry with Tom Hopper makes their romance come across as natural despite him being her superior and complete opposite. Unfortunately, Space Cadet continued Emma Roberts’ bleak Rotten Tomatoes trend. The movie currently holds a 26% on the Tomatometer and a 38% Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes. Space Cadet may not have received the best reviews, but there are similar films that have better reputations.

10 Legally Blonde (2001)

A Feminist Comedy About Overcoming Stereotypes

Legally Blonde (2001)

Elle Woods, a fashionable sorority queen, is devastated when her boyfriend breaks up with her to attend Harvard Law School. Determined to win him back, she enrolls at Harvard and soon realizes her true potential as she tackles a high-profile murder case, ultimately proving her intelligence and capability in the legal world​.

Director

Robert Luketic

Release Date

July 13, 2001

Writers

Amanda Brown , Karen McCullah Lutz , Kirsten Smith

Cast

Reese Witherspoon , Luke Wilson , Selma Blair , Matthew Davis , Victor Garber , Jennifer Coolidge

Runtime

96 Minutes

Sequel(s)

Legally Blonde 2: Red , White & Blonde (2003)

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Perhaps Space Cadet’s most obvious inspiration is Reese Witherspoon’s 2001 feminist romantic comedy Legally Blonde. Witherspoon plays Elle Woods, a sorority girl who decides to follow her ex-boyfriend, Warner, to Harvard Law School after he breaks up with her. As he insultingly told her, he needed to “marry a Jackie, not a Marilyn.” Elle’s personality and appearance didn’t suit his image as a future senator, so she applied to Harvard to prove she could be what Warner wanted and needed.

Eventually, Elle becomes more passionate about law and cares more about winning their case than Warner. Like Rex in Space Cadet, Elle’s peers judge her for not appearing like a “typical” lawyer. Both characters smash the stereotypes with their out-of-the-box thinking that saves the day. They prove they aren’t “dumb blondes,” and Legally Blonde has been lauded as a feminist masterpiece because of this.

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9 Wild Child (2008)

An Emma Roberts Cult Classic

Another Emma Roberts movie, Wild Child, is a great Space Cadet companion. Roberts made her acting debut at just 10 years old and, not long after, began her rise to fame with the Nickelodeon television series Unfabulous, which aired from 2004 to 2007. Shortly after the sitcom ended, Roberts starred in the British film Wild Child. It may not be one of Emma Roberts’ best movies, but like she did in Space Cadet, she gives a memorable performance.

Roberts plays Poppy Moore, a rich, spoiled American girl who gets sent to a boarding school in England against her will. Though she initially wants nothing to do with the other students, she eventually embraces them, the school, and a new lifestyle. Though Rex and Poppy start their respective movies in different places, Wild Child and Space Cadet follow the journey of someone seeming out of place and eventually finding where she belongs.

8 Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)

A Ragtag Group Teams Up To Save The Universe

Guardians of the Galaxy

Egotistic loner and “legendary” space pirate Peter Quill (Chris Pratt) falls foul of bounty hunters and his former allies after he steals an orb containing the Power Stone. Chased by Ronan the Accuser, a powerful Kree villain and thrown into an uneasy alliance with a group of similar misfits, he must adapt to his new dynamic or risk everything. He’s joined by gun-toting Rocket Raccoon (Bradley Cooper), treelike-alien Groot (Vin Diesel), Thanos’ daughter Gamora (Zoe Saldana), and the vengeful Drax the Destroyer (Dave Bautista). Can the galaxy’s most infamous a-holes really save the day?

Release Date

July 30, 2014

Writers

James Gunn , Nicole Perlman , Dan Abnett , Andy Lanning

Cast

Zoe Saldana , Karen Gillan , Vin Diesel , Michael Rooker , Djimon Hounsou , Lee Pace , Benicio Del Toro , Glenn Close , Dave Bautista , ​Chris Pratt2 , Bradley Cooper , John C. Reilly

Runtime

122 Minutes

One of the most popular space comedy movies of the 2010s is Guardians of the Galaxy, the first of the trilogy that ended in 2023. Space Cadet isn’t a traditional space comedy movie, as it mainly takes place on Earth with Rex and her fellow Ascans (astronaut candidates) training to hopefully go to space. Though most of them eventually make it to space, very little time in the 2-hour runtime is set in space.

Despite the different settings, there are some similarities between the movies. The main Guardians character, Peter Quill, shares some of Rex’s charm, though he’s considered more roguish. What best ties the films together are their ensembles. Space Cadet has a unique ensemble of characters, not all of which who get along at first, but they come together by the end. At its core, Guardians of the Galaxy is about a hilarious, beautiful found family.

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7 Erin Brockovich (2000)

An Underestimated Female Main Character Proves Everyone Wrong

Some have criticized Space Cadet for being too childish, even with its PG-13 rating. Erin Brockovich isn’t a comedy, and with an R-rating, it’s inappropriate for younger Space Cadet viewers. However, as with Legally Blonde, Erin Brockovich is a great companion piece because of its strong, underestimated lead female character. Erin Brockovich is considered one of the best underdog movies, and for good reason.

Erin Brokovich is based on the true story of the legal case against the Pacific Gas and Electric Company for their role in contaminating the Hinkley, California groundwater. Roberts plays the titular character, and her performance is nothing short of powerful and admirable, earning her an Academy Award. She embodies Erin Brockovich, the driven single mother who convinces her lawyer to give her a job in his office and passionately takes on the Hinkley case, becoming instrumental despite her lack of experience in law.

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6 The Hitchhiker’s Guide To The Galaxy (2005)

A Classic Sci-Fi Comedy About The Only Man Who Survived Earth’s Destruction

As aforementioned, Space Cadet is an untraditional space comedy as it isn’t really set in space. Space Cadet might fit better in the astronaut movie subgenre, but most of those movies are drama films, many of which are about real-life astronauts, like First Man and Apollo 13. There is no doubt that Space Cadet is more comedy than drama, just like the 2005 sci-fi space movie The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, which stars Martin Freeman as Arthur Den.

While trying to stop his house from being bulldozed, Arthur is saved by his friend, Ford Prefect. He learns Ford is actually an alien and that he was the only human who survived Earth’s destruction. With Ford and others, he travels the universe to find the “Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything.” Like Space Cadet, Hitchhiker’s Guide has its issues, with the film widely considered confusing. Still, it’s seen as a rite of passage for many sci-fi comedy fans.

5 Miss Congeniality (2000)

A Sandra Bullock Classic With A Strong Female Lead

Miss Congeniality (2000)

Miss Congeniality is a 2000 comedy starring Sandra Bullock as Gracie Hart, an FBI agent who goes undercover as a beauty pageant contestant to prevent a potential terrorist attack. Directed by Donald Petrie, the film features Michael Caine, Benjamin Bratt, and Candice Bergen. Gracie’s initial contempt for the pageant world evolves as she bonds with the contestants, balancing her tough persona with newfound grace.

Director

Donald Petrie

Release Date

December 22, 2000

Writers

Katie Ford , Marc Lawrence , Caryn Lucas

Cast

Sandra Bullock , Benjamin Bratt , Michael Caine , Candice Bergen , William Shatner

Runtime

109 Minutes

Miss Congeniality kicked off the 2000s as one of the decade’s best romantic comedies. The movie stars Sandra Bullock as Gracie Hart, an FBI agent who is asked to go undercover as a Miss United States contestant when a terrorist threatens to bomb the pageant. As a tomboy, Gracie feels like a fish out of water in the world of beauty pageants. Though she’s initially reluctant, Gracie winds up becoming friends with other contestants.

Space Cadet and Miss Congeniality can be categorized as “chick flicks,” and both movies feature a strong central female character who doesn’t get the respect she deserves. Miss Congeniality offers one of Sandra Bullock’s most popular performances, and despite average reviews, it was a box office hit that earned her a Golden Globe Award nomination. Like Space Cadet, Miss Congeniality also features a great romantic subplot.

4 Accepted (2006)

A Bad Lie Turns Into Something Great

Accepted (2006)

Accepted follows Bartleby Gaines, a high school graduate who, after facing multiple college rejection letters, creates a fake university to gain parental approval. Without anticipating the consequences, Bartleby ends up managing a populated campus with a diverse group of students who were also rejected from traditional colleges, leading to unexpected challenges and adventures. Starring Justin Long, the film delves into themes of alternative education and individuality.

Director

Steve Pink

Release Date

August 18, 2006

Writers

Mark Perez , Bill Collage , Adam Cooper

Cast

Justin Long , Jonah Hill , Blake Lively , Adam Herschman , Columbus Short

Runtime

93 Minutes

While Rex is smart and driven enough to be an astronaut, her friend Nadine completely made up her resume, which got her accepted into NASA’s training program in Space Cadet. When Rex learns this, rather than coming clean, she decides to go along with the lie and see how far it can take her–hopefully all the way to space. In Accepted, Justin Long plays Bartleby Gaines, an unconventionally smart recent high school graduate who gets rejected from every college he applies to.

To avoid disappointing his father, Bartleby creates a fake college, South Harmon Institute of Technology (SHIT), with a functional website. Bartleby goes to great lengths to keep up his lie, which only gets worse when other rejected students start enrolling. What starts as a way to avoid telling his father the truth becomes a positive educational experience that allows Bartleby and the other students to find where and how they belong.

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3 She’s The Man (2006)

A Rom-Com About A Woman Willing To Do Anything For Her Dreams

She’s the Man is a teen movie adapted from the Shakespeare playTwelfth Night. Amanda Bynes plays Viola Hastings, a high school soccer player who dreams of playing in college. When her school cuts the girls’ team, she and some of her teammates try to join the boys’ team, but the coach won’t let them. When her twin brother, Sebastian, is enrolled in an elite boarding school and secretly goes to London instead, Viola sees an opportunity. She pretends to be Sebastian, attending Illyria in his place and playing for their boys’ soccer team.

Part of the thrill of movies like Space Cadet and She’s the Man is knowing the main character will eventually get caught in their lie, leaving viewers waiting for the fallout. This keeps viewers on their toes, with multiple close calls that fill viewers with relief, anxiety, and excitement. Like Space Cadet, She’s the Man is ultimately about someone whose dreams weren’t taken seriously and who went to great lengths to achieve them.

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2 The Devil Wears Prada (2006)

A Woman Finds Her Place In An Unlikely Industry

The Devil Wears Prada

Based on Lauren Weisberger’s novel, The Devil Wears Prada stars Anne Hathaway as Andrea Sachs, an aspiring journalist who, after landing a job with top New York fashion designer Miranda Priestly, gets drawn deeper and deeper into the cutthroat world of the fashion industry. Meryl Streep stars alongside Hathaway as Miranda Priestly, with a further cast that includes Emily Blunt, Stanley Tucci, and Simon Baker. 

Director

David Frankel

Release Date

June 30, 2006

Writers

Aline Brosh McKenna , Lauren Weisberger

Runtime

109 Minutes

One of the most popular comedy-drama movies of the 2000s is The Devil Wears Prada, based on the 2003 novel of the same name. The 2006 movie has a star-studded cast that includes Meryl Streep, Anne Hathaway, Stanley Tucci, Emily Blunt, and Gisele Bündchen, as well as cameos from famous figures in fashion. Hathaway plays Andrea “Andy” Sachs, a journalist who begrudgingly takes a job at Vogue-inspired Runway, where she becomes the junior personal assistant to the cold editor-in-chief Miranda Priestly (Streep).

The Devil Wears Prada has been deemed one of Anne Hathaway’s best movies, with everyone in the cast bringing their A-game. Though Space Cadet’s Rex and The Devil Wears Prada’s Andy may appear opposites, viewers can watch them both try to find out how to fit in and thrive in uncharted territories. Space Cadet and The Devil Wears Prada also share lessons about the opportunity to change while remembering the importance of staying true to yourself.

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1 Galaxy Quest (1999)

A Sci-Fi Film About Fake Space Explorers

Galaxy Quest

It is a rare flick that not only parodies a film genre, but also pays tribute to it. Galaxy Quest is a wonderful spoof of the sci-fi genre and a great vehicle for a special edition Blu-ray.

Director

Dean Parisot

Run Time

102 minutes

The 1999 sci-fi comedy Galaxy Quest revolves around a fictional show of the same name and its actors who get roped into an actual space mission by aliens. The fictional 1970s show is a parody and tribute to sci-fi movies and series, most notably Star Trek, with the soap opera-esque series having inspired a cult following. The actors get involved in a real quest when aliens mistake their show for a documentary, creating great comedy.

The premise may seem ridiculous, but the film was met positively by critics and audiences. The movie’s star-studded cast, featuring Tim Allen, Sigourney Weaver, Alan Rickman, Tony Shalhoub, Sam Rockwell, and Daryl Mitchell, were lauded for their performances. Now, 25 years later, there’s talk about a potential Galaxy Quest 2. Space Cadet had some ridiculous sci-fi space aspects to it, especially with its ending, and Galaxy Quest executes and parodies those kinds of plots on a higher level.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes

Space Cadet (2024)

A young woman with no formal training unexpectedly finds herself in a space program after a series of fortunate events. As she navigates rigorous training and high-stakes challenges, she must prove her capabilities to skeptical teammates and instructors.

Director

Liz W. Garcia

Release Date

July 4, 2024

Writers

Liz W. Garcia

Cast

Emma Roberts , Tom Hopper , Poppy Liu , Gabrielle Union , Kuhoo Verma , Desi Lydic , Sebastián Yatra , Sam Robards

Runtime

110 Minutes