The legacy of Planet of the Apes has endured so well that even more than five decades since its release, it remains one of the best-known and most acclaimed sci-fi movies of all time. Beloved for its over-the-top campy nature, thought-provoking satire, and memorable cast of characters, many people would rank the original 1968 movie as their favorite film.

With a unique premise, plenty of Planet of the Apes viewers are always on the lookout for something similar. As a franchise complete with sequels, remakes, and reboots, there’s a lot more to this series than just the first film, with many other unrelated movies also tapping into the same ideas of dystopian societies, human nature, and the clash between species.

Logan’s Run (1976)

Much in the way Planet of the Apes turned our idea of civilization on its head, Logan’s Run envisioned a future society where everyone is killed when they reach the age of 30. While it’s presented as a utopia at first, the dark implication is that the only way society can maintain equilibrium is by killing its citizens.

Telling the story of Logan 5, a Sandman huntsman who has terminated plenty of Runners, he’s forced to go on the run himself when he too faces extermination. With themes of societal control, age-based prejudice, and fetishization of youth, Logan’s Run echoes the anxieties of its era, which have only become more relevant with time.

Invasion Of The Body Snatchers (1978)

The original Planet of the Apes dealt with themes of belief and religion in a fascinating way, with Invasion of the Body Snatchers tackling paranoia and fear of the other with similar power. As an adaptation of the novel by Jack Finney, this story of aliens secretly replacing everyday people with identical copies of themselves has been reimagined several times.

While the 1950s film version of this story addressed McCarthyism and the Red Scare, the 1978 version was more about post-Watergate distrust and social alienation. Invasion of the Body Snatchers was clever satire, thrilling sci-fi, and a chilling exploration of conformity and idenтιтy all at once.

The Man Who Fell To Earth (1976)

The way the apes in Planet of the Apes were intrigued by the appearance of the newly arrived talking human, George Taylor, mirrors the characterization in this Nicolas Roeg film. With David Bowie’s Thomas Jerome Newton as an extraterrestrial trying to make sense of the flaws, greed, and contradictions of humankind, many links can be made between the two.

As a strange and surreal sci-fi, The Man Who Fell to Earth was a unique social commentary on human excess and how easily an alien could be drawn in by the allure of moral degradation. With a gaunt Bowie perfectly cast as an alien visitor, this cult classic deserves far more attention from mainstream sci-fi fans.

Westworld (1973)

While many might be familiar with the later HBO TV series, the original Westworld film from the 1970s was a fascinatingly early glimpse into societal fears around artificial intelligence. Just as Planet of the Apes warned against amoral scientific experimentation, this Michael Crichton movie addressed technology running amok.

Set in a Wild West-themed amusement park, Westworld featured lifelike androids and hedonistic humans living out their most outrageous fantasies. With a unique concept that’s only become more relevant in the years since its release, the genre-bending appeal of Westworld more than holds up today.

District 9 (2009)

Segregation, societal discrimination, and xenophobia all play major roles in both Planet of the Apes and District 9. Coming from South African filmmaker Neill Blomkamp, this unique sci-fi used the extraterrestrials confined to internment camps as a powerful allegory for apartheid in his home country.

With a found-footage style and gritty realism, District 9 traded the campy aesthetic of Planet of the Apes for a more grounded exploration of real-world themes. However, the power dynamics were still the same, as each film showcases the inhumanity of oppression and the universal drive toward freedom, acceptance, and agency.

The Day The Earth Stood Still (1951)

The iconic twist ending of Planet of the Apes represented the ongoing fears of nuclear destruction, which had been acutely felt by society ever since the atomic bomb was dropped in 1945. These fears were even more prominent in sci-fi movies of the 1950s, where films like The Day the Earth Stood Still addressed the pervading anxieties in the wake of the Holocaust and Cold War.

Telling the story of an alien visitor and his robot delivering an important message, The Day the Earth Stood Still encouraged humanity to move beyond conflict and embrace world peace. As an idealistic goal that we haven’t gotten any closer to in the decades since, we can still learn a lot from The Day the Earth Stood Still.

The Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)

As an anthology film that mimics the social critique, challenging concepts, and twist ending of Planet of the Apes, fans of that classic film will be sure to love The Twilight Zone: The Movie. As the film version of the iconic TV series from Rod Serling, Serling actually co-wrote the script for the original Planet of the Apes film.

While the troubled production of The Twilight Zone movie often overshadows the film itself, its blend of sci-fi, horror, and satirical commentary continues to challenge viewers. As two works of speculative fiction, Planet of the Apes viewers will find a lot to enjoy in this film adaptation of one of the most influential television series of all time.

Beneath The Planet Of The Apes (1970)

If your favorite movie is Planet of the Apes, then the next logical thing to add to your watchlist has got to be the sequel, Beneath the Planet of the Apes. While it doesn’t get nearly as much attention as the original, this fascinating follow-up expanded upon the franchise’s lore while introducing telepathic humans who live underneath the Earth.

As a sequel that was even more campy and over-the-top than the 1968 film, Beneath the Planet of the Apes was followed by even more exciting follow-ups that continued the adventures of the chimpanzees Cornelius and Zira. With later films even seeing them go back in time to become celebrities on our Earth, the entire original series is worth watching.

Soylent Green (1973)

Soylent Green features just about everything a Planet of the Apes fan could want from a dystopian sci-fi classic. With Charlton Heston in the starring role, this dystopian story was set in a world where dying oceans and year-long humidity caused pollution, depleted resources, poverty, and overpopulation.

As a thought-provoking glimpse into the societal fears of 1970s viewers, Soylent Green blended horrific sci-fi concepts with a mystery thriller style that all came together with the shocking revelation that the foodstuff society was surviving on was actually processed humans. As a dark but effective satire, Soylent Green hasn’t lost any of its bite all these decades later.

Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes (2011)

Anyone who loved the original Planet of the Apes would be doing themselves a major disservice if they didn’t watch the excellent rebooted series. As a reimagining of the series timeline, rather than starting with Charlton Heston’s George Taylor arriving in a dystopian future, this reboot explores how the apes managed to gain control in the first place.

This begins with the genetically enhanced chimpanzee Caesar, who was raised by the chemist Will Rodman (James Franco), and eventually leads to him uniting other apes in a revolution that will change the course of human and animal history forever. As just the first in a new series, Rise of the Planet of the Apes kickstarted a gripping modern saga.