Liked Space Cadet On Prime Video? Watch These 8 Similar Comedy Films. (Photo Credit – Instagram)
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Prime Video’s Space Cadet, starring Emma Roberts, is receiving praise for its light-hearted comedy set against the backdrop of a space mission. The film tells the story of Tiffany “Rex” Simpson, a party girl from Florida who has always dreamed of going to space.
As Rex fills out an application for NASA’s astronaut training program, she surprisingly gets selected and becomes the best candidate with her wit and determination. If you liked the feel-good vibe of Space Cadet, here are 8 films with similar premise, themes, or ideas that you should check out next.
8. She’s the Man (2006)
A different take on William Shakespeare’s play Twelfth Night, She’s the Man stars Amanda Bynes as Viola Hastings, who disguises herself as her twin brother Sebastian to prove her soccer skills after her school cuts the girls’ team. Viola then navigates the challenges of maintaining her dual identity while falling for her roommate, Duke Orsino (played by Channing Tatum), who is unaware of her true identity. Like Space Cadet, She’s the Man shows the protagonist delving into unfamiliar situations while striving to achieve her dreams despite obstacles.
Set in a futuristic space station in the 1970s called Omega 76, this sci-fi comedy follows Jessica Marlowe (Liv Tyler), who arrives as the station’s new co-pilot. While the station’s crew initially appears normal, they hide personal struggles like infidelity, loneliness, and drug use. Jessica finds herself lonely as she tries to fit in with the group. However, a celestial event prompts everyone to reconsider their priorities during a chaotic Christmas party. Like Space Cadet, Space Station 76 blends humour with themes of ambition and self-discovery in unconventional circumstances.
6. Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story (2004)
Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story follows Peter La Fleur (Vince Vaughn), the laid-back owner of a struggling gym called Average Joe’s. To save his gym from being taken over by the aggressive health fitness chain Globo Gym, led by White Goodman (Ben Stiller), Peter enters a high-stakes dodgeball competition with his eclectic team of misfits. Like Space Cadet, this comedy film also depicts an underdog protagonist who overcomes all challenges to achieve their goals.
5. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (2005)
Starring Sam Rockwell, Martin Freeman, and Alan Rickman, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy is a sci-fi comedy film based on Douglas Adams’ novel of the same name. Directed by Garth Jennings, the movie follows Arthur Dent (Freeman), who discovers that his house is about to be demolished to make way for a bypass just before Earth is destroyed to make room for a hyperspace bypass.
Arthur is rescued by Ford Prefect (Mos Def), an alien researcher for the titular guidebook, and they embark on a journey through space with some crazy companions, including the two-headed and three-armed ex-President of the Galaxy, Zaphod Beeblebrox (Rockwell). Like Rex’s journey into NASA’s astronaut program, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy features Arthur Dent’s unexpected voyage through the cosmos.
4. Accepted (2006)
Directed by Steve Pink, Accepted stars Justin Long as Bartleby Gaines, a high school senior who creates a fake college to avoid disappointing his parents. The plot takes a hilarious turn when the fake college attracts other rejected students, leading to unexpected challenges and adventures. The film humorously explores themes of non-conformity, education system critique, and the pursuit of unconventional paths to success. Both Accepted and Space Cadet feature protagonists who create their opportunities and pursue their ambitions against the odds.
3. Galaxy Quest (1999)
Another sci-fi comedy film on the list, Galaxy Quest parodies the science fiction genre. It follows the cast of a once-popular TV series, ‘Galaxy Quest.’ who is mistaken by aliens for real space heroes. Led by Jason Nesmith (Tim Allen), the actors, including Gwen DeMarco (Sigourney Weaver) and Alexander Dane (Alan Rickman), must step into their roles to save an alien race from annihilation. Both Space Cadet and Galaxy Quest feature characters thrust into extraordinary circumstances: actors mistaken for real astronauts in the former and Rex mistaken for the right NASA candidate in the latter.
2. Legally Blonde (2001)
This classic comedy film follows Elle Woods, played by Reese Witherspoon, a cheerful sorority girl who follows her ex-boyfriend to Harvard Law School to win him back. Instead, she discovers her potential and passion for law. The film, directed by Robert Luketic, showcases Woods’ journey from a fashion-conscious blonde to a determined and capable law student. Like Rex in Space Cadet, Woods in Legally Blonde faces challenges in a competitive environment, where her unconventional background sets her apart, and she triumphs through determination and wit.
1. Miss Congeniality (2000)
Sandra Bullock stars in this Donald Petrie directorial comedy film as FBI Special Agent Gracie Hart. The story follows Gracie, a tomboyish and unpolished agent who goes undercover as a contestant in the Miss United States beauty pageant to thwart a potential terrorist threat. Along the way, Gracie undergoes a transformation, learning about femininity, self-confidence, and the true meaning of beauty. As Rex’s mission is in stark contrast to her life as a party girl in Space Cadet, Gracie Hart also goes through a similar trajectory in Miss Congeniality, as the FBI agent heads into the uncharted territory of beauty pageants.
