20 Movies to Watch If You’re a Pisces
Pisces stories often drift toward big feelings, intuitive connections, and worlds where reality blurs with memory, myth, or dreams. If you’re drawn to tender character journeys, imaginative settings, and themes of empathy and transformation, this handpicked set spans live-action and animation, intimate dramas and sweeping fantasies, and English-language films alongside international standouts.
Below you’ll find twenty films with plots centered on longing, wonder, healing, and self-discovery, plus concrete details on who made them and who stars in them. Each entry includes straightforward information — story setups, cast lists, and key creative credits — so you can quickly spot what fits your mood right now.
‘The Shape of Water’ (2017)
Set during the Cold War in Baltimore, ‘The Shape of Water’ follows Elisa, a mute night janitor at a government facility, who discovers an amphibious humanoid kept in a high-security lab. As she bonds with the captive, the story tracks her plan to free him while navigating surveillance, secrecy, and threat from the facility’s security chief.
The film is directed by Guillermo del Toro and co-written with Vanessa Taylor, with Sally Hawkins, Michael Shannon, Richard Jenkins, Octavia Spencer, and Doug Jones in principal roles. Alexandre Desplat composed the score and Dan Laustsen handled cinematography, with production by Fox Searchlight Pictures.
‘Spirited Away’ (2001)
‘Spirited Away’ centers on Chihiro, a girl who enters a spirit realm after her parents are transformed into pigs, and takes work at a bathhouse run by the sorceress Yubaba. The plot follows Chihiro’s efforts to reclaim her name, help her parents, and return to the human world with the aid of the mysterious Haku.
Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli, the film features voice performances by Rumi Hiiragi, Miyu Irino, and Mari Natsuki in Japanese, with Daveigh Chase leading the English dub. Joe Hisaishi composed the music and the production used hand-drawn animation supervised by Miyazaki’s longtime team.
‘Life of Pi’ (2012)
‘Life of Pi’ follows Pi Patel, a teenager who survives a shipwreck and is stranded on a lifeboat with a Bengal tiger named Richard Parker. The plot traces their ocean voyage through storms, bioluminescent seas, and a strange island, while alternating with an adult Pi recounting events to a visiting writer.
Directed by Ang Lee and adapted from Yann Martel’s novel by screenwriter David Magee, the film stars Suraj Sharma, Irrfan Khan, and Rafe Spall. Claudio Miranda served as cinematographer, Mychael Danna composed the score, and extensive visual effects work realized the tiger, ocean environments, and surreal sequences.
‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ (2004)
‘Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind’ follows Joel and Clementine, whose relationship unravels and leads them to undergo a procedure to erase memories of each other. The story weaves Joel’s memories as they are deleted, showing how he tries to preserve key moments while technicians carry out the process.
Michel Gondry directs from a screenplay by Charlie Kaufman, with performances by Jim Carrey, Kate Winslet, Kirsten Dunst, Mark Ruffalo, Elijah Wood, and Tom Wilkinson. Ellen Kuras handled cinematography and Jon Brion composed the score, combining in-camera effects and practical techniques to stage the memory sequences.
‘Moonlight’ (2016)
Set in Miami, ‘Moonlight’ follows Chiron across three chapters of his life — childhood, adolescence, and early adulthood — as he navigates friendship, identity, and family. The plot tracks formative relationships, including his bond with caregiver Juan and a schoolmate, while depicting pressures in his home and neighborhood.
Barry Jenkins directs and co-writes the screenplay, adapted from Tarell Alvin McCraney’s play. The cast includes Trevante Rhodes, Ashton Sanders, Alex Hibbert, Mahershala Ali, Naomie Harris, and Janelle Monáe. James Laxton served as cinematographer and Nicholas Britell composed the score, with A24 handling distribution.
‘Her’ (2013)
Set in a near-future city, ‘Her’ follows Theodore, a letter-writer who installs a new operating system and builds a relationship with the AI voice, Samantha. The plot traces their evolving connection, Theodore’s interactions with friends and an ex-partner, and the changes that occur as the AI systems develop.
Spike Jonze writes and directs, with Joaquin Phoenix, Scarlett Johansson (voice), Amy Adams, Rooney Mara, and Olivia Wilde among the cast. Hoyte van Hoytema handled cinematography, Arcade Fire and Owen Pallett contributed the score, and K.K. Barrett led production design that blends real locations with sleek technology.
‘Amélie’ (2001)
Set in Paris’s Montmartre, ‘Amélie’ follows a shy waitress who discovers a hidden box in her apartment and begins quietly improving the lives of people around her. The plot includes her efforts to reunite a former tenant with his childhood keepsakes and her growing interest in a man who collects discarded photo-booth pictures.
Jean-Pierre Jeunet directs and co-writes with Guillaume Laurant, starring Audrey Tautou and Mathieu Kassovitz. Bruno Delbonnel serves as cinematographer and Yann Tiersen provides the score, with production design emphasizing whimsical details of the neighborhood’s cafés, streets, and apartments.
‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ (2006)
Set in post-war Spain, ‘Pan’s Labyrinth’ follows Ofelia, a girl who encounters a faun who assigns her three tasks while she lives on a rural military outpost with her mother and stepfather. The plot interlaces her encounters with fantastical creatures and the harsh realities of the outpost commanded by Captain Vidal.
Guillermo del Toro writes and directs, with Ivana Baquero, Sergi López, Maribel Verdú, and Doug Jones in key roles. Guillermo Navarro handled cinematography, Javier Navarrete composed the score, and the production blended animatronics, makeup effects, and digital work to create the faun and other creatures.
‘Call Me by Your Name’ (2017)
Set in northern Italy, ‘Call Me by Your Name’ follows Elio, a teenager spending the summer with his family, and Oliver, a graduate student who arrives to assist Elio’s father. The plot traces their growing closeness through shared music, language, and day trips, and how their time together shapes them.
Luca Guadagnino directs from James Ivory’s screenplay adapted from André Aciman’s novel, starring Timothée Chalamet, Armie Hammer, Michael Stuhlbarg, Amira Casar, and Esther Garrel. Sayombhu Mukdeeprom handled cinematography, Sufjan Stevens contributed original songs, and filming locations include Crema and nearby towns.
‘The Fountain’ (2006)
‘The Fountain’ weaves three connected storylines: a conquistador searching for a life-giving tree, a present-day researcher racing to cure a partner’s illness, and a traveler journeying through space with a tree. The plot braids these threads to explore devotion, loss, and the passage of time.
Darren Aronofsky writes and directs, with Hugh Jackman and Rachel Weisz leading the cast. Matthew Libatique serves as cinematographer, Clint Mansell composed the score performed with the Kronos Quartet and Mogwai, and the production used practical macro-photography for cosmic imagery alongside visual effects.
‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ (2008)
‘The Curious Case of Benjamin Button’ follows a man who is born with the appearance and physical condition of old age and ages in reverse, moving toward youth as the years pass. The plot covers his relationships, work, travel, and an enduring connection with a dancer named Daisy.
David Fincher directs from Eric Roth’s screenplay inspired by F. Scott Fitzgerald’s short story, starring Brad Pitt, Cate Blanchett, Taraji P. Henson, Tilda Swinton, and Julia Ormond. Claudio Miranda handled cinematography, Alexandre Desplat composed the score, and extensive digital makeup and performance capture techniques realized the title character’s aging.
‘Your Name.’ (2016)
‘Your Name’ follows two teenagers, Mitsuha and Taki, who begin intermittently swapping bodies and leaving notes to navigate each other’s daily lives. The plot expands as they search for each other across distance, with a celestial event linking their experiences.
Written and directed by Makoto Shinkai and produced by CoMix Wave Films, the movie features voices by Mone Kamishiraishi and Ryunosuke Kamiki. Radwimps composed the music and the production blends detailed background art with dynamic animation of city and rural settings.
‘Song of the Sea’ (2014)
Set in Ireland, ‘Song of the Sea’ follows Ben and his younger sister Saoirse, a child who is a selkie capable of transforming between human and seal forms. The plot traces their journey through folklore-filled landscapes to restore balance between the human world and the spirit realm.
Directed by Tomm Moore and produced by Cartoon Saloon, the film features voice performances by David Rawle, Brendan Gleeson, and Fionnula Flanagan. Bruno Coulais composed the score with contributions from Kíla, and the production uses hand-drawn animation inspired by Celtic art motifs and coastal settings.
‘Whale Rider’ (2002)
Set in a Māori community on New Zealand’s east coast, ‘Whale Rider’ centers on Pai, a girl who believes she is destined to lead her people despite tradition favoring male successors. The plot follows her training, family tensions, and a pivotal encounter involving stranded whales.
Niki Caro directs and adapts Witi Ihimaera’s novel, with performances by Keisha Castle-Hughes, Rawiri Paratene, and Vicky Haughton. The production filmed in and around Whangara, with music by Lisa Gerrard and cinematography that showcases coastal locations central to the story.
‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ (2019)
Set on a remote island in Brittany, ‘Portrait of a Lady on Fire’ follows a painter commissioned to create a young woman’s portrait without her knowledge. The plot depicts their developing relationship as the sittings progress and the constraints surrounding the commission.
Céline Sciamma writes and directs, starring Noémie Merlant and Adèle Haenel, with Luàna Bajrami and Valeria Golino in supporting roles. Claire Mathon handled cinematography, the production emphasizes natural light interiors, and the film notably forgoes a traditional score in favor of carefully placed diegetic music.
‘The Little Prince’ (2015)
‘The Little Prince’ reframes Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s story through a modern girl who befriends an elderly aviator and learns about the prince’s travels. The plot alternates between the girl’s present-day world and the aviator’s tales of the prince, the rose, and encounters across planets.
Directed by Mark Osborne, the movie combines computer animation with stop-motion sequences overseen by artists replicating paper-textured miniatures. The English-language voice cast includes Jeff Bridges, Mackenzie Foy, Rachel McAdams, Marion Cotillard, and Benicio del Toro, with music by Hans Zimmer and Richard Harvey.
‘A Ghost Story’ (2017)
‘A Ghost Story’ follows a man who dies and returns as a ghost, remaining in the house he shared with his partner while time passes in unusual ways. The plot observes the home’s inhabitants across changing eras as the ghost silently witnesses departures, arrivals, and rebuilding.
David Lowery writes and directs, with Casey Affleck and Rooney Mara in leading roles. Daniel Hart composed the score, Andrew Droz Palermo handled cinematography using a boxy aspect ratio with rounded corners, and A24 distributed the film following its festival debut.
‘The Tree of Life’ (2011)
‘The Tree of Life’ intertwines the childhood of Jack O’Brien in a Texas family with expansive cosmic imagery reflecting on origins and memory. The plot moves between intimate family episodes and sequences depicting natural phenomena, framed by Jack’s adult reflections.
Terrence Malick writes and directs, starring Brad Pitt, Jessica Chastain, and Sean Penn. Emmanuel Lubezki handled cinematography, the production incorporated visual effects guidance from Douglas Trumbull, and the soundtrack mixes original composition with classical pieces selected to accompany the imagery.
‘Big Fish’ (2003)
‘Big Fish’ follows Edward Bloom’s lifelong tales as retold to his son, combining everyday milestones with episodes of giants, witches, and a hidden town. The plot alternates between the father’s stories and the son’s search for verifiable details behind them.
Tim Burton directs from John August’s screenplay adapted from Daniel Wallace’s novel, starring Ewan McGregor, Albert Finney, Billy Crudup, Jessica Lange, and Helena Bonham Carter. Danny Elfman composed the score and Philippe Rousselot handled cinematography, with production design staging both small-town settings and stylized fantasy sequences.
‘The Princess Bride’ (1987)
Told as a story read by a grandfather to his grandson, ‘The Princess Bride’ follows Westley and Buttercup through swordfights, a kidnapping plot, and a rescue attempt involving a master fencer and a giant. The plot combines a quest narrative with witty exchanges and a climactic infiltration.
Rob Reiner directs from William Goldman’s screenplay based on his novel, starring Cary Elwes, Robin Wright, Mandy Patinkin, Chris Sarandon, Wallace Shawn, and André the Giant. Mark Knopfler composed the music, Adrian Biddle handled cinematography, and the production filmed across studio sets and countryside locations.
Share your own Pisces-friendly favorites in the comments and tell everyone which titles you’d add to this list.