The Adam Driver-led dinosaur film 65 presents the perfect balance of action, sci-fi, and drama at a tight hour and thirty-minute runtime, making it a great popcorn flick on Netflix streaming. However, those looking to follow up 65 with more great and unique dinosaur cinema may be hard-pressed to find much more beyond the already ‘so popular everyone already knows’ Jurassic Park and Jurassic World films.
Well, don’t fret; we’ve got you covered with 10 dinosaur movies to watch if you loved Adam Driver’s 65, including action-packed features, comedies, and insightful documentaries that will all expand on the wonderfully crafted dino epic from creators Scott Beck and Bryan Woods.
10 Q: The Winged Serpent
While ‘Q’ is technically an ancient deity, specifically Quetzalcoatl, a winged serpent from Aztec mythology, the monster created for Q: The Winged Serpent definitely has some dino vibes going for it. What makes this ’80s movie work is seeing a giant creature terrorize New York and nabbing up unsuspecting residents.
The Larry Cohen-directed film oozes the era’s charm, including starring camp movie icons such as David Carradine and Richard Roundtree. There is also a degree of action in the movie, with a grand showdown that may not be as ‘polished’ as Adam Drivers’ 65 but should still appeal to those wanting that big conclusion to top off their monster/dino movie.
9 Dinosaurs: The Final Day with David Attenborough
Given that 65 touches on extinction, why not learn more about the event that led to the end of the age of dinosaurs with one of the best? Dinosaurs: The Final Day with David Attenborough is pretty self-explanatory as to what it covers, but this is a wonderfully insightful TV-movie documentary that highlights how the BBC working with David Attenborough is the perfect mix of engaging, informative, and visually sharp.
The doc also impresses with its special effects, placing Attenborough among the dinosaurs and explaining the events that occurred. However, if you want to get the best David Attenborough covering dinosaurs content, check out the series Prehistoric Planet.
8 The Dinosaur Project
Where the film The Dinosaur Project lacks in effects mastery and a limited budget, it makes up for its inventiveness and utilizing found-footage techniques to help encounters with ancient lizards have that extra horror sting.
The movie follows a group of cryptozoologists, who, after their plane is downed by a flock of pterosaurs, find themselves in a jungle crawling with prehistoric creatures. A bit rough around the edges, The Dinosaur Project will still impress specific audiences, specifically those fascinated by the idea of possible dinosaurs still existing in the modern age. Much of director Sid Bennett’s work revolves around TV and film focusing on cryptids and his passion for the subject certainly comes across in the movie.
7 Claw
There are many modern micro-budgeted dinosaur movies, and browsing free platforms like Tubi will get you everything from The Velocipastor to Dinocroc vs. Supergator. Yet, there are a few gems in the rough if you are looking for something beyond finding that next ‘so-bad-its-good‘ movie. Claw is an excellent example of low-budget dinosaur action done right.
Two travelers find themselves stranded out in the desert and forced to spend the night on a stranger’s lot in the desert. The two have little idea what is in store for them when night begins to fall, and they find themselves fighting for their life against a velociraptor. Despite the limited budget and modest effects, Claw creates a pretty engaging story of pre-historic terror in the modern age.
6 Tammy and the T-Rex
If you are looking for a healthy dose of absurdity lacking from 65, Tammy and the T-Rex is pure ’90s cliché comedy in the best sense. Starring Denise Richards as the titular Tammy, the film follows her relationship with her boyfriend, whose brain has been implanted into a T-Rex. What ensues is a peculiar love story full of dino mayhem and violence.
On release, the movie obtained a PG-13 rating, but this was accomplished by removing most of the gore, and those who love over-the-top violence will want to seek out the more recent ‘gore cut.’ This one may be a stretch, but with the limited amount of good dinosaur movies, this one is a lovely piece of gross-out ’90s comedy that could work as a companion piece to popping on a more serious Dinosaur film like 65.
5 Turok: Son of Stone
Many kids of a particular era grew up playing the Turok series of games on the N64 and being obsessed with the mix of modern tech (like the OP cerebral bore) and killer dinosaurs. However, not everyone knows the series was based on a long-running comic of the same name.
Turok: Son of Stone certainly lands closer to the comics than the over-the-top video game series, but it still melds tech, indigenous culture, and ferocious dinosaurs in a highly entertaining way. While this entry is a cartoon movie, it is aimed at a more mature audience and is chocked full of sensational and violent action, which fans of 65 may appreciate.
4 Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan
Looking at the practical effects of Ray Harryhausen is a great way to pay homage to the killer dinosaur effects in 65. While not all casual film fans may be unaware of Harryhausen, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who has not seen some of his work, as he constructed various creatures in such films as Jason and the Argonauts, One Million Years B.C. (1966), Clash of the Titans and the Sinbad movies.
Ray Harryhausen: Special Effects Titan offers excellent insight into the man and his mastery of practical effects that made him in demand. His work is, and will always be, iconic. Those who love digging into how practical and special effects are made will undoubtedly appreciate this documentary’s insight into how movie magic used to be made.
3 Carnosaur
Carnosaur does skirt the line of ‘so-bad-its-good’ and guilty pleasure cinema, thanks to some rather absurd sequences throughout the film, including a showoff with the titular dinosaur and a forklift. Still, this film found enough of a cult following to warrant four sequels (which include Raptor (2001) and The Eden Formula).
The first film in the series focuses on geneticist Dr. Jane Tiptree (Diane Ladd), who aims to eliminate humans through a virus and replace them with dinosaurs — real mad scientist-level scheming. Of course, humanity has a problem with that plan, and it is up to ‘Doc’ Smith (Raphael Sbarge) and Ann ‘Thrush’ (Jennifer Runyon) to stop the plans and destroy the prototype for the dinosaur master race.
2 Godzilla (2014)
Ah, Godzilla, king of the dinosaurs… We aren’t going to pull that one over on you, but the ‘king of the monsters’ is pretty dang close to its prehistoric counterparts. Moreover, Godzilla compliments the ‘giant monster causing chaos’ that happens throughout 65 with all the Hollywood flair you would want in a giant monster movie.
There are other series in the Godzilla franchise, and you can go back to the original Gojira, or move forward to Godzilla Vs. Kong to get your fill. These films are highly entertaining and polished, like 65, making them great additions to a dino-watching party. No one will complain that Godzilla is not technically a dinosaur.
1 Alpha (2018)
Dealing with the prehistoric period when humans walked alongside mammoths on the Bering Land Bridge to migrate into North America, Alpha could be the best film to check out if you enjoyed 65. The movies draw the best comparison in building an emotional story between two survivors. However, in the case of Alpha the focus is on the relationship between Keda (Kodi Smit-McPhee) and Chuck a Czechoslovakian Wolfdog who plays Alpha in the movie.
The film’s plot follows Keda’s journey to return home after being separated from his tribe during a buffalo hunt. Here, he finds an injured wolf and starts a unique friendship that would change the relationship between humankind and canines. The movie is an extraordinary coming-of-age tale that manages moments of sentimentality and action to craft a rather unforgettable experience and is the perfect follow-up for those who enjoyed the dramatic elements of 65.
