Planet of the Apes is one of the most influential science fiction films of all time, and there are plenty of movies worth checking out that explore the same ideas as the classic franchise. Based on Pierre Boulle's satirical novel, 1968's Planet of the Apes revolutionized the science fiction genre and transported viewers to a future where apes are the dominant species on the planet. The Charlton Heston vehicle would spawn numerous sequels of diminishing quality in the coming years, and launch a multimedia franchise including books, comics, TV shows, and more.

The movie series was dormant for years before Tim Burton's 2001 remake, but the new version of Planet of the Apes was reviled by critics and failed to revitalize the sci-fi franchise. Fortunately, 2011's Rise of the Planet of the Apes rebooted the series as a prequel, and reintroduced the fictional universe in several excellent sequels. The best aspects of Planet of the Apes are its heady themes about the fall of humanity, and its commentary on the animalistic nature of man, and many movies have tried to capture that same spirit.

10 Time Of The Apes (1987)

A Surprising Japanese Copy Of Planet Of The Apes

Originally a TV series that was cut down to a feature-length movie, Time of the Apes is one of the most brazen Planet of the Apes ever made. The story follows a young woman and some children who are cryogenically frozen to avoid an earthquake. They awaken many years later to find the Earth is ruled by apes. Perhaps best ed for being featured on an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000, Time of the Apes isn't without merit.

It was originally produced in the late 1970s, and the ape makeup is actually pretty decent for the time and budget. The story also sticks closer to Pierre Boulle's original vision of the future, and the ape society is decidedly more advanced and technological. There have been other ripoffs of Planet of the Apes, but Time of the Apes is the only one worth watching.

9 Project Nim (2011)

A Documentary About An Intelligent Chimpanzee

Although it isn't a science fiction film, the documentary Project Nim is a perfect companion piece to the Planet of the Apes franchise. The gripping true story chronicles the life of a chimpanzee named Nim, who was the subject of a scientific experiment to see if apes were capable of using human language to communicate.

The documentary is partially about the experiments that Nim was a part of, but also a biopic about the life of the extraordinary primate. It explores the harrowing conditions to which chimps were subjected in medical testing, and is certainly not for the faint of heart. It mirrors the fictional events that Caesar experienced in Rise of the Planet of the Apes.

8 Shakma (1990)

A Silly Animal Attack Movie Starring A Planet Of The Apes Alum

The early 1990s horror film Shakma is a far cry from the heady science fiction of Planet of the Apes, but it does have some tenuous connections to the franchise. College students are locked in at their research campus for a night of table-top role-playing fun. Unfortunately, they're also ed by an enraged baboon who wants to tear them apart.

Baboons are actually monkeys and not apes.

Primates have always been presented as dangerous onscreen, and that's why Planet of the Apes was such a compelling twist on the stereotype. Shakma is the exact opposite, and is a more traditional animal attack movie with a primate antagonist. The movie has a direct connection to the Planet of the Apes franchise as Roddy McDowall (who played Cornelius) plays Professor Sorensen.

7 Link (1986)

A Suspenseful Tale About Killer Primates

Plenty of movies have cast monkeys and apes as villains, including Planet of the Apes, but none has been so strange as the oft-forgotten horror film, Link. Set within the confines of a Victorian mansion, the film concerns an anthropologist and his three ape subjects who become increasingly dangerous.

Terence Stamp and Elisabeth Shue lead the human cast, but they are perfectly countered by Locke, an orangutan who was cast to play a chimp in the film. Unlike other animal attack movies, Link shows the intelligence of the great apes, though it illustrates that intelligence through their violent cunning. Pulling a page from Alfred Hitchcock's book, the movie is more suspenseful than it is outright violent.

6 Silent Running (1972)

A Classic Early '70s Sci-Fi Film With A Message

Planet of the Apes was a perfect example of how the sci-fi genre had changed by the late 1960s, and movies like Silent Running explore similar ideas. In the future, when all botanical life on Earth is destroyed, an ecologist fights to preserve a greenhouse that is the last refuge for the planet's plant life.

Silent Running is a fast-paced and exciting sci-fi adventure film, but it is also a salient warning about the destruction of the environment. Much in the same way that Planet of the Apes warns about society's self-destruction, Silent Running explores the idea that greed could lead to the end of humans.

5 The Omega Man (1971)

Planet Of The Apes Wasn't Charlton Heston's Only Classic Sci-Fi Film

Not long after he starred in Planet of the Apes, Charlton Heston was tapped to lead the post-apocalyptic sci-fi thriller, The Omega Man. Based on Richard Matheson's I Am Legend, Heston plays a scientist who is the last man on Earth after a biological warfare attack ended humanity. However, he's hunted by the vampiric survivors, who view him as evil because of his connection to science.

Matheson's novel also served as inspiration for The Last Man on Earth (1964) and I Am Legend (2007).

Like its source material, The Omega Man is a complex dissection of modern society, and is meant to skewer the divisiveness of racism and other social justice issues. However, it is a lot like Planet of the Apes because those themes simmer under the surface of what is an exciting sci-fi story. Even if the viewer isn't interested in the message, the film is still an enjoyable ride.

4 District 9 (2009)

A Modern Science Fiction Hit With Big Ideas

Like the humans' treatment at the hands of the apes in Planet of the Apes, District 9 has quite a bit of not-so-subtle commentary.

Though they may seem quite different on the surface, District 9 and Planet of the Apes actually share quite a bit. The former is set in an alternate world where alien refugees are treated like second-class citizens, and a man from the company that oppresses them decides to lead a resistance. Like the humans' treatment at the hands of the apes in Planet of the Apes, District 9 has quite a bit of not-so-subtle commentary.

Pushing a lot of buttons, District 9 examines ideas like racism, incarceration, and state-sanctioned violence, and is set against the backdrop of South Africa, a country with its own dark history in those areas. Though not nearly as fun and playful as the original Planet of the Apes, District 9 is an excellent companion to the modern reboots.

3 Mighty Joe Young (1998)

A Remake Of A Classic King Kong Ripoff

The original Mighty Joe Young was a bit more like King Kong, but the 1998 Disney remake changed quite a few details. The story concerns a primatologist who attempts to save an impressively large gorilla from vengeful poachers who also killed her mother.

Planet of the Apes, ironically, humanized the apes by showing them as both intelligent and capable of great evil. However, Mighty Joe Young instead chooses to highlight the animal nature of primates, and contrasts that with the animalistic nature of some humans. Though the film is far from Disney's best live-action offering, the effects are spectacular, and it's a rare example of primates being used to inspire instead of frighten.

2 Congo (1995)

A Silly Sci-Fi/Adventure Flick From The '90s

Not all movies like Planet of the Apes have to be heady or enlightening, and films like Congo are just a fun time. Set deep within the jungles of the titular African region, the story concerns a rescue party who is sent to find the whereabouts of a missing diamond-hunting expedition. While on their mission, they are hounded by dangerous apes who threaten to tear them limb from limb.

Congo is not a great film by any stretch of the imagination, but it features fun practical effects, and puts a nice spin on the animal attack genre. It is similar to Planet of the Apes because it combines science fiction with primates, and it also has a unique production design style that combines the rustic with the futuristic.

1 King Kong (1933)

The Ultimate Classic Primate Movie

Before Planet of the Apes, no film had profoundly impacted the image of primates on screen more than the classic King Kong from 1933. The familiar tale follows a filmmaker and his crew who travel to a mysterious lost island and end up returning to the United States with plenty of mesmerizing footage and a giant gorilla named Kong.

King Kong has been remade several times, including in 2005 by Peter Jackson.

King Kong is brilliant because it juxtaposes the failures of humanity with the indomitable spirit of nature as embodied by Kong. When the giant ape is unleashed on New York City, it is his love that leads to his destruction, and Kong exhibits more humanity than those trying to gun him down. This ironic juxtaposition certainly inspired Planet of the Apes, and it's arguable that the sci-fi franchise wouldn't exist without King Kong.