SimilarScreen
The Secret of Roan Inish

The Secret of Roan Inish

Between land and sea there is a place where myths are real.

19946.71h 43m

Overview

Ten-year-old Fiona is sent to live with her grandparents in a small fishing village in Donegal, Ireland. She soon learns the local legend that an ancestor of hers married a Selkie – a seal who can turn into a human. Years earlier, her baby brother was washed out to sea and never seen again, so when Fiona spies a naked little boy on the abandoned Isle of Roan Inish, she is compelled to investigate.

Directed by John Sayles
Written by Rosalie K. Fry, John Sayles
Produced by Sarah Green, Maggie Renzi
Box OfficeBudget: $5.7MRevenue: $6.2M

Top Cast

J

Jeni Courtney

Fiona

E

Eileen Colgan

Tess

Mick Lally

Mick Lally

Hugh

John Lynch

John Lynch

Tadhg

P

Pat Slowey

Priest

Dave Duffy

Dave Duffy

Jim

Declan Hannigan

Declan Hannigan

Oldest brother

R

Richard Sheridan

Eamon

M

Micheal MacCarthaigh

Schoolmaster

Fergal McElherron

Fergal McElherron

Sean Michael

Themes & Keywords

seaislandlegendfamily historyfamily relationshipsseagullirelandstorytellingseal (animal)seaweedtalking to animalsfishing boatlost at sealost sonselkieisolatedgaelic musicirish folklorehuman becoming an animalirish seaanimal behaviouranimal human friendshipanimals & naturedonegalgrandfather granddaughter relationshipinishtrahull islandgaelic

About The Secret of Roan Inish

The Secret of Roan Inish is a adventure, fantasy, family, drama film released in 1994 exploring themes of sea, island, legend, family history, family relationships, seagull. Directed by John Sayles, it stars Jeni Courtney, Eileen Colgan, Mick Lally. Ten-year-old Fiona is sent to live with her grandparents in a small fishing village in Donegal, Ireland. She soon learns the local legend that an ancestor of hers married a Selkie – a seal who can turn into a human. Years earlier, her baby brother was washed out to sea and never seen again, so when Fiona spies a naked little boy on the abandoned Isle of Roan Inish, she is compelled to investigate.

Movies Similar to The Secret of Roan Inish

Discover titles like The Secret of Roan Inish — ranked by similarity and community votes

We found 15 movies similar to The Secret of Roan Inish

If you enjoyed The Secret of Roan Inish, you'll love these handpicked recommendations. Each title below shares similar themes, tone, and storytelling style. Our algorithm analyzes genres, keywords, director filmography, and cast connections to find the closest matches. Whether you're looking for the same emotional depth, narrative structure, or visual style, these picks are curated to deliver the best viewing experience for fans of The Secret of Roan Inish.

Big Fish
21% Match

Big Fish(2003)

Movie7.8/10

Throughout his life Edward Bloom has always been a man of big appetites, enormous passions and tall tales. In his later years, he remains a huge mystery to his son, William. Now, to get to know the real man, Will begins piecing together a true picture of his father from flashbacks of his amazing adventures.

The Spiderwick Chronicles
20% Match

Upon moving into the run-down Spiderwick Estate with their mother, twin brothers Jared and Simon Grace, along with their sister Mallory, find themselves pulled into an alternate world full of faeries and other creatures.

The Fall
20% Match

The Fall(2006)

Movie7.6/10

In a hospital on the outskirts of 1920s Los Angeles, an injured stuntman begins to tell a fellow patient, a little girl with a broken arm, a fantastic story about 5 mythical heroes. Thanks to his fractured state of mind and her vivid imagination, the line between fiction and reality starts to blur as the tale advances.

Life of Pi
19% Match

Life of Pi(2012)

Movie7.4/10

The story of an Indian boy named Pi, a zookeeper's son who finds himself in the company of a hyena, zebra, orangutan, and a Bengal tiger after a shipwreck sets them adrift in the Pacific Ocean.

Dolittle
19% Match

Dolittle(2020)

Movie6.6/10

After losing his wife seven years earlier, the eccentric Dr. John Dolittle, famed doctor and veterinarian of Queen Victoria’s England, hermits himself away behind the high walls of Dolittle Manor with only his menagerie of exotic animals for company. But when the young queen falls gravely ill, a reluctant Dolittle is forced to set sail on an epic adventure to a mythical island in search of a cure, regaining his wit and courage as he crosses old adversaries and discovers wondrous creatures.

Song of the Sea
18% Match

The story of the last Seal Child’s journey home. After their mother’s disappearance, Ben and Saoirse are sent to live with Granny in the city. When they resolve to return to their home by the sea, their journey becomes a race against time as they are drawn into a world Ben knows only from his mother’s folktales. But this is no bedtime story; these fairy folk have been in our world far too long. It soon becomes clear to Ben that Saoirse is the key to their survival.

The Little Mermaid
18% Match

This colorful adventure tells the story of an impetuous mermaid princess named Ariel who falls in love with the very human Prince Eric and puts everything on the line for the chance to be with him. Memorable songs and characters -- including the villainous sea witch Ursula.

Return to the Blue Lagoon
18% Match

In this sequel to the 1980 classic, two children are stranded on a beautiful island in the South Pacific. With no adults to guide them, the two make a simple life together and eventually become tanned teenagers in love.

Chupa
18% Match

Chupa(2023)

Movie6.3/10

While visiting family in Mexico, a lonely boy befriends a mythical creature hiding on his grandfather's ranch and embarks on the adventure of a lifetime.

A Shine of Rainbows
18% Match

An orphaned boy named Tomás is adopted by Maire O’Donnell to live on a whimsical Irish isle filled with new friends, secret caves and a lost baby pup seal stranded on the coast. But when Maire's reluctant husband Alec refuses to accept Tomás as his own son, the boy drifts down a fateful path of adventure and self-discovery, illuminating how rainbows can shine around - and within - us all.

Wolfwalkers
17% Match

In a time of superstition and magic, when wolves are seen as demonic and nature an evil to be tamed, a young apprentice hunter comes to Ireland with her father to wipe out the last pack. But when she saves a wild native girl, their friendship leads her to discover the world of the Wolfwalkers and transform her into the very thing her father is tasked to destroy.