Movies like It's a Wonderful Life (1965)
The best movies like It's a Wonderful Life (1965) are Under the Sea: A Descendants Story (2018), Curve (2016) and Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton (2017). If It's a Wonderful Life hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
It's a Wonderful Life
Quick picks
- Highest ratedFar from the Tree (2021)8.1/10 from 395 votes
- NewestGoodbye June (2025)Released 2025
Under the Sea: A Descendants Story (2018)
Mal emerges from the shadows of a mystical forest onto a dark coastline where she crosses paths with Dizzy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCurve (2016)
Clinging to a smooth, curved surface high above a sentient abyss, a woman tries to cover the few feet back to safety without losing purchase and falling to her death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton (2017)
Through the lens of his stunningly immersive performance as Andy Kaufman, Jim Carrey ponders the meaning of life, reality, identity and career.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHounds of War (2024)
After a mission goes wrong, only one of a group of mercenaries is left alive to avenge his fallen brothers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFinal Portrait (2017)
Paris, 1964. The Swiss sculptor and painter Alberto Giacometti, one of the most accomplished and respected artists of his generation, asks his friend, the American writer James Lord, to sit for a portrait, assuring him that it will take no longer than two or three hours, an afternoon at the most.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Day's Pleasure (1919)
A father takes his family for an outing, which turns out to be a ridiculous trial.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCQ (2001)
A young filmmaker in 1960s Paris juggles directing a cheesy sci-fi debacle, directing his own personal art film, coping with his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend, and a new-found infatuation with the sci-fi film's starlet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisFar from the Tree (2021)
On an idyllic beach in the Pacific Northwest, curiosity gets the better of a young raccoon whose frustrated parent attempts to keep them both safe.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisHave Dreams, Will Travel (2007)
West Texas, in the 1960's. A tale of two 12-year-olds who embark on an adventure to find new parents in order to escape their unhappy and emotionally unsatisfying family life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHobo with a Shotgun (2011)
A vigilante homeless man pulls into a new city and finds himself trapped in urban chaos, a city where crime rules and where the city's crime boss reigns. Seeing an urban landscape filled with armed robbers, corrupt cops, abused prostitutes and even a pedophile Santa, the Hobo goes about bringing justice to the city the best way he knows how - with a 20-gauge shotgun. Mayhem ensues when he tries to make things better for the future generation. Street justice will indeed prevail.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisGoofy and Wilbur (1939)
Goofy goes fishing with his best friend, Wilbur, a grasshopper.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mother (2023)
A deadly female assassin comes out of hiding to protect the daughter that she gave up years before, while on the run from dangerous men.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMemory (2022)
Alex, an assassin-for-hire, finds that he's become a target after he refuses to complete a job for a dangerous criminal organization. With the crime syndicate and FBI in hot pursuit, Alex has the skills to stay ahead, except for one thing: he is struggling with severe memory loss, affecting his every move. Alex must question his every action and whom he can ultimately trust.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIf Anything Happens I Love You (2020)
Grieving parents journey through an emotional void as they mourn the loss of a child after a tragic school shooting.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGoodbye June (2025)
Four siblings' lives change drastically when their ailing mother takes a turn for the worse over the holiday season.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon't Make Me Go (2022)
A terminally ill man and his teenage daughter embark on a road trip from California to New Orleans for his 20th college reunion. While there, he secretly hopes she can reunite with the mother who left them long ago.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhat's the Matter with Helen? (1971)
Two middle-aged women move to Hollywood after their sons are convicted of a notorious murder and open a dance school for children eager to tap their way to stardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisMatriculated (2003)
The human resistance works to convert a sentinel to their side. Part of the Animatrix collection of animated shorts set in the Matrix universe.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCorrina, Corrina (1994)
When Manny Singer's wife dies, his young daughter Molly becomes mute and withdrawn. To help cope with looking after Molly, he hires sassy housekeeper Corrina Washington, who coaxes Molly out of her shell and shows father and daughter a whole new way of life. Manny and Corrina's friendship delights Molly and enrages the other townspeople.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Fallout (2021)
In the wake of a school tragedy, Vada, Mia and Quinton form a unique and dynamic bond as they navigate the never linear, often confusing journey to heal in a world that feels forever changed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this
Like It's a Wonderful Life and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like It's a Wonderful Life?
The closest matches to It's a Wonderful Life are Under the Sea: A Descendants Story (2018), Curve (2016) and Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton (2017). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after It's a Wonderful Life?
Start with Under the Sea: A Descendants Story (2018), the closest match to It's a Wonderful Life.
What is the highest-rated movie like It's a Wonderful Life?
Far from the Tree (2021), rated 8.1/10 by 395 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like It's a Wonderful Life?
Goodbye June (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like It's a Wonderful Life?
Yes: Under the Sea: A Descendants Story (2018), Curve (2016) and Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton (2017).
How are movies similar to It's a Wonderful Life chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside It's a Wonderful Life, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.