Movies like Fran the Man (2025)
The best movies like Fran the Man (2025) are Looking for Eric (2009), Standing Up, Falling Down (2020) and The Middle Man (2021). If Fran the Man hooked you with its comedy and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedJohn Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018)7.9/10 from 259 votes
- NewestDeuce Purgatory (2026)Released 2026
Looking for Eric (2009)
Middle-aged postman and football fan Eric Bishop struggles with his increasingly chaotic existence, but receives some life coaching from the famously philosophical Éric Cantona.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStanding Up, Falling Down (2020)
An unlikely friendship kindles between a struggling stand-up comedian from L.A. — forced to move back home to Eastern Long Island with his tail between his legs — and a tragically flawed, but charming and charismatic, alcoholic dermatologist. Discovering to be kindred spirits, each helps the other find healing, in addition to the confidence to face the "failures" in their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Middle Man (2021)
Frank Farrelli takes on the job as a middle man in the God-forsaken town of Karmack, USA, a community in a depression so deep that they need a middle man to professionally communicate more of the bad news.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSomewhere in Queens (2023)
Leo and Angela Russo live a simple life in Queens, surrounded by their overbearing Italian-American family. When their son finds success on his high school basketball team, Leo tears the family apart trying to make it happen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
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 · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisFamily Weekend (2013)
A 16-year-old girl takes her parents hostage after they miss her big jump-roping competition.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCode 3 (2025)
A burned-out paramedic tries to survive his last 24 hours on the job while training a new recruit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLandline (2017)
A teenager living with her sister and parents in Manhattan during the 1990s discovers that her father is having an affair.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFunny People (2009)
Famous and wealthy funnyman George Simmons doesn't give much thought to how he treats people until a doctor delivers stunning health news, forcing George to reevaluate his priorities with a little help from aspiring stand-up comic Ira.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisAbout Alex (2014)
When a group of old college friends reunite over a long weekend after one of them attempts suicide, old crushes and resentments shine light on their life decisions, and ultimately push friendships and relationships to the brink.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTyler Perry's Madea on the Run - The Play (2017)
In trouble with the local authorities, Mabel Simmons, notoriously known as Madea, is on the run from the law. With no place to turn, she moves in with her friend Bam who is recovering from surgery. Unbeknownst to Bam however, Madea is only using the "concerned friend" gag as a way to hide out from the police.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSavage House (2026)
Against the backdrop of 18th century England, a massive pox outbreak, and Jacobite uprising – Sir Chauncey Savage and Lady Savage blindly pursue a better life. It's not without a tinge of irony that their family name is the Savages, for this is a Savage House indeed, filled with duels, decadence, and bloodshed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSmall Apartments (2012)
When a clumsy deadbeat accidentally kills his landlord, he must do everything in his power to hide the body, only to find that the distractions of lust, the death of his beloved brother, and a crew of misfit characters force him on a journey where a fortune awaits him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisBill Burr: Drop Dead Years (2025)
In what might be his most personal and introspective hour yet, Bill offers hilarious takes on everything from male sadness to dating advice.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs (2023)
In a rowdy stand-up set, Shane Gillis riffs on his girlfriend's Navy SEAL ex, touring George Washington's house and being bullied by an Australian Goth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJohn Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018)
John Mulaney relays stories from his childhood and "SNL," eviscerates the value of college and laments getting older in this electric comedy special.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisJack Whitehall: I'm Only Joking (2020)
Jack Whitehall hits the stage with hilarious tales about happy couples, life in hotels, human stupidity and his well-traveled father.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRicky Gervais: Mortality (2025)
Ricky Gervais tackles life, death and the state of the world in a brutally honest special that spares no topic, even his own mortality.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDave Chappelle: The Closer (2021)
As he closes out his slate of comedy specials, Dave takes the stage to try and set the record straight — and get a few things off his chest.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMike Birbiglia: Thank God for Jokes (2017)
Mike Birbiglia declares that a joke should never end with "I’m joking." In his all-new comedy, Birbiglia tiptoes hilariously through the minefield that is modern-day joke-telling. Join Mike as he learns that the same jokes that elicit laughter have the power to produce tears, rage, and a whole lot of getting yelled at. Ultimately it's a show that asks, “How far should we go for the laugh?”
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRising Dawn (2022)
Set in the world of baton twirling, a high school senior must overcome fears to deliver a powerhouse baton solo for the school's big halftime show.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
Racewalkers (2025)
Will could never compete in the sport he’s always loved: racewalking. While struggling to find respect as a coach, Will’s fortunes change when he spots a burnout pitcher with the most impeccable racewalking stride he’s ever seen. Together, Will and Matt team up, face the challenges of a sport that doesn’t want them, and to try to take down the best walker in the country.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Sitaare Zameen Par (2025)
A disgraced basketball coach is given the chance to coach a team of players who are intellectually disabled as part of community services. Gulshan has apprehensions at first and feels out of place but soon realizes they just might have what it takes to make it to the national championships.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFinnegan's Foursome (2026)
Two middle aged brothers and their respective sons travel to Ireland to play the Finnegan Family's annual golf outing, where they distribute the ashes of the family patriarch
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Hill Hikers (2022)
A group of disillusioned couples compete in an obscure sport to obtain money and status.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Weekend Warriors (TBA)
A father takes his autistic son to visit every NBA team so he can pick his favorite.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Deuce Purgatory (2026)
When the players of a mixed doubles tennis match get stuck at 40-40 for seemingly an eternity, underdog Shelly Shlop realizes that to win the match, she must find her self-worth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Hot Curlers (TBA)
Four young curlers from tiny Naseby, New Zealand dare to chase an impossible dream: making it to the Winter Olympics. When the team travels to Calgary to train, their limited budget leaves them with one unlikely option – moving into a retirement home. Adopted by its mischievous residents, the young men find coaches, cheerleaders and family, discovering that belonging matters more than winning.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Batter Up, Queen! (2025)
Drag queen Frannie P. Bodied takes on the most mortifying gig of her career: babysitting a bubbly child baseball player.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Shearing the Love (TBA)
Set against New Zealand’s Golden Shears – the Olympics of competitive sheep shearing – Brian Castlehead, a washed-up hairstylist to the stars, enters the competition world determined to prove to his father that he’s a real man.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Fran the Man?
The closest matches to Fran the Man are Looking for Eric (2009), Standing Up, Falling Down (2020) and The Middle Man (2021). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Fran the Man?
Start with Looking for Eric (2009), the closest match to Fran the Man.
What is the highest-rated movie like Fran the Man?
John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018), rated 7.9/10 by 259 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Fran the Man?
Deuce Purgatory (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Fran the Man?
Yes: Looking for Eric (2009), Standing Up, Falling Down (2020) and The Middle Man (2021).
How are movies similar to Fran the Man chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Fran the Man, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.