Movies like Design for Dreaming (1956)
The best movies like Design for Dreaming (1956) are More Beautiful for Having Been Broken (2020), Benny & Joon (1993) and The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019). If Design for Dreaming hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Art of Racing in the Rain (2019)8.1/10 from 1,764 votes
- NewestDaddio (2024)Released 2024
More Beautiful for Having Been Broken (2020)
Three women’s lives intersect at a lakeside resort and are forever changed by the love of a special needs boy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBenny & Joon (1993)
A mentally ill young woman finds love with an eccentric man who models himself after Buster Keaton.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Art of Racing in the Rain (2019)
A family dog – with a near-human soul and a philosopher's mind – evaluates his life through the lessons learned by his human owner, a race-car driver.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisSabrina (1954)
After two years in Paris, chauffeur's daughter Sabrina returns home elegantly transformed and immediately catches the attention of David, the playboy son of her father's rich employers. David woos and wins Sabrina, who has always been in love with him, however their romance is threatened by David's serious older brother Linus, who runs the family business and is relying on David to marry an heiress in order for a crucial merger to take place.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHerbie Fully Loaded (2005)
Maggie Peyton, the new owner of Number 53 - the free-wheelin' Volkswagen bug with a mind of its own - puts the car through its paces on the road to becoming a NASCAR competitor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Adjustment Bureau (2011)
A man glimpses the future Fate has planned for him – and chooses to fight for his own destiny. Battling the powerful Adjustment Bureau across, under and through the streets of New York, he risks his destined greatness to be with the only woman he's ever loved.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYou Were Never Lovelier (1942)
An Argentine heiress thinks a penniless American dancer is her secret admirer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSaturday Night Fever (1977)
Tony spends his Saturdays at a disco where his stylish moves raise his popularity among the patrons. But his life outside the disco is not easy and things change when he gets attracted to Stephanie.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFlashdance (1983)
Alex Owens, a young woman juggling between two odd jobs, aspires to become a successful ballet dancer. Nick, who is her boss and lover, supports and encourages her to fulfil her dream.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisQuicksand (1950)
Young auto mechanic Dan Brady takes $20 from a cash register at work to go on a date with blonde femme fatale Vera Novak. Brady intends to put the money back before it is missed, but the garage's bookkeeper shows up earlier than scheduled. As Brady scrambles to cover evidence of his petty theft, he fast finds himself drawn into an ever worsening "quicksand" of crime.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFerrari (2023)
Set during the summer of 1957. Ex-racecar driver, Enzo Ferrari, is in crisis. Bankruptcy stalks the company he and his wife, Laura, built from nothing ten years earlier. Their tempestuous marriage struggles with the mourning for one son and the acknowledgement of another.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTake the Lead (2006)
A former professional dancer volunteers to teach dance in the New York public school system and, while his background first clashes with his students' tastes, together they create a completely new style of dance. Based on the story of ballroom dancer, Pierre Dulane.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDaddio (2024)
A woman taking a cab ride from JFK airport engages in a conversation with the driver about the important relationships in their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDance with Me (1998)
Young Cuban Rafael just buried his mother, and comes to Houston to meet his father John for the first time. The difficult part is that John doesn't know he is Rafael's father. John runs a dance studio, and everyone prepares for the World Open Dance championship in Las Vegas. It soon becomes clear Rafael is a very good dancer, and Ruby is the biggest hope for the studio at the championship.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStep Up 3D (2010)
A tight-knit group of New York City street dancers, including Luke and Natalie, team up with NYU freshman Moose, and find themselves pitted against the world's best hip-hop dancers in a high-stakes showdown that will change their lives forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmpire Records (1995)
The employees of an independent music store learn about each other as they try to stop the store from being absorbed by a large chain.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPretty Woman (1990)
Vivian is a carefree, streetwise diamond in the rough when she meets sophisticated billionaire Edward in a chance encounter that turns into a week-long business arrangement. But Vivian's energetic spirit challenges Edward's no-nonsense approach to life, and soon they are teaching each other – and falling in love!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBaby Face (1933)
A young woman uses her body and her sexuality to help her climb the social ladder, but soon begins to wonder if her new status will ever bring her happiness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBorn Yesterday (1950)
Uncouth, loud-mouth junkyard tycoon Harry Brock descends upon Washington D.C. to buy himself a congressman or two, bringing with him his mistress, ex-showgirl Billie Dawn.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStep Up All In (2014)
All-stars from previous installments convene in glittering Las Vegas, battling for a victory that could define their dreams and their careers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
Like Design for Dreaming and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Design for Dreaming?
The closest matches to Design for Dreaming are More Beautiful for Having Been Broken (2020), Benny & Joon (1993) and The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Design for Dreaming?
Start with More Beautiful for Having Been Broken (2020), the closest match to Design for Dreaming.
What is the highest-rated movie like Design for Dreaming?
The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019), rated 8.1/10 by 1,764 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Design for Dreaming?
Daddio (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Design for Dreaming?
Yes: More Beautiful for Having Been Broken (2020), Benny & Joon (1993) and The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019).
How are movies similar to Design for Dreaming chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Design for Dreaming, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.



















