Skip to content

Movies like When the Man Went South (2014)

The best movies like When the Man Went South (2014) are Dear Eleanor (2016), Bookworm (2024) and Burn Your Maps (2016). If When the Man Went South hooked you with its adventure and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Dear Eleanor (2016)

    Two teenage girls travel across the U.S. in 1962, during the chaos of the Cuban missile crisis, in search of Eleanor Roosevelt.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & comedy

  2. Bookworm (2024)

    Eleven-year-old Mildred’s life is turned upside down when her mother lands in hospital and estranged, American magician father, Strawn Wise, comes to look after her. Hoping to entertain the bookish tween, Strawn takes Mildred camping in the notoriously rugged New Zealand wilderness, and the pair embark on the ultimate test of family bonding – a quest to find the mythological beast known as the Canterbury Panther.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & comedy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Burn Your Maps (2016)

    A family in emotional turmoil is taken by surprise in this quirky adventure where an eccentric 8-year-old American boy, Wes, has an existential epiphany - He believes that he is in fact a Mongolian goat herder.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & comedy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  4. Sun Dogs (2017)

    A man eager to serve his country but rejected by the Marines pairs up with a young runaway to form an unlikely team on a misguided adventure.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016)

    Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together to survive.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & comedy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. The Warrior (2001)

    In feudal India, a warrior who renounces his role as the longtime enforcer to a local lord becomes the prey in a murderous hunt through the Himalayan mountains.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. Pinocchio (2009)

    The enchanted story of Pinocchio.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. Slumberland (2022)

    A young girl discovers a secret map to the dreamworld of Slumberland, and with the help of an eccentric outlaw, she traverses dreams and flees nightmares, with the hope that she will be able to see her late father again.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & comedy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  9. The Call of the Wild (1972)

    John Thornton, is a fearless man who's after more than gold; he wants to do what's right. Thornton works for the U.S. mail and is the only person daring and smart enough to figure out how to travel the deadly 600 miles from Skagway to Dawson, Alaska in the icy winter. His incredibly dog Buck is by his side and part of how he survives.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Sheroes (2023)

    When four thick-as-thieves friends arrive in Thailand, they quickly find themselves in over their heads. Fighting to stay alive, they employ their unique set of skills and unleash their fierce loyalty in a heart-pumping battle for survival.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & adventure

  11. Doctor Who: Last Christmas (2014)

    The Doctor and Clara face their Last Christmas. Trapped on an Arctic base, under attack from terrifying creatures, who are you going to call? Santa Claus!

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  12. The Fox and the Hound 2 (2006)

    Best friends Tod, a fox kit, and Copper, a hound puppy, visit a country fair when they see a band of dogs called "The Singin' Strays". The band has five members: Dixie, Cash, Granny Rose, and twin brothers Waylon and Floyd. It is important that they perform well because a talent scout is visiting.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & comedy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. Cave Rescue (2019)

    When a youth football team of 12 boys, aged 11-16, and their 25-year-old coach is trapped deep inside a cave in Northern Thailand, thousands of volunteers and soldiers from around the world unite in a race against time to find them.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. Limbo (1999)

    Traumatized by a fishing boat accident many years before, Joe Gastineau has given up his hopes for a life beyond the odd jobs he takes to support himself. That quickly changes when nomadic club singer Donna de Angelo and her troubled teen-age daughter enter Joe’s life. Both mother and daughter fall for Joe, increasing the friction between them. The tension continues to build when Joe invites them on a pleasure cruise up the Alaskan coast, discovering too late that the trip may cost them their lives.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. The Willoughbys (2020)

    When the four Willoughby children are abandoned by their selfish parents, they must learn how to adapt their Old-Fashioned values to the contemporary world in order to create something new: The Modern Family.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & comedy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  16. Shorts (2009)

    A young boy's discovery of a colorful, wish-granting rock causes chaos in the suburban town of Black Falls when jealous kids and scheming adults alike set out to get their hands on it.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & adventure

  17. Oddball (2015)

    An eccentric chicken farmer, with the help of his granddaughter, trains his mischievous dog Oddball to protect a penguin sanctuary from fox attacks in an attempt to reunite his family and save their seaside town.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & comedy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Chickenhare and the Hamster of Darkness (2022)

    A brave young animal explorer teams up with two trusty friends to find a powerful artifact before his greedy uncle can get his paws on it.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & comedy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. The Fox and the Hound (1981)

    When a feisty little fox named Tod is adopted into a farm family, he quickly becomes friends with a fun and adorable hound puppy named Copper. Life is full of hilarious adventures until Copper is expected to take on his role as a hunting dog -- and the object of his search is his best friend!

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. Black Gold (2011)

    On the Arabian Peninsula in the 1930s, two warring leaders come face to face. The victorious Nesib, Emir of Hobeika, lays down his peace terms to rival Amar, Sultan of Salmaah. The two men agree that neither can lay claim to the area of no man’s land between them called The Yellow Belt. In return, Nesib adopts Amar’s two boys Saleeh and Auda as a guarantee against invasion. Twelve years later, Saleeh and Auda have grown into young men. Saleeh, the warrior, itches to escape his gilded cage and return to his father’s land. Auda cares only for books and the pursuit of knowledge. One day, their adopted father Nesib is visited by an American from Texas. He tells the Emir that his land is blessed with oil and promises him riches beyond his wildest imagination. Nesib imagines a realm of infinite possibility, a kingdom with roads, schools and hospitals all paid for by the black gold beneath the barren sand. There is only one problem. The precious oil is located in the Yellow Belt.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both adventure & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  21. The Other Side of Heaven (2001)

    John H. Groberg, a middle class kid from Idaho Falls, crosses the Pacific to become a Mormon missionary in the remote and exotic Tongan island kingdom during the 1950's. He leaves behind a loving family and the true love of his life, Jean. Through letters and musings across the miles, John shares his humbling and sometimes hilarious adventures with "the girl back home", and her letters buoy up his spirits in difficult times. John must struggle to overcome language barriers, physical hardship and deep-rooted suspicion to earn the trust and love of the Tongan people he has come to serve. Throughout his adventure-filled three years on the islands, he discovers friends and wisdom in the most unlikely places. John H. Groberg's Tongan odyssey will change his life forever.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  22. La Dolce Vita (1960)

    Episodic journey of journalist Marcello who struggles to find his place in the world, torn between the allure of Rome's elite social scene and the stifling domesticity offered by his girlfriend, all the while searching for a way to become a serious writer.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama

    Absolute CinemaMovies like this
  23. Human Nature (2001)

    Obsessive scientist Nathan and his lover, the naturalist Lila, discover Puff: a man born and raised in the wild. As Nathan trains the wild man in the civilized ways of the world, Lila fights to preserve the man’s natural state. In the power struggle that ensues, an unusual love triangle emerges.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  24. Popular Music (2004)

    Matti and Niila, growing up in the mid-sixties in the harsh and conservative environment of a Finnish-speaking part of Tornedalen in Swedish Laponia, close to the Finnish border. Their big dream is to become rock stars. In the present the now grown-up Matti feels guilt for the death of his drug-addicted rock star friend Niila.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  25. The Legend of Baron To'a (2020)

    ‘The Legend of Baron To’a’ tells the story of Fritz, a Tongan entrepreneur who returns to his old neighbourhood and inadvertently causes the theft of his late father’s valued pro wrestling title belt by some ruthless gangsters led by ‘man-mountain’ Tahu. When negotiation and diplomacy fail to get it back, he is forced to embrace his father’s legacy to reclaim the title.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy

  26. Paradise Island (1930)

    The south sea island Tonga is full of plantations and scoundrels. Ellen Bradford arrives expecting marriage to respectable and successful plantation owner only to find he is a drunk and gambler. Being the only white woman she is the desire of scoundrels and cut-throats.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

  27. Tides of Tradition: The Life of Colonel Kong (2024)

    Robert Kongaika runs from his family to join the military and becomes the first Tongan US Air Force Colonel. This is the true story of the island traditions, faith, and family that made him into the father he is today.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  28. Dame Valerie Adams: More Than Gold (2022)

    Olympic Champion, Kiwi Icon, Tongan Leader, Orphan, Mother...winning was just part of the journey.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  29. You, the Choice of My Parents (2019)

    A poetic journey through the life of a woman going through an arranged marriage, animated on traditional Tongan Cloth called Ngatu.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama

  30. The Day After Tomorrow (2004)

    After paleoclimatologist Jack Hall is largely ignored by UN officials when presenting his environmental concerns about the beginning of a new Ice Age, his research proves true when a superstorm develops, setting off catastrophic natural disasters throughout the world. Trying to get to his son, Sam, who is trapped in New York City with his friend Laura and others, Jack and his crew must travel to get to Sam before it's too late.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both adventure

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like When the Man Went South and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like When the Man Went South?

The closest matches to When the Man Went South are Dear Eleanor (2016), Bookworm (2024) and Burn Your Maps (2016). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after When the Man Went South?

Start with Dear Eleanor (2016), the closest match to When the Man Went South.

What is the highest-rated movie like When the Man Went South?

La Dolce Vita (1960), rated 8.0/10 by 2,103 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like When the Man Went South?

Bookworm (2024) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like When the Man Went South?

Yes: Dear Eleanor (2016), Bookworm (2024) and Burn Your Maps (2016).

How are movies similar to When the Man Went South chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside When the Man Went South, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

↑ ↓ to move · Enter to open · Full search page