Movies like The Circus (2010)
The best movies like The Circus (2010) are Affairs of the Art (2021), If Anything Happens I Love You (2020) and Yellow Is the New Black (2018). If The Circus hooked you with its animation, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedOnce Upon a Studio (2023)8.3/10 from 457 votes
- NewestMemoir of a Snail (2024)Released 2024
- In FrenchJack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (2014)Also in French
Affairs of the Art (2021)
Look out: Beryl's back. With Affairs of the Art, British animator Joanna Quinn recounts another gloriously unhinged chapter in the adventures of Beryl, the comic everywoman she unleashed upon the world with her debut film, Girls' Night Out, which took home three major awards from Annecy in 1987.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
SnoozefestMovies 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 · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisYellow Is the New Black (2018)
An adventure about two Minions who make a daring (though temporary) escape from jail. As they navigate the chaos of their breakout, their antics showcase the Minions' signature blend of resourcefulness and mischief, resulting in a short filled with hilariously unpredictable moments.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSnoopy Presents: Welcome Home, Franklin (2024)
Franklin is new to town and hoping to make friends, but his usual tactics don't work on the Peanuts gang. When the Soap Box Derby arrives, he's sure it's a chance to impress new pals and teams up with the only other unpartnered kid: Charlie Brown.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMemoir of a Snail (2024)
Forcibly separated from her twin brother when they are orphaned, a melancholic misfit learns how to find confidence within herself amid the clutter of misfortunes and everyday life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisFor the Birds (2000)
One by one, a flock of small birds perches on a telephone wire. Sitting close together has problems enough, and then comes along a large dopey bird that tries to join them. The birds of a feather can't help but make fun of him—and their clique mentality proves embarrassing in the end.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFerdinand the Bull (1938)
This Oscar-winning short tells of a bull who preferred to sit under trees and smell flowers to clashing horns with his fellow animals. As luck would have it, an untimely bee reveals Ferdinand's ferocious side via pained howls and wild stomping. This lands him in the bull-fighting arena amidst characters based on Walt's animators with a matador reportedly modeled after Walt himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPaperman (2012)
An urban office worker finds that paper airplanes are instrumental in meeting a girl in ways he never expected.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisJack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (2014)
Jack is born with his heart frozen solid on the coldest day in history. A wise midwife saves him by replacing it with a cuckoo clock. Now Jack must abide by three rules to keep his mechanical heart safe: never touch the clock's hands, master his anger, and never fall in love. He tries his best, but when he meets a girl named Acacia he falls in love, threatening the delicate balance of his artificial heart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMater and the Ghostlight (2006)
Mater, the rusty but trusty tow truck from Cars, spends a day in Radiator Springs playing scary pranks on his fellow townsfolk. That night at Flo's V8 Café, the Sheriff tells the story of the legend of the Ghostlight, and as everyone races home Mater is left alone primed for a good old-fashioned scare.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOnce Upon a Studio (2023)
Created for Disney's 100th anniversary, the short features Mickey Mouse corralling a gallery of legendary Disney characters for a group photo.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisTangled Ever After (2012)
The kingdom is in a festive mood as everyone gathers for the royal wedding of Rapunzel and Flynn. However, when Pascal and Maximus, as flower chameleon and ring bearer, respectively, lose the gold bands, a frenzied search and recovery mission gets underway. As the desperate duo tries to find the rings before anyone discovers that they’re missing, they leave behind a trail of comical chaos that includes flying lanterns, a flock of doves, a wine barrel barricade and a very sticky finale. Will Maximus and Pascal save the day and make it to the church in time? And will they ever get Flynn’s nose right?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBao (2018)
An aging Chinese mother suffering from empty nest syndrome gets another chance at motherhood when one of her dumplings springs to life as a lively, giggly dumpling boy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAngela's Christmas (2017)
A trip to church with her family on Christmas Eve gives young Angela an extraordinary idea. A heartwarming tale based on a story by Frank McCourt.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCars Toon Mater's Tall Tales (2008)
Mater the tow truck travels from country to country as he retells his infamous but unbelievable stories.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCarl's Date (2023)
Carl Fredricksen reluctantly agrees to go on a date with a lady friend—but admittedly has no idea how dating works these days. Ever the helpful friend, Dug steps in to calm Carl's pre-date jitters and offer some tried-and-true tips for making friends—if you're a dog.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUnidentified Flying Mater (2009)
Mater finds a small UFO called Mator and they have a night out. Later, when Mator is captured by military forces, Mater sneaks up and saves him with the help of Lightning McQueen and the UFO's mother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCharlie Brown's Christmas Tales (2002)
Tis the season for the cheer and charm of the Peanuts kids - and this delight special offers five segments full of unforgettable moments. Snoopy works as a bell-ringer to raise money and tries making peace with the ferocious cat next door. Linus strives to strike the right tone in his letter to Santa - and his friendship with an indecisive girl at school. Sally's idea about gift giving and the identity of Santa may be unusual - but her strange notion about how to obtain a Christmas tree surprisingly does the job. Lucy tries awfully hard to be nice...and still coax everyone around her to buy her presents. Charlie Brown and Sally wait up for Santa (a surprisingly short man), who spreads Christmas gift cheer further than they had thought. Make merry!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMemorable (2019)
Aging painter Louis and his wife Michelle struggle to cope with Louis' advancing dementia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMinions & More Volume 2 (2022)
This collection of 11 short films produced by Illumination includes: From the "Despicable Me" franchise: Mower Minions (2016); Yellow Is the New Black (2018); Competition (2015); Cro Minion (2015); Binky Nelson Unpacified (2015); Panic in the Mailroom (2013). From the "Secret Life of Pets" franchise: Super Gidget (2019). From the "Sing" franchise: Eddie's Life Coach (2017); Gunter Babysits (2017). From the "Lorax" franchise: Serenade (2012); Wagon Ho! (2012).
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both animation
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe House That Jack Built (1976)
Story about the cow with the crumpled horn that tossed the dog that worried the cat that killed the rat that ate the malt that lay in the house that Jack built.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Bearpuncher (2022)
Bearpuncher, a mountaineer with a monstrous curse, aims her ursine fist towards all that may threaten the safety of the Smoky Mountains. But when she discovers a destroyed lab while tracking a mysterious wildfire, she stumbles into a conflict she can’t punch her way out of.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
The ErlKing (2003)
This animated short is a visual representation of Goethe's poem, The ErlKing that uses sand-on-glass animation set to the music of Franz Schubert. The moving images, resembling woodcuts, capture the haunting, nightmarish quality of the tale of the ErlKing who steals and kills a little boy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Asterix and Cleopatra (1968)
Popular animated hero Asterix and his faithful sidekick Obelix travel to ancient Egypt to help Cleopatra build a new summer home. Cleopatra and Julius Caesar have made a bet, with Caesar wagering the project cannot be completed in a few weeks time. With the help of a magic potion, Asterix comes to the rescue of the Queen of the Nile as Caesar and an angry architect plot against them.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGrowth Vitamin (1988)
The teacher at school made a scientific experiment - he put two rats in different cages. One of the rats was given carrots containing vitamin of growth, and the other did not feed. Time passed, and the rat, to whom nothing was given, became thicker than the rat that was fed. It turned out that one student from pity fed another rat.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
NO LITTERING (2013)
While enjoying a date in a park, a man carelessly tosses an empty bottle onto the ground. His selfish littering promptly summons an imposing figure wearing a white hockey mask. The gruesome events that follow tell an admonishing tale about the importance of preserving the outdoors and defending the environment from the ugly menace of litter. The short was made for the tve YouTube Relay project, but wasn't included because it's too violent.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
The Lion and the Mouse (1976)
This animated short by Evelyn Lambart is a visual adaptation of the famous Aesop fable "The Lion and the Mouse," in which a mouse proves to a lion that the weak and small may be of help to those much mightier than themselves.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
The Madagascar Penguins in a Christmas Caper (2005)
During the holiday season, when the animals of the Central Park Zoo are preparing for Christmas, Private, the youngest of the penguins notices that the Polar Bear is all alone. Assured that nobody should have to spend Christmas alone, Private goes into the city for some last-minute Christmas shopping. Along the way, he gets stuffed into a stocking
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Story of Christmas (1973)
This short animation tells the familiar story of Christmas in an innovative and colourful way. Filmmaker Evelyn Lambart uses glowing zinc cut-outs to give this traditional tale a contemporary twist. Akin to a joyful medieval manuscript, the film is embellished by the artist's own whimsy—heraldic trumpet sounds, luminescent light, and wildflowers in every scene tell the message of rebirth. A film without dialogue.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Sweet Dreams (2008)
A cupcake escapes a city of sweets and is marooned on an island with vegetables where he learns to reform his destructive ways in this tasty stop-motion from the talented Kirsten Lepore.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both animation
Like The Circus and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Circus?
The closest matches to The Circus are Affairs of the Art (2021), If Anything Happens I Love You (2020) and Yellow Is the New Black (2018). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Circus?
Start with Affairs of the Art (2021), the closest match to The Circus.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Circus?
Once Upon a Studio (2023), rated 8.3/10 by 457 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Circus?
Memoir of a Snail (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like The Circus?
Yes: Jack and the Cuckoo-Clock Heart (2014), Memorable (2019) and Asterix and Cleopatra (1968).
How are movies similar to The Circus chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Circus, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.