Movies like The Optimist (1938)
The best movies like The Optimist (1938) are American Dreamer (2022), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) and Cold Feet (2018). If The Optimist hooked you with its comedy, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedAccident Man (2018)6.3/10 from 633 votes
- NewestLouis C.K.: Ridiculous (2026)Released 2026
- In GermanCold Feet (2018)Also in German
American Dreamer (2022)
In this winsome comedy, an entitled Economics professor pursues a tactic to buy an ailing widow’s mansion for nothing, but he quickly realizes that his seemingly foolproof strategy won’t be as easy as he thought.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFun with Dick and Jane (1977)
When an upwardly mobile couple find themselves unemployed and in debt, they turn to armed robbery in desperation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCold Feet (2018)
Although he actually just wanted to steal money, the crook Denis finds himself in the position of caretaking for the stroke patient Raimund. When Raimund's granddaughter Charlotte turns up, Denis has enough of it and wants to skip. But because of an huge blizzard, escape is unimaginable.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLouis C.K.: Ridiculous (2026)
From a bee getting shot in New York City to paying strangers to take his aging father, Louis C.K. unleashes the ridiculous thoughts in his mind.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMr. Bones (2001)
A medicine man is sent looking for the son of his tribal king, and brings back an American golfer and a host of goons intent on keeping him in the golf tournament.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBabes (2024)
After getting pregnant from a one-night stand, a single woman leans on her married best friend and mother of two to guide her through gestation and beyond.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDriver's Ed (2026)
A group of teens hit the road in a stolen driver's ed car, racing against time to help a lovesick high school senior track down his college-freshman girlfriend and win her back.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHello (2013)
The film tells the story of three best friends named Ako, Aki and Awang, who are well-known in their village for their mischievous and humourous pranks. The trio work for Pak Man. One day, they are assigned to pick up his daughter Misha, who has just returned from overseas and dreams of becoming a doctor. The trio have been in love with her for a long time but she does not pay them any heed. When Misha is robbed by a snatch thief one day, she is rescued by a doctor named Shafiq. Her face reminds the doctor of his late wife, and he begins to pursue her, which annoys the trio.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThunderstruck (2012)
After NBA star Kevin Durant switches talent with 16 year old Brian, the teenager becomes the star of his high school team, but Durant starts struggling and eventually learns an important lesson.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSupport Your Local Gunfighter (1971)
A con artist arrives in a mining town controlled by two competing companies. Both companies think he's a famous gunfighter and try to hire him to drive the other out of town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHeld Up (1999)
What should have been a romantic getaway turns into one hilarious debacle after another when Michael's woman dumps him in the desert where he gets carjacked by a teenager and he is taken hostage in a stickup at the local Sip and Zip.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisAccident Man (2018)
Mike Fallon, the Accident Man, is a stone cold killer. When a loved one is murdered by his own crew, Fallon is forced to avenge the one person who actually meant something to him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGabriel Iglesias: I'm Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry (2016)
Hawaiian-shirt enthusiast Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias finds the laughs in racist gift baskets, Prius-driving cops and all-female taco trucks.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTrailer Park Boys: Don't Legalize It (2014)
Out of jail and broke, Julian concocts an outrageously greasy scheme to get rich and, to make it even greasier, he will have to deliver his product to his arch-enemy, Cyrus, who’s waiting in Montreal to close the dirty deal. Meanwhile, Ricky’s dope growing business is under a major threat when the government announces a plan to legalize marijuana. Bubbles reluctantly joins them on his own quest to claim an inheritance left to him by his long-lost parents.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeckenrand Sheriff (2021)
A lifeguard tries by all means to keep his home, an open-air swimming pool, from being closed.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Distinguished Gentleman (1992)
A Florida con man uses the recent death of the long time Congressman from his district, who he just happens to share a last name with, to get elected to his version of paradise, the U.S. Congress, where the money flows from lobbyists.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisClear History (2013)
Nathan Flomm, in order to avoid the humiliation of having missed out on a hugely successful business, assumes a new identity on Martha's Vineyard. He plots revenge when his former business partner moves to the same town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGo West (1940)
A con man heading west to search for gold teams up with a pair of scheming brothers along the way. The trio soon find themselves in the middle of a feud between two rival families and two underhanded land developers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMalibu Rescue: The Next Wave (2020)
It’s summer again, and everyone’s favorite Junior Rescuers, The Flounders, are back at Tower 2. With the International Junior Rescue Championships headed to Southern California, the eyes of the entire planet are on Malibu Beach. But when Team USA falls victim to a bout of food poisoning, it’s up to Tyler, Dylan, Eric, Lizzie and Gina to represent their country in the world's most extreme lifeguard challenge!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSketch (2025)
When a young girl’s sketchbook falls into a strange pond, her drawings come to life—chaotic, real, and on the loose. As the town descends into chaos, her family must reunite and stop the monsters they never meant to unleash.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Optimist?
The closest matches to The Optimist are American Dreamer (2022), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) and Cold Feet (2018). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Optimist?
Start with American Dreamer (2022), the closest match to The Optimist.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Optimist?
Accident Man (2018), rated 6.3/10 by 633 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Optimist?
Louis C.K.: Ridiculous (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there German movies like The Optimist?
Yes: Cold Feet (2018) and Beckenrand Sheriff (2021).
How are movies similar to The Optimist chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Optimist, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.