Movies like Dangal (2016)
The best movies like Dangal (2016) are Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), Max Dugan Returns (1983) and Ice Princess (2005). If Dangal hooked you with its drama and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedEncanto (2021)7.6/10 from 10,486 votes
- NewestBob Trevino Likes It (2025)Released 2025
- In HindiRocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)Also in Hindi
Because of Winn-Dixie (2005)
A girl, abandoned by her mother when she was three, moves to a small town in Florida with her father. There, she adopts an orphaned dog she names Winn-Dixie. The bond between the girl and her special companion brings together the people in a small Florida town and heals her own troubled relationship with her father.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMax Dugan Returns (1983)
An English teacher and struggling single mother has her life disrupted when the father who abandoned her as a child comes back into her life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIce Princess (2005)
With the help of her coach, her mom, and the boy who drives the Zamboni, nothing can stop Casey Carlyle from realizing her dream to be a champion figure skater.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWelcome Home Roscoe Jenkins (2008)
When a celebrated TV show host returns to his hometown in the South, his family is there to remind him that going home is no vacation!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Main Event (2020)
An 11-year-old aspiring wrestler enters a competition to become the next WWE superstar by using special powers from a magical mask.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Second Chance (2011)
A young girl and her coach overcome adversity to make their way into the National Australian Gymnastics Squad.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRumble (2021)
In a world where monster wrestling is a global sport and monsters are superstar athletes, teenage Winnie seeks to follow in her father’s footsteps by coaching a loveable underdog monster into a champion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Magic of Belle Isle (2012)
In an effort to tap into his original talent, a wheelchair-bound author moves to a rural town, where he befriends a single mother and her three kids, who help reignite his passion for writing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEncanto (2021)
The tale of an extraordinary family, the Madrigals, who live hidden in the mountains of Colombia, in a magical house, in a vibrant town, in a wondrous, charmed place called an Encanto. The magic of the Encanto has blessed every child in the family—every child except one, Mirabel. But when she discovers that the magic surrounding the Encanto is in danger, Mirabel decides that she, the only ordinary Madrigal, might just be her exceptional family's last hope.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisImagine That (2009)
A financial executive who can't stop his career downspiral is invited into his daughter's imaginary world, where solutions to his problems await.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Karate Kid (1984)
New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Second Chance: Rivals! (2019)
As Maddy takes on coaching a team of young twelve-year-old gymnasts, she faces up to intense city versus country rivalry, racism, cyberbullying and her own self-doubt but eventually takes the challenge head on.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Karate Kid Part III (1989)
Despondent over the closing of his karate school, Cobra Kai teacher John Kreese joins a ruthless businessman and martial artist to get revenge on Daniel and Mr. Miyagi.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisI'll Be Home for Christmas (2016)
Jackie Foster, a dynamic Assistant District Attorney and single mom, is looking forward to wrapping up her latest case and spending Christmas with Gracie, her adorable and precocious, eight-year old daughter. But when Jackie’s estranged dad, Jack , a gruff retired police officer, unexpectedly shows up at her door, they will be forced to confront old wounds.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSaving Flora (2019)
Flora is a circus elephant who can no longer perform her tricks. The night before she's scheduled to be euthanized, the circus owner's 14-year old daughter, Dawn, sneaks Flora from the circus. All that stands between them and the safety of the elephant preserve is two hundred kilometers of woods, one raging river, two elephant hunters and the fear of not making it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBeverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011)
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the tiny pups will stop at nothing to save them - because in good times and hard times, the family always sticks together. So Papi, Chloe and the puppies embark on a heroic adventure, proving once again that big heroes come in small packages.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisMoxie (2021)
Inspired by her mom's rebellious past and a confident new friend, a shy 16-year-old publishes an anonymous zine calling out sexism at her school.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Perfect Game (2009)
Based on a true story, a group of boys from Monterrey, Mexico who become the first non-U.S. team to win the Little League World Series.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & family
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBob Trevino Likes It (2025)
Lily Trevino unexpectedly befriends an online stranger who shares her self-centered father’s name. This new Bob Trevino’s support could transform her life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Croods (2013)
The prehistoric Croods family live in a particularly dangerous moment in time. Patriarch Grug, his mate Ugga, teenage daughter Eep, son Thunk, and feisty Gran gather food by day and huddle together in a cave at night. When a more evolved caveman named Guy arrives on the scene, Grug is distrustful, but it soon becomes apparent that Guy is correct about the impending destruction of their world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023)
Gym-freak brat Rocky falls in love with Rani, who comes from a well-educated Bengali family. Being from polar opposite worlds, the two decide to switch their families to adjust to each other's cultures and backgrounds and to know if their marriage will survive. Rocky and Rani are trapped in a world where they are united by love but divided by families and the ultimate question is will they fit in?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSindoor (1987)
Laxmi is half of a famous singing couple when both her relationship and career are destroyed by the jealous plotting of her husband , Vijay. Years later, Laxmi is widowed and raising a stepdaughter, Lalita, when Vijay returns to the scene to meddle in her new family's affairs and once again threaten her domestic happiness.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family & drama
Fanney Khan (2018)
The journey of a struggling singer 'Fanney Khan' who aspires to make his daughter a big name in the music world.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Emil of Lonneberga (1971)
Emil Svensson lives with his mother and father, little sister Ida, farmhand Alfred, and maid Lina on a picturesque farm in Småland. He is an unusually lively little boy, who just can't resist trying out every whim that enters into his white-haired head. Always with the best intentions in mind, because he is a good-hearted child, but often with catastrophic results, especially for his short-tempered father. As a result, Emil spends a lot of quality time in the wood shed carving wood figurines and waiting for Anton's temper to cool down. And the father's patience is certainly tried, as Emil gets his head stuck in the family's only soup bowl, hoists little Ida up the flag pole, and arranges a lavish Christmas party for the poor.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmil and the Piglet (1973)
Nursing a piglet back to life because it's the runt of the litter earns Emil a friend for life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTreadmill (TBA)
'Treadmill' is a short film drama set in a busy sportswear store in central London. Atlas, is a 30 years old sales advisor who has been working in the same position for quite a long time. His manager Harvey constantly humiliates his staff in front of clients, he is overly demanding and controlling, creating an abusive work environment. Eventually, Atlas will plot a way to get his manager fired but his lust for power will transform him into his much hated enemy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
Massey Sahib (1986)
In a small, tribal district town of Central India in 1929, Francis Massey is the 'English Type Babu' at the Deputy Commissioner's office. Massey believes that because he is Christian and can speak English, he is a cut above other Indians and not very different from the white sahibs he serves. For a man of lowly birth, Massey has risen to a dizzying height. On the other hand, he acknowledges no realistic limits to his own free spirit. Whenever the real world fails him, he improvises - boldly, imaginatively. Alas, the unsmiling, implacable machinery of the Raj has no room for Massey Sahib, the travelling salesman, road foreman and entertainer. Right up to the bitter end, Massey believes that Deputy Commissioner Adam Sahib will step in and save him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Parmanu: The Story of Pokhran (2018)
A look at India's second confidential nuclear test series at Pokhran lead by Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, during the time of PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's tenure.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPeut-être (1999)
Arthur is invited to a New Year's Eve party to celebrate the year 2000. His girlfriend Lucie would like a baby from him but he refuses. Through the ceiling of the toilets, he discovers a passage leading to this futurist Paris. There, he meets an old man Ako who affirms he is his son and that he wants to exist. Otherwise he will vanish into the air. Arthur is still hesitant because his life is an unfulfilled one: a has a little lucrative job, is uncertain about his future and things are getting out of hand when Ako discovers the passage and interferes in the party.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisAfter This Our Exile (2006)
After his mother flees the family home, a son turns to thieving in order to support his father, an abusive sort who is addicted to gambling.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like Dangal and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Dangal?
The closest matches to Dangal are Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), Max Dugan Returns (1983) and Ice Princess (2005). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Dangal?
Start with Because of Winn-Dixie (2005), the closest match to Dangal.
What is the highest-rated movie like Dangal?
Encanto (2021), rated 7.6/10 by 10,486 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Dangal?
Bob Trevino Likes It (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Hindi movies like Dangal?
Yes: Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani (2023), Sindoor (1987) and Fanney Khan (2018).
How are movies similar to Dangal chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Dangal, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.