Movies like An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman (2016)
The best movies like An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman (2016) are No Time for Sergeants (1958), Taking Care of Business (1990) and Held Up (1999). If An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman hooked you with its comedy, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedTake the Money and Run (1969)7.1/10 from 815 votes
- NewestSpa Weekend (2026)Released 2026
No Time for Sergeants (1958)
Georgia farm boy Will Stockdale is about to bust with pride. He’s been drafted. Will’s ready. But is Uncle Sam ready for Will?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTaking Care of Business (1990)
An uptight advertising exec has his entire life in a filofax organizer which mistakenly ends up in the hands of a friendly convict who poses as him.
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 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 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 thisAmerican 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
SnoozefestMovies like thisJackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)
86-year-old Irving Zisman is on a journey across America with the most unlikely companion: his 8 year-old grandson, Billy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe F**k-It List (2020)
After a prank blows up a studious high school senior's life, he shares a list of certain things he wishes he'd done differently — and maybe still can.
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 thisThe Happiest Days of Your Life (1950)
Nutbourne College, an old established, all-boys, boarding school is told that another school is to be billeted with due to wartime restrictions. The shock is that it's an all-girls school that has been sent. The two head teachers are soon battling for the upper hand with each other and the Ministry. But a crisis (or two) forces them to work together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOh, God! (1977)
When God appears to an assistant grocery manager as a good natured old man, the Almighty selects him as his messenger for the modern world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSextuplets (2019)
Father-to-be Alan is shocked to learn that he was born a sextuplet. With his newfound brother Russell riding shotgun, the duo sets out on a hilarious journey to reunite with their remaining long-lost siblings.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnuvahood (2011)
Kenneth (who likes to call himself Kay) begins to realise he's just another wannabe bad boy... even less than a loser in fact. After quitting his job at Laimsbury's, Kay vows to become a respected gangster... or cry trying. A pulls-no-punches, coming-of-age story, centering on one directionless hopeless "shotter", who finds his true worth in the face of urban adversity.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this2 Minutes of Fame (2020)
An up-and-coming stand-up comic moves to L.A. to pursue a film career after video clips of his act make him an online sensation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpa Weekend (2026)
Four lifelong friends realize that somewhere between careers, relationships, families, and everyday responsibilities, they’ve forgotten how to take care of themselves and each other. Burned out and overdue for a break, the women escape to a luxury spa retreat for an unforgettable weekend dedicated to fun, laughter, and a lot of really bad decisions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAfter the Ball (2015)
After the Ball, a retail fairy tale set in the world of fashion. Kate's dream is to design for couturier houses. Although she is a bright new talent, Kate can't get a job. No one trusts the daughter of Lee Kassell, a retail guru who markets clothes "inspired" by the very designers Kate wants to work for. Who wants a spy among the sequins and stilettos? Reluctantly, Kate joins the family business where she must navigate around her duplicitous stepmother and two wicked stepsisters. But with the help of a prince of a guy in the shoe department her godmother's vintage clothes and a shocking switch of identities, Kate exposes the evil trio, saves her father's company -- and proves that everyone can wear a fabulous dress.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGeorge Carlin: It's Bad for Ya! (2008)
It's Bad For Ya, Carlin's Emmy nominated 14th and final HBO special from March of 2008 features Carlin's noted irreverent and unapologetic observations on topics ranging from death, religion, bureaucracy, patriotism, overprotected children and big business to the pungent examinations of modern language and the decrepit state of the American culture.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMuch Ado About Nothing (2013)
A modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTake the Money and Run (1969)
Virgil Starkwell is intent on becoming a notorious bank robber. Unfortunately for Virgil and his not-so-budding career, he is completely incompetent.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies 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
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman?
The closest matches to An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman are No Time for Sergeants (1958), Taking Care of Business (1990) and Held Up (1999). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman?
Start with No Time for Sergeants (1958), the closest match to An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman.
What is the highest-rated movie like An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman?
Take the Money and Run (1969), rated 7.1/10 by 815 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman?
Spa Weekend (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman?
Yes: No Time for Sergeants (1958), Taking Care of Business (1990) and Held Up (1999).
How are movies similar to An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside An American Dream: The Education of William Bowman, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.