Movies like My Friend Barbara (1937)
The best movies like My Friend Barbara (1937) are Good Neighbor Sam (1964), American Dreamer (2022) and Held Up (1999). If My Friend Barbara hooked you with its comedy, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks
- Highest ratedAfter the Ball (2015)6.3/10 from 269 votes
- NewestDriver's Ed (2026)Released 2026
- In GermanMen in the City 2 (2011)Also in German
Good Neighbor Sam (1964)
To help his divorced neighbor claim a substantial inheritance, a family man poses as her husband. The ruse spills over into his career in advertising, and his recent promotion relies on his wholesome and moral appearance.
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 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 thisMen in the City 2 (2011)
The sequel of the "Men in the city" movie which reunites all the characters.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDuplex (2003)
When a young couple buys their dream home, they have no idea what the sweet little old lady upstairs is going to put them through!
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 thisEasy Money (1983)
To inherit his mother-in-law's colossal fortune, a hard living gambling addict must change his unhealthy ways before it gets the best of him.
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 thisThe Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch (2018)
The young Orthodox Jew, Motti Wolkenbruch, finds himself at a turning point. His beloved mother wants him to get married and presents one marriage candidate after the other. Unfortunately none of the woman pleases him, because they all look just like her. The situation gets even more complicated, when Motti secretly falls in love with the non-Jewish girl Laura, a so-called Shiksa.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisClass Rank (2017)
Two high school misfits join forces in an attempt to overtake the local school board. Guided by their families, they enter the perilous word of politics and, in the process, learn a thing or two about love.
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 thisA Bad Idea Gone Wrong (2017)
Two would-be thieves forge a surprising relationship with an unexpected housesitter when they accidentally trap themselves in a house they just broke into.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Wedding Year (2019)
A commitment-phobic 27-year old’s relationship is put to the test when she and her boyfriend attend 7 weddings in the same year.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Manny (2015)
Young industrialist Clemens Klina doesn't have time for his children and accidentally hires a man who actually came to him, seeking revenge, as a nanny for them.
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 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 thisI Love My Dad (2022)
A hopelessly estranged father catfishes his son in an attempt to reconnect.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Trouble with Angels (1966)
Mary and her friend, Rachel, are new students at St. Francis Academy, a boarding school run by the iron fist of Mother Superior. The immature teens grow bored and begin playing pranks on both the unsuspecting nuns and their unpleasant classmates, becoming a constant thorn in Mother Superior's side. However, as the years pass, Mary and Rachel slowly mature and begin to see the nuns in a different light.
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 thisHard to Die (1990)
While doing the inventory for a lingerie outlet in a high rise office building, five attractive women are terrorized by a series of bizarre killings. They suspect that the strange janitor, who witnessed another series of killings six months previously, is at the bottom of the whole thing. Little do they know the real horror that they face in the end.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
Like My Friend Barbara and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like My Friend Barbara?
The closest matches to My Friend Barbara are Good Neighbor Sam (1964), American Dreamer (2022) and Held Up (1999). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after My Friend Barbara?
Start with Good Neighbor Sam (1964), the closest match to My Friend Barbara.
What is the highest-rated movie like My Friend Barbara?
After the Ball (2015), rated 6.3/10 by 269 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like My Friend Barbara?
Driver's Ed (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there German movies like My Friend Barbara?
Yes: Men in the City 2 (2011), Cold Feet (2018) and The Awakening of Motti Wolkenbruch (2018).
How are movies similar to My Friend Barbara chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside My Friend Barbara, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.



















