Movies like Manasam (1997)
The best movies like Manasam (1997) are Foster (2011), Chang Can Dunk (2023) and Roll Bounce (2005). If Manasam hooked you with its comedy and family, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedLittle Lord Fauntleroy (1980)7.3/10 from 326 votes
- NewestDaun yang Merekah (2026)Released 2026
Foster (2011)
Looking to adopt a child and unable to conceive a child of their own, the Morrisons' lives are turned upside down when a seven-year-old boy unexpectedly shows up on their doorstep.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChang Can Dunk (2023)
Chang, a 16-year-old, Asian American, bets the high school basketball star that he can dunk by Homecoming. The bet leads 5' 8" Chang on a quest to learn to dunk—not only to impress his crush, Kristy, but to gain the respect of his high school peers too. But before he can rise up and truly throw one down, he'll have to reexamine everything he knows about himself, his friendships and his family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRoll Bounce (2005)
In the summer of 1978, a teenager and his group of friends face new challenges when their neighborhood roller-skating rink closes, forcing them to visit a different rink.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBecause 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 thisKit Kittredge: An American Girl (2008)
The Great Depression hits home for nine year old Kit Kittredge when her dad loses his business and leaves to find work. Oscar nominee Abigail Breslin stars as Kit, leading a splendid cast in the first ever "American Girl" theatrical movie. In order to keep their home, Kit and her mother must take in boarders - paying house - guests who turn out to be full of fascinating stories. When mother's lockbox containing all their money is stolen, Kit's new hobo friend Will is the prime suspect. Kit refuses to believe that Will would steal, and her efforts to sniff out the real story get her and friends into big trouble. The police say the robbery was an inside job, committed by someone they know. So if it wasn't Will, then who did it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFree Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas (2018)
As Bright Fields preps for its Mistletoe Ball, a broken ornament leads Zoe to a family secret, while Gaby finds herself at the mercy of new boss Mia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Ugly Dachshund (1966)
The Garrisons are the "proud parents" of three adorable dachshund pups - and one overgrown Great Dane named Brutus, who nevertheless thinks of himself as a dainty dachsie. His identity crisis results in an uproarious series of household crises that reduce the Garrisons' house to shambles - and viewers to howls of laughter!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPaper Planes (2014)
Dylan discovers he has a talent for making paper planes. He has a chance to compete in a world championship, but he'll have to face bullies and self-doubt to do so.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhere the Red Fern Grows (2003)
Set in the Ozark Mountains during the Great Depression, Billy Coleman works hard and saves his earnings for 2 years to achieve his dream of buying two coonhound pups. He develops a new trust in God as he faces overwhelming challenges in adventure and tragedy roaming the river bottoms of Cherokee country with "Old Dan" and "Little Ann."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHappiness Is a Warm Blanket, Charlie Brown (2011)
Linus is pushed to his limits when he learns Grandma is coming to visit and plans on ridding him of his childish security blanket.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & 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 thisWhere the Red Fern Grows (1974)
Billy Coleman works hard and saves his earnings for two years to achieve his dream of buying two red-bone coonhound pups. He develops a new trust in life as he faces overwhelming challenges in adventure and tragedy roaming the river bottoms of Cherokee country with his dogs, Old Dan and Little Ann.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSee Spot Run (2001)
A drug sniffing agent canine is a target for an assassin boss so the FBI calls Witness Protection to send him somewhere else. Meanwhile a single Mom puts her 6 year old boy James in the care of her irresponsible, mailman, neighbor, Gordon, when the babysitter bails on her. Meanwhile, an assassin mob boss hires 2 goons to kill Agent 11. But when 11 escapes from the van when they tried to kill him, he hides in Gordon's Mailtruck that James is in too. And guess what they name him. Spot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSneakerella (2022)
When El, an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens, meets Kira King, the fiercely independent daughter of legendary basketball star and sneaker tycoon Darius King, sparks fly as the two bond over their mutual affinity for sneakers. With a little nudge from his best friend and a sprinkle of Fairy Godfather magic, El finds the courage to use his talent to pursue his dream of becoming a ‘legit’ sneaker designer in the industry.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
SnoozefestMovies like thisA.R.C.H.I.E. (2016)
A recently orphaned 15-year-old who has moved to a small town to live with her uncle befriends a robotic canine with super strength, x-ray vision and the ability to talk and the pair take on a military complex, bullies, kidnappers, romance and the world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLittle Lord Fauntleroy (1980)
Young Cedric Errol and his widowed mother live in genteel poverty in 1880s Brooklyn after the death of his father. Cedric's grandfather, the Earl of Dorincourt, has long ago disowned his son for marrying an American. But after the death of the Earl's remaining son, he decides to accept Cedric as his heir.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Loud House Movie (2021)
The Loud family travel to Scotland and discover they are descendants of Scottish royalty as they move into their giant ancestral castle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLittle Big League (1994)
When the owner of the Minnesota Twins passes away, he bequeaths the team to his preteen grandson. The newly minted head honcho quickly appoints himself manager, causing unrest in an organization that struggles to take orders from a 12-year-old.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & family
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOddball (2015)
An eccentric chicken farmer, with the help of his granddaughter, trains his mischievous dog Oddball to protect a penguin sanctuary from fox attacks in an attempt to reunite his family and save their seaside town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPets United (2019)
When Roger (a Robin Hood-esque, stray dog) and Belle (an elegant yet spoilt pet cat) are thrown together amidst the chaos of a robot take-over of their home city, they must push all their preconceptions aside in order to survive, as they embark on a high-stakes, action-packed adventure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both family & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisHarry and Tonto (1974)
Harry Coombes is a retired teacher in his 70s who has lived in the Upper West Side of New York City all his life. When his building is torn down to make way for a parking garage, Harry and his beloved cat Tonto begin a journey across the United States — visiting his children, seeing a world he never seemed to have the time to see before, making new friends, and saying goodbye to old friends.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnd the Children Shall Lead (1985)
Mississippi in the early '60s is the setting for this story of a 12-year-old African-American girl who, along with her white friends, tries to ease increasing racial tensions.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & family
BARDO, False Chronicle of a Handful of Truths (2022)
A renowned Mexican journalist and documentary filmmaker living in Los Angeles, after being named the recipient of a prestigious international award, is compelled to return to his native country, unaware that this simple trip will push him to an existential limit.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWarmi (2019)
The story of three children who live in extreme poverty and family abuse. Julian, the father, is an alcoholic man who not only beats his children but also mistreats Blanca, his wife. While she works hard and evenly to support the family, he goes out for a walk with his mistress. Finally, he abandons his family for that love affair.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
Daun yang Merekah (2026)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & family
Lucky Lucre (2025)
Pak Didi, Indi, Rudi, and Budi are a family who live in the suburbs and always listen to the radio as their trusted source of information. One morning they heard an advertisement about a bottle cap with a prize of hundreds of millions. Finally, they decided to work together to find the bottle cap. However, personal desires and selfishness made their plans go awry. Will they get the prize?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
Knot (2025)
Glória manages to get a divorce and moves away, taking her daughters and the desire to start over. As she tries to turn the new house into a home and her body into a place of belonging, she faces, on the factory floor, a delicate competition for a supervisor position between colleagues and her best friend. Courage takes shape as anguish seeps into the flesh.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Grandma's (2023)
An observation of a Grandma's life. Every day, Grandma greets a wide range of characters, most of them typically in need of something. Her family uses her house as a magnet, visiting practically every day. Just like her home itself, she has always been there for her family.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both family
The Sundowners (1960)
In the Australian Outback, the Carmody family--Paddy, Ida, and their teenage son Sean--are sheep drovers, always on the move. Ida and Sean want to settle down and buy a farm. Paddy wants to keep moving. A sheep-shearing contest, the birth of a child, drinking, gambling, and a racehorse will all have a part in the final decision.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLoop (2017)
Some time ago, Mima had a car accident and a man died. She has almost managed to forget about it when someone starts sending her birthday cards perfumed with a man's fragrance.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like Manasam and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Manasam?
The closest matches to Manasam are Foster (2011), Chang Can Dunk (2023) and Roll Bounce (2005). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Manasam?
Start with Foster (2011), the closest match to Manasam.
What is the highest-rated movie like Manasam?
Little Lord Fauntleroy (1980), rated 7.3/10 by 326 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Manasam?
Daun yang Merekah (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Malayalam movies like Manasam?
The closest matches are in other languages.
How are movies similar to Manasam chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Manasam, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.