Movies like Like a Fish out of the Water (2017)
The best movies like Like a Fish out of the Water (2017) are Instructions Not Included (2013), In the Soup (1992) and Chloe and Theo (2015). If Like a Fish out of the Water hooked you with its comedy and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedInstructions Not Included (2013)7.7/10 from 990 votes
- NewestTherapy Done Right (2026)Released 2026
- In SpanishInstructions Not Included (2013)Also in Spanish
Instructions Not Included (2013)
Valentin is Acapulco's resident playboy, until a former fling leaves a baby on his doorstep and him heading with her out of Mexico.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIn the Soup (1992)
An aspiring young filmmaker gets involved with an eccentric gangster for the financing of his first film.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChloe and Theo (2015)
A young woman, Chloe, living by her wits on the streets of New York City, has a chance meeting with a wise Inuit Eskimo, Theo, who was sent to New York by his elders to provide a message to the people of the world – We either change our destructive was or be destroyed by them. Chloe, who has been searching for something to believe in, becomes inspired by Theo and , with the help of a kind lawyer, Monica, the three of them present Theo’s story to the United Nations in hopes of creating a better future for all of us.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisSubUrbia (1997)
A group of suburban teenagers try to support each other through the difficult task of becoming adults.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTherapy Done Right (2026)
A psychoanalyst who's lost faith in traditional therapy crosses every boundary to help a blocked novelist in this cutting Argentine dark comedy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Other Way Around (2024)
After 15 years together, Ale and Alex choose an unconventional way to part ways: by hosting a party to celebrate their separation. Their unexpected decision leaves friends and family confused, forcing everyone to confront their own views on love, relationships, and new beginnings in this bittersweet, heartfelt story.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Distinguished Citizen (2016)
After refusing big and prestigious awards all over the world, Mr. Mantovani, Literature Nobel Prize winner, accepts an invitation to visit his hometown in Argentina, which has been the inspiration for all of his books. It turns out that accepting this invitation is the worst idea of his life. Expect the unexpected when you have used real people as characters in your novels!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDon't Think Twice (2016)
An improv group deals with several crises, including the loss of their lease and one member hitting the big time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Poet (2025)
An aging poet finds purpose mentoring Yurlady, a talented teen, though exposing her to the poetry scene might be unwise. His own poetic pursuits led nowhere, leaving him a stereotypical obscure writer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisFamily Weekend (2013)
A 16-year-old girl takes her parents hostage after they miss her big jump-roping competition.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOfficial Competition (2021)
When a billionaire entrepreneur impulsively decides to create an iconic movie, he demands the best. Renowned filmmaker Lola Cuevas is recruited to mastermind this ambitious endeavour. Completing the all-star team are two actors with massive talent but even bigger egos: Hollywood heartthrob Félix Rivero and radical theatre actor Iván Torres. Both are legends, but not exactly best friends. Through a series of increasingly eccentric trials set by Lola, Félix and Iván must confront not only each other but also their own legacies. Who will be left when the cameras finally start rolling?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisClass Act (1992)
Duncan is a genius straight A student, Blade is ajuvenile delinquent. But because of a mix up with their school records, everyone thinks each is the other one. Now, Duncan kind of likes the attention from being thought of as a real bad dude, if only the school bully would stop trying to rough him up. And Blade definitely likes being thought of as important instead of as trouble.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Winning Season (2009)
A comedy centered on a has-been coach who is given a shot at redemption when he's asked to run his local high school's girls basketball team
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMatch (2014)
A Seattle couple travel to New York to interview colorful former dancer Tobi for research on a dissertation about dance. But soon, common niceties and social graces erode when the questions turn personal and the true nature of the interview is called into question.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisLady Windermere's Fan (1925)
A society woman believes her husband is having an affair, a misconception which may have dire personal consequences for all involved.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIt Runs in the Family (2003)
This is the story of a dysfunctional New York family, and their attempts to reconcile
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like this72 HOURS (2026)
To save his career, a 40-year-old ad exec joins a crew of twentysomethings for a wild Miami bachelor party after they mistakenly add him to a group chat.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this21 & Over (2013)
Brilliant student Jeff Chang has the most important interview of his life tomorrow. But today is still his birthday, what starts off as a casual celebration with friends evolves into a night of debauchery that risks to derail his life plan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisHasan Minhaj: Homecoming King (2017)
Comic Hasan Minhaj of "The Daily Show" shares personal stories about racism, immigrant parents, prom night horrors and more in this stand-up special.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisShane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs (2023)
In a rowdy stand-up set, Shane Gillis riffs on his girlfriend's Navy SEAL ex, touring George Washington's house and being bullied by an Australian Goth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFremont (2023)
Donya, a lonely Afghan refugee and former translator, spends her twenties drifting through a meager existence in Fremont, California. Shuttling between her job writing fortunes for a fortune cookie factory and sessions with her eccentric therapist, Donya suffers from insomnia and survivor's guilt over those still left behind in Kabul as she desperately searches for love.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Odyssey of Fans (1972)
A comedy about a group of fans who cause mischief.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The Class (2008)
Teacher and novelist François Bégaudeau plays a version of himself as he negotiates a year with his racially mixed students from a tough Parisian neighborhood.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisIn Between Heartbeats (TBA)
Guided by a queer deity, a closeted man is forced to confront his parents as he tries to regain his lost sense of identity.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Lorna's Silence (2008)
Lorna is a young Albanian woman in a marriage of convenience with Claudy, a heroin addict. Just as Lorna is about to be granted Belgian citizenship, Claudy finds the strength to detox; this presents a problem not only for Lorna, but for the criminal who brokered the deal.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGhetto-Kids (2002)
Two trouble-causing brothers, who in the second generation after World War II Germany live, are in the center of this German made for TV movie. The movie makes a subject out of their everyday lives and the helpless attempt for them to build a normal life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Blue Lights (2024)
Alejandro's 70th birthday unveils tensions and secrets within his gay/lesbian friend circle. Relationships evolve as truths about love, loss, and societal shifts emerge, exploring complexities that bind people together.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Notting Hill (1999)
London bookstore owner William Thacker's quiet life turns upside down when a chance encounter with famous actress Anna Scott sparks an unlikely romance challenged by their vastly different worlds.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBlackbird (1988)
A story about friendship between two boys coming from different social backgrounds, but with the equally bitter family experiences.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Like a Fish out of the Water?
The closest matches to Like a Fish out of the Water are Instructions Not Included (2013), In the Soup (1992) and Chloe and Theo (2015). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Like a Fish out of the Water?
Start with Instructions Not Included (2013), the closest match to Like a Fish out of the Water.
What is the highest-rated movie like Like a Fish out of the Water?
Instructions Not Included (2013), rated 7.7/10 by 990 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Like a Fish out of the Water?
Therapy Done Right (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Spanish movies like Like a Fish out of the Water?
Yes: Instructions Not Included (2013), Therapy Done Right (2026) and The Other Way Around (2024).
How are movies similar to Like a Fish out of the Water chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Like a Fish out of the Water, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.