Movies like The Art of Doing Nothing (2020)
The best movies like The Art of Doing Nothing (2020) are Penguins (2019), And When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007) and Penguin Bloom (2021). If The Art of Doing Nothing hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedHow to Train Your Dragon (2010)7.9/10 from 14,923 votes
- NewestMy Penguin Friend (2024)Released 2024
Penguins (2019)
The story of Steve, an Adélie penguin, on a quest to find a life partner and start a family. When Steve meets with Wuzzo the emperor penguin they become friends. But nothing comes easy in the icy Antarctic.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnd When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007)
The story of a son's conflicting memories of his dying father.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPenguin Bloom (2021)
When an unlikely ally enters the Bloom family's world in the form of an injured baby magpie they name Penguin, the bird’s arrival makes a profound difference in the struggling family’s life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWish Dragon (2021)
Determined teen Din is longing to reconnect with his childhood best friend when he meets a wish-granting dragon who shows him the magic of possibilities.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHeart of Champions (2021)
During their last year at an Ivy League college in 1999, a group of friends and crew teammates' lives are changed forever when an army vet takes over as coach of their dysfunctional rowing team.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIt's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown (1966)
Join the Peanuts gang for a timeless adventure as Charlie Brown preps for a party, Snoopy sets his sights on the Red Baron, and Linus patiently awaits a pumpkin patch miracle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChitty Chitty Bang Bang (1968)
A hapless inventor finally finds success with a flying car, which a dictator from a foreign government sets out to take for himself.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOctober Sky (1999)
The true story of Homer Hickam, a coal miner's son who was inspired by the first Sputnik launch to take up rocketry against his father's wishes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisKung Fu Panda: Secrets of the Masters (2011)
Po and the Furious Five uncover the legend of three of kung fu's greatest heroes: Master Thundering Rhino, Master Storming Ox, and Master Croc.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisManchester by the Sea (2016)
After his older brother passes away, Lee Chandler is forced to return home to care for his 16-year-old nephew. There he is compelled to deal with a tragic past that separated him from his family and the community where he was born and raised.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJules (2023)
A flying saucer lands in the backyard of an elderly suburbanite with memory problems, who forms a bond with the scared alien inside.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMy Penguin Friend (2024)
A lost penguin rescued from an oil spill transforms the life of a heartbroken fisherman. They become unlikely friends, so bonded that even the vast ocean cannot divide them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPartly Cloudy (2009)
Everyone knows that the stork delivers babies, but where do the storks get the babies from? The answer lies up in the stratosphere, where cloud people sculpt babies from clouds and bring them to life. Gus, a lonely and insecure grey cloud, is a master at creating "dangerous" babies. Crocodiles, porcupines, rams and more - Gus's beloved creations are works of art, but more than a handful for his loyal delivery stork partner, Peck. As Gus's creations become more and more rambunctious, Peck's job gets harder and harder. How will Peck manage to handle both his hazardous cargo and his friend's fiery temperament?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHow to Train Your Dragon (2010)
As the son of a Viking leader on the cusp of manhood, shy Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III faces a rite of passage: he must kill a dragon to prove his warrior mettle. But after downing a feared dragon, he realizes that he no longer wants to destroy it, and instead befriends the beast – which he names Toothless – much to the chagrin of his warrior father.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisMaking Fun: The Story of Funko (2018)
From a small garage in Redmond, Washington, to the furthest corners of the earth, Funko's story is one that is centered around the fans and the global community that arose from their unique passion - a story that spans twenty years full of joy, ambition, adversity, and... well... toys.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJetsons: The Movie (1990)
George Jetson is forced to uproot his family when Mr. Spacely promotes him to take charge of a new factory on a distant planet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPloey: You Never Fly Alone (2018)
A plover chick has not learned to fly when his family migrates in the fall. He must survive the arctic winter, vicious enemies and himself in order to be reunited with his beloved one next spring.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLine of Duty (2019)
Frank Penny is a disgraced cop looking for a shot at redemption. When the police chief's 11-year-old daughter is abducted, Frank goes rogue to try and save her. But to find the girl, Frank will need the help of Ava Brooks, whose live-streaming news channel is broadcasting Frank's every move.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisHappy Feet Two (2011)
Mumble the penguin has a problem: his son Erik, who is reluctant to dance, encounters the Mighty Sven — a penguin who can fly! Things get worse for Mumble when the world is shaken by powerful forces, causing him to bring together the penguin nations and their allies to set things right.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMr. Destiny (1990)
Larry Burrows is unhappy and feels powerless over his life. He believes his entire life could have turned out differently had he not missed that shot in a baseball game when was a kid. One night he meets this mysterious man, who could change his fate by offering him that alternative life he always dreamed of. But as Burrows embarks on this journey of self discovery he realises that even this new life has its problems and drawbacks..
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Art of Doing Nothing?
The closest matches to The Art of Doing Nothing are Penguins (2019), And When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007) and Penguin Bloom (2021). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Art of Doing Nothing?
Start with Penguins (2019), the closest match to The Art of Doing Nothing.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Art of Doing Nothing?
How to Train Your Dragon (2010), rated 7.9/10 by 14,923 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Art of Doing Nothing?
My Penguin Friend (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Art of Doing Nothing?
Yes: Penguins (2019), And When Did You Last See Your Father? (2007) and Penguin Bloom (2021).
How are movies similar to The Art of Doing Nothing chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Art of Doing Nothing, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.