Movies like Paul (2015)
The best movies like Paul (2015) are Breath (2017), The Endless Summer (1966) and Lords of Dogtown (2005). If Paul hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedWhere Hope Grows (2014)7.9/10 from 232 votes
- NewestThe AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026)Released 2026
Breath (2017)
A pair of teenagers in Western Australia looking to escape the monotony of life in a small town take up surfing lessons from a guy named Sando.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Endless Summer (1966)
Documentary filmmaker Bruce Brown, himself a competition-level surfer, follows surfers Michael Hynson and Robert August on an around-the-world surfing adventure. With Brown's wry, sardonic narration and a twangy, guitar-driven instrumental soundtrack by The Sandals playing over the silent footage, Mike and Rob leave their California home to visit Hawaii, Australia, South Africa and other secluded surfing spots in a search for the surfer's holy grail that Brown dubs "The Perfect Wave.”
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLords of Dogtown (2005)
The radical true story behind three teenage surfers from Venice Beach, California, who took skateboarding to the extreme and changed the world of sports forever. Stacy Peralta, Tony Alva and Jay Adams are the Z-Boys, a bunch of nobodies until they create a new style of skateboarding that becomes a worldwide phenomenon. But when their hobby becomes a business, the success shreds their friendship.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSoul Surfer (2011)
The true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and courageously overcame all odds to become a champion again, through her sheer determination and unwavering faith.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDecember Boys (2007)
For many years, four teenage orphans at an Australian outback convent have watched their younger comrades find new parents, and realize that they may never be adopted. The Reverend Mother sends the four boys away on a seaside vacation, where they meet Teresa and Fearless, a couple who would make perfect parents. The youths compete with one another to be the one Teresa and Fearless decide to adopt.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Map of Tiny Perfect Things (2021)
Two teenagers trapped in an endless time loop set out to find all the tiny things that make that one day perfect.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTeen Beach Movie (2013)
Life's a beach for surfers Brady and McKenzie – until a rogue wave magically transports them inside the classic '60s beach party flick, "Wet Side Story," where a full-blown rivalry between bikers and surfers threatens to erupt. There, amidst a sea of surfing, singing and dancing, Brady and Mack accidentally change the storyline, and the film’s dreamy hero and heroine fall for them instead of for each other!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMore Beautiful for Having Been Broken (2020)
Three women’s lives intersect at a lakeside resort and are forever changed by the love of a special needs boy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUntold: Jake Paul the Problem Child (2023)
Pro boxing sensation — and perennial troublemaker — Jake Paul shares his unlikely journey from online prankster to power puncher in this documentary.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisFailure to Launch (2006)
At 35, Tripp has an interesting job, a hip car, a passion for sailing, an active dating life, and a great house - trouble is, he still lives with his parents, Al and Sue, who are not happy about it. Al and Sue are fascinated when friends whose adult son has recently moved away from home reveal they hired an expert to help. In desperation to push Tripp out of the nest once and for all, Al and Sue hatch a plan to hire Paula, an "interventionist," who has a formula in these cases.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisChasing Mavericks (2012)
Surfer Jay Moriarity sets out to ride the Northern California break known as Mavericks.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAntitrust (2001)
A computer programmer's dream job at a hot Portland-based firm turns nightmarish when he discovers his boss has a secret and ruthless means of dispatching anti-trust problems.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhere Hope Grows (2014)
Calvin Campbell is a former professional baseball player sent to an early retirement due to his panic attacks at the plate. Even though he had all the talent for the big leagues, he struggles with the curveballs life has thrown him. Today, he mindlessly sleepwalks through his days and the challenge of raising his teenager daughter. His life is in a slow downward spiral when it is suddenly awakened and invigorated by the most unlikely person – Produce, a young-man with Down syndrome who works at the local grocery store.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDogtown and Z-Boys (2002)
This award-winning, thrilling story is about a group of discarded kids who revolutionized skateboarding and shaped the attitude and culture of modern day extreme sports. Featuring old skool skating footage, exclusive interviews and a blistering rock soundtrack, DOGTOWN AND Z-BOYS captures the rise of the Zephyr skateboarding team from Venice's Dogtown, a tough "locals only" beach with a legacy of outlaw surfing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHardball (2001)
An aimless young man who is scalping tickets, gambling and drinking, agrees to coach a Little League team from the Cabrini Green housing project in Chicago as a condition of getting a loan from a friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Last Song (2010)
A drama centered on a rebellious girl who is sent to a Southern beach town for the summer to stay with her father. Through their mutual love of music, the estranged duo learn to reconnect.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLondon Calling (2025)
After fleeing the UK from a job gone wrong, a down on his luck hitman is forced to babysit the son of his new crime boss and show him how to become a man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBreezy (1973)
A free-spirited young woman, Breezy, hitches a ride with an aging real estate salesman, Frank. Sensing that she just wants to use him he tries to have nothing to do with her. She's not that easy to shake, however, and over time a bond forms between them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAdoration (2013)
Lil and Roz are two lifelong friends, having grown up together as neighbors in an idyllic beach town. As adults, their sons have developed a friendship as strong as that which binds their mothers. One summer, all four are confronted by simmering emotions that have been mounting between them, and each find unexpected happiness in relationships that cross the bounds of convention.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026)
A father-to-be tries to figure out what is happening with all this AI insanity, and explores the most powerful technology humanity has ever created... and what's at stake if we get it wrong.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Paul?
The closest matches to Paul are Breath (2017), The Endless Summer (1966) and Lords of Dogtown (2005). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Paul?
Start with Breath (2017), the closest match to Paul.
What is the highest-rated movie like Paul?
Where Hope Grows (2014), rated 7.9/10 by 232 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Paul?
The AI Doc: Or How I Became an Apocaloptimist (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Paul?
Yes: Breath (2017), The Endless Summer (1966) and Lords of Dogtown (2005).
How are movies similar to Paul chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Paul, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.