Movies like The Big Animal (2000)
The best movies like The Big Animal (2000) are Tyler Perry's Madea on the Run - The Play (2017), Chloe and Theo (2015) and Hooking Up (2020). If The Big Animal 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 ratedThe Kid (1921)8.1/10 from 2,486 votes
- NewestThe Scene (2026)Released 2026
Tyler Perry's Madea on the Run - The Play (2017)
In trouble with the local authorities, Mabel Simmons, notoriously known as Madea, is on the run from the law. With no place to turn, she moves in with her friend Bam who is recovering from surgery. Unbeknownst to Bam however, Madea is only using the "concerned friend" gag as a way to hide out from the police.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisHooking Up (2020)
Bailey and Darla embark upon a misguided and mutually deceitful form of therapy, one in which they must drive across the country, re-enacting Darla's colorful history as a sex addict. As their true motivations for the road trip come to light, the unlikely pair force one another to confront their issues, discovering that there might actually be more to love than just sex.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Dog Year (2009)
Jon Katz is close to burnout. He's a writer with writer's block; his wife has left for her sister's because he's emotionally distant; he rarely answers his phone. A kennel sends him a border collie that's undisciplined because of abuse. Despite a series of mishaps, Jon decides to keep trying with the dog, and he rents a dilapidated farm house to give the dog room to run. A local handyman refers Jon to a woman who might be able to help him train the dog. Reluctantly, Jon gives her a try. Is the dog the problem, or the owner?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisThe Kid (1921)
A tramp cares for a boy after he's abandoned as a newborn by his mother. Later the mother has a change of heart and aches to be reunited with her son.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies 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 Beanie Bubble (2023)
Ty was a frustrated toy salesman until his collaboration with three women turned his stuffed animals into a defining '90s trend. This behind-the-scenes look at history's biggest toy craze is a wild story about what—and who—is valued in this world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Boy with Green Hair (1948)
Peter, an orphaned boy, is adopted by Gramp Frye after his parents are killed in Europe while doing war relief work. The boy feels safe with his new caretaker, but when he is taunted for being an orphan, he gets demoralized. The next day Peter wakes up with green hair. Embarrassed and further ridiculed, Peter seeks solace in a nearby forest. To his surprise, he finds other orphans in the woods, who encourage him to spread news of the injustices of war.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHappy New Year, Colin Burstead (2018)
Colin has rented a stately country home for his extended family’s New Year celebrations. He’s the centre of attention until his estranged brother David unexpectedly arrives, throwing the family dynamic far off orbit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCode 3 (2025)
A burned-out paramedic tries to survive his last 24 hours on the job while training a new recruit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe House of Tomorrow (2019)
The film tells futurist, architect, and inventor R. Buckminster Fuller's incredible story through two teens hoping to get laid, become punk gods, and survive high school.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLandline (2017)
A teenager living with her sister and parents in Manhattan during the 1990s discovers that her father is having an affair.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisMy Own Love Song (2010)
A wheelchair-bound singer and her best friend embark on a roadtrip to Memphis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisOn Becoming a Guinea Fowl (2024)
On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNever Gonna Snow Again (2021)
Zenia is an industrious Ukrainian migrant worker in Poland who makes house calls as a masseur to the needy and aspirational residents of a middle-class gated community near Warsaw. He is privy to all of their problems, anxieties and secrets – and something of an unwitting guru figure. Zenia’s grounded spirituality, apparent healing powers and broad shoulders make him an object of lust for many of the lost souls in the community.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFat Kid Rules The World (2012)
A dropout comes to the aid of a chubby and suicidal high-school kid by recruiting him as the drummer for his upstart punk-rock band.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Infidel (2010)
Based in a London suburb Mahmud Nasir lives with his wife, Saamiya, and two children, Rashid and Nabi. His son plans to marry Uzma, the step-daughter of Egyptian-born Arshad Al-Masri, a so-called 'Hate Cleric' from Waziristan, Pakistan. Mahmud, who is not exactly a devout Muslim, he drinks alcohol, and does not pray five times, but does agree that he will appease Arshad, without whose approval the marriage cannot take place. Shortly thereafter Mahmud, while going over his recently deceased mother's documents, will find out that he was adopted, his birth parents were Jewish, and his name is actually Solly Shimshillewitz.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHome (2014)
Four outsiders of three generations band together in a sweet and funny paean to non-conformism. After her husband's death, elderly Frida comes to know her introverted, friendless adult granddaughter, Lou, from whom she had long been kept apart by Frida's estranged daughter. Frida invites another misfit into her household: 10-year-old Tom, who welcomes the chance to spend time away from both his home and his bullying classmates. Meanwhile, Lou reluctantly gets drawn into a friendship with secondhand bookseller Henrik.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
Misery Loves Company (2012)
MISERY LOVES COMPANY is a film about personal growth and emotional understanding in the guise of a dark romantic comedy. Brian Norton (Peter O'Brien) is a broken-hearted projectionist with a chip on his shoulder. After getting dumped by his current love interest, Alison (Priscilla Wilson), he inverts to a retrospective state in search of the source of his dilemma, but when your reality is primarily fantasy, it's easy to lose sight of things. Brian struggles for understanding as his best friend, Cliff (Steven Bendler), encourages him to put his emotions aside and focus on friendships instead of relationships. It is through Cliff that Brian meets Veronica (Carly Ballister) and his inner conflict begins. His problems are exacerbated by the adolescent advice of his friends, Les (Shawn Stephens) and Wayne (Konrad Mann). What follows is an exploration of options, expectations and experiences that serve to remind Brian of one thing... You're never as alone as you feel.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Zombie and the Ghost Train (1991)
Antti "Zombie" Autiomaa does two things well: play the bass guitar and drink. After several months' sleeping on the streets of Istanbul, he returns to Helsinki where he's called into the army but discharged on mental health grounds after adding turpentine to the officers' soup. Zombie lives bleary-eyed in an apartment off his parents' house where his lonely, unemployed father suffers from heart disease. His girl-friend Marjo has taken up with a hairdresser but comes back to Zombie. His friend Harri hires him as a roadie for his band "Harry and the Mulefukkers" then gives him a chance as a bass player. He has his girl and he has a gig, but can Zombie put the bottle down?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
The General Retires (1988)
A general who devoted his life to the communist cause, retires, only to find that his household is in disarray, his grown children money-grubbing, and Vietnamese society far from the rosy picture of equality he'd imagined he'd helped make it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
My Mummy's Arms (1934)
Two Americans attempt to make time with the daughter of the British financier of an archaeological expedition to Egypt.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Loy's Circus (2026)
In a small circus deep in the Andes, a delusional performer named Loy dreams of building a miraculous show. But when his final act begins, reality refuses to behave.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Plain Devil (2014)
On the tough streets of Seattle, a girl gang of she-devils takes on an Eastern European immigrant, in the style of John Waters-meets-Perfect Strangers. A new girl must prove herself worthy of joining the ranks of the ferocious gang by prevailing in cat fights and wars of words. Jam-packed with tattoos, street cred, arcade brawls, hater shades, astounded immigrant parents, bow-tied nerds, matching jackets and loitering, for a camptastic good time.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The White Sheik (1952)
In Italy, small-town newlyweds Wanda and Ivan Cavalli embark on their honeymoon in the big city of Rome. Ivan dutifully wants to keep appointments with family and church, but Wanda is only interested in meeting her favorite photo-strip star known as "The White Sheik". While Wanda impetuously sneaks away to locate the object of her affections, disconsolate Ivan tries his hardest to keep up appearances with the couple's relatives.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Camels Are Coming (1934)
A British officer in the Camel Corps in Egypt goes undercover to investigate a gang of drug smugglers. He enlists the aid of a female pilot to help break up the gang.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The Scene (2026)
In Ahmedabad, a city where alcohol exists more as rumor than reality, two hostel students step out on a lazy afternoon to eat biryani, wander through the city, and maybe score a drink before the day ends. But somewhere between a punctured cycle, a pickup truck ride, and a maze-like apartment society filled with cameras and watchful eyes, the outing slowly drifts into something uneasy. Blending satire with paranoia, The Scene (कार्यक्रम) explores surveillance, suspicion and identity.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Like The Big Animal and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Big Animal?
The closest matches to The Big Animal are Tyler Perry's Madea on the Run - The Play (2017), Chloe and Theo (2015) and Hooking Up (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Big Animal?
Start with Tyler Perry's Madea on the Run - The Play (2017), the closest match to The Big Animal.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Big Animal?
The Kid (1921), rated 8.1/10 by 2,486 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Big Animal?
The Scene (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to The Big Animal chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Big Animal, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.