Movies Like The Pursuit of Unhappiness

If you liked The Pursuit of Unhappiness (2012), a comedy movie directed by Sherry Hormann, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
The Trouble with Angels (1966)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy
Mary and her friend, Rachel, are new students at St. Francis Academy, a boarding school run by the iron fist of Mother Superior. The immature teens grow bored and begin playing pranks on both the unsuspecting nuns and…
2
Invader Zim: Enter the Florpus (2019)
★ 7.4/10Also comedy
ZIM discovers his almighty leaders never had any intention of coming to Earth and he loses confidence in himself for the first time in his life, which is the big break his human nemesis, Dib has been waiting for.
3
Thunderstruck (2012)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy
After NBA star Kevin Durant switches talent with 16 year old Brian, the teenager becomes the star of his high school team, but Durant starts struggling and eventually learns an important lesson.
4
Dreamgirls (2015)
★ 5.8/10Also comedy
Parallel love stories of three young women in Berlin: Hannah - an unhappy attorney who sexually demeans herself in order to get at least some love and romance, Leni who runs a coffee shop and has just been ditched by…
5
Bibi Blocksberg and the Secret of Blue Owls (2004)
★ 6.1/10Also comedy
Poor Bibi - due to her bad marks in maths she has to spend the whole summer in the boarding school of Altenberg to scrape through a series of exams - otherwise she'd stay down in school, being forced to repeat the…
6
Back to the Beach (1987)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy
A former beach boy and his wife go to California to visit their daughter and become part of the new beach scene.
7
Little Big League (1994)
★ 6/10Also comedy
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…
8
My Best Friend, His Girlfriend and Me (2026)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy
Olli and Matze are best friends living, working and planning to travel the world together — until Matze's romance with Rebecca turns it all upside down.
9
Duplex (2003)
★ 6.1/10Also comedy
When a young couple buys their dream home, they have no idea what the sweet little old lady upstairs is going to put them through!
10
Cadet Kelly (2002)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy
Hyperactive teenager Kelly is enrolled into a military school when her new stepfather becomes the Commandant. At first she has problems fitting in and taking orders until she tries out for the drill team.
11
Old Agent Men (2017)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy
Four very retired, ex-GDR spies, or "Kundschafter des Friedens" as they were officially named, led by the once legendary Jochen Falk, are called on by the German government. Their mission is to rescue the interim…
12
Rookie of the Year (1993)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy
When the cast comes off his once broken arm, a 12-year-old boy can throw a 100-mile-an-hour fastball, and the Chicago Cubs want him as their new pitcher.
13
Sketch (2025)
★ 7/10Also comedy
When a young girl’s sketchbook falls into a strange pond, her drawings come to life—chaotic, real, and on the loose. As the town descends into chaos, her family must reunite and stop the monsters they never meant to…
14
Sneakerella (2022)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy
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…
15
Cold Feet (2018)
★ 6.6/10Also comedy
Although he actually just wanted to steal money, the crook Denis finds himself in the position of caretaking for the stroke patient Raimund. When Raimund's granddaughter Charlotte turns up, Denis has enough of it and…
16
Mr. Bones (2001)
★ 6/10Also comedy
A medicine man is sent looking for the son of his tribal king, and brings back an American golfer and a host of goons intent on keeping him in the golf tournament.
17
Stewie Griffin: The Untold Story (2005)
★ 6.9/10Also comedy
The maniacal baby of the Griffin family, Stewie, meets his future self. In doing this he discovers that his future image is not what he has anticipated because of a near death experience.
18
LEGO Marvel Avengers: Mission Demolition (2024)
★ 6.5/10Also comedy
A young, aspiring hero and superhero fan inadvertently unleashes a powerful new villain looking to rid the world of the Avengers.
19
Easy Money (1983)
★ 6/10Also comedy
To inherit his mother-in-law's colossal fortune, a hard living gambling addict must change his unhealthy ways before it gets the best of him.
20
Switched (2020)
★ 6.5/10Also comedy
Tired of being bullied, Cassandra Evans prays that her nemesis, Katie Sharp, the queen bee of social media, would know what it’s like to walk a day in her shoes. Her prayer is answered in an unexpected way when they…