Movies Like Unexpected Encounters

If you liked Unexpected Encounters (2024), a movie directed by Jennifer A. Goodman, 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
Larry Crowne (2011)
★ 6/10
When he suddenly finds himself without his long-standing blue-collar job, Larry Crowne enrolls at his local college to start over. There, he becomes part of an eclectic community of students and develops a crush on his…
2
Confessions of a Shopaholic (2009)
★ 6.5/10
In the glamorous world of New York City, Rebecca Bloomwood is a fun-loving girl who is really good at shopping – a little too good, perhaps. She dreams of working for her favorite fashion magazine, but can't quite get…
3
Richard Jewell (2019)
★ 7.4/10
Richard Jewell thinks quick, works fast, and saves hundreds, perhaps thousands, of lives after a domestic terrorist plants several pipe bombs and they explode during a concert, only to be falsely suspected of the crime…
4
Adult World (2014)
★ 6/10
Amy, a naive college graduate who believes she's destined to be a great poet, begrudgingly accepts a job at a sex shop while she pursues a mentorship with reclusive writer Rat Billings.
5
Notting Hill (1999)
★ 7.3/10
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.
6
Little Men (2016)
★ 6.4/10
Jake is a quiet, sensitive middle schooler with dreams of being an artist. He meets the affably brash Tony at his grandfather's funeral, and the unlikely pair soon hit it off. The budding friendship is put at risk…
7
Second Act (2018)
★ 6.3/10
Value Shop assistant manager Maya Vargas wants only one thing for her 43rd birthday -- a promotion. While her résumé may not scream upper management, her track record certainly does; she is an innovator who listens to…
8
Wonderstruck (2017)
★ 6.1/10
The story of a young boy in the Midwest is told simultaneously with a tale about a young girl in New York from fifty years ago as they both seek the same mysterious connection.
9
Goodbye Christopher Robin (2017)
★ 7/10
The behind the scenes story of the life of A.A. Milne and the creation of the Winnie the Pooh stories inspired by his son Christopher Robin.
10
Valley of the Dolls (1967)
★ 6.1/10
Lured by their dreams of fame and fortune, three ambitious young women enter the world of show business and discover how easy it is to sink into a celebrity nightmare of ego, alcohol and pills — the beloved "dolls."
11
Winter Passing (2006)
★ 6.1/10
Actress Reese Holden has been offered a small fortune by a book editor if she can secure for publication the love letters that her father, a reclusive novelist, wrote to her mother, who has since passed away. Returning…
12
The Perfect Find (2023)
★ 6.1/10
After a high-profile firing, everything is at stake for 40-year-old Jenna: her career, her ticking biological clock, and her bank account. Her fashion career comeback hits a snag when she falls for a charming, much…
13
Ladies in Black (2018)
★ 6.7/10
Adapted from the bestselling novel by Madeleine St John, Ladies in Black is an alluring and tender-hearted comedy drama about the lives of a group of department store employees in 1959 Sydney.
14
10 Items or Less (2006)
★ 6.2/10
An actor who is considering the role of a supermarket manager arrives at a grocery store on the outskirts of Los Angeles to do some field research. He subsequently becomes stranded, without a car or cell phone, and…
15
The Stranger (1946)
★ 7.2/10
An investigator from the War Crimes Commission travels to Connecticut to find an infamous Nazi, who may be hiding out in a small town in the guise of a distinguished professor engaged to the Supreme Court Justice’s…
16
Back to School (1986)
★ 6.4/10
Self-made millionaire Thornton Melon decides to get a better education and enrolls at his son Jason's college. While Jason tries to fit in with his fellow students, Thornton struggles to gain his son's respect, giving…
17
Good Will Hunting (1997)
★ 8.2/10
Will Hunting is a headstrong, working-class genius who is failing the lessons of life. After one too many run-ins with the law, Will's last chance is a psychology professor, who might be the only man who can reach him.
18
Love by the Book (2015)
★ 6.3/10
Bookstore owner Emma believes in fairy tales. Although she has yet to be swept away by prince charming, she sees real knight in shining armor potential with a new suitor, Landon. As Emma balances time with Landon and…
19
Irrational Man (2015)
★ 6.5/10
On a small town college campus, a philosophy professor in existential crisis gives his life new purpose when he enters into a relationship with his student.
20
Life of the Party (2018)
★ 6.1/10
When her husband suddenly dumps her, longtime dedicated housewife Deanna turns regret into re-set by going back to college... landing in the same class and school as her daughter, who's not entirely sold on the idea…