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Movies that feel like 3 Idiots (2009)

If you loved 3 Idiots, the closest films we have are The Squid and the Whale (2005), Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (2003) and Eighth Grade (2018). All three share 3 Idiots' contemplative and witty feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 7 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Netflix, HBO Max and Hulu and others, checked against today's data.

Rascal. Joker. Dreamer. Genius... You've never met a college student quite like "Rancho." From the moment he arrives at India's most prestigious university, Rancho's outlandish schemes turn the campus upside down—along with the lives of his two newfound best friends. Together, they make life miserable for "Virus," the school’s uptight and heartless dean. But when Rancho catches the eye of the dean's daughter, Virus sets his sights on flunking out the "3 idiots" once and for all.

🍅 94% Rotten Tomatoes8.4 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Rajkumar Hiranicontemplativewittyplayfulwistful

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If 3 Idiots hit the spot, these will too

The Squid and the Whale poster
The Squid and the Whale
2005 · dir. Noah Baumbach
🍅 91%7.3comedy · drama

The same preoccupation in both: growing up

Based on the true childhood experiences of Noah Baumbach and his brother, The Squid and the Whale tells the touching story of two young boys dealing with their parents' divorce in Brooklyn in the 1980s.

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Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. poster
Munna Bhai M.B.B.S.
2003 · dir. Rajkumar Hirani
8.1comedy · drama

Rajkumar Hirani directing both, with the same fingerprints on each

The difference: None of the wistfulness 3 Idiots is built on

A gangster sets out to fulfill his father's dream of becoming a doctor.

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Eighth Grade poster
Eighth Grade
2018 · dir. Bo Burnham
🍅 99%7.3comedy · drama

One thread runs through both: growing up

Thirteen-year-old Kayla endures the tidal wave of contemporary suburban adolescence as she makes her way through the last week of middle school — the end of her thus far disastrous eighth grade year — before she begins high school.

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Booksmart poster
Booksmart
2019 · dir. Olivia Wilde
🍅 96%7.1comedy

Both land wit and play at once

Two academic teenage superstars realize, on the eve of their high school graduation, that they should have worked less and played more. Determined to never fall short of their peers, the girls set out on a mission to cram four years of fun into one night.

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Breaking Away poster
Breaking Away
1979 · dir. Peter Yates
🍅 95%7.7drama · comedy

Contemplative where it counts, wistful underneath

The difference: 30 years apart, and the 1970s show

Dave, nineteen, has just graduated high school, with his three friends: the comical Cyril, the warm hearted but short-tempered Moocher, and the athletic, spiteful but good-hearted Mike. Now, Dave enjoys racing bikes and hopes to race the Italians one day, and even takes up the Italian culture, much to his friends' and parents' annoyance.

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Day of the Wacko poster
Day of the Wacko
2002 · dir. Marek Koterski
8.1comedy · drama

Both keep coming back to the same thing: teacher

It is a bitter story about a middle-aged man, who hates his life and other people, including himself. Adam Miauczynski, the character known from director Marek Koterski's previous films, is a 49 year-old teacher, who reads poetry during school lessons and later goes home swearing and calling his neighbours' names. The worst pain for him is the next 5 minutes of living. He doesn't accept himself and even everyday contacts with others cause his aggression. Though constantly dreaming of a romantic love, he is not bold enough to make his dreams come true. The desperate Miauczynski personalizes our own fears and obsessions, which have become so visible recently.

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Step Brothers poster
Step Brothers
2008 · dir. Adam McKay
🍅 54%6.9comedy

Both lean on wit more than on comedy

The difference: Reviewed a good deal more coolly

Brennan Huff and Dale Doback might be grown men. But that doesn't stop them from living at home and turning into jealous, competitive stepbrothers when their single parents marry. Brennan's constant competition with Dale strains his mom's marriage to Dale's dad, leaving everyone to wonder whether they'll ever see eye to eye.

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Superbad poster
Superbad
2007 · dir. Greg Mottola
🍅 88%7.6comedy

Playful drama in both cases

Two co-dependent high school seniors are forced to deal with separation anxiety after their plan to stage a booze-soaked party goes awry.

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The Spectacular Now poster
The Spectacular Now
2013 · dir. James Ponsoldt
🍅 92%7comedy · drama · romance

Drama built on stillness, twice over

The difference: Sits closer to romance than 3 Idiots does

Sutter, a popular party animal, unexpectedly meets the introverted Aimee after waking up on a stranger's lawn. As Sutter deals with the problems in his life and Aimee plans for her future beyond school, an unexpected romance blossoms between them.

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American Reunion poster
American Reunion
2012 · dir. Jon Hurwitz
🍅 45%6.7comedy

Comedy with a pulse of wistfulness, in both cases

The characters we met a little more than a decade ago return to East Great Falls for their high school reunion. In one long-overdue weekend, they will discover what has changed, who hasn’t, and that time and distance can’t break the bonds of friendship.

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The Breakfast Club poster
The Breakfast Club
1985 · dir. John Hughes
🍅 87%7.8comedy · drama

Contemplative drama, and it commits to that

Five high school students from different walks of life endure a Saturday detention under a power-hungry principal. The disparate group includes rebel John, princess Claire, outcast Allison, brainy Brian and Andrew, the jock. Each has a chance to tell his or her story, making the others see them a little differently -- and when the day ends, they question whether school will ever be the same.

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The Bélier Family poster
The Bélier Family
2014 · dir. Éric Lartigau
🍅 83%7.3comedy · music · drama

Witty comedy, and it commits to that

The difference: Leans harder into music than 3 Idiots does

The whole Bélier family is deaf, except for sixteen year old Paula who is the important translator in her parents' day to day life especially when it comes to matters concerning the family farm. When her music teacher discovers she has a fantastic singing voice and she gets an opportunity to enter a big Radio France contest the whole family's future is set up for big changes.

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In the mood for more contemplative?

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The best-reviewed films that share 3 Idiots’ defining feeling.