
Movies that feel like Breaking Away (1979)
If you loved Breaking Away, the closest films we have are The Breakfast Club (1985), Eighth Grade (2018) and Tony (2026). All three share Breaking Away's contemplative and witty feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 9 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Netflix, YouTube TV and Netflix Standard with Ads and others, checked against today's data.
Not on subscription streaming right now. Rent or buy below.
If Breaking Away hit the spot, these will too

Growing up is the engine of both

Both built around growing up
The difference: A 2010s film, from a different era of filmmaking

Contemplative and witty in the same breath

Drama built on play, twice over
The difference: None of the wistfulness that defines Breaking Away

Contemplative comedy, and it commits to that

Drama with a pulse of wistfulness, in both cases

Both trade on wit more than on being comedy


Comedy built on stillness, twice over

A streak of wit through both

Play is the shared currency

Both work the same wistfulness
The difference: Leans fantasy where Breaking Away does not
In the mood for more contemplative?
all contemplative movies βThe best-reviewed films that share Breaking Away's defining feeling.









