
Movies that feel like The Squid and the Whale (2005)
If you loved The Squid and the Whale, the closest films we have are Eighth Grade (2018), Slums of Beverly Hills (1998) and Breaking Away (1979). All three share The Squid and the Whale's witty and playful feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 8 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Netflix, HBO Max and Amazon Prime Video and others, checked against today's data.
If The Squid and the Whale hit the spot, these will too

Both keep coming back to the same thing: growing up

Common ground: semi autobiographical

Both are built on the same subject: growing up
The difference: 26 years apart, and the 1970s show

Witty and playful in the same breath

Comedy with a pulse of wistfulness, in both cases
The difference: Not nearly as contemplative as The Squid and the Whale

Both lean on stillness more than on drama
The difference: Leans harder into romance than The Squid and the Whale does

Comedy built on wit, twice over

The same preoccupation in both: 1980s


Common ground: 1980s

Playful drama in both cases
The difference: Reviewed a good deal more coolly

One thread runs through both: semi autobiographical
In the mood for more witty?
all witty movies →The best-reviewed films that share The Squid and the Whale’s defining feeling.









