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Movies that feel like We Bought a Zoo (2011)

If you loved We Bought a Zoo, the closest films we have are English Vinglish (2012), Mr. Popper's Penguins (2011) and The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004). All three share We Bought a Zoo's witty and playful feel, which is what we rank on before quality. 6 of the 12 picks below are included with a subscription right now on Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Peacock Premium and others, checked against today's data.

Benjamin has lost his wife and, in a bid to start his life over, purchases a large house that has a zoo – welcome news for his daughter, but his son is not happy about it. The zoo is in need of renovation and Benjamin sets about the work with the head keeper and the rest of the staff, but, the zoo soon runs into financial trouble.

🍅 64% Rotten Tomatoes7 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Cameron Crowecontemplativewittyplayfulwarmcozyromantic
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If We Bought a Zoo hit the spot, these will too

English Vinglish poster
English Vinglish
2012 · dir. Gauri Shinde
🍅 83%7.8comedy · drama · family

Both land stillness and wit at once

In the United States for the first time, an Indian housewife with a limited command of English turns Manhattan into her personal language school.

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Mr. Popper's Penguins poster
Mr. Popper's Penguins
2011 · dir. Mark Waters
🍅 47%6comedy · family

One thread runs through both: zoo

The difference: None of the stillness We Bought a Zoo is built on

Tom Popper is a successful businessman who’s clueless when it comes to the really important things in life...until he inherits six “adorable” penguins, each with its own unique personality. Soon Tom’s rambunctious roommates turn his swank New York apartment into a snowy winter wonderland — and the rest of his world upside-down.

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The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement poster
The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
2004 · dir. Garry Marshall
🍅 25%5.9comedy · drama · family

Playful where it counts, warm underneath

The difference: Reviewed a good deal more coolly

Mia Thermopolis is now a college graduate and on her way to Genovia to take up her duties as princess. Accompanied by her friend Lilly, Mia continues her 'princess lessons', like riding horses side-saddle and archery. But her already complicated life is turned upside down once again when she learns that she is to take the crown as queen earlier than expected, all while she meets a mysteriously charming young man.

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Hunt for the Wilderpeople poster
Hunt for the Wilderpeople
2016 · dir. Taika Waititi
🍅 97%7.8adventure · comedy · drama

Both keep coming back to the same thing: countryside

The difference: Missing the romance of We Bought a Zoo

Ricky is a defiant young city kid who finds himself on the run with his cantankerous foster uncle in the wild New Zealand bush. A national manhunt ensues, and the two are forced to put aside their differences and work together to survive.

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Paper Planes poster
Paper Planes
2014 · dir. Robert Connolly
🍅 85%6.2comedy · family · drama

Drama built on comfort, twice over

Dylan discovers he has a talent for making paper planes. He has a chance to compete in a world championship, but he'll have to face bullies and self-doubt to do so.

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Happy Feet poster
Happy Feet
2006 · dir. George Miller
🍅 76%6.4animation · comedy · family

Common ground: love

The difference: Leans harder into animation than We Bought a Zoo does

Into the world of the Emperor Penguins, who find their soul mates through song, a penguin is born who cannot sing. But he can tap dance something fierce!

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Dangal poster
Dangal
2016 · dir. Nitesh Tiwari
🍅 89%8.3drama · family · comedy

Contemplative comedy, and it commits to that

Dangal is an extraordinary true story based on the life of Mahavir Singh and his two daughters, Geeta and Babita Phogat. The film traces the inspirational journey of a father who trains his daughters to become world class wrestlers.

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Red Dog poster
Red Dog
2011 · dir. Kriv Stenders
🍅 84%7.3drama · comedy · family

Both are built on the same subject: a true story

The legendary true story of the Red Dog who united a disparate local community while roaming the Australian outback in search of his long lost master.

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Tolo Tolo poster
Tolo Tolo
2020 · dir. Checco Zalone
5.7comedy · drama · family

Witty family in both cases

Checco is a young Apulian entrepreneur dreamer who has opened a sushi restaurant in his Apulia. However, after one month, the restaurant went bankrupt and he chose to emigrate to Africa to escape from debt. Here he adapts to being a waiter in a resort in Kenya, but at the outbreak of a civil war he decides to embark on a stowaway trip on a boat for migrants to Europe and chooses to do it with his African friends. However, he would not like to return to Italy, but rather to go to Liechtenstein where banking secrecy is in force and there is a lower tax burden than in Italy.

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Marley & Me poster
Marley & Me
2008 · dir. David Frankel
🍅 64%7comedy · family

The same preoccupation in both: love

A newly married couple, in the process of starting a family, learn many of life's important lessons from their trouble-loving retriever, Marley. Packed with plenty of laughs to lighten the load, the film explores the highs and lows of marriage, maturity and confronting one's own mortality, as seen through the lens of family life with a dog.

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Mr. Bean's Holiday poster
Mr. Bean's Holiday
2007 · dir. Steve Bendelack
🍅 50%6.4family · comedy

Comedy with a pulse of play, in both cases

Mr. Bean wins a trip to Cannes where he unwittingly separates a young boy from his father and must help the two reunite. On the way he discovers France, bicycling and true love, among other things.

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Alibi.com poster
Alibi.com
2017 · dir. Philippe Lacheau
🍅 67%6.5comedy · family

Both lean on warmth more than on family

Greg founded a company called Alibi.com that creates any type of alibi. With his associate, Augustin, and Medhi his new employee, they devise unstoppable stratagems and stagings to cover their clients. But meeting Flo, a pretty blonde who hates men who lie, will complicate Greg's life, which begins by hiding the true nature of his activity. During the presentation to parents, Greg understands that Gérard, the father of Flo, is also one of their clients.

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In the mood for more contemplative?

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The best-reviewed films that share We Bought a Zoo’s defining feeling.