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About a Boy poster

Movies that feel likeAbout a Boy (2002)

Will Freeman is a good-looking, smooth-talking bachelor whose primary goal in life is avoiding any kind of responsibility. But when he invents an imaginary son in order to meet attractive single moms, Will gets a hilarious lesson about life from a bright, but hopelessly geeky 12-year-old named Marcus. Now, as Will struggles to teach Marcus the art of being cool, Marcus teaches Will that you're never too old to grow up.

If you loved About a Boy, the closest films we have are Muriel's Wedding (1994), Italian for Beginners (2000) and As Good as It Gets (1997). All three share About a Boy's contemplative and witty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (2011).

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See it on the Mood Map

If About a Boy hit the spot, these will too

Muriel's Wedding poster
Muriel's Wedding
1994 Β· dir. P.J. Hogan
πŸ… 82%β˜… 7.3comedy Β· drama Β· romance

Common ground in both: friendship and becoming an adult

Socially awkward Muriel Heslop wants nothing more than to get married. Unfortunately, due to her oppressive politician father, Muriel has never even been on a date. Ostracized by her more socially adept friends, Muriel runs into fellow outcast Rhonda Epinstalk, and the two move from their small Australian town to the big city of Sydney, where Muriel changes her name and begins the arduous task of redesigning her life to match her fantasies.

Italian for Beginners poster
Italian for Beginners
2000 Β· dir. Lone Scherfig
πŸ… 87%β˜… 7comedy Β· drama Β· romance

One thread runs through both: friendship

Several lonely hearts in a semi-provincial suburb of a town in Denmark use a beginner's course in Italian as the platform to meet the romance of their lives. The film, which unspools the connections and family drama shared between the students, complies with several aesthetic principles of Dogme 95 movement.

As Good as It Gets poster
As Good as It Gets
1997 Β· dir. James L. Brooks
πŸ… 86%β˜… 7.7drama Β· comedy Β· romance

The same preoccupation in both: single parent

A misanthropic author, a single mother and waitress, and a gay artist form an unlikely friendship after the artist is assaulted in a robbery.

Kuch Kuch Hota Hai poster
Kuch Kuch Hota Hai
1998 Β· dir. Karan Johar
πŸ… 71%β˜… 7.5romance Β· drama Β· comedyNetflixPrime Video

The same mix in both: stillness, then wit

Per her mother's last wish, an 8 year old girl sets out to reunite her father with his college best friend who was in love with him.

Four Weddings and a Funeral poster
Four Weddings and a Funeral
1994 Β· dir. Mike Newell
πŸ… 92%β˜… 7.1comedy Β· drama Β· romance

Both land play and romance at once

Over the course of five social occasions, a committed bachelor must consider the notion that he may have discovered love.

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara poster
Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara
2011 Β· dir. Zoya Akhtar
πŸ… 89%β˜… 8.2drama Β· comedy Β· romanceNetflix

Tender where it counts, warm underneath

Three friends who were inseparable in childhood decide to go on a three-week-long bachelor road trip to Spain, in order to re-establish their bond and explore thrilling adventures, before one of them gets married. What will they learn of themselves and each other during the adventure?

He's Just Not That Into You poster
He's Just Not That Into You
2009 Β· dir. Ken Kwapis
πŸ… 42%β˜… 6.4comedy Β· romance Β· dramaParamount+

Drama built on stillness, twice over

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

Remember that really cute girl/guy who said they'd call – and didn't? Maybe they lost your number. Maybe they're in the hospital. Maybe they're awed by your looks, brains or success. Or maybe... They're just not that into you.

Love, Rosie poster
Love, Rosie
2014 Β· dir. Christian Ditter
πŸ… 32%β˜… 7.1romance Β· drama Β· comedyStarz

Comedy with a pulse of wit, in both cases

Since the moment they met at age 5, Rosie and Alex have been best friends, facing the highs and lows of growing up side by side. A fleeting shared moment, one missed opportunity, and the decisions that follow send their lives in completely different directions. As each navigates the complexities of life, love, and everything in between, they always find their way back to each other - but is it just friendship, or something more?

When Harry Met Sally... poster
When Harry Met Sally...
1989 Β· dir. Rob Reiner
πŸ… 90%β˜… 7.7comedy Β· romance Β· dramaParamount+

Both lean on play more than on romance

Sex always gets in the way of friendships between men and women. At least, that's what Harry Burns believes. So when Harry meets Sally Albright and a deep friendship blossoms between them, Harry's determined not to let his attraction to Sally destroy it. But when a night of weakness ends in a morning of panic, can the pair avoid succumbing to Harry's fears by remaining friends and admitting they just might be the perfect match for each other?

I Want You poster
I Want You
2012 Β· dir. Fernando GonzΓ‘lez Molina
β˜… 6.7drama Β· romance

Romantic drama in both cases

The difference: Trades the wit of About a Boy for an angle of its own

After two years away, Hache returns to Barcelona seeking a fresh start. Falling for Gin while facing unresolved feelings for Babi, he must confront love, loss, and who he's becoming.

Spanglish poster
Spanglish
2004 Β· dir. James L. Brooks
πŸ… 54%β˜… 6.4drama Β· comedy Β· romance

Both keep coming back to the same thing: single parent

Mexican immigrant and single mother Flor Moreno finds housekeeping work with Deborah and John Clasky, a well-off couple with two children of their own. When Flor admits she can't handle the schedule because of her daughter, Cristina, Deborah decides they should move into the Clasky home. Cultures clash and tensions run high as Flor and the Claskys struggle to share space while raising their children on their own, and very different, terms.

Crazy, Stupid, Love. poster
Crazy, Stupid, Love.
2011 Β· dir. Glenn Ficarra
πŸ… 79%β˜… 7.4comedy Β· drama Β· romanceMax

Tender comedy, and it commits to that

Cal Weaver is living the American dream. He has a good job, a beautiful house, great children and a beautiful wife, named Emily. Cal's seemingly perfect life unravels, however, when he learns that Emily has been unfaithful and wants a divorce. Over 40 and suddenly single, Cal is adrift in the fickle world of dating. Enter, Jacob Palmer, a self-styled player who takes Cal under his wing and teaches him how to be a hit with the ladies.

In the mood for more contemplative?

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The best-reviewed films that share About a Boy’s defining feeling.