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Stranger Than Fiction poster

Movies that feel likeStranger Than Fiction (2006)

Harold Crick is a lonely IRS agent whose mundane existence is transformed when he hears a mysterious voice narrating his life.

If you loved Stranger Than Fiction, the closest films we have are Truly Madly Deeply (1991), Hairspray (2007) and A Dog's Will (2000). All three share Stranger Than Fiction'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 Defending Your Life (1991).

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If Stranger Than Fiction hit the spot, these will too

Truly Madly Deeply poster
Truly Madly Deeply
1991 · dir. Anthony Minghella
🍅 76%★ 7.2fantasy · drama · comedy

Two things both keep coming back to: love and death

Nina is totally heartbroken at the death of her boyfriend Jamie, but is even more unprepared for his return as a ghost. At first it's almost as good as it used to be – hey, even the rats that infested her house have disappeared. But Jamie starts bringing ghostly friends home and behaving more and more oddly.

Hairspray poster
Hairspray
2007 · dir. Adam Shankman
🍅 92%★ 6.7comedy · romance · drama

Contemplative where it counts, witty underneath

Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad auditions to be on Baltimore's most popular dance show - The Corny Collins Show - and lands a prime spot. Through her newfound fame, she becomes determined to help her friends and end the racial segregation that has been a staple of the show.

A Dog's Will poster
A Dog's Will
2000 · dir. Guel Arraes
★ 8.6comedy · drama · fantasy

Playful and romantic in the same breath

The lively João Grilo and the sly Chicó are poor guys living in the hinterland who cheat a bunch of people in a small town in Northeastern Brazil. When they die, they have to be judged by Christ, the Devil and the Virgin Mary before they are admitted to paradise.

Defending Your Life poster
Defending Your Life
1991 · dir. Albert Brooks
🍅 92%★ 7.2romance · fantasy · comedy

The same mix in both: tenderness, then dream logic

Is there love after death? After he dies suddenly, the hapless advertising executive Daniel Miller finds himself in Judgment City, a gleaming way station where the newly deceased must prove they lived a life of sufficient courage to advance in their journey through the universe. As the self-doubting Daniel struggles to make his case, a budding relationship with the uninhibited Julia offers him a chance to finally feel alive.

The Time Traveler's Wife poster
The Time Traveler's Wife
2009 · dir. Robert Schwentke
🍅 38%★ 7.1drama · romance · fantasyParamount+

The same preoccupation in both: love

The difference: The scrappier of the two with critics

Due to a genetic disorder, handsome librarian Henry DeTamble involuntarily zips through time, appearing at various moments in the life of his true love, the beautiful artist Clare Abshire.

Swiss Army Man poster
Swiss Army Man
2016 · dir. Daniel Kwan
🍅 73%★ 6.9comedy · drama · romanceNetflix

Contemplative drama in both cases

The difference: Sits closer to adventure than Stranger Than Fiction does

Alone on a tiny deserted island, Hank has given up all hope of ever making it home again. But one day everything changes when a dead body washes ashore, and he soon realizes it may be his last opportunity to escape certain death. Armed with his new “friend” and an unusual bag of tricks, the duo go on an epic adventure to bring Hank back to the woman of his dreams.

The Lake House poster
The Lake House
2006 · dir. Alejandro Agresti
🍅 36%★ 6.8romance · drama · fantasy

Romantic romance, and it commits to that

The difference: Easier on the wit than Stranger Than Fiction

When architect Alex Wyler moves into an unusual glass house on stilts over a lake, he discovers a note from the previous tenant in the mailbox--but no one's lived in the house for years. He replies and soon discovers that he's corresponding with a doctor named Kate Forster. Their correspondence, only through the 'magical' mailbox, turns romantic and their paths cross in unexpected ways, but when they try to truly connect, danger looms. They must try to unravel the mystery behind their extraordinary romance before it's too late.

Before Midnight poster
Before Midnight
2013 · dir. Richard Linklater
🍅 98%★ 7.9romance · dramaRent or buy

Common ground: author

It has been nine years since we last met Jesse and Celine, the French-American couple who once met on a train in Vienna. They now live in Paris with twin daughters but have spent a summer in Greece at the invitation of an author colleague of Jesse's. When the vacation is over and Jesse must send his teenage son off to the States, he begins to question his life decisions, and his relationship with Celine is at risk.

Beautiful Creatures poster
Beautiful Creatures
2013 · dir. Richard LaGravenese
🍅 47%★ 6.1fantasy · drama · romance

Fantasy built on tenderness, twice over

Ethan Wate just wants to get to know Lena Duchannes better, but unbeknownst to him, Lena has strange powers. As Lena's 16th birthday approaches she might decide her fate, to be good or evil. A choice which will impact her relationship forever.

Beastly poster
Beastly
2011 · dir. Daniel Barnz
🍅 20%★ 5.5romance · fantasy · dramaParamount+

Comedy with a pulse of dream logic, in both cases

A modern-day take on the "Beauty and the Beast" tale where a New York teen is transformed into a hideous monster in order to find true love.

Sapphire Blue poster
Sapphire Blue
2014 · dir. Felix Fuchssteiner
★ 6.2fantasy · romance · drama

Both lean on stillness more than on drama

Gwen has just discovered, that she's the final member of the secret time-traveling Circle of Twelve. Now she has to juggle with constant trips to the past, her relationships with Gideon and figuring out dark secrets surrounding the Circle.

Meet Joe Black poster
Meet Joe Black
1998 · dir. Martin Brest
🍅 48%★ 7.2fantasy · drama · romancePrime Video

Both keep coming back to the same thing: fate

Bill Parrish has it all - success, wealth and power. Days before his 65th birthday, he receives a visit from a mysterious stranger, Joe Black, who soon reveals himself as Death. In exchange for extra time, Bill agrees to serve as Joe's earthly guide. But will he regret his choice when Joe unexpectedly falls in love with Bill's beautiful daughter Susan?

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The best-reviewed films that share Stranger Than Fiction’s defining feeling.