Movies Like Garden State (2004)

Garden State is a 2004 comedy, drama, romance film from Zach Braff with a MovieMagicScore of 7.1/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself and 8½.

Comedy Drama Romance

Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself

2002

The strange comedy film of two close brothers; one, Wilbur, who wants to kill himself, and the other, Harbour, who tries to prevent this. When their father dies leaving them his bookstore they meet a woman who makes their lives a bit better yet with a bit more trouble as well.

6.5

MagicScore

8½

1963

Guido Anselmi, a film director, finds himself creatively barren at the peak of his career. Urged by his doctors to rest, Anselmi heads for a luxurious resort, but a sorry group gathers—his producer, staff, actors, wife, mistress, and relatives—each one begging him to get on with the show. In retreat from their dependency, he fantasizes about past women and dreams of his childhood.

8.1

MagicScore

Requiem for a Dream

2000

The drug-induced utopias of four Coney Island residents are shattered when their addictions run deep.

8.0

MagicScore

Go

1999

A supermarket clerk decides to step in for an absent drug dealer, setting off an explosive, comedic chain of events.

7.0

MagicScore

Shrink

2009

Unable to cope with a recent personal tragedy, LA's top celebrity shrink turns into a pothead with no concern for his appearance and a creeping sense of his inability to help his patients.

6.2

MagicScore

Date Night

2010

Phil and Claire Foster fear that their mild-mannered relationship may be falling into a stale rut. During their weekly date night, their dinner reservation leads to their being mistaken for a couple of thieves—and now a number of unsavoury characters want Phil and Claire killed.

6.1

MagicScore

La Strada

1954

When Gelsomina, a naïve young woman, is purchased from her impoverished mother by brutish circus strongman Zampanò to be his wife and partner, she loyally endures her husband's coldness and abuse as they travel the Italian countryside performing together. Soon Zampanò must deal with his jealousy and conflicted feelings about Gelsomina when she finds a kindred spirit in Il Matto, the carefree circus fool, and contemplates leaving Zampanò.

7.9

MagicScore

Memoir of a Snail

2024

Forcibly separated from her twin brother when they are orphaned, a melancholic misfit learns how to find confidence within herself amid the clutter of misfortunes and everyday life.

8.1

MagicScore

Swept from the Sea

1998

The film tells the story of Russian emigree and the only survivor from ship crash Yanko Goorall and servant Amy Foster in the end of 19th century. When Yanko enters a farm sick and hungry after the shipwreck, everyone is afraid of him, except for Amy, who is very kind and helps him. Soon he becomes like a son for Dr. James Kennedy and romance between Yanko and Amy follows.

6.4

MagicScore

#10

Up in Smoke

1978

An unemployed pot-smoking slacker and amateur drummer, Anthony Stoner ditches his strict parents and hits the road, eventually meeting kindred spirit Pedro de Pacas. While the drug-ingesting duo is soon arrested for possession of marijuana, Anthony and Pedro get released on a technicality, allowing them to continue their many misadventures and ultimately compete in a rock band contest, where they perform the raucous tune "Earache My Eye."

6.6

MagicScore

#11

Requiem

2006

Michaela, an epileptic, enrolls in college to study education. She goes off her medication and soon begins hearing voices and seeing apparitions that tell her to avoid religious objects, although she is devoutly Roman Catholic. One priest scoffs at the idea that Michaela could be possessed by demons, but a younger pastor arranges an exorcism for the young woman.

6.6

MagicScore

#12

Pretty Woman

1990

While on a business trip in Los Angeles, Edward Lewis, a millionaire entrepreneur who makes a living buying and breaking up companies, picks up a prostitute, Vivian, while asking for directions; after, Edward hires Vivian to stay with him for the weekend to accompany him to a few social events, and the two get closer only to discover there are significant hurdles to overcome as they try to bridge the gap between their very different worlds.

7.5

MagicScore

#13

Pig

2021

A truffle hunter who lives alone in the Oregon wilderness must visit Portland to find the mysterious person who stole his beloved foraging pig.

6.7

MagicScore

#14

One Missed Call

2008

Several people start receiving voice-mails from their future selves -- messages which include the date, time, and some of the details of their deaths.

5.4

MagicScore

#15

Sleepless in Seattle

1993

After the death of his mother, a young boy calls a radio station in an attempt to set his father up on a date. Talking about his father’s loneliness soon leads to a meeting with a young female journalist, who has flown to Seattle to write a story about the boy and his father.

6.7

MagicScore

#16

Summer in Berlin

2005

An intimate study of two women friends who come to each other because of troubles with everyday life and with men and thus try to enjoy a life based on their ideas.

6.2

MagicScore

#17

Cha Cha Real Smooth

2022

Fresh out of college and stuck at his New Jersey home without a clear path forward, 22-year-old Andrew begins working as a party starter for bar/bat mitzvahs—where he strikes up a unique friendship with a young mom and her teenage daughter.

7.1

MagicScore

#18

Dirty Love

2005

The klutzy yet stunning Rebecca Sommers walks in on her hunky boyfriend in bed with another woman. They break up and Rebecca starts to fall apart, but, with the help of her close girlfriends, she begins to date again. Unfortunately, the men she meets all happen to be crazy. John, her dorky guy friend, tries to express his secret love for Rebecca, but she's too busy to notice as she tries to come to terms with her breakup.

4.2

MagicScore

#19

Babel

2006

Tragedy strikes a married couple vacationing in the Moroccan desert, which jumpstarts an interlocking story involving four different families.

7.2

MagicScore

#20

Tough Enough

2006

From the youth directed novel of the same name by Greogor Tressnow comes a film by Detlev Buck that is a realistic portrait of life in the section of Berlin called Neukölln. It’s about power and weakness, delinquents and victims, and the difficulties a 15-year-old faces in a poor and criminal environment.

6.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Garden State?

The top films similar to Garden State by MovieMagicScore are Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself (6.5), 8½ (8.1), Requiem for a Dream (8.0). Each shares comedy/drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Garden State worth watching?

Garden State holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.1/10 from 1,952 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Garden State?

Garden State (2004) is a comedy, drama, romance film directed by Zach Braff, starring Zach Braff, Natalie Portman, Ian Holm.

Where can I find more recommendations like Garden State?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more comedy recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Wilbur Wants to Kill Himself Movies like 8½ Movies like Requiem for a Dream Movies like Go Movies like Shrink Movies like Date Night

About movies like Garden State

This ranked list pairs Garden State (2004), a comedy and drama and romance film from Zach Braff, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Zach Braff take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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