Movies Like Napoleon Dynamite (2004)

Napoleon Dynamite is a 2004 comedy film from Jared Hess with a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Wish Upon a Star and Not Another Teen Movie.

Comedy

Wish Upon a Star

1996

A younger sister wishes to switch places with her popular older sister and the two bickering siblings awaken to find the wish has come true.

6.5

MagicScore

Not Another Teen Movie

2001

On a bet, a gridiron hero at John Hughes High School sets out to turn a bespectacled plain Jane into a beautiful and popular prom queen in this outrageous send-up of the teen movies of the 1980s and '90s.

5.8

MagicScore

Hocus Pocus 2

2022

29 years since the Black Flame Candle was last lit, the 17th-century Sanderson sisters are resurrected, and they are looking for revenge. Now it's up to three high school students to stop the ravenous witches from wreaking a new kind of havoc on Salem before dawn on All Hallow's Eve.

7.2

MagicScore

Grease

1978

Australian good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance despite their eccentric friends?

7.4

MagicScore

The Karate Kid

1984

New Jersey teen Daniel LaRusso moves to Los Angeles with his mother, and soon strikes up a relationship with Ali. He quickly finds himself the target of bullying by a group of thugs, led by Ali's ex-boyfriend Johnny, who study karate at the Cobra Kai dojo under ruthless sensei John Kreese. Fortunately, Daniel befriends Mr. Miyagi, an unassuming repairman who just happens to be a martial arts master himself. Miyagi takes Daniel under his wing, training him in a more compassionate form of karate for self-defense and, later, preparing him to compete against the brutal Cobra Kai.

7.2

MagicScore

The New Kids

1985

A brother and his young sister come to a small town to find out a local gang terrorizes the population.

6.2

MagicScore

My Own Private Idaho

1991

In this loose adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," Mike Waters is a hustler afflicted with narcolepsy. Scott Favor is the rebellious son of a mayor. Together, the two travel from Portland, Oregon to Idaho and finally to the coast of Italy in a quest to find Mike's estranged mother. Along the way they turn tricks for money and drugs, eventually attracting the attention of a wealthy benefactor and sexual deviant.

7.1

MagicScore

Ghost World

2001

Two quirky, cynical teenaged girls try to figure out what to do with their lives after high school graduation. After they play a prank on an eccentric, middle aged record collector, one of them befriends him, which causes a rift in the girls’ friendship.

7.1

MagicScore

Elio

2025

Elio, a space fanatic with an active imagination, finds himself on a cosmic misadventure where he must form new bonds with eccentric alien lifeforms, navigate a crisis of intergalactic proportions and somehow discover who he is truly meant to be.

6.9

MagicScore

#10

The Princess Diaries

2001

A socially awkward but very bright 15-year-old girl being raised by a single mom discovers that she is the princess of a small European country because of the recent death of her long-absent father, who, unknown to her, was the crown prince of Genovia. She must make a choice between continuing the life of a San Francisco teen or stepping up to the throne.

7.0

MagicScore

#11

Lucas

1986

A brilliant but socially inept 14-year-old experiences heartbreak for the first time when his two best friends – Cappie, an older-brother figure, and Maggie, the new girl with whom he is in love – fall for each other.

6.7

MagicScore

#12

Jawbreaker

1999

When an exclusive clique of teenage socialites accidentally murder their best friend on the morning of her birthday, the three girls responsible conspire to hide the truth.

6.4

MagicScore

#13

She's All That

1999

High school hotshot Zach Siler is the envy of his peers. But his popularity declines sharply when his cheerleader girlfriend, Taylor, leaves him for sleazy reality-television star Brock Hudson. Desperate to revive his fading reputation, Siler agrees to a seemingly impossible challenge. He has six weeks to gain the trust of nerdy outcast Laney Boggs -- and help her to become the school's next prom queen.

6.3

MagicScore

#14

Romy and Michele's High School Reunion

1997

Two not-too-bright party girls reinvent themselves for their high school reunion. Armed with a borrowed Jaguar, new clothes and the story of their success as the inventors of Post-It notes, Romy and Michele descend on their alma mater, but their façade crumbles quickly.

6.2

MagicScore

#15

Can't Hardly Wait

1998

It's graduation day at Huntington Hills High, and you know what that means - time to party. And not just any party, either. This one will be a night to remember, as the nerds become studs, the jocks are humiliated, and freshman crushes blossom into grown-up romance.

6.2

MagicScore

#16

I'm Not Ashamed

2016

Based on the journal entries of Rachel Joy Scott, the first student killed in the Columbine High School shooting in 1999.

7.2

MagicScore

#17

DodgeBall: A True Underdog Story

2004

When megalomaniacal White Goodman, the owner of a trendy, high-end fitness center, makes a move to take over the struggling local gym run by happy-go-lucky Pete La Fleur, there's only one way for La Fleur to fight back: dodgeball. Aided by a dodgeball guru and Goodman's attorney, La Fleur and his rag-tag team of underdogs launch a knock-down, drag-out battle in which the winner takes all.

6.4

MagicScore

#18

My Friend Dahmer

2017

Jeffrey Dahmer struggles with a difficult family life as a young boy. During his teenage years he slowly transforms, edging closer to the serial killer he was to become.

6.5

MagicScore

#19

3 Ninjas Kick Back

1994

During a championship baseball match, the three brothers hear that their grandfather in Japan is in trouble, and head out to help him, conceding the match. When they arrive in Japan, they must use all their powers to defend him against his ancient enemy, who has returned to exact revenge.

5.6

MagicScore

#20

3 Ninjas Knuckle Up

1995

Rocky, Colt and TumTum must battle an evil wealthy toxic waste dumper in order to save a local Indian tribe and their friend Joe. The 3 Ninjas must help find Joe's father and find a secret disk that contains evidence that could stop the toxic landfill that is destroying the Indian community. However the town is owned by the rich man and he controls the police and even the mayor. They must fight a motorcycle gang and renegade cowboys in this non-stop ninja adventure.

5.0

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Napoleon Dynamite?

The top films similar to Napoleon Dynamite by MovieMagicScore are Wish Upon a Star (6.5), Not Another Teen Movie (5.8), Hocus Pocus 2 (7.2). Each shares comedy themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Napoleon Dynamite worth watching?

Napoleon Dynamite holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.8/10 from 2,026 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Napoleon Dynamite?

Napoleon Dynamite (2004) is a comedy film directed by Jared Hess, starring Jon Heder, Efren Ramirez, Tina Majorino.

Where can I find more recommendations like Napoleon Dynamite?

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 Wish Upon a Star Movies like Not Another Teen Movie Movies like Hocus Pocus 2 Movies like Grease Movies like The Karate Kid Movies like The New Kids

About movies like Napoleon Dynamite

This ranked list pairs Napoleon Dynamite (2004), a comedy film from Jared Hess, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Jon Heder 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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