Movies like 3 Idiots (2009)

Name: 3 Idiots
Released: 2009

10 films to watch after 3 Idiots, ranked by how well they match its tone — not just its genre.

Rascal. Joker. Dreamer. Genius... You've never met a college student quite like "Rancho." From the moment he arrives at India's most prestigious university, Rancho's outlandish schemes turn the campus upside down—along with the lives of his two newfound best friends. Together, they make life miserable for "Virus," the school’s uptight and heartless dean. But when Rancho catches the eye of the dean's daughter, Virus sets his sights on flunking out the "3 idiots" once and for all.

1

Like Stars on Earth (2007)

Fit 68%

Shares Drama with 3 Idiots.

Ishaan Awasthi is an eight-year-old whose world is filled with wonders that no one else seems to appreciate. Colours, fish, dogs, and kites don't seem important to the adults, who are much more interested in things like homework, marks, and neatness. Ishaan cannot seem to get anything right in class; he is then sent to boarding school, where his life changes forever.
2

Hindi Medium (2017)

Fit 67%

Shares Comedy and Drama with 3 Idiots.

Mita and Raj Batra, an affluent couple from Delhi’s Chandni Chowk, are grappling with getting their daughter admission into an English medium school. But there is one big problem. Their zubaan is Hindi, and the elitist snobs won’t let the Hindi speaking hoi-polloi fit in.
3

Accepted (2006)

Fit 62%

Shares Comedy with 3 Idiots.

A high school slacker who's rejected by every school he applies to opts to create his own institution of higher learning, the South Harmon Institute of Technology, on a rundown piece of property near his hometown.
4

Class Act (1992)

Fit 59%

Shares Comedy and Drama with 3 Idiots.

Duncan is a genius straight A student, Blade is ajuvenile delinquent. But because of a mix up with their school records, everyone thinks each is the other one. Now, Duncan kind of likes the attention from being thought of as a real bad dude, if only the school bully would stop trying to rough him up. And Blade definitely likes being thought of as important instead of as trouble.
5

Carnage (2011)

Fit 53%

Shares Comedy and Drama with 3 Idiots.

Two pairs of parents hold a cordial meeting after their sons are involved in a fight, though as their time together progresses, increasingly childish behavior throws the discussion into chaos.
6

Welcome to the Dollhouse (1996)

Fit 47%

Shares Comedy and Drama with 3 Idiots.

An unattractive 7th grader struggles to cope with suburban life as the middle child with inattentive parents and bullies at school.
7

Half Brothers (2020)

Fit 43%

Shares Comedy and Drama with 3 Idiots.

Mexican aviation exec Renato is shocked to learn that he has an American half-brother he never knew about: free-spirited Asher. They are forced on a road trip together, tracing the path their father took from Mexico to the U.S.
8

Leo (2023)

Fit 41%

Shares Comedy with 3 Idiots.

Jaded 74-year-old reptile Leo has been stuck in the same Florida classroom for decades with his terrarium-mate turtle. When he learns he only has one year left to live, he plans to escape to experience life on the outside but instead gets caught up in the problems of his anxious students — including an impossibly mean substitute teacher.
9

Phir Hera Pheri (2006)

Fit 41%

Shares Comedy with 3 Idiots.

Raju, Shyam and Baburao are living happily after having risen from rags to riches. However, they lose it all after falling victim to a chit fund scam due to their greed for more money. Soon, they find themselves in new mess and encounter eccentric and dangerous characters in their quest for a shortcut to riches again.
10

The Kid (1921)

Fit 35%

Shares Comedy and Drama with 3 Idiots.

A tramp cares for a boy after he's abandoned as a newborn by his mother. Later the mother has a change of heart and aches to be reunited with her son.