If you’re a fan of the offbeat 2004 indie comedy Napoleon Dynamite, you know there’s nothing else quite like it. With its quirky characters, quotable one-liners, and small-town slice-of-life vibe, Napoleon Dynamite captured a unique comedic style that resonated with a generation.
But while Napoleon may stand alone, there are plenty of other movies out there that share some of its oddball DNA. Whether it’s the awkward teen protagonists, the dry, deadpan humor, or just an overall spirit of lovable losers and underdogs, these films will give you some serious Napoleon Dynamite vibes. Here are 18 of the best:
1. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
This Oscar-winning indie gem follows the dysfunctional Hoover family as they embark on a cross-country road trip to take 7-year-old Olive to compete in the Little Miss Sunshine beauty pageant. Starring Greg Kinnear, Toni Collette, Steve Carell, and Alan Arkin (who won an Oscar for his performance), it’s a hilarious and heartwarming look at family dynamics.
Like Napoleon, Little Miss Sunshine celebrates misfits and outsiders, finding the humor and humanity in its eccentric characters. Abigail Breslin’s Olive is an unlikely beauty queen, but her enthusiasm is infectious. The film’s climactic dance number is an all-timer that rivals Napoleon’s talent show routine.
2. Rushmore (1998)
Wes Anderson’s breakout hit stars Jason Schwartzman as Max Fischer, a precocious prep school student who excels at extracurriculars but struggles academically. He forms an unlikely friendship with wealthy industrialist Herman Blume (Bill Murray) and falls for a teacher at his school (Olivia Williams).
Rushmore established many of Anderson’s signature quirks, from the meticulous visual style to the bone-dry humor. Max is a kindred spirit to Napoleon – an oddball overachiever who doesn’t quite fit in. The script, co-written by Anderson and Owen Wilson, is packed with quotable lines and memorable characters.
3. Nacho Libre (2006)
Napoleon Dynamite director Jared Hess re-teamed with Jack Black for this goofy comedy about a monk who moonlights as a luchador to earn money for his orphanage. Black plays Ignacio, aka Nacho, who teams up with a scrawny thief named Esqueleto to enter a tag team wrestling tournament.
Like Napoleon, Nacho Libre revels in its hero’s quixotic quest, mining big laughs from Nacho’s terrible wrestling skills and delusional self-confidence. The movie has the same affectionately offbeat tone as Napoleon Dynamite, and Black’s all-in performance makes Nacho an endearingly weird protagonist.
4. Eagle vs Shark (2007)
Before he directed Thor: Ragnarok and Jojo Rabbit, Taika Waititi made his feature debut with this charmingly quirky romantic comedy. Jemaine Clement (Flight of the Conchords) stars as a sullen video game store clerk who falls for a shy fast food worker played by Loren Horsley.
Eagle vs Shark has a very Napoleon Dynamite-esque vibe, with its small New Zealand town setting, lo-fi aesthetic, and gallery of socially awkward characters. Clement’s character has some serious Napoleon energy with his petulant selfishness and nerdy obsessions. But like Napoleon, the movie has a sweet center beneath the cringe comedy.
5. Garden State (2004)
Zach Braff’s directorial debut was a touchstone for sensitive indie-loving millennials. Braff plays Andrew Largeman, an emotionally numb actor/waiter who returns to his New Jersey hometown after his mother’s death. There he meets Sam (Natalie Portman), a quirky pathological liar, and begins to open up emotionally.
With its hip soundtrack and earnest exploration of twenty-something aimlessness, Garden State captured a particular early 2000s zeitgeist. And while its characters are more self-aware than Napoleon, it shares that film’s affection for stunted man-children and its dry, ironic sense of humor.
6. Dazed and Confused (1993)
Richard Linklater’s classic follows a group of Texas high schoolers on the last day of school in 1976. Like Napoleon Dynamite, it’s more of a hang-out movie than a plot-driven one, luxuriating in the aimless, consequence-free feeling of youth.
With its large ensemble cast (including early roles for Matthew McConaughey, Ben Affleck, and Milla Jovovich), quotable dialogue (“alright, alright, alright”), and killer 70s soundtrack, Dazed and Confused is a nostalgic delight. It may not have Napoleon’s absurdist edge, but it shares its affectionate portrait of small-town life and teenage outsiders.
7. Superbad (2007)
This raunchy yet sweet coming-of-age comedy follows best friends Seth (Jonah Hill) and Evan (Michael Cera) on a wild night of partying before they head off to different colleges. Their goal: secure alcohol for a party to impress their crushes. Easier said than done.
Written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, Superbad is much cruder than Napoleon Dynamite, but it has a similar heart. Beneath all the dick jokes and wacky hijinks, it’s really a tender story about friendship and the pains of growing up. Hill and Cera’s incredible chemistry anchors the rapid-fire humor.
8. Welcome to the Dollhouse (1995)
Todd Solondz’s bleak suburban satire centers on Dawn Wiener (Heather Matarazzo), an awkward, bespectacled 7th grader mercilessly bullied by her classmates and ignored by her family. She develops a crush on her hunky older brother’s bandmate and gets caught up in a love triangle.
Welcome to the Dollhouse is much darker and more uncomfortable than Napoleon Dynamite, but it mines similar terrain – the agonies of adolescence, the cruelty of school social hierarchies. Matarazzo’s fearless performance makes Dawn a captivating underdog you can’t help but root for.
9. Election (1999)
Before Reese Witherspoon played Elle Woods, she was Tracy Flick – the ambitious, overachieving high school student determined to win the school election at all costs. Matthew Broderick plays the teacher who tries to sabotage her campaign.
Election’s satirical bite is sharper than Napoleon Dynamite’s, but it shares an affinity for flawed, delusional characters. Tracy could be Napoleon’s more driven, less socially awkward counterpart. And the film’s dark, cynical take on high school cliques and politics feels like a spiritual cousin to Napoleon’s deadpan absurdism.
10. Juno (2007)
Diablo Cody won an Oscar for her whip-smart script about a snarky 16-year-old (Elliot Page) who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby up for adoption to a yuppie couple (Jennifer Garner and Jason Bateman).
Like Napoleon, Juno is an idiosyncratic protagonist who speaks in her own distinct slang. And the film’s quirky, stylized dialogue and indie soundtrack feel very mid-2000s in a Napoleon Dynamite way. But Juno is also sneakily heartfelt, with a poignant story about growing up and taking responsibility.
11. The Royal Tenenbaums (2001)
Wes Anderson’s dysfunctional family opus centers on the Tenenbaums, a clan of failed geniuses who reunite when their estranged father (Gene Hackman) announces he’s dying. Like Napoleon, it’s a visually meticulous, tonally offbeat portrait of outcasts and misfits.
With an incredible ensemble including Gwyneth Paltrow, Ben Stiller, Luke Wilson, and Owen Wilson, The Royal Tenenbaums is both hilarious and melancholy. Its characters are more erudite than Napoleon and his friends, but they share that sense of thwarted potential and wistful nostalgia.
12. Ghost World (2001)
Based on Daniel Clowes’ graphic novel, Ghost World follows Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson), two sarcastic, misanthropic teens adrift the summer after high school graduation. Enid becomes fascinated with a lonely middle-aged man (Steve Buscemi) who collects vintage records.
Ghost World’s bone-dry humor and disdain for mainstream culture feel akin to Napoleon Dynamite. And Enid’s alienation and struggle to find her place in the world are deeply relatable. It’s a funny, bittersweet portrait of a very specific time in life.
13. Bottle Rocket (1996)
Wes Anderson’s feature debut (co-written with Owen Wilson) stars Luke and Owen Wilson as aimless friends who hatch a plan to become master thieves. Like Napoleon, they’re sweet but deluded underdogs tilting at windmills.
Bottle Rocket introduced Anderson’s distinctive visual style and deadpan comedic voice. While it’s a crime caper, the stakes always feel charmingly low, and the focus is more on the relationship between the brothers. It’s a shaggy, laid-back film with an endearing oddball spirit.
14. Wet Hot American Summer (2001)
This absurdist cult classic, set on the last day of a Jewish summer camp in 1981, features an all-star cast including Janeane Garofalo, David Hyde Pierce, Paul Rudd, Elizabeth Banks, and Amy Poehler. Like Napoleon Dynamite, it’s a silly, surreal comedy that slowly reveals a big heart.
Wet Hot American Summer parodies raunchy 80s teen comedies, amping up the ridiculousness to delirious heights. The humor is goofy and over-the-top, but the affection for its ridiculous characters shines through. It’s a loving ode to summer camp misfits.
15. Heathers (1989)
This pitch-black satire stars Winona Ryder as Veronica, a member of her high school’s popular clique who gets drawn into a murderous plot by her sociopathic boyfriend J.D. (Christian Slater). Like Napoleon, it’s a warped take on the typical teen movie, with a jet-black sense of humor.
Heathers is much edgier and more cynical than Napoleon Dynamite, but it shares a gleeful destabilization of high school clichés and hierarchies. Its endlessly quotable dialogue (“What’s your damage, Heather?”) and eye-popping visuals make it a one-of-a-kind cult classic.
16. Kicking and Screaming (1995)
Noah Baumbach’s debut feature follows a group of college graduates grappling with the aimlessness and uncertainty of post-collegiate life. Like Napoleon, they’re stuck in a holding pattern, unsure how to move forward.
Kicking and Screaming is talky and low-key, driven more by its neurotic, witty dialogue than plot. It captures the specific existential malaise of being in your early 20s, torn between nostalgia for college and anxiety about the future. Baumbach’s sharp insights into human behavior make it a great pick for Napoleon Dynamite fans.
17. Punch-Drunk Love (2002)
Paul Thomas Anderson’s oddball romantic comedy stars Adam Sandler as Barry Egan, a socially awkward entrepreneur prone to fits of rage. He falls for his sister’s co-worker Lena (Emily Watson) while getting caught up in a phone-sex extortion scam.
Punch-Drunk Love is weirder and more surreal than Napoleon Dynamite, but it shares a fascination with a misfit protagonist struggling to connect with others. Sandler is revelatory in a rare dramatic role, making Barry a sympathetic figure despite his anger issues. The film’s candy-colored visuals and swooning romance make it a one-of-a-kind experience.
18. Pretty in Pink (1986)
This classic John Hughes film stars Molly Ringwald as Andie, a working-class girl navigating the snobbery of her wealthy high school classmates. She’s torn between rich kid Blane (Andrew McCarthy) and her quirky best friend Duckie (Jon Cryer).
Pretty in Pink is more conventional than Napoleon Dynamite, with its 80s fashion and teen movie tropes. But Duckie is a classic oddball sidekick in the Napoleon mold, with his thrift-store clothes and unrequited crush on Andie. The film’s sensitive, class-conscious story holds up today.
So there you have it – 18 movies to add to your watchlist if you can’t get enough of Napoleon Dynamite’s singular comedic charms. From Wes Anderson’s fastidious indie universes to the biting satires of high school politics to portraits of awkward romance, these films all share an affinity for oddballs, outcasts, and dreamers. They’ll make you laugh, cringe, and feel less alone in your own quirkiness. Happy viewing!
