Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004)
Let's get the obvious-but-essential choice out of the way first. Directed by Michel Gondry from a script by Charlie Kaufman—Jonze’s collaborator on Being John Malkovich and Adaptation—this film is the ultimate spiritual sibling. It tackles a high-concept
sci-fi premise (a service that erases memories of a past relationship) with immense heart and visual creativity. The story of Joel and Clementine’s fractured romance, tumbling through disappearing memories, has the same DNA of inventive sadness and desperate connection that defines Jonze's best work. It’s a beautiful, gut-wrenching, and unforgettable experience that feels like a conversation between a director and a writer at the peak of their shared sensibilities.
The Lobster (2015)
If the deadpan absurdity and examination of modern romance in Her resonated with you, Yorgos Lanthimos's The Lobster is your next stop. In a dystopian society, single people are forced to find a partner in 45 days or be turned into an animal of their choice. The film explores societal pressures, loneliness, and the bizarre rituals of courtship with a uniquely stilted, hilarious, and ultimately bleak tone. It shares Jonze's talent for building a surreal world to ask painfully real questions about our own. It's less warm and fuzzy than Her, but its commitment to its own strange logic creates a powerful and thought-provoking satire on love and conformity.
Swiss Army Man (2016)
On paper, a film about a suicidal man who befriends a flatulent corpse sounds like a joke. In execution, Swiss Army Man is a profoundly moving, inventive, and hilarious story about friendship and loneliness. Directed by The Daniels, the film stars Paul Dano as a man stranded on an island who discovers a body (Daniel Radcliffe) that has a surprising number of practical uses, from a water fountain to a jet ski. This bizarre premise is a vessel for exploring themes of shame, social alienation, and the need for connection with a creativity and heartfelt sincerity that feels pure Jonze. It’s a celebration of the weird and grotesque parts of being human, finding beauty in the places you'd least expect.
Kajillionaire (2020)
Miranda July’s films often live in a universe adjacent to Jonze's, full of quirky, emotionally stunted characters searching for belonging. Kajillionaire is a perfect example. The film follows Old Dolio (Evan Rachel Wood), the daughter of two con artists who has been trained her whole life to swindle and steal. When an outsider joins their schemes, Old Dolio's worldview is shattered, and she begins to crave a tenderness she's never known. It's a deeply weird and slow-burn film, but its exploration of dysfunctional family dynamics and a young woman's awkward awakening into selfhood is full of the specific, heartfelt humanism that Jonze fans will recognize and appreciate.
Frank (2014)
What is art? Who gets to be an artist? And what is the line between genius and mental illness? These are the questions at the heart of Frank, a wonderfully strange and poignant film directed by Lenny Abrahamson. It tells the story of Jon, a wannabe musician who joins an eccentric pop band led by the enigmatic Frank (Michael Fassbender), a man who never takes off his giant papier-mâché head. The film brilliantly balances its absurd comedy with a deep empathy for its characters, especially the brilliant but troubled Frank. It’s a funny, sad, and insightful look at the perils of creativity and the desire for fame, all wrapped in a quirky package that feels like it could have sprung from the same world as Jonze and Kaufman’s collaborations.
