Garden State

Garden State

Directed by Zach Braff

Produced by Camelot Pictures, Jersey Films

2004102 min7.1 / 10

A melancholic indie romance about emotional numbness and reconnection, where a depressed man returns home and finds tentative hope through friendship and love amid grief and pharmaceutical uncertainty.

Andrew returns to his hometown for his mother’s funeral, a journey that reconnects him with old friends. The trip coincides with his decision to stop taking his powerful antidepressants. A chance meeting with Sam—a girl also struggling with various maladies—opens up the possibility of rekindling emotional connections, confronting his psychologist father, and perhaps beginning a new life.

Where to watch

Questions people ask

  • Is Garden State sad? Yes. More sad than 88% of films.

  • Is Garden State violent? Barely. Less violent than 86% of films.

  • Is Garden State scary? Not especially. Less frightening than 65% of films.

  • Is Garden State easy watching? Somewhat. More comforting than 62% of films.

  • Does Garden State end with hope? About average. Almost exactly mid-range.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

67/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Distinctly its own thing.

Rarity68

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise61

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love72

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Everything like Garden State, and what each one shares →

Like Garden State

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as Garden State

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like Garden State, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like Garden State, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like Garden State, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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