Film
Ant-Man
A superhero movie that would rather be a heist movie, and is delighted about it. Paul Rudd's ex-con dons a suit that shrinks him to insect-size and turns him into a one-man SWAT team for Michael Douglas's oddball crew. It's small-stakes, funny, and refreshingly light on universe-saving. Good for anyone tired of superhero films that think they're operas.
If you liked this
Guardians of the Galaxy2014
Same studio, same appetite for jokes over gravitas, but bigger and weirder — a ragtag crew of losers saving the galaxy to a killer soundtrack. If Ant-Man's tone hooked you, this is the fuller meal.
But Leans harder into cosmic mythology and space opera than Ant-Man's grounded, human-scale caper.

Iron Man2008
The origin template Ant-Man is riffing on: a charming rogue, a suit, a mentor figure gone wrong, and dialogue that never takes itself too seriously. Robert Downey Jr. basically invented this register.
But More self-satisfied swagger, less physical comedy — Tony Stark never once gets stuck shrinking in a bathtub.

Deadpool2016
For when Ant-Man's jokes weren't quite enough — this turns the irreverence dial to eleven, with an anti-hero who breaks the fourth wall and mocks the genre from inside it.
But Considerably more violent and profane; this is R-rated cynicism, not family-friendly caper comedy.

The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Rififi1955
Every heist beat in Ant-Man — the crew, the blueprint, the meticulous silent execution — descends directly from this film's template.
The heist movie that invented the modern heist movie — a French noir classic with a wordless, half-hour robbery sequence so tense it still teaches screenwriters how to build one.
But Black-and-white, subtitled, and paced like the 1950s — nobody cracks a joke for two hours.

More like this (8)
Spider-Man: Homecoming2017
Another small-time hero operating way below Avengers pay grade, mentored by a bigger name, dealing with distinctly unglamorous problems. Same warm, low-stakes charm.
But Teen coming-of-age framing means less heist mechanics, more high school homework anxiety.

Ocean's Eleven2001
The heist-crew blueprint done with maximum style — a crackling ensemble, a con within a con, and the sheer pleasure of watching specialists do their specialty.
But No superpowers, no shrinking suits — just very good actors being extremely cool, which is its own genre.

Shazam!2019
A rival studio's answer to the same question — what if a superhero movie was actually just fun? A kid gets adult powers and treats it like the best day of his life.
But Broader, sillier, more overtly a family comedy than Ant-Man's semi-grown-up heist plotting.

Big Hero 62014
Animated proof that gadget-hero stories work beautifully with heart on full display — a science-nerd protagonist, an inflatable robot sidekick, and genuine emotional stakes.
But Aimed squarely at kids and families; the jokes are gentler, the villain less menacing.

The Italian Job2003
Pure heist-movie mechanics without capes: a crew of specialists, a meticulously planned job, and the satisfaction of watching a plan click into place piece by piece.
But Grounded entirely in reality — no shrinking suits, no ants, just cars and safecracking.

Baby Driver2017
A heist film with a soundtrack doing half the storytelling — stylish, kinetic, funny in bursts, with a getaway driver who'd get along fine with Scott Lang.
But Trades superhero spectacle for crime-thriller tension; the stakes get considerably darker by the end.

Microcosmos1996
Ant-Man's visual gimmick — the world seen from ant-height — is this documentary's whole aesthetic, minus the jokes and the supersuit.
A French nature documentary shot entirely at insect scale, with macro photography so intimate you can watch a beetle's legs work like machinery. Genuinely hypnotic.
But No narration, no plot, no dialogue — just an hour and a half of bugs being extraordinary. Patience required.

Downsizing2017
Same literal premise — shrink the body, change the stakes — played for social despair instead of heist fun, showing what the idea looks like without the cape.
Matt Damon shrinks himself to five inches tall to solve his money problems, in a film that starts as satire and quietly turns into something sadder and stranger than you'd expect.
But Melancholic and meandering where Ant-Man is brisk and cheerful — this treats shrinking as existential crisis, not superpower.

People
Cast
Paul RuddScott Lang / Ant-Man
Michael DouglasDr. Hank Pym
Evangeline LillyHope van Dyne
Corey StollDarren Cross / Yellowjacket
Bobby CannavalePaxton
Anthony MackieSam Wilson / Falcon
Judy GreerMaggie Lang
Abby Ryder FortsonCassie Lang
Michael PeñaLuis
T.I.Dave
Wood HarrisGale
Directing
- Peyton ReedDirector
- Lars P. WintherFirst Assistant Director
- Nick SatrianoFirst Assistant Director
- Walter GasparovicFirst Assistant Director
- Kerry Lyn McKissickScript Supervisor
- Brian Avery GalliganSecond Assistant Director
Writing
- Jack KirbyComic Book
- Larry LieberComic Book
- Stan LeeComic Book
- Adam McKayScreenplay
- Edgar WrightScreenplay
- Joe CornishScreenplay
- Paul RuddScreenplay
- Edgar WrightStory
- Joe CornishStory
Production
- Barbara HarrisADR Voice Casting
- Lars P. WintherAssociate Producer
- Kyana F. DavidsonBusiness Affairs Coordinator
- Sarah Halley FinnCasting
- Claire KoonceCasting Assistant
- Jason B. StameyCasting Associate
- Brad WinderbaumCo-Producer
- David J. GrantCo-Producer
- Alan FineExecutive Producer
- Edgar WrightExecutive Producer
- Louis D'EspositoExecutive Producer
- Michael GrilloExecutive Producer
- Stan LeeExecutive Producer
- Victoria AlonsoExecutive Producer
- Jackie BurchLocal Casting
- Adam ColePost Production Coordinator
- Kevin FeigeProducer
- Richard CastroProduction Accountant
- Christopher KellyProduction Assistant
- Jenny SandellProduction Coordinator
- Jason TamezProduction Supervisor
- JoAnn PerritanoUnit Production Manager
Recommended by
Guardians of the Galaxy, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, Iron Man, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Spider-Man: Homecoming