Movies like Serial Mom (1994)
The best movies like Serial Mom (1994) are Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer (2025), Raising Arizona (1987) and Throw Momma from the Train (1987). If Serial Mom hooked you with its comedy and crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedGirl in the Basement (2021)7.6/10 from 912 votes
- NewestCaught Stealing (2025)Released 2025
Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer (2025)
A struggling writer in the midst of a divorce befriends a retired serial killer who incidentally becomes his marriage counselor by day, and killing counselor for his next book by night.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRaising Arizona (1987)
When a childless couple—an ex-con and an ex-cop—take one of a wealthy family’s quintuplets to raise as their own, their lives grow more complicated than anticipated.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThrow Momma from the Train (1987)
Larry Donner, an author with a cruel ex-wife, teaches a writing workshop in which one of his students, Owen, is fed up with his domineering mother. When Owen watches a Hitchcock classic that seems to mirror his own life, he decides to put the movie's plot into action and offers to kill Larry's ex-wife, if Larry promises to murder his mom. Before Larry gets a chance to react to the plan, it seems that Owen has already set things in motion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Whole Nine Yards (2000)
After a mobster agrees to cooperate with an FBI investigation in order to stay out of prison, he's relocated by the authorities to a life of suburban anonymity as part of a witness protection program. It's not long before a couple of his new neighbours figure out his true identity and come knocking to see if he'd be up for one more hit—suburban style.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOne Night at McCool's (2001)
On an ordinary night, in an ordinary part of town, a beautiful young woman walks into a bar. Her name is Jewel, and before long she is chatting to bartender Randy. The pair leave together, but he ends up getting into a tussle with her criminal boyfriend, who she then shoots dead, later persuading Randy to take the rap for her. But this isn't the end of it, as both Randy's cousin Carl and the detective assigned to the murder case also fall for Jewel's charms and find themselves caught up in the ensuing events. It seems that any man who meets Jewel falls instantly in love with her, and she's going to use this fully to her own advantage, leaving a trail of havoc in her wake. It also seems that she is going to get away with it - that is, until Randy decides to hire a hitman...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisFemale Trouble (1976)
Teenage delinquent Dawn Davenport, incensed after her parents do not give her the cha-cha heels she wanted for Christmas, runs away from home. After an illegitimate child and hairstylist husband bring her more misery, she's enticed into a life of crime when the owners of her husband's salon promise her fame and fortune.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPink Flamingos (1972)
Notorious Baltimore criminal and underground figure Divine goes up against Connie & Raymond Marble, a sleazy married couple who make a passionate attempt to humiliate her and seize her tabloid-given title as "The Filthiest Person Alive".
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like this68 Kill (2017)
Chip's problem is that he can't say no to beautiful women. This weakness gets him into a world of trouble when he agrees to help his girlfriend steal $68,000.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisSwimming with Sharks (1994)
Guy is a young film executive who's willing to do whatever it takes to make it in Hollywood. He begins working for famed producer Buddy Ackerman, a domineering, manipulative, coldhearted boss. When Guy also finds out that his cynical girlfriend, Dawn, has been using sex as a career move, he reaches his limit. Guy decides to exact revenge on Buddy by kidnapping him and subjecting him to cruel and unusual punishment.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDesperate Living (1977)
After killing her husband, Peggy Gravel and her murderous maid Grizelda wind up in the crazy town of Mortville, where Queen Carlotta presides over a sleazy collection of misfits.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCaught Stealing (2025)
Burned-out ex-baseball player Hank Thompson unexpectedly finds himself embroiled in a dangerous struggle for survival amidst the criminal underbelly of late 1990s New York City, forced to navigate a treacherous underworld he never imagined.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMarried to the Mob (1988)
Angela de Marco is fed up with her gangster husband's line of work and wants no part of the crime world. When her husband is killed for having an affair with the mistress of mob boss Tony "The Tiger" Russo, Angela and her son depart for New York City to make a fresh start. Unfortunately, Tony has set his sights upon Angela -- and so has an undercover FBI agent looking to use her to bust Tony.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPolyester (1981)
Blessed with a keen sense of smell and cursed with a philandering pornographer husband, a parasitic mother, and a pair of delinquent children, the long-suffering Francine Fishpaw turns to the bottle as her life falls apart -- until deliverance appears in the form of a hunk named Todd Tomorrow. Originally screened with "Odorama" scratch and sniff cards so the audience could (at their own risk) smell along with the film.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBreaking In (2018)
Shaun Russell takes her son and daughter on a weekend getaway to her late father's secluded, high-tech vacation home in the countryside. The family soon gets an unwelcome surprise when four men break into the house to find hidden money. After managing to escape, Shaun must now figure out a way to turn the tables on the desperate thieves and save her captive children.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Simple Favor (2018)
Stephanie, a dedicated mother and popular vlogger, befriends Emily, a mysterious upper-class woman whose son Nicky attends the same school as Miles, Stephanie's son. When Emily asks her to pick Nicky up from school and then disappears, Stephanie undertakes an investigation that will dive deep into Emily's cloudy past.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGunpowder Milkshake (2021)
To protect an 8-year-old girl, a dangerous assassin reunites with her mother and her lethal associates to take down a ruthless crime syndicate and its army of henchmen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBad Moms (2016)
When three overworked and under-appreciated moms are pushed beyond their limits, they ditch their conventional responsibilities for a jolt of long overdue freedom, fun, and comedic self-indulgence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGirl in the Basement (2021)
Sara is a teen girl who is looking forward to her 18th birthday to move away from her controlling father Don. But before she could even blow out the candles, Don imprisons her in the basement of their home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEvery Secret Thing (2014)
One clear summer day in a Baltimore suburb, a baby goes missing from her front porch. Two young girls serve seven years for the crime and are released into a town that hasn't fully forgiven or forgotten. Soon, another child is missing, and two detectives are called in to investigate the mystery in a community where everyone seems to have a secret.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRuthless People (1986)
Sam Stone hates his wife Barbara so much that he wants her dead. He's ecstatic when she's taken by a duo of kidnappers who want $500,000 ransom in exchange for her life. Fully intending to ignore every one of the kidnappers' demands in the hopes that they do him a favor and murder her for him, the two confused kidnappers have to figure out how they're going get their money, and what they're going to do with the overbearing Barbara.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMan Bites Dog (1992)
The activities of rampaging, indiscriminate serial killer Ben are recorded by a willingly complicit documentary team, who eventually become his accomplices and active participants. Ben provides casual commentary on the nature of his work and arbitrary musings on topics of interest to him, such as music or the conditions of low-income housing, and even goes so far as to introduce the documentary crew to his family. But their reckless indulgences soon get the better of them.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, Nick Cage must accept a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous superfan. Things take a wildly unexpected turn when Cage is recruited by a CIA operative and forced to live up to his own legend, channeling his most iconic and beloved on-screen characters in order to save himself and his loved ones.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Glimmer Man (1996)
A former government operative renowned for his stealth, Jack Cole is now a Los Angeles police detective. When a series of horrible murders occurs in the metro area, Cole is assigned to the case, along with tough-talking fellow cop Jim Campbell. Although the two men clash, they gradually become effective partners as they uncover a conspiracy linked to the killings, which also involves terrorism and organized crime.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Devil and Ms. D (1999)
Is he really the devil incarnate, as he claims? Or is he a dangerous weirdo who uses his stories to get the best out of women? Because in any case he is one thing: a great seducer, to whom the psychologist Cora falls hopelessly; he is the target of her unfulfilled dreams, her most secret longings. The reason to completely change her life and even commit a perfect murder...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime & comedy
Critters 2 (1988)
Three bounty hunters from space fly back to the town of Grovers Bend, hoping to save local residents from a new batch of Critter eggs.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Juror (1996)
Struggling single mother Annie Laird impulsively agrees to serve on a jury, hoping for a little excitement in her humdrum life. But she gets far more than she bargained for when she's forced to sacrifice the truth to save her son from the mob's seductive, psychotic enforcer.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisBlack Bud (2021)
Sanya, a rebellious contemporary girl but a poet at heart, escapes her strict orthodox father's house in search of a new life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Step Up (2006)
Delinquent Tyler Gage receives the opportunity of a lifetime after vandalizing a performing arts school, gaining him the chance to earn a scholarship and dance with up-and-coming dancer Nora.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Henry Smurf Project (2005)
El proyecto del Pitufo Enrique is a document about the existence of a mysterious goblin from the province of Catamarca. During the filming of the movie there were some tragic incidents, such as the disappearance of six people or the violent deaths of another three. Some of these incidents were registered on video but couldn't see the light because of the ongoing legal battle between the director and the victim's families opposing its screening. On the contrary, Elvira Serio director of the movie, thinks that what is on the tape could be of great help shedding some light over all the mysteries around this thread. She hopes that her work can serve as a warning as well to all the residents and tourists who often visit that place.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Hannibal (2001)
After having successfully eluded the authorities for years, Hannibal peacefully lives in Italy in disguise as an art scholar. Trouble strikes again when he's discovered leaving a deserving few dead in the process. He returns to America to make contact with now disgraced Agent Clarice Starling, who is suffering the wrath of a malicious FBI rival as well as the media.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Serial Mom?
The closest matches to Serial Mom are Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer (2025), Raising Arizona (1987) and Throw Momma from the Train (1987). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Serial Mom?
Start with Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer (2025), the closest match to Serial Mom.
What is the highest-rated movie like Serial Mom?
Girl in the Basement (2021), rated 7.6/10 by 912 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Serial Mom?
Caught Stealing (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Serial Mom?
Yes: Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer (2025), Raising Arizona (1987) and Throw Momma from the Train (1987).
How are movies similar to Serial Mom chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Serial Mom, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.