Movies like On the Air (1988)
The best movies like On the Air (1988) are The Young One (1960), Christine (2016) and Attraction (2001). If On the Air hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedChristine (2016)6.9/10 from 422 votes
- NewestBoston Strangler (2023)Released 2023
- In SpanishThe House of Snails (2021)Also in Spanish
The Young One (1960)
A jazz musician seeks refuge from a lynch mob on a remote island, where he meets a hostile game warden and the young object of his attentions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChristine (2016)
In 1974, television reporter Christine Chubbuck struggles with depression and professional frustrations as she tries to advance her career.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAttraction (2001)
A writer/radio advice show host fails to heed his own advice as he stalks his ex-girlfriend and then becomes involved with an actress friend of hers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRed (2008)
Avery, a reclusive older man, has a best friend in his dog, Red. When three teens kill Red without reason, Avery sets out for justice and redemption, attempting to follow the letter of the law. But when the law fails him, and the boys' father clearly defines right and wrong in his own way, Avery must avenge himself by any means possible.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPlay Misty for Me (1971)
A brief fling between a late-night radio disc jockey and an obsessed female fan takes a frightening turn when another woman enters the picture.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Brilliant Career (1979)
A young woman who is determined to maintain her independence finds herself at odds with her family who wants her to tame her wild side and get married.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBroadcast News (1987)
A high-strung news producer finds herself in a love triangle between a talented but self-doubting reporter and a charming news anchor who embodies the growing trivialization of news that she is determined to fight against.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Crush (1993)
A precocious and obsessive teenager develops a crush on a naive writer with harrowing consequences.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Girl in the Book (2015)
The story of a young writer's transformation when her past invades her present.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe House on Carroll Street (1988)
A reporter, fired after refusing to give names to a 1951 House Un-American Activities Committee, takes a part-time job as companion to an old lady. While working she overhears a noisy argument in the neighboring house, being conducted largely in German and involving her HUAC prosecutor. She begins to investigate, enlisting the help of the FBI Agent initially detailed to surveil her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTamara Drewe (2010)
A young newspaper writer returns to her hometown in the English countryside, where her childhood home is being prepped for sale.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisGoing the Distance (2010)
Erin and Garrett are very much in love. When Erin moves to San Francisco to finish her journalism degree and Garrett stays behind in New York to work in the music industry, they gamely keep the romance alive with webcams and frequent-flyer miles. But just when it seems the lovers will soon be reunited, they each score a big break that could separate them for good.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisInterview (2007)
After falling out with his editor, a fading political journalist is forced to interview America's most popular soap actress.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisContinental Divide (1981)
A hard-nosed Chicago journalist has an unlikely love affair with an eagle researcher.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJolt (2021)
A bouncer with an anger management problem goes on a furious and resentful rampage after the murder of a friend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe House of Snails (2021)
A writer secludes himself in the mountains and falls in lust with local Berta. After realizing the oddities of the rural community the author starts to question the lines between reality and fiction.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisMad City (1997)
A misguided museum guard who loses his job and then tries to get it back at gunpoint is thrown into the fierce world of ratings-driven TV gone mad.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Prairie Home Companion (2006)
A look at what goes on backstage during the last broadcast of America's most celebrated radio show, where singing cowboys Dusty and Lefty, a country music siren, and a host of others hold court.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisProm (2011)
At “Prom,” every couple has a story and no two are exactly alike. As the big dance approaches for Nova Prescott, it’s a battle of wills as she finds herself drawn to the guy who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Fellow seniors Mei and Tyler harbor secrets, while others face all the insecurity and anticipation that surrounds one of high school’s most seminal events.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBoston Strangler (2023)
Reporters Loretta McLaughlin and Jean Cole bravely pursue the story of the Boston Strangler at great personal risk, putting their own lives on the line in their quest to uncover the truth.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like On the Air?
The closest matches to On the Air are The Young One (1960), Christine (2016) and Attraction (2001). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after On the Air?
Start with The Young One (1960), the closest match to On the Air.
What is the highest-rated movie like On the Air?
Christine (2016), rated 6.9/10 by 422 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like On the Air?
Boston Strangler (2023) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Spanish movies like On the Air?
Yes: The House of Snails (2021).
How are movies similar to On the Air chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside On the Air, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.