Movies like The Birthday (2005)
The best movies like The Birthday (2005) are The Private Eyes (1980), Society (1990) and Dead (2020). If The Birthday hooked you with its comedy and horror, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedSociety (1990)6.7/10 from 683 votes
- NewestHold the Fort (2025)Released 2025
The Private Eyes (1980)
The lord and lady of a capacious manor are killed, and the lord's ghost seems to have returned to knock off the staff one by one, causing Inspector Winship and Dr. Tart to investigate the wacky house and its inhabitants.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSociety (1990)
Bill Whitney is worried that he is different to his sister and parents. They mix with other upper-class people while Bill is more down to earth. Even his girlfriend seems a bit odd. All is revealed when Bill returns home to find a party in full swing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDead (2020)
Dane ‘Marbles’ Marbeck can see ghosts, thanks to a homemade drug: his late father’s neurological medication mixed with marijuana. Officer Jayson Tagg, a wannabe super-cop on the trail of a serial killer, ends up murdered. So when Marbles’ mum plans to sell the family farm, and the only way of buying the house off her is taking the money offered by Tagg in exchange for his help, Marbles accepts. The unlikely duo of stoner medium and ghost cop struggle to reconcile their differences while they navigate their way through ghouls, perverts, a mysterious hooded figure, and an unexpected shot at love. It becomes clear the only way Marbles and Tagg will solve the case with their souls intact is to confront their deepest regrets and overcome their prejudices.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Old Dark House (1963)
An American car salesman in London becomes mixed up in a series of fatal occurrences at a secluded mansion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
SnoozefestMovies like thisBud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949)
Lost Caverns Resort Hotel bellhop Freddie Phillips gives an empty threat to one attorney Amos Strickland, and is shortly fired. When Freddie visits his guest's suite to apologize, he finds Strickland dead of a gunshot wound. As the investigators file in, Freddie becomes the scapegoat of the guests in the hotel, who all had a bone to pick with Strickland. It's now up to Freddie and Detective Casey Edwards to find out who the real killer is, all the while avoiding the many vigorous and violent villains staying at the resort.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSong of the Thin Man (1947)
While attending a glamorous jazz cruise on New York’s East River, Nick and Nora Charles witness the fatal shooting of a wealthy patron. When suspicion falls on a young bandleader and his musicians, the couple steps in to clear their friends and uncover the real killer. Their investigation leads through a lively world of jazz clubs, radio personalities, high society, and backstage rivalries, where almost everyone has a secret and the next clue may be hidden in the music.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGatlopp: Hell of a Game (2022)
Four friends get together for a nostalgic evening of fun and games after a decade of absence, which takes a dark turn.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShadow of the Thin Man (1941)
While attending a major horse race with their young son, Nick Jr., Nick and Nora Charles witnesse a shocking murder from the crowded grandstand. What first appears to be an isolated killing soon leads to a maze of corruption, blackmail, gambling scandals, and criminal intrigue. As Nick investigates, he encounters suspicious bookmakers, dishonest officials, rival gangsters, and a mysterious killer determined to stay ahead of the law. Nora, as always, is never far from the action, bringing her quick wit and fearless curiosity to the case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOnyx the Fortuitous and the Talisman of Souls (2023)
Onyx joins a group of fellow occultists to attend a dark ritual at the mansion of their idol, Bartok. Suspecting Bartok’s nefarious intentions, Onyx is suddenly immersed in a world of monsters, mystery, and mayhem.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnother Thin Man (1939)
Nick and Nora Charles are back - and this time, they have a baby, a wealthy new client, and another murder to solve! Retired detective Nick is enjoying family life with Nora and their young son, Nick Jr., when eccentric industrialist Colonel MacFay asks for protection after receiving threatening messages. When MacFay is found dead at his isolated estate, Nick and Nora spring into action, questioning a houseful of suspicious guests and uncovering greed, blackmail, family secrets, and a dangerous inheritance plot. With their trademark wit and sophistication, the glamorous couple balances parenthood, parties, and peril as they race to expose the killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHold the Fort (2025)
A HOA turns out to be more troublesome than usual in this wildly amusing, FX-heavy freak-out about newly minted suburbanites unexpectedly forced to take part in a struggle against monstrous forces.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDave Made a Maze (2017)
Dave, an artist who has yet to complete anything significant in his career, builds a fort in his living room out of pure frustration, only to wind up trapped by the fantastical pitfalls, booby traps, and critters of his own creation. Ignoring his warnings, Dave’s girlfriend Annie leads a band of oddball explorers on a rescue mission. Once inside, they find themselves trapped in an ever-changing supernatural world, threatened by booby traps and pursued by a bloodthirsty Minotaur.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Cheap Detective (1978)
A spoof of the entire 1940s detective genre. San Francisco private detective, Lou Pekinpaugh is accused of murdering his partner at the instigation of his mistress—his partner's wife.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Dog's Breakfast (2007)
If you've never been good at anything in your life, why would murder be any different? Patrick has always had a somewhat combative relationship with his little sister Marilyn, but when she brings home her new sci-fi soap star fiancé Ryan, it's all out war. When Patrick fails to drive a wedge between the happy couple, he reaches for sharper instruments.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPorno (2019)
When a group of naive teens working at a movie theater in a small Christian town discover a mysterious film hidden in its basement, they unleash an alluring succubus who gives them a sex education…written in blood.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)
After spending decades living in the shadow of his more famous and successful sibling, Consulting Detective Sigerson Holmes is called upon to help solve a crucial case that leads him on a hilarious trail of false identities, stolen documents, secret codes... and exposed backsides.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBad (1977)
Hazel runs a beauty salon out of her house, but makes extra money by providing ruthless women the oppurtunity to perform hit jobs. L.T. is a parasite, and contacts Hazel looking for work after he runs out of money. She is reluctant to use him for a hit, since she prefers using women, but decides to try him on a trial basis. Meanwhile, the cop she pays off wants an arrest to make it look like he's doing his job, but Hazel doesn't want to sacrifice any of her "associates". The sleazy side of life is explored in this delightfully dark and deadpan film.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both horror & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisVillains (2019)
When their car breaks down, a couple on the run headed southbound for a fresh start in the Sunshine State break into a nearby house looking for a new set of wheels. What they find instead is a dark secret, and a sweet-as-pie pair of homeowners who will do anything to keep it from getting out.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Curse of the Lake Monster (2010)
Scooby-Doo and the gang are on the case when a mysterious lake monster starts scaring the guests at a summer resort in Erie Point, where Fred, Daphne, Velma and Shaggy have taken on seasonal jobs to pay for a barn they accidentally burned down. But in addition to sneaking suspicions, there's some romance in the air.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisReturn to... Return to Nuke 'Em High aka Vol. 2 (2017)
Following the events of Volume 1, the mutated glee club continue their violent rampage in Tromaville. Chrissy and Lauren, two innocent lesbian lovers, must fight not only the Cretins, mutants, and monsters but also the evil Tromorganic Foodstuffs Conglomerate. Can they, and Kevin the Wonder Duck, save Tromaville High School and the world?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & horror
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFilmini mentali (2020)
Marco, a troubled man, fed up with his daily routine, decides, on behalf of his wife, to spend the day in a good mood without ever managing to be genuinely happy.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & mystery
Friend of the World (2020)
After a catastrophic war, an eccentric general leads a filmmaker through a bunker as paranoia escalates and reality begins to fracture. Blending dark comedy with psychological and body horror, this post-apocalyptic thriller explores isolation, storytelling, and the fragile boundary between truth and delusion.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & horror
Mr. Osomatsu: An Anecdote With Horses (2016)
An Osomatsu-san special funded in part by the Japan Racing Association, a company that oversees horse racing and betting.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Osomatsu-san VR (2017)
A VR short created for the Anime Plaza x Osomatsu-san collaboration, which could be experienced from October 6, 2017 to January 31, 2018 in various locations across Japan. The short involves you, brought into the world of the show, meeting with the sextuplets in the bathhouse and granting their wishes, with chaos ensuing.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The Exhibition (2013)
The film tells about a small museum, where the economic boom has not yet arrived. It appears as if time has stopped in this national museum, a museum which should serve as a show window for Slovakia. Stuffed animals are covered with dust and the three employees working as caretakers of the huge building look like the museum exhibits themselves.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Good Burger 2 (2023)
Dexter Reed is down on his luck after another one of his inventions fails. Ed welcomes Dex back to Good Burger with open arms and gives him his old job back. With a new crew working at Good Burger, Dex devises a plan to get back on his feet but unfortunately puts the fate of Good Burger at risk once again.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGritty Fraggle Rock (2019)
Worlds collide when a secret passage way to the dying world of Fraggle Rock is discovered in the U.S. Officer Lamb and Officer Chops are on the case, when a seemingly targeted string of murders begin to take place against the people of Fraggle Rock. Gobo Fraggle and his friends face new threats, and adventure, in their new home, Earth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
"PUNETE" (2023)
A tale about two friends embarking on a mysterious journey guided by a wizard.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The Unfailing Mission of Renildo Salvador (2019)
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom (2023)
Gallic heroes and forever friends Asterix and Obelix journey to China to help Princess Sa See save the Empress and her land from a nefarious prince.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Birthday?
The closest matches to The Birthday are The Private Eyes (1980), Society (1990) and Dead (2020). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Birthday?
Start with The Private Eyes (1980), the closest match to The Birthday.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Birthday?
Society (1990), rated 6.7/10 by 683 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Birthday?
Hold the Fort (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Birthday?
Yes: The Private Eyes (1980), Society (1990) and Dead (2020).
How are movies similar to The Birthday chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Birthday, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.