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Movies like Chapter 51 (2026)

The best movies like Chapter 51 (2026) are Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), The Cheap Detective (1978) and Another Thin Man (1939). If Chapter 51 hooked you with its comedy and crime, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Shadow 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 & crime

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  2. The 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 & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  3. Another 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 this
  4. Song 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 & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  5. A Shot in the Dark (1964)

    Inspector Jacques Clouseau, smitten with the accused maid Maria Gambrelli, unwittingly turns a straightforward murder investigation into a comedic series of mishaps, testing the patience of his irritable boss Charles Dreyfus as casualties mount.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  6. The 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 & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  7. The Honey Pot (1967)

    In Venice, a millionaire hires an actor to help him prank three greedy exes into thinking he's dying and leaving his fortune to one of them.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  8. Wrong Cops (2013)

    A group of bad cops look to dispose of a body that one of them accidentally shot.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & comedy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  9. The Glass Key (1942)

    A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  10. Deathtrap (1982)

    A Broadway playwright puts murder in his plan to take credit for a student's script.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & comedy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  11. The Blue Gardenia (1953)

    Upon waking up to the news that the man she’d gone on a date with the previous night has been murdered, a young woman with only a faint memory of the night’s events begins to suspect that she murdered him while attempting to resist his advances.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & mystery

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  12. The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)

    Charles Dreyfus, who has finally cracked over inspector Clouseau's antics, escapes from a mental institution and launches an elaborate plan to get rid of Clouseau once and for all.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  13. The Mirror Crack'd (1980)

    Jane Marple solves the mystery when a local woman is poisoned and a visiting movie star seems to have been the intended victim.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  14. LaRoy, Texas (2024)

    Broke and depressed, Ray is mistaken for a dangerous hitman and given an envelope of cash. Along with his P.I. friend Skip, he must escape the actual hitman to make it out of LaRoy alive.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & comedy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  15. My Blue Heaven (1990)

    FBI agent Barney Coopersmith is assigned to protect former Mafia figure turned informant Vincent Antonelli. In the witness protection program one is supposed to keep a low profile, but that is something that Antonelli has trouble doing. Coopersmith certainly has his hands full keeping Antonelli away from the Mafia hitmen who want to stop him testifying, not to mention the nightclubs...

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988)

    When the bumbling Lieutenant Frank Drebin investigates events following the shooting of his partner, he stumbles upon an attempt to assassinate Queen Elizabeth II.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  17. See Spot Run (2001)

    A drug sniffing agent canine is a target for an assassin boss so the FBI calls Witness Protection to send him somewhere else. Meanwhile a single Mom puts her 6 year old boy James in the care of her irresponsible, mailman, neighbor, Gordon, when the babysitter bails on her. Meanwhile, an assassin mob boss hires 2 goons to kill Agent 11. But when 11 escapes from the van when they tried to kill him, he hides in Gordon's Mailtruck that James is in too. And guess what they name him. Spot.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  18. Murder! (1930)

    When actress Diana Baring is found in a daze beside her colleague’s murdered body, all evidence points to her guilt. During the trial, juror Sir John Menier doubts the verdict, but yields to pressure. Haunted by remorse, he launches his own investigation.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime

  19. The Thin Man Goes Home (1944)

    Hoping for a peaceful visit with his parents in the small town of Sycamore Springs, Nick Charles and his wife Nora soon find themselves surrounded by old rivalries, family tensions, and a mysterious murder. Nick’s father, a respected retired doctor, would much rather see his son give up detective work, but a suspicious shooting quickly draws Nick back into action. As Nick and Nora investigate, they uncover jealousy, deception, hidden motives, and a dangerous secret involving the town’s prominent citizens.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. Black Angel (1946)

    A falsely convicted man's wife, Catherine, and an alcoholic composer and pianist, Martin, team up in an attempt to clear her husband of the murder of a blonde singer, who is Martin's wife.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery & crime

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this

Like Chapter 51 and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like Chapter 51?

The closest matches to Chapter 51 are Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), The Cheap Detective (1978) and Another Thin Man (1939). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after Chapter 51?

Start with Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), the closest match to Chapter 51.

What is the highest-rated movie like Chapter 51?

The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad! (1988), rated 7.3/10 by 4,765 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like Chapter 51?

LaRoy, Texas (2024) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like Chapter 51?

Yes: Shadow of the Thin Man (1941), The Cheap Detective (1978) and Another Thin Man (1939).

How are movies similar to Chapter 51 chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Chapter 51, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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