Movies like Recruits (1986)
The best movies like Recruits (1986) are CHiPs (2017), Police Academy (1984) and Starsky & Hutch (2004). If Recruits hooked you with its comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedHot Fuzz (2007)7.6/10 from 8,753 votes
- NewestSuper Troopers 3 (2026)Released 2026
CHiPs (2017)
The adventures of two California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers as they make their rounds on the freeways of Los Angeles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPolice Academy (1984)
New rules enforced by the Lady Mayoress mean that sex, weight, height and intelligence need no longer be a factor for joining the Police Force. This opens the floodgates for all and sundry to enter the Police Academy, much to the chagrin of the instructors. Not everyone is there through choice, though. Social misfit Mahoney has been forced to sign up as the only alternative to a jail sentence and it doesn't take long before he falls foul of the boorish Lieutenant Harris. But before long, Mahoney realises that he is enjoying being a police cadet and decides he wants to stay... while Harris decides he wants Mahoney out!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStarsky & Hutch (2004)
Join uptight David Starsky and laid-back Ken "Hutch" Hutchinson as they're paired for the first time as undercover cops. The new partners must overcome their differences to solve an important case with help from street informant Huggy Bear and persuasive criminal Reese Feldman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like this29th Street (1991)
After winning $6.2 million in the 1976 New York State Lottery, he is arrested for throwing rocks at a church. He then tells his story at the police station.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLet's Be Cops (2014)
Best pals Ryan and Justin are stalled in their respective careers -- a fact that is painfully driven home when they go to a college reunion. Dressed as police in the mistaken belief that they were to attend a costume party, Ryan and Justin find that the uniforms earn them much respect and attention. Although Justin is uncomfortable with the idea, Ryan decides to continue with the charade, putting them both in increasingly dangerous situations. When these newly-minted “heroes” get tangled in a real life web of mobsters and dirty detectives, they must put their fake badges on the line.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGreedy People (2024)
The eclectic residents of a small, picturesque island town must navigate a sensational murder and the discovery of a million dollars, leading to a series of increasingly bad decisions which upend the once-peaceful community.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpenser Confidential (2020)
Spenser, a former Boston patrolman who just got out from prison, teams up with Hawk, an aspiring fighter, to unravel the truth behind the death of two police officers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHot Fuzz (2007)
Former London constable Nicholas Angel finds it difficult to adapt to his new assignment in the sleepy British village of Sandford. Not only does he miss the excitement of the big city, but he also has a well-meaning oaf for a partner. However, when a series of grisly accidents rocks Sandford, Angel smells something rotten in the idyllic village.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEasy Money (1983)
To inherit his mother-in-law's colossal fortune, a hard living gambling addict must change his unhealthy ways before it gets the best of him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Debt Collector (2018)
A classically-trained martial artist goes to work as a debt collector for the mob. The job seems easy enough, until one “client” pulls him into a situation deeper than could ever be expected.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies 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
SnoozefestMovies like thisBulletproof (1996)
An undercover police officer named Rock Keats befriends a drug dealer and car thief named Archie Moses in a bid to catch the villainous drug lord Frank Coltan. But the only problem is that Keats is a cop, his real name is Jack Carter, and he is working undercover with the LAPD to bust Moses and Colton at a sting operation the LAPD has set up.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like this2 Guns (2013)
A DEA agent and an undercover Naval Intelligence officer who have been tasked with investigating one another find they have been set up by the mob -- the very organization the two men believe they have been stealing money from.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShort Time (1990)
As a result of a misdiagnosis, Detective Burt Simpson is told he has just weeks to live. He gains a new respect for his life and loved ones but learns that in order for his wife, Carolyn, and son, Dougie, to collect any insurance money, he must be killed in the line of duty. He then becomes the most reckless man on the police force, volunteering for dangerous assignments over the objections of his by-the-book partner.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Thin Man (1934)
Former detective Nick Charles has retired from police work, preferring a life of cocktails, parties, and relaxation with his wealthy wife, Nora. Their holiday is interrupted when the daughter of Nick’s former client asks for help finding her missing father, eccentric inventor Clyde Wynant. When Wynant’s body is discovered, Nick is drawn back into the investigation, with Nora eagerly joining him. As the couple questions Wynant’s family, friends, and business associates, a tangled web of greed, deception, and murder begins to unravel.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCa$h (2010)
A stroke of good luck turns lethal for Sam Phelan and his wife Leslie when they are faced with a life-changing decision that brings strange and sinister Pyke Kubic to their doorstep. As Pyke leads Sam and Leslie on a tumultuous adventure through the streets of Chicago, each are pulled deeper and deeper into a desperate spiral of deception and violence – all in the name of money.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisAccident Man (2018)
Mike Fallon, the Accident Man, is a stone cold killer. When a loved one is murdered by his own crew, Fallon is forced to avenge the one person who actually meant something to him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeverly Hills Cop (1984)
Fast-talking, quick-thinking Detroit street cop Axel Foley has bent more than a few rules and regs in his time, but when his best friend is murdered, he heads to sunny Beverly Hills to work the case like only he can.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNine to Five (1980)
Three female employees of a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot find a way to turn the tables on him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBeverly Hills Cop II (1987)
Axel Foley returns to the land of sunshine and palm trees to investigate the near-fatal shooting of police Captain Andrew Bogomil. With the help of Sgt. Taggart and Det. Rosewood, they soon uncover that the shooting is associated with a series of "alphabet" robberies masterminded by a heartless weapons kingpin—and the chase is on.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Wrong Arm of the Law (1963)
The crooks in London know how it works. No one carries guns and no one resists the police. Then a new gang appears that go one better. They dress as police and steal from the crooks. This upsets the natural order of the police/criminal relationship and the police and the crooks join forces to catch the IPOs (Impersonating Police Officers), including an armoured car robbery in which the police must help the gangs to set a trap.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDas Gesetz sind wir (2020)
Maja Witt and Klaus Burck have been a well-rehearsed team for years, ensuring law and order as police officers in Bremen. At least that's what they try to do. Time and again, however, they are shown their limits. Criminals are set free again, and they themselves get no respect at all. When the arrogant teenager Ahmed Issa spits at Klaus during a mission, this finally goes too far: the two fight back and start to take the law into their own hands, using any means necessary. But the other side is not standing idly by...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Jäger (2022)
Klethoven 1974, police detectives Bert and Frank are on a mission to get the mysterious man in their trunk to the German border police.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Lady Killer (1933)
An ex-gang member tries to resist his old cohorts' criminal influence after he suddenly becomes a Hollywood movie star.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The King's Necklace (2011)
Once upon a time, there was a queen who decided to return a sacred necklace that belonged to one of her ancestors. This necklace, she believes, will bring balance and prosperity to her people. Once upon a time, there was a scientist dedicated to ecosystem conservation who works to reintroduce wolves into the country. Once upon a time, there was a young orphan raised with a lion who refuses to be parted from him. This is the story of three homecomings that fate will bring together in an adventure spanning France and Gabon.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Logorama (2009)
Two cops portrayed by Michelin Men chase an armed Ronald McDonald through the streets of a fictionalized, stylized city.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSuper Troopers 3 (2026)
When Farva’s wildly over-the-top Indian engagement to Thorny’s sister spirals into chaos, the Super Troopers must navigate Thorny’s schemes to break up the relationship, while trying to crack a pernicious new drug ring — all to save the day and maybe the wedding itself.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn the Middle of the Night (1984)
Benny and Arnold are homeless and along with others living on Nørrebro in Copenhagen. The police is set to clear the building they squat in, but on the night of the forced eviction, local acid head Spacy jumps from the sixth floor.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Vigili e vigilesse (1982)
A group of policemen and policewomen from different municipalities are in Rome to take a course that will take them on a study trip to London.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Like Recruits and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Recruits?
The closest matches to Recruits are CHiPs (2017), Police Academy (1984) and Starsky & Hutch (2004). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Recruits?
Start with CHiPs (2017), the closest match to Recruits.
What is the highest-rated movie like Recruits?
Hot Fuzz (2007), rated 7.6/10 by 8,753 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Recruits?
Super Troopers 3 (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Recruits?
Yes: CHiPs (2017), Police Academy (1984) and Starsky & Hutch (2004).
How are movies similar to Recruits chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Recruits, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.