Movies like The Island of Surprise (1916)
The best movies like The Island of Surprise (1916) are Treasure (2024), Better Start Running (2018) and SubUrbia (1997). If The Island of Surprise hooked you with its drama and comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedCode 3 (2025)7.1/10 from 376 votes
- NewestCode 3 (2025)Released 2025
Treasure (2024)
A music journalist accompanies her father, a charmingly stubborn Holocaust survivor, on a journey to his homeland. While she's eager to make sense of her family's past, her dad has an agenda of his own.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBetter Start Running (2018)
An eclectic band of misfits becomes an unlikely family as they take a wild journey in the name of love while on the run from an overzealous FBI duo who want them dead or alive - preferably dead.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisSubUrbia (1997)
A group of suburban teenagers try to support each other through the difficult task of becoming adults.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAlmost Friends (2017)
A man in his mid-20s, still living at home with his mother and stepfather, puts all his eggs in one basket: the girl who works at his local coffee shop. The problem is, she has a serious boyfriend. As they become closer, the line between friendship and intimacy is blurred, and the situation forces both to examine where they are in their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAn Irish Goodbye (2022)
In rural Northern Ireland, following the untimely death of their mother, a young man with Down syndrome and his estranged brother discover her unfulfilled bucket list.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUncorked (2020)
Elijah must balance his dream of becoming a master sommelier with his father's expectations that he carry on the family's Memphis BBQ joint.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOn Becoming a Guinea Fowl (2024)
On an empty road in the middle of the night, Shula stumbles across the body of her uncle. As funeral proceedings begin around them, she and her cousins bring to light the buried secrets of their middle-class Zambian family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisChloe and Theo (2015)
A young woman, Chloe, living by her wits on the streets of New York City, has a chance meeting with a wise Inuit Eskimo, Theo, who was sent to New York by his elders to provide a message to the people of the world – We either change our destructive was or be destroyed by them. Chloe, who has been searching for something to believe in, becomes inspired by Theo and , with the help of a kind lawyer, Monica, the three of them present Theo’s story to the United Nations in hopes of creating a better future for all of us.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisJuniper (2021)
When a self-destructive teenager is suspended from school and asked to look after his feisty alcoholic grandmother as a punishment, the crazy time they spend together turns his life around.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSometimes Always Never (2019)
Alan is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. He has spent years searching tirelessly for his missing son Michael who stormed out over a game of Scrabble. With a body to identify and his family torn apart, Alan must repair the relationship with his youngest son and solve the mystery of an online player who he thinks could be Michael, so he can finally move on and reunite his family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLandline (2017)
A teenager living with her sister and parents in Manhattan during the 1990s discovers that her father is having an affair.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCQ (2001)
A young filmmaker in 1960s Paris juggles directing a cheesy sci-fi debacle, directing his own personal art film, coping with his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend, and a new-found infatuation with the sci-fi film's starlet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisBetter Living Through Chemistry (2014)
A straight-laced pharmacist's uneventful life spirals out of control when he starts an affair with a trophy wife customer who takes him on a joyride involving sex, drugs and possibly murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisLady Windermere's Fan (1925)
A society woman believes her husband is having an affair, a misconception which may have dire personal consequences for all involved.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKodachrome (2017)
Matt Ryder is convinced to drive his estranged and dying father Benjamin Ryder cross country to deliver four old rolls of Kodachrome film to the last lab in the world that can develop them before it shuts down for good. Along with Ben's nurse Zooey, the three navigate a world changing from analogue to digital while trying to put the past behind them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisReal Women Have Curves (2002)
In East Los Angeles, an 18-year-old struggles between her ambitions of going to college and the desires of her domineering mother for her to get married, have children, and oversee the small, rundown family-owned textile factory.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCode 3 (2025)
A burned-out paramedic tries to survive his last 24 hours on the job while training a new recruit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAbout Alex (2014)
When a group of old college friends reunite over a long weekend after one of them attempts suicide, old crushes and resentments shine light on their life decisions, and ultimately push friendships and relationships to the brink.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Adults (2023)
Eric returns home for a short visit and finds himself caught between reuniting with his sisters and chasing a victory with his old poker group. As the trip extends, Eric finds it increasingly difficult to avoid confrontations and revelations as his carefully constructed façade of his adulthood gives way to old childhood conflicts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHooking Up (2020)
Bailey and Darla embark upon a misguided and mutually deceitful form of therapy, one in which they must drive across the country, re-enacting Darla's colorful history as a sex addict. As their true motivations for the road trip come to light, the unlikely pair force one another to confront their issues, discovering that there might actually be more to love than just sex.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHer Choice (1912)
Mrs. Letitia Summers, owner and principal of an exclusive boarding school, decides to give her two nieces an education while deciding which will be her heir unbeknownst to them. She writes each a letter, stating that a lady of means has provided for their education at Mrs. Summers' seminary. Edith and May are both delighted with the news, but while Edith leaves with her modest belongings May immediately demands a lot of new things to satisfy her vanity and desire to make a great impression. May attracts considerable attention upon her arrival but Edith, in her modest wardrobe, is received with disparaging remarks. Both do well in their studies but on graduation day Mrs. Summers calls the two girls into her private office and tells them that she is their aunt, and she has chosen Edith as her heir in recognition of her kindness and thoughtfulness towards others, particularly towards her poor mother.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
The Lady of Lyons, N.Y. (1926)
Bill Grimm, a taxicab driver, falls in love with Barbara Baxter, from Lyons, New York, the minute she steps off the train, and has him take her to Mrs. Whipple's boarding house, in spite of the interference by Jack Fairfax, Bill's rival. Boarders at Mrs. Whipple's include a prizefighter named "Butch,", his manager O'Brien, and Pansy the maid. This first entry in the series introduces the leading characters in the future films, and a few comical interludes.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Cutey Tries Reporting (1913)
Small brothers are the bane of love affairs. The inimitable Cutey, reporter on a country paper, is courting Ethel Clark, the editor's daughter, and having a lively time with her small brother Tommy. The editor declares that unless Cutey brings in some live news he will be fired--and forbidden to call on Ethel anymore. So Cutey takes matters into his own hands and creates a sensation!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Three Girls and a Man (1912)
A wealthy but weary Charles Morris visits a friend in the country where he meets two young women: the mercenary Hilda and the sweet Dorothy. Betty subtly steers Charles towards Dorothy. When Hilda attempts to capture Charles's affection, Betty orchestrates a situation where Charles sees Hilda with her other suitor, Mr. Bennett, effectively eliminating Hilda's chances. Charles and Dorothy eventually fall in love and become engaged.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The Eavesdropper (1912)
Alice takes her little siblings Billy and Kitty to a matinee. They immediately become imbued with the wonderful idea that they are actors. They set up a miniature stage of their own in the summer house on the grounds. They spy upon their sister and her sweetheart Bob, and reproduce their affairs. A quarrel furnishes material for an interesting production, which is a revelation and a lesson to Bob. He goes and makes amends, acting upon the suggestions of the performance.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Gehenna (2025)
In this recently found and restored banned underground classic from 1984, four girls go into a bathroom to hide in the middle of a war and, after an impulsive act by one of them, they find themselves trapped there. As panic gives way to despair, tragedy approaches.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
In the Furnace Fire (1912)
John meets Mary and is invited to her home where he falls in love with her sister, Kate. They begin dating and John introduces her to his coworker Frank Johnson. Johnson lies, claiming John is a thief, causing Kate to leave John for Frank. John quits his job and leaves town, while Johnson marries Kate, but they are unhappy. Mary hires a detective who uncovers that Johnson is the real thief leading to his arrest while Mary informs John of his vindication. John returns, finds Kate denouncing Mary, and publicly rejects Kate by embracing Mary, revealing his true feelings for her.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Hindoo's Curse (1912)
Adventurers Guy Randall and Jack Lowell flee English Army headquarters in India after being caught cheating. They follow their servant, Sukim, to a Hindu festival where they rob the temple's offering count and Randall steals a sacred jewel, despite Sukim's warning of a curse. The priests vow vengeance. Randall escapes to England, becomes a wealthy landowner, and forces an engaged Grace, daughter of impoverished Lord Leverton, to marry him. On his wedding night, the tracking Hindu avengers murder Randall, leaving Grace a widow free to marry her true love, Greyson.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
A Game of Cards (1913)
A drama about a devoted daughter, Delia, and her mother, who has never stopped hoping for the return of her husband who disappeared years ago.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Transients in Arcadia (1925)
Mamie is a New York shop girl who has saved up for a whole year so she can put herself in an exclusive summer resort for a week like an aristocrat and perhaps win herself a "Prince Charming." Farrington is a collector for an installment payment company who is at the resort for the same purpose. A series of humorous incidents invariably bring them together. Second release in Fox's 'O. Henry Stories' 2-reel series.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Island of Surprise?
The closest matches to The Island of Surprise are Treasure (2024), Better Start Running (2018) and SubUrbia (1997). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Island of Surprise?
Start with Treasure (2024), the closest match to The Island of Surprise.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Island of Surprise?
Code 3 (2025), rated 7.1/10 by 376 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Island of Surprise?
Code 3 (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Island of Surprise?
Yes: Treasure (2024), Better Start Running (2018) and SubUrbia (1997).
How are movies similar to The Island of Surprise chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Island of Surprise, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.