Movies like High Expectations
The best movies like High Expectations are The Card (1952), You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020) and The Wave (2019). If High Expectations hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)7.5/10 from 2,269 votes
- NewestDigger (2026)Released 2026
The Card (1952)
A charming and ambitious young man finds many ways to raise himself through the ranks in business and social standing - some honest, some not quite so. If he can just manage to avoid a certain very predatory woman.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisYou Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020)
Following his infamous championship as part of a marketing stunt for the film Ready to Rumble, David Arquette is widely known as the most hated man in pro-wrestling worldwide. Nearly 20 years after he "won" the initial title, through ups and downs in his career, with his family, and with his struggles with addiction, David Arquette seeks redemption by returning to the ring...for real this time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Wave (2019)
A man on the verge of a promotion takes a mysterious hallucinogenic drug that begins to tear down his reality and expose his life for what it really is.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Distinguished Gentleman (1992)
A Florida con man uses the recent death of the long time Congressman from his district, who he just happens to share a last name with, to get elected to his version of paradise, the U.S. Congress, where the money flows from lobbyists.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA King in New York (1957)
A recently-deposed "Estrovian" monarch seeks shelter in New York City, where he becomes an accidental television celebrity. Later, he's wrongly accused of being a Communist and gets caught up in subsequent HUAC hearings.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFast Girls (2012)
A street smart runner develops an intense rivalry with an equally ambitious wealthy young athlete.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTalk Radio (1988)
A rude, contemptuous talk show host becomes overwhelmed by the hatred that surrounds his program just before it goes national.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStar Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982)
The starship Enterprise and its crew is pulled back into action when old nemesis, Khan, steals a top secret device called Project Genesis.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Hard Corps (2005)
An Army veteran assembles a team of bodyguards to protect a former boxer. Complications arise when the boxer suspects his sister may be romantically involved with the bodyguard.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDigger (2026)
The most powerful man in the world embarks on a frantic mission to prove he is humanity's savior before the disaster he's unleashed destroys everything.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHeatwave (2022)
A woman's life takes an unexpected turn when she falls for her boss's wife. She must soon defend herself as she becomes entangled in a web of malice.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Man in the Gray Flannel Suit (1956)
Tom Rath is a suburban father and husband haunted by his memories of World War II, including a wartime romance with Italian village girl Maria, which resulted in an illegitimate son he's never seen. Pressed by his unhappy wife to get a higher-paying job, Rath goes to work as a public relations man for television network president Ralph Hopkins. Drawn into poisonous office politics, Tom finds he must choose his career or his family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFoxcatcher (2014)
The greatest Olympic Wrestling Champion brother team joins Team Foxcatcher led by multimillionaire sponsor John E. du Pont as they train for the 1988 games in Seoul - a union that leads to unlikely circumstances.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRoommates (2026)
When shy college freshman Devon asks cool-girl Celeste to be her roommate, a blossoming friendship quickly spirals into a war of passive aggression.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Good Liar (2019)
Career con man Roy sets his sights on his latest mark: recently widowed Betty, worth millions. And he means to take it all. But as the two draw closer, what should have been another simple swindle takes on the ultimate stakes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSafe Haven (2013)
A young woman with a mysterious past lands in Southport, North Carolina where her bond with a widower forces her to confront the dark secret that haunts her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisQueen of the Ring (2025)
In a time when pro wrestling for women was illegal all over the country, a small town single mother embraces the danger to change culture as she dominates America's most masculine sport to become the first million dollar female athlete in history.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFlash of Genius (2008)
In this David vs. Goliath drama based on a true story, college professor Robert Kearns goes up against the giants of the auto industry when they fail to give him credit for inventing intermittent windshield wipers. Kearns doggedly pursues recognition for his invention, as well as the much-deserved financial rewards for the sake of his wife and six kids.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRocky III (1982)
Following Rocky Balboa's intense battle with his most powerful adversary yet – the ferocious Clubber Lang – Rocky joins forces with former rival Apollo Creed in an effort to get back his fighting spirit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChuck (2017)
A drama inspired by the life of heavyweight boxer Chuck Wepner.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like High Expectations?
The closest matches to High Expectations are The Card (1952), You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020) and The Wave (2019). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after High Expectations?
Start with The Card (1952), the closest match to High Expectations.
What is the highest-rated movie like High Expectations?
Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan (1982), rated 7.5/10 by 2,269 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like High Expectations?
Digger (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like High Expectations?
Yes: The Card (1952), You Cannot Kill David Arquette (2020) and The Wave (2019).
How are movies similar to High Expectations chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside High Expectations, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.