Movies like The Portable Theatre (1969)
The best movies like The Portable Theatre (1969) are Sunshine on Leith (2013), Cemetery Junction (2010) and Trevor Noah: You Laugh But It's True (2011). If The Portable Theatre hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedJim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton (2017)7.5/10 from 761 votes
- NewestJay Kelly (2025)Released 2025
Sunshine on Leith (2013)
Davy and Ally have to re-learn how to live life in Edinburgh after coming home from serving in Afghanistan. Both struggle to learn to live a life outside the army and to deal with the everyday struggles of family, jobs and relationships. Sunshine on Leith is based on the sensational stage hit of the same name, featuring music by pop-folk band The Proclaimers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCemetery Junction (2010)
In 1970s England, three blue-collar friends spend their days joking, drinking, fighting and chasing girls. Freddie wants to leave their working-class world but cool, charismatic Bruce and lovable loser Snork are happy with life the way it is. When Freddie gets a new job as a door-to-door salesman and bumps into his old school sweetheart Julie, the gang are forced to make choices that will change their lives for ever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTrevor Noah: You Laugh But It's True (2011)
In the world of stand-up comedy in South Africa, Trevor Noah uses his childhood experiences in a biracial family during apartheid to prepare for his first one-man show.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Commitments (1991)
Jimmy Rabbitte, just a thick-ya out of school, gets a brilliant idea: to put a soul band together in Barrytown, his slum home in north Dublin. First he needs musicians and singers: things slowly start to click when he finds three fine-voiced females virtually in his back yard, a lead singer (Deco) at a wedding, and, responding to his ad, an aging trumpet player, Joey "The Lips" Fagan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBeaches (1988)
A privileged rich debutante and a cynical struggling entertainer share a turbulent, but strong childhood friendship over the years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Amazing Johnathan Documentary (2019)
What begins as a documentary following the final tour of a dying magician - "The Amazing Johnathan" - becomes an unexpected and increasingly bizarre journey as the filmmaker struggles to separate truth from illusion.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMagician Mickey (1937)
Donald continually heckles Mickey's magic act, but Mickey bests him at every turn. Donald shoots off a magic pistol that causes all the stage props to fall down on them at the finish of the act.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDancing at Lughnasa (1998)
Five unmarried sisters make the most of their simple existence in rural Ireland in the 1930s.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Aristocrats (2005)
One hundred superstar comedians tell the same very, VERY dirty, filthy joke--one shared privately by comics since Vaudeville.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisIs Anybody There? (2009)
A young boy who lives in an old folks' home strikes up a friendship with a retired magician.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton (2017)
Through the lens of his stunningly immersive performance as Andy Kaufman, Jim Carrey ponders the meaning of life, reality, identity and career.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Mighty Wind (2003)
Three eclectic, never-quite-famous folk bands come together for the first time in decades following the death of their manager to put on an reunion concert in his honor, at the request of his son.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGood Vibrations (2012)
The story of music legend Terri Hooley, a key figure in Belfast's punk rock scene. Hooley founded the Good Vibrations store from which a record label sprung, representing bands such as The Undertones, Rudi and The Outcasts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNorm Macdonald: Nothing Special (2022)
In his final comedy special, Norm Macdonald ponders casinos, cannibalism, living wills and why you have to be ready for whatever life throws your way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJay Kelly (2025)
Famous movie actor Jay Kelly embarks on a journey of self-discovery, confronting both his past and present, accompanied by his devoted manager, Ron.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMonty Python Live (Mostly) (2014)
Celebrate the last night of the Pythons on the big screen! With John Cleese, Eric Idle, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones and Michael Palin.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJersey Boys (2014)
A musical biopic of the Four Seasons—the rise, the tough times and personal clashes, and the ultimate triumph of a group of friends whose music became symbolic of a generation. Far from a mere tribute concert, it gets to the heart of the relationships at the centre of the group, with a special focus on frontman Frankie Valli, the small kid with the big falsetto.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLittle Voice (1998)
After the death of her father, Little Voice or LV becomes a virtual recluse, never going out and hardly ever saying a word. She just sits in her bedroom listening to her father's collection of old records of Shirley Bassey, Marilyn Monroe and various other famous female singers. But at night time, LV sings, imitating these great singers with surprising accuracy. One night she is overheard by one of her mother's boyfriends, who happens to be a talent agent. He manages to convince her that her talent is special and arranges for her to perform at the local night club, but several problems arise.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Taste of Honey (1961)
While out to avoid spending time with her narcissistic and promiscuous mother, sixteen-year-old Jo has a brief affair that leaves her pregnant and abandoned. When her mother remarries, Jo's only support becomes her friend Geoffrey, a homosexual.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Human Voice (2020)
A woman watches time pass beside the suitcases of her ex-lover (who is supposed to come pick them up but never arrives) and a restless dog who doesn't understand that his master has abandoned him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Portable Theatre?
The closest matches to The Portable Theatre are Sunshine on Leith (2013), Cemetery Junction (2010) and Trevor Noah: You Laugh But It's True (2011). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Portable Theatre?
Start with Sunshine on Leith (2013), the closest match to The Portable Theatre.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Portable Theatre?
Jim & Andy: The Great Beyond - Featuring a Very Special, Contractually Obligated Mention of Tony Clifton (2017), rated 7.5/10 by 761 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Portable Theatre?
Jay Kelly (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Portable Theatre?
Yes: Sunshine on Leith (2013), Cemetery Junction (2010) and Trevor Noah: You Laugh But It's True (2011).
How are movies similar to The Portable Theatre chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Portable Theatre, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.