Movies like California Hot Bods (1997)
The best movies like California Hot Bods (1997) are Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Love Lies Bleeding (2024) and Riding Giants (2004). If California Hot Bods hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedFriday (1995)7.2/10 from 2,137 votes
- NewestMagazine Dreams (2025)Released 2025
Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986)
Beverly Hills couple Barbara and Dave Whiteman find their lives altered by the arrival of a vagrant who tries to drown himself in their swimming pool.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisLove Lies Bleeding (2024)
Reclusive gym manager Lou falls hard for Jackie, an ambitious bodybuilder headed through town to Las Vegas in pursuit of her dream. But their love ignites violence, pulling them deep into the web of Lou’s criminal family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRiding Giants (2004)
Riding Giants is story about big wave surfers who have become heroes and legends in their sport. Directed by the skateboard guru Stacy Peralta.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisScooby Goes Hollywood (1979)
Shaggy and Scooby-Doo quit their Saturday morning TV series in pursuit of Hollywood stardom.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNational Lampoon's Loaded Weapon 1 (1993)
An LA detective is murdered because she has microfilm with the recipe to make cocaine cookies. Two cops partner to find and stop the fiends before they can dope the nation by distributing their wares via the 'Wilderness Girls' cookie drive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSmile (1975)
It's time again for California's "Young American Miss" beauty pageant, the biggest event of the year for Big Bob Freelander and Brenda DiCarlo, who give their all to put on a successful pageant. But Brenda is having marital difficulties and Bob's son is up to some mischief. Could this year's pageant be in jeopardy?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMagazine Dreams (2025)
Aspiring bodybuilder Killian Maddox struggles to find human connection in an exploration of celebrity and violence. Nothing deters him from his fiercely protected dream of superstardom, not even the doctors who warn him of the permanent damage he causes to himself with his quest.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStrip Down, Rise Up (2021)
The feature documentary follows women of all walks of life, all ages and ethnic backgrounds, as they shed trauma, body image shame, sexual abuse and other issues locked in their bodies, and embark on a journey to reclaim themselves. The film also gives a rare window into the world of Pole artistry and expression.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBones Brigade: An Autobiography (2012)
When six teenage boys came together as a skateboarding team in the 1980s, they reinvented not only their chosen sport but themselves too – as they evolved from insecure outsiders to the most influential athletes in the field.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisChasing Mavericks (2012)
Surfer Jay Moriarity sets out to ride the Northern California break known as Mavericks.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFriday (1995)
Craig and Smokey are two guys in Los Angeles hanging out on their porch on a Friday afternoon, smoking and drinking, looking for something to do.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGleaming the Cube (1989)
An Orange County teenager's carefree life of ditching class and skateboarding abandoned pools comes to a screeching halt when someone close to him dies. The cops rule the death a suicide, but the bereaved skater believes he was murdered. It's up to him to solve the case, with a skateboard.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPumping Iron (1977)
Amateur and professional bodybuilders prepare for the 1975 Mr. Olympia and Mr. Universe contests as five-time champion Arnold Schwarzenegger defends his Mr. Olympia title against Serge Nubret and the shy young Lou Ferrigno.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThrashin' (1986)
Corey and his band of skater buddies sometimes make mischief, but they're more interested in girls and having fun on their boards than in getting into any real trouble. Notorious enemy crew the Daggers, led by Tommy Hook, get their kicks terrorizing the locals at Venice Beach. When Corey starts dating Tommy's kid sister Chrissy, the Daggers are furious. The boys then take their beef to the "L.A. Massacre," a deadly skate race down a canyon road.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGeneration Iron (2013)
Generation Iron - examines the professional sport of bodybuilding today and gives the audience front row access to the lives of the top 7 bodybuilders in the sport as they train to compete in the world's most premiere bodybuilding stage - Mr. Olympia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRonnie Coleman: The King (2018)
Ronnie Coleman is known as "The King" and for good reason. He is the 8x Mr. Olympia champion in the world of bodybuilding - sharing the world record for most Olympia wins. Now retired, he has undergone over 6 surgeries leaving him unable to walk without crutches but his desire to train like a pro bodybuilder has not dissipated. Exploring the history of his career as a bodybuilding legend and following his journey to recovery; for the first time ever discover the true man behind The King.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Mask of Zorro (1998)
It has been twenty years since Don Diego de la Vega fought Spanish oppression in Alta California as the legendary romantic hero, Zorro. Having escaped from prison he transforms troubled bandit Alejandro into his successor, in order to foil the plans of the tyrannical Don Rafael Montero who robbed him of his freedom, his wife and his precious daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGeneration Iron 2 (2017)
From the director of Generation Iron, comes the anticipated sequel that will depict 5 of the top bodybuilding and fitness mega-stars on a quest of achieving the ultimate physique and taking it to the next extreme level. In the world of social media and internet, the rules have changed as to what makes an iconic bodybuilding mass-monster. Starring Kai Greene, Calum Von Moger, Rich Piana, among others, this film will explore an all new generation of bodybuilders and how this new world, and new people, carve their own path to physique perfection.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Fluffer (2001)
Self-effacing, boyish Sean moves to LA to pursue a career in movies but finds it tougher than he imagined. He stumbles onto porn star Johnny Rebel - a handsome, muscled dream of men and women alike - who awakens Sean’s deep obsession.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisBig Wednesday (1978)
Three 1960s California surfers fool around, drift apart and reunite years later to ride epic waves.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like California Hot Bods?
The closest matches to California Hot Bods are Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Love Lies Bleeding (2024) and Riding Giants (2004). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after California Hot Bods?
Start with Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), the closest match to California Hot Bods.
What is the highest-rated movie like California Hot Bods?
Friday (1995), rated 7.2/10 by 2,137 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like California Hot Bods?
Magazine Dreams (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like California Hot Bods?
Yes: Down and Out in Beverly Hills (1986), Love Lies Bleeding (2024) and Riding Giants (2004).
How are movies similar to California Hot Bods chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside California Hot Bods, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.