Movies like The Mother-in-Law (2018)
The best movies like The Mother-in-Law (2018) are The Anniversary (1968), Why Him? (2016) and The Trouble with Angels (1966). If The Mother-in-Law hooked you with its comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedMuch Ado About Nothing (2013)6.8/10 from 299 votes
- NewestSpa Weekend (2026)Released 2026
The Anniversary (1968)
Mrs Taggart always celebrates her anniversary with her grown sons. It’s a tradition practised since the death of her husband and she is determined for it to continue. None of her three sons have dared to cross their ruthless domineering mother but this anniversary they intend to try. With cruel and brutal twists, the family get-together becomes a social nightmare beyond endurance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhy Him? (2016)
A dad forms a bitter rivalry with his daughter's young rich boyfriend.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Trouble with Angels (1966)
Mary and her friend, Rachel, are new students at St. Francis Academy, a boarding school run by the iron fist of Mother Superior. The immature teens grow bored and begin playing pranks on both the unsuspecting nuns and their unpleasant classmates, becoming a constant thorn in Mother Superior's side. However, as the years pass, Mary and Rachel slowly mature and begin to see the nuns in a different light.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 thisMuch Ado About Nothing (2013)
A modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBack to the Beach (1987)
A former beach boy and his wife go to California to visit their daughter and become part of the new beach scene.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Family Jewels (1965)
A young heiress must choose between six uncles, one of which is up to no good and out to harm the girl's beloved bodyguard who practically raised her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFather of the Bride Part 3 (ish) (2020)
The Banks Family reunites 25 years later for a very special event to benefit World Central Kitchen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisI Love My Dad (2022)
A hopelessly estranged father catfishes his son in an attempt to reconnect.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Air Up There (1994)
Jimmy Dolan is a college basketball coach who wants a big promotion. To get it, he needs to make a dramatic find. He ends up deep in Africa, hoping to recruit Saleh, a huge basketball prodigy Jimmy glimpsed in a home movie. But Saleh is the chief's son and has responsibilities at home, since the tribe's land is threatened by a mining company with its own hotshot basketball team.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOliver the Eighth (1934)
Barbershop owners Stan and Ollie answer an ad in the newspaper from a wealthy widow looking for a husband. Ollie only mails in his response and is invited to the widow's mansion. Stan discovers his unmailed letter and insists on tagging along. At the mansion, the widow's creepy butler informs them that the woman is crazy. She was once jilted by an Oliver and now her hobby is marrying Olivers and then slitting their throats. Now the boys must figure out how to escape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLife of the Party (2018)
When her husband suddenly dumps her, longtime dedicated housewife Deanna turns regret into re-set by going back to college... landing in the same class and school as her daughter, who's not entirely sold on the idea. Plunging headlong into the campus experience, the increasingly outspoken Deanna – now Dee Rock – embraces freedom, fun, and frat boys on her own terms, finding her true self in a senior year no one ever expected.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChris Rock: Kill the Messenger (2008)
An HBO special edited from three performances from Chris Rock's 2008 comedy tour: London (dark suit, dark shirt), Johannesburg (black suit, white shirt) and New York (shiny jacket). Topics include the ongoing presidential campaign, the possibility of a black president, George W. Bush, gas prices, low-paid jobs, ringtones and bottled water, sex, relationships and the correct use of the n-word
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWanda Sykes: Not Normal (2019)
Wanda Sykes tackles politics, reality TV, racism and the secret she'd take to the grave in this rollicking, no-holds-barred stand-up special.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDuplex (2003)
When a young couple buys their dream home, they have no idea what the sweet little old lady upstairs is going to put them through!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpa Weekend (2026)
Four lifelong friends realize that somewhere between careers, relationships, families, and everyday responsibilities, they’ve forgotten how to take care of themselves and each other. Burned out and overdue for a break, the women escape to a luxury spa retreat for an unforgettable weekend dedicated to fun, laughter, and a lot of really bad decisions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAdventures in Public School (2018)
A socially-awkward, home-schooled kid forces his way into public school against his suffocating, but loving, mother's wishes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAli Wong: Single Lady (2024)
After a whirlwind couple of years, Ali Wong returns to the stage to dish on the highs, lows and surprises of dating post-divorce.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGood Neighbor Sam (1964)
To help his divorced neighbor claim a substantial inheritance, a family man poses as her husband. The ruse spills over into his career in advertising, and his recent promotion relies on his wholesome and moral appearance.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisUnaccustomed as We Are (1929)
Laurel and Hardy try to entertain a female neighbor, unbeknown to Hardy’s wife.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisToo Many Highballs (1933)
Harold Hobbs doesn't much like that his lazy, sponging and unemployed brother-in-law Claude and his mother-in-law live with him and his wife, Hortense, especially as the in-laws seem to rule the roost ever since they moved in. To get his in-laws out of the house, Harold has regularly left a bottle of booze for Claude to be able to entertain prospective employers. When Harold learns that on all the other occasions the employers have not showed (he assumes there probably were no prospective employers) leaving Claude to consume the booze on his own, he decides to show Claude a lesson by spiking the bottle with castor oil. Complications ensue when Joe, Harold's friend, encourages him to skip work to attend the prize fight. What Joe doesn't tell Harold is that he tells his boss that Harold needs the day off to attend to the sudden death of his brother-in-law.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Love Liza (2002)
Following the unexplained suicide of his wife Liza, website designer Wilson Joel turns to huffing gasoline fumes and remote control gaming while avoiding an inevitable conflict with his mother-in-law.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHow to Survive a Marriage? (2024)
In her efforts to maintain a successful marriage, a woman faces a challenge she didn't expect: her interfering mother-in-law.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Eine Hochzeit und (K)ein Todesfall (2001)
Sometimes he feels a tugging in his shoulder, sometimes he thinks his kidneys are failing. Two weeks before his marriage to the beautiful Anne, junior architect Stefan seems to have gathered all the diseases in the world. Drawn from the stress of the wedding preparations, the hypochondriac is in top form. When he overhears a phone call from the family doctor, he mistakenly thinks he is a dead man. Now a substitute husband is needed for Anne.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Prosperity (1932)
Longtime friends become feuding mothers-in-law when their children marry.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Wedding like... Greek (1964)
Mina is dreaming of becoming a painter and Petros works in a company. They meet and fall in love during the carnival, but later lose contact. They meet again without recognizing each other and eventually get married. However they have no idea how hard marriage is.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
I Love My Mother-In-Law But... (1948)
In this Pete Smith Specialty short, a series of vignettes illustrate some ways that mothers-in-law irritate, and/or cause problems for, their son-in-law.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
My Big Fat Greek Wedding (2002)
A young Greek woman falls in love with a non-Greek and struggles to get her family to accept him while she comes to terms with her heritage and cultural identity.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn Quarantine with Mother-in-law (2020)
Comedic sketch featuring actor Erkin Ergin, exploring humorous or dramatic situations arising from cohabiting with a mother-in-law during a quarantine period.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Hold da helt ferie (1965)
Søren is looking forward to a relaxing camping holiday with his wife, Marianne. But nothing goes as planned, when his two daughters and mother-in-law join them.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Mother-in-Law?
The closest matches to The Mother-in-Law are The Anniversary (1968), Why Him? (2016) and The Trouble with Angels (1966). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Mother-in-Law?
Start with The Anniversary (1968), the closest match to The Mother-in-Law.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Mother-in-Law?
Much Ado About Nothing (2013), rated 6.8/10 by 299 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Mother-in-Law?
Spa Weekend (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to The Mother-in-Law chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Mother-in-Law, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.