Movies like Magic Ian’s Apprentice (2026)
The best movies like Magic Ian’s Apprentice (2026) are Song of the Thin Man (1947), Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) and Who's Harry Crumb? (1989). If Magic Ian’s Apprentice hooked you with its comedy and mystery, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedScooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo (2010)7.7/10 from 275 votes
- NewestThe Thursday Murder Club (2025)Released 2025
Song of the Thin Man (1947)
While attending a glamorous jazz cruise on New York’s East River, Nick and Nora Charles witness the fatal shooting of a wealthy patron. When suspicion falls on a young bandleader and his musicians, the couple steps in to clear their friends and uncover the real killer. Their investigation leads through a lively world of jazz clubs, radio personalities, high society, and backstage rivalries, where almost everyone has a secret and the next clue may be hidden in the music.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShadow of the Thin Man (1941)
While attending a major horse race with their young son, Nick Jr., Nick and Nora Charles witnesse a shocking murder from the crowded grandstand. What first appears to be an isolated killing soon leads to a maze of corruption, blackmail, gambling scandals, and criminal intrigue. As Nick investigates, he encounters suspicious bookmakers, dishonest officials, rival gangsters, and a mysterious killer determined to stay ahead of the law. Nora, as always, is never far from the action, bringing her quick wit and fearless curiosity to the case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWho's Harry Crumb? (1989)
Harry Crumb is a bumbling and inept private investigator who is hired to solve the kidnapping of a young heiress which he's not expected to solve because his employer is the mastermind behind the kidnapping.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnother Thin Man (1939)
Nick and Nora Charles are back - and this time, they have a baby, a wealthy new client, and another murder to solve! Retired detective Nick is enjoying family life with Nora and their young son, Nick Jr., when eccentric industrialist Colonel MacFay asks for protection after receiving threatening messages. When MacFay is found dead at his isolated estate, Nick and Nora spring into action, questioning a houseful of suspicious guests and uncovering greed, blackmail, family secrets, and a dangerous inheritance plot. With their trademark wit and sophistication, the glamorous couple balances parenthood, parties, and peril as they race to expose the killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Thin Man Goes Home (1944)
Hoping for a peaceful visit with his parents in the small town of Sycamore Springs, Nick Charles and his wife Nora soon find themselves surrounded by old rivalries, family tensions, and a mysterious murder. Nick’s father, a respected retired doctor, would much rather see his son give up detective work, but a suspicious shooting quickly draws Nick back into action. As Nick and Nora investigate, they uncover jealousy, deception, hidden motives, and a dangerous secret involving the town’s prominent citizens.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisScooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo (2010)
The gang goes on a trip to check on Velma's younger sister, Madelyn. She's been studying stage magic at the Whirlen Merlin Magic Academy, where apparently there have been sightings of a giant griffin. The gang decides to investigate.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Shot in the Dark (1964)
Inspector Jacques Clouseau, smitten with the accused maid Maria Gambrelli, unwittingly turns a straightforward murder investigation into a comedic series of mishaps, testing the patience of his irritable boss Charles Dreyfus as casualties mount.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
To the Los Angeles elite, Ford Fairlane is known as "Mr. Rock 'n' Roll Detective." This loudmouthed ladies' man serves an exclusive rock star clientele, who depend on his keen eye and smug discretion. So when a heavy-metal musician dies mid-concert, Fairlane is on the case before the lights come up. But things turn shocking when radio personality Johnny Crunch hires Fairlane to find a missing groupie mere hours before he is electrocuted live on air.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Cheap Detective (1978)
A spoof of the entire 1940s detective genre. San Francisco private detective, Lou Pekinpaugh is accused of murdering his partner at the instigation of his mistress—his partner's wife.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCa$h (2010)
A stroke of good luck turns lethal for Sam Phelan and his wife Leslie when they are faced with a life-changing decision that brings strange and sinister Pyke Kubic to their doorstep. As Pyke leads Sam and Leslie on a tumultuous adventure through the streets of Chicago, each are pulled deeper and deeper into a desperate spiral of deception and violence – all in the name of money.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Adventure of Sherlock Holmes' Smarter Brother (1975)
After spending decades living in the shadow of his more famous and successful sibling, Consulting Detective Sigerson Holmes is called upon to help solve a crucial case that leads him on a hilarious trail of false identities, stolen documents, secret codes... and exposed backsides.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Thursday Murder Club (2025)
A group of senior sleuths passionate about solving cold cases get plunged into a real-life murder mystery in this comic crime caper.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOne Night at McCool's (2001)
On an ordinary night, in an ordinary part of town, a beautiful young woman walks into a bar. Her name is Jewel, and before long she is chatting to bartender Randy. The pair leave together, but he ends up getting into a tussle with her criminal boyfriend, who she then shoots dead, later persuading Randy to take the rap for her. But this isn't the end of it, as both Randy's cousin Carl and the detective assigned to the murder case also fall for Jewel's charms and find themselves caught up in the ensuing events. It seems that any man who meets Jewel falls instantly in love with her, and she's going to use this fully to her own advantage, leaving a trail of havoc in her wake. It also seems that she is going to get away with it - that is, until Randy decides to hire a hitman...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisCriminal (2004)
Needing a new partner capable of intricate cons, Richard Gaddis, recruits Rodrigo, a crook with a perfect poker face. The two plan a big-time scam: selling a fake Silver Certificate to currency collector William Hannigan. Rodrigo distrusts his new associate, but needs money to help out his ill father. The situation becomes more complicated when Rodrigo falls for Gaddis' sister, Valerie, drawing another player into the game.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnimal Crackers (2018)
A family must use a magical box of Animal Crackers to save a rundown circus from being taken over by their evil uncle Horatio P. Huntington.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFun with Dick and Jane (1977)
When an upwardly mobile couple find themselves unemployed and in debt, they turn to armed robbery in desperation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBottle Rocket (1993)
Dysfunctional friends Dignan and Anthony plan and execute a robbery with their pot-growing friend, Bob. The short film that inspired Wes Anderson’s feature debut.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Great Buck Howard (2008)
When a law school dropout answers an advertisement to be a personal assistant he unknowingly signs on to work for a belligerent has-been magician struggling to resurrect his career. This leads to a journey across the country staging the comeback of a lifetime.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Glass Key (1942)
A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both mystery
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThunderstruck (2012)
After NBA star Kevin Durant switches talent with 16 year old Brian, the teenager becomes the star of his high school team, but Durant starts struggling and eventually learns an important lesson.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJab! the Return (TBA)
A journey to escape dopamine addiction turns into a disastrous camping trip.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & mystery
Sign Language (2025)
Convinced that a museum art sculpture is misaligned, a determined tourist challenges the gallery’s security protocols in an attempt to adjust the positioning of the central piece.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Spared (2024)
After being the only pin left standing in an otherwise perfect game of bowling, a Bowling Pin is stalked home by a vengeful Bowling Ball who's committed to finishing the job.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Hard Coffee (2017)
A straight 8 film by the Forest of Black
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Indústrias Reunidas Machiavelli (2019)
Agripino and Sandoval roam around their workplace, Machiavelli Incorporated, a venture which they plan to expand whatever the costs.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Milza Man (2018)
Tony is a Sicilian man whose job is to prepare bread with spleen. He undergoes a genetic mutation after being buried by a load of rubbish and his super-power consists in hitting the enemies with slices of spleen.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Visage (2024)
The story of a woman who, following an accident, finds herself disfigured. Eager to regain her face, she attempts numerous surgeries, but without success, she will have to live with the illusion of her reflection.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
Dilution (2025)
Dilution is an experimental short film that explores the transit between resistance and (di)ssolution, between holding and releasing and a path towards obsessive repetition. They are layers, exposed pores, matter that oscillates between remaining or disappearing. The sound is not a background, but a puncture: friction, tearing, water that drags what still persists. A sensorial testimony of what refuses to vanish completely.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both mystery
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Magic Ian’s Apprentice?
The closest matches to Magic Ian’s Apprentice are Song of the Thin Man (1947), Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) and Who's Harry Crumb? (1989). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Magic Ian’s Apprentice?
Start with Song of the Thin Man (1947), the closest match to Magic Ian’s Apprentice.
What is the highest-rated movie like Magic Ian’s Apprentice?
Scooby-Doo! Abracadabra-Doo (2010), rated 7.7/10 by 275 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Magic Ian’s Apprentice?
The Thursday Murder Club (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Magic Ian’s Apprentice?
Yes: Song of the Thin Man (1947), Shadow of the Thin Man (1941) and Who's Harry Crumb? (1989).
How are movies similar to Magic Ian’s Apprentice chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Magic Ian’s Apprentice, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.