Movies like Shirley Valentine (1989)
The best movies like Shirley Valentine (1989) are The Incredible Jessica James (2017), Splendor (1999) and F Valentine's Day (2026). If Shirley Valentine hooked you with its romance and comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest rated¿Quieres ser mi hijo? (2023)8.4/10 from 378 votes
- NewestLa Bohème (2026)Released 2026
The Incredible Jessica James (2017)
Burned by a bad breakup, a struggling New York City playwright makes an unlikely connection with a divorced app designer she meets on a blind date.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSplendor (1999)
Veronica is a white-bread beauty searching for a good man in Los Angeles. While slam dancing at a Halloween rave, she meets Abel, a sensitive poet. Then she meets Zed, a supersexy tattooed drummer with incredible biceps. Who will she choose? Does she go for true love or cheap sex? She can't decide so she chooses both. But after managing to nurture a picture-perfect threesome, along comes Ernest, a rich movie director with deep baby blues that sweep Veronica off her feet. What's a girl to do now?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisF Valentine's Day (2026)
Gina hates her Valentine's Day birthday and travels to Greece to prevent her boyfriend's proposal. With help from vacationers Johnny and his sister Mickey, she schemes to delay it – while questioning her relationship.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Nice Girl Like You (2020)
Lucy Neal is thrown for a loop when she is accused of being too inhibited by her ex-boyfriend. In an effort to prove him wrong, Lucy creates a rather wild to-do list that sends her on a whirlwind and surprising journey of self-discovery, friendship, and new love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisPlayers (2024)
New York sportswriter Mack has spent years devising successful hook-up "plays" with her friends, but when she unexpectedly falls for one of her targets, she must learn what it takes to go from simply scoring to playing for keeps.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe List (2023)
After her fiance sleeps with a celebrity on his free pass list, Abby Meyers, with nothing but five names and a fantasy shared by millions, sets out for Los Angeles to sleep with someone from hers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisWe Broke Up (2021)
Lori and Doug break up right before Lori's sister's wedding and decide to pretend they're still together for the weekend as to not disrupt the fun.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisRoald Dahl's Esio Trot (2015)
Retired bachelor Mr Hoppy is hopelessly in love with his neighbour Mrs Silver, but she is only interested in her pet tortoise Alfie - until Mr Hoppy hatches an audacious plan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCuban Fury (2014)
Beneath Bruce Garrett's under-confident, overweight exterior, the passionate heart of a salsa king lies dormant. Now, one woman is about to reignite his Latin fire.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Owl and the Pussycat (1970)
Meek, owlish Felix and strident, catty Doris live in the same apartment building. His incessant typing bothers her; her gentlemen callers bother him. Felix informs the landlord of her activities, so Doris moves in on Felix. When they both get thrown out, they move in with Barney... until they drive him out! That's when Felix and Doris finally decide to put theory into practice. But do opposites attract?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSundown (2016)
High school seniors Logan and Blake prepare for an epic Spring Break as they travel to the beautiful and exotic Mexican beach resort of Puerto Vallarta hoping to hook up with their high school crushes. Surrounded by hot girls in teeny bikinis, the guys are truly in heaven. After meeting at a club, Logan falls for a mysterious local beauty named Gaby but then realizes the next morning, when his grandfather’s Rolex watch is missing, that she was after more than just his heart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisMr. Jealousy (1998)
After his first date at age 15 ended with the girl making out with another man at a party, aspiring writer Lester Grimm has treated all his girlfriends with jealousy and suspicion. While dating Ramona Ray, paranoia gets the best of him when he discovers that her most recent ex is successful novelist Dashiell Frank. Lester begins attending the same group therapy sessions as Dashiell to learn about Ramona's past with him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisFrench Girl (2024)
Sweet Gordon, an affable English teacher in Brooklyn, has beaten the odds; a French Girl has fallen in love with him and he’s fallen even harder back. But their future is thrown into limbo when she interviews for an executive chef position in her hometown of Quebec City. To Gordon’s dismay her future boss also happens to be her former lover, a celebrity Chef with oceanic eyes and a hit TV show. Good luck Gordon.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDean (2016)
A comedy about loss, grief, and the redemptive power of love. Dean is a NY illustrator who falls hard for an LA woman while trying to prevent his father from selling the family home in the wake of his mother's death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisPicture This (2025)
Single and without a man on the horizon, Pia runs a failing photography studio in London with her best friend Jay. As her sister Sonal prepares for marriage and her mother Laxmi urges her to partner up, a spiritual guru predicts Pia will meet the love of her life among her next five dates. With her family intervening, Pia embarks on a hilarious yet heartfelt quest for love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStarting Over (1979)
After divorcing his ambitious singer wife, a middle-aged man begins a new relationship with a teacher.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLong Weekend (2021)
Bart's chance encounter with the enigmatic Vienna leads to a whirlwind weekend together. The two fall fast and hard, but both carry secrets that could be their undoing or the chance for a fresh start.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this¿Quieres ser mi hijo? (2023)
Lu, a conformist woman in her forties, learns that her 15-year partner has been having extramarital affairs. Starting from scratch, she gets involved in an unexpected relationship with a young womanizer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDesperados (2020)
A panicked young woman and her two best friends fly to Mexico to delete a ranting email she sent to her new boyfriend. On arrival, they run into her former beau, who soon gets caught up in their frantic scheme.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Impostors (1998)
Wrongly accused of physically abusing a fellow actor, starving thespians Arthur and Maurice find themselves pursued by the law aboard a cruise ship.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisČekanky (1940)
Intern Plichta arrives to work at a country estate, where there is a strict ban on marriage for officials, issued by the count. However, Plichta meets Jiřina Krátká on the way, falls in love with her and intends to marry her. Adjunct Ptáček and intern Ráček are also vying for Jiřina. All the officials already have brides in mind, whom they call chicaneries. The news of the count's death causes a stir, and twelve merry-making parties are planned at the estate at once...
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & romance
Romeo + Juliet (1996)
In this contemporary take on William Shakespeare's classic tragedy, the Montagues and Capulets have moved their ongoing feud to the sweltering suburb of Verona Beach, where Romeo and Juliet fall in love and secretly wed. Though the film is visually modern, the bard's dialogue remains.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWallace & Gromit: The Curse of the Were-Rabbit (2005)
Cheese-loving eccentric Wallace and his cunning canine pal Gromit run a business ridding the town of garden pests. Using only humane methods, which turns their home into a halfway house for evicted vermin, the pair stumble upon a mystery involving a voracious vegetarian monster that threatens to ruin the annual veggie-growing contest.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHere And Now Cucumbers!!! How Much Did You Eat Today? (1982)
To have a clear picture of the Greek public opinion after the recent victory of the current government, the editor-in-chief of a famous newspaper organisation enlists the help of two of his best reporters. What will the survey show?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The 51st State (2001)
An American master chemist plans to score big on a once in a lifetime drug deal. All does not go as planned and he is soon entangled in a web of deceit.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShucked (2023)
Film adaptation of Brandy Clark, Shane McAnally and Robert Horn's Tony Award-winning stage musical, set in fictional Cob County, whose residents search for a solution to the problem of their dying corn.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
La Bohème (2026)
In present day East End, an aspiring novelist falls in love with a Ukrainian cleaner whilst his best friend attempts to rekindle his romance with a social climbing sex bomb.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance
Closer (2004)
The relationships of two couples become complicated and deceitful when the man from one couple meets the woman of the other.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisOscar (1967)
This film originated as a play in Paris. The story focuses on the one-day adventures of Bertrand Barnier played with a genius of French cinema, Louis de Funes. In the same morning he learns that his daughter is pregnant, an employee stole a large amount of money from his company, his maid is about to resign in order to marry a wealthy neighbor and his body builder is interested in marrying his daughter. The seemingly complicated story-line is full of comedy or errors and some of the most hilarious mime scenes of the French cinema.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHim and His Sister (1931)
Postman Brabec is a welcome guest of the revue theatre for his sense of humor, and he brings his director Holt letters from female admirers every day. Holt's fans include Brabec's sister Anny. The girl would like to join the theatre, but for the time being works as a maid for the actress Velden. A new revue is being rehearsed, the name of the author is secret. Veldenová will return the role just before the premiere because she doesn't like it. The quick-witted Brabec introduces the director to his sister, who knows all the parts by heart.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Like Shirley Valentine and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Shirley Valentine?
The closest matches to Shirley Valentine are The Incredible Jessica James (2017), Splendor (1999) and F Valentine's Day (2026). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Shirley Valentine?
Start with The Incredible Jessica James (2017), the closest match to Shirley Valentine.
What is the highest-rated movie like Shirley Valentine?
¿Quieres ser mi hijo? (2023), rated 8.4/10 by 378 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Shirley Valentine?
La Bohème (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Shirley Valentine?
Yes: The Incredible Jessica James (2017), Splendor (1999) and F Valentine's Day (2026).
How are movies similar to Shirley Valentine chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Shirley Valentine, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.