Movies like The Payoff (1978)
The best movies like The Payoff (1978) are The Con Artists (1976), Wrong Cops (2013) and I Can Quit Whenever I Want 2: Masterclass (2017). If The Payoff hooked you with its crime and comedy, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedI Can Quit Whenever I Want 2: Masterclass (2017)7.4/10 from 1,258 votes
- NewestThe Thursday Murder Club (2025)Released 2025
- In ItalianThe Con Artists (1976)Also in Italian
The Con Artists (1976)
Belle Duke, in order to get revenge on her former lover Philip Bang, organizes his jail break. But instead of Philip, it is the Italian Felice Brianza, AKAS Felix, who escapes. Now Felix is obliged to help Philip to escape. He succeeds and the two join to defraud Belle. The swindle plot become more complicated when Felix falls in love for Philip's daughter.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWrong Cops (2013)
A group of bad cops look to dispose of a body that one of them accidentally shot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisI Can Quit Whenever I Want 2: Masterclass (2017)
Pietro Zinni is asked by the police to revive the old gang to create a task force that will stop the spread of smart drugs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Yellow Panther (1982)
Pasquale Bellachioma, the unfortunate Police Commissioner, creates a "master stroke" that can finally put it to light before their superiors, but the results is continuous failure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLaRoy, Texas (2024)
Broke and depressed, Ray is mistaken for a dangerous hitman and given an envelope of cash. Along with his P.I. friend Skip, he must escape the actual hitman to make it out of LaRoy alive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHow to Rob a Bank (2007)
Caught in the middle of a bank robbery, a slacker and a bank employee become the ones who arbitrate the intense situation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisJohnny Dangerously (1984)
An honest, goodhearted man is forced to turn to a life of crime to finance his neurotic mother's skyrocketing medical bills.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
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 & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
Charles Dreyfus, who has finally cracked over inspector Clouseau's antics, escapes from a mental institution and launches an elaborate plan to get rid of Clouseau once and for all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
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 & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPsych 2: Lassie Come Home (2020)
After Santa Barbara Police Chief Carlton Lassiter is ambushed and left for dead, Shawn and Gus return to help him and find themselves embroiled in a case involving the personal, the professional – and even the supernatural.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTake the Money and Run (1969)
Virgil Starkwell is intent on becoming a notorious bank robber. Unfortunately for Virgil and his not-so-budding career, he is completely incompetent.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStark Raving Mad (2002)
A crook quietly plots his revenge against the boss who murdered his brother while working for him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnalyze This (1999)
Countless wiseguy films are spoofed in this film that centers on the neuroses and angst of a powerful Mafia racketeer who suffers from panic attacks. When Paul Vitti needs help dealing with his role in the "family," unlucky shrink Dr. Ben Sobel is given just days to resolve Vitti's emotional crisis and turn him into a happy, well-adjusted gangster.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Naked Gun (2025)
Only one man has the particular set of skills... to lead Police Squad and save the world: Lt. Frank Drebin Jr. Following in his father's footsteps, he must solve a murder case to prevent Police Squad from closure.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGotcha! (1985)
A student on a trip to France is tricked into smuggling secrets across the Iron Curtain by a sexy spy.
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 crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLast Night of Amore (2023)
On the night before retirement, police lieutenant Amore is called to investigate the off-duty death of his longtime partner, who fell prey of an illegal scheme Amore himself was secretly part of.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Seven-Ups (1973)
A tough detective who is part of an elite New York City unit is trying to find out who killed his partner, but uncovers a plot to kidnap mobsters for money.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisConfessions of a Lady Cop (1976)
Gianna Amicucci works in the house of the head of her hometown police force and enters the academy with a kickback from him. She is a beautiful woman (she generously sheds clothes during the film) and has to overcome her male colleagues prejudices, but she gains their respect through a series of brilliant operations.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Payoff?
The closest matches to The Payoff are The Con Artists (1976), Wrong Cops (2013) and I Can Quit Whenever I Want 2: Masterclass (2017). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Payoff?
Start with The Con Artists (1976), the closest match to The Payoff.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Payoff?
I Can Quit Whenever I Want 2: Masterclass (2017), rated 7.4/10 by 1,258 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Payoff?
The Thursday Murder Club (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Italian movies like The Payoff?
Yes: The Con Artists (1976), I Can Quit Whenever I Want 2: Masterclass (2017) and The Yellow Panther (1982).
How are movies similar to The Payoff chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Payoff, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.