Movies like It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did) (1936)
The best movies like It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did) (1936) are Bubble (2006), The Blue Gardenia (1953) and A Shot in the Dark (1964). If It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did) hooked you with its crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedStrangers on a Train (1951)7.7/10 from 1,979 votes
- NewestNancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)Released 2019
Bubble (2006)
Set against the backdrop of a decaying Midwestern town, a murder becomes the focal point of three people who work in a doll factory.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Blue Gardenia (1953)
Upon waking up to the news that the man she’d gone on a date with the previous night has been murdered, a young woman with only a faint memory of the night’s events begins to suspect that she murdered him while attempting to resist his advances.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPerfect Sisters (2014)
Tired of their mother's alcoholism and a string of her abusive boyfriends, two sisters plot to kill her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
SnoozefestMovies like thisThey Made Me a Fugitive (1947)
After being framed for a policeman's murder, a criminal escapes prison and sets out for revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Honey Pot (1967)
In Venice, a millionaire hires an actor to help him prank three greedy exes into thinking he's dying and leaving his fortune to one of them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Naked City (1948)
After a former model is drowned in her bathtub, Detective James Halloran and Lieutenant Dan Muldoon attempt to piece together her murder.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Asphalt Jungle (1950)
Recently paroled from prison, legendary burglar "Doc" Riedenschneider, with funding from Alonzo Emmerich, a crooked lawyer, gathers a small group of veteran criminals together in the Midwest for a big jewel heist.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Big Clock (1948)
George Stroud, a crime magazine's crusading editor, has to postpone a vacation with his wife - again - when a glamorous blonde is murdered and he is assigned by his publishing boss to find the killer. As the investigation proceeds to its conclusion, Stroud must try to disrupt his ordinarily brilliant investigative team as they increasingly build evidence that he is the killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStrangers on a Train (1951)
A charming psychopath tries to coerce a tennis star into his theory that two strangers can commit the perfect crime by exchanging murders—each killing the other’s most-hated person.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Web (1947)
A brash young lawyer takes a short-term, high-paying job as bodyguard for a slick business exec being threatened by a former partner, and quickly realizes he may be in over his head.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMurder in Three Acts (1986)
In Acapulco, Hercule Poirot attends a dinner party in which one of the guests clutches his throat and suddenly dies. The causes seem to be natural until another party with most of the same guests produces another corpse.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWest Side Story (1961)
In Manhattan’s Upper West Side, rival gangs of Polish-Americans and newly arrived Puerto Ricans clash for control of the neighborhood, even as two young members from opposite sides fall dangerously in love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPlunder Road (1957)
A spectacular heist starts to unravel as the crooks take it on the lam.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
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 crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Man Who Cheated Himself (1950)
A veteran homicide detective who has witnessed his socialite girlfriend kill her husband sees his inexperienced brother assigned to the case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSong 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 crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)
Nancy Drew, a smart high schooler with a penchant for keen observation and deduction, stumbles upon the haunting of a local home. A bit of an outsider struggling to fit into her new surroundings, Nancy and her pals set out to solve the mystery, make new friends, and establish their place in the community
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBorn to Kill (1947)
A calculating divorcée risks her chances at wealth and security with a man she doesn't love by getting involved with a hotheaded murderer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFootsteps in the Fog (1955)
A Victorian-era murder mystery about a parlour maid who discovers that her employer may have killed his first wife.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Voice of the City (1929)
An escaped convict and the detective tasked with hunting him down end up working in parallel to clear the convict's name and nab the gangsters that framed him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Wild at Heart (1990)
Young lovers Sailor and Lula hit the road to start a new life together away from the wrath of Lula’s deranged, disapproving mother, who has hired a team of hitmen to cut the lovers’ surreal honeymoon short.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisSamrat & Co. (2014)
A young, beautiful and rich girl, Dimpy Singh, approaches Samrat Tilakdhari, a private investigator, with a strange case. Their garden got ruined for reasons that appear natural but are not known; leading horticulturists have examined the fading plants but they have not been able to identify the probable reason. Further, her father's favorite horse died; once again the reason for the pre-mature death remains a mystery. That's not the end; Dimpy's father Mahendra Pratap Singh, otherwise a very strong and balanced man, has been experiencing deteriorating health. All these aspects when combined makes the case sound weird and that grabs the attention of Samrat. Samrat along with his assistant friend, Chakradhar Pandey, visits the huge estate of Mahendra Pratap Singh. As he starts investigating, he discovers lots of mysterious facts.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
El caso del cadáver descuartizado (1985)
May 1, 1929. A decomposing headless body is found inside an abandoned wooden box in Madrid's Atocha train station. The victim is later identified as a Barcelona businessman that vanished six months before.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
El crimen de Perpignan (1991)
Perpignan, 1971. A toy factory supervisor becomes obsessed with a newly hired employee. To be with her, he plans the perfect crime: Training his lover to murder his wife.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
The Notorious Woman Thief (1963)
The woman thief Pak Siu-yin was discharged from prison and Inspector Chan has set a trap for Bak to lure the head of the gangster Yim Fong, who used to threaten Pak to commit crime for his gang.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
I Wake Up Screaming (1941)
A young promoter is accused of the murder of Vicky Lynn, a young actress he "discovered" as a waitress while out with ex-actor Robin Ray and gossip columnist Larry Evans.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKisaan (2009)
A bitter family battle ensues between a father and his sons when a businessman makes a deal that entices farmers to sell off their properties.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Run Raja Run (2014)
Raja, son of a vegetable vendor, is a simple man. His girlfriends dump him because of his honesty. However, things take a turn when he meets his true love Priya, the daughter of a police commissioner.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Exit to Eden (1994)
Photographer Elliot Slater has inadvertently snapped the only existing photos of elusive jewel thief Omar. When Elliot leaves for a private vacation on an S&M island, he is followed by Omar, Omar's partner, Nina, and undercover police officers Fred and Sheila. Unaware of the number of people chasing him, Elliot enjoys his stay at the resort, and finds himself falling in love with head dominatrix Lisa.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
SnoozefestMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did)?
The closest matches to It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did) are Bubble (2006), The Blue Gardenia (1953) and A Shot in the Dark (1964). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did)?
Start with Bubble (2006), the closest match to It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did).
What is the highest-rated movie like It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did)?
Strangers on a Train (1951), rated 7.7/10 by 1,979 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did)?
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did)?
Yes: Bubble (2006), The Blue Gardenia (1953) and A Shot in the Dark (1964).
How are movies similar to It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did) chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside It Couldn't Have Happened (But It Did), then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.