Movies like Play Dead (2001)
The best movies like Play Dead (2001) are Three O'Clock High (1987), Much Ado About Nothing (2013) and Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry (2016). If Play Dead hooked you with its comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedJohn Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018)7.9/10 from 259 votes
- NewestSpa Weekend (2026)Released 2026
Three O'Clock High (1987)
Nerdy high schooler Jerry Mitchell is assigned to write an article for the school paper about the infamous new delinquent transfer student, Buddy Revell. When Jerry accidentally invades Buddy's personal space and touches him, Buddy challenges Jerry to an afterschool fight in the parking lot, which Jerry tries to avoid at all costs.
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 thisGabriel Iglesias: I'm Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry (2016)
Hawaiian-shirt enthusiast Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias finds the laughs in racist gift baskets, Prius-driving cops and all-female taco trucks.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPretty Persuasion (2005)
A 15-year-old girl incites chaos among her friends and a media frenzy when she accuses her drama teacher of sexual harassment.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisDie, Mommie, Die! (2003)
Angela Arden is a washed up, has-been singing star who is trapped in a hateful marriage to film producer Sol Sussman. In an attempt to escape her marriage so that she can be with a hunky layabout, she poisons her husband. However, Angela's manipulative daughter, gay son and alcoholic maid are not going to make it easy for her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAdam Sandler: Love You (2024)
Adam Sandler hits the stage for a thrillingly unpredictable comedy special featuring songs, jokes, party-crashing dogs and plenty of love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDriver's Ed (2026)
A group of teens hit the road in a stolen driver's ed car, racing against time to help a lovesick high school senior track down his college-freshman girlfriend and win her back.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSpa Weekend (2026)
Four lifelong friends escape to a luxury spa retreat to reconnect, unwind and rediscover themselves, but their weekend of relaxation soon turns into a series of wild adventures and bad decisions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRicky Gervais: Humanity (2018)
In his first special in seven years, Ricky Gervais slings his trademark snark at celebrity, mortality and a society that takes everything personally.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Wedding Year (2019)
A commitment-phobic 27-year old’s relationship is put to the test when she and her boyfriend attend 7 weddings in the same year.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisOld Boys (2018)
In the school-set re-working of Cyrano, an awkward but imaginative pupil helps the handsome but spectacularly dim school-hero pursue the fiery daughter of a visiting French teacher.
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 thisEddie Murphy Raw (1987)
Eddie Murphy delights, shocks and entertains with dead-on celebrity impersonations, observations on '80s love, sex and marriage, a remembrance of Mom's hamburgers and much more.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Bad Moms Christmas (2017)
Amy, Kiki and Carla – three under-appreciated and over-burdened women – rebel against the challenges and expectations of the Super Bowl for mothers: Christmas. And if creating a more perfect holiday for their families wasn’t hard enough, they have to do all of that while hosting and entertaining their own mothers.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
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 thisJohn Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018)
John Mulaney relays stories from his childhood and "SNL," eviscerates the value of college and laments getting older in this electric comedy special.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies 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 thisLike a Boss (2020)
Two female friends with very different ideals decide to start a beauty company together. One is more practical, while the other wants to earn her fortune and live a lavish lifestyle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSeriously Single (2020)
While her free-living bestie urges her to embrace singlehood, a commitment-craving social media expert can't stop following the life of a former love.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTaking Care of Business (1990)
An uptight advertising exec has his entire life in a filofax organizer which mistakenly ends up in the hands of a friendly convict who poses as him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHelicopter Mom (2015)
Maggie Cooper thinks it would be really cool if her son Lloyd were gay. So cool, in fact, that she outs him to the entire school.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Prom Party Massacre (2025)
A gay high school student throws a swinging prom party in the hopes of finally wooing the football captain - but when popular kids start turning up dead, the partygoers discover a slasher killer amongst the student body!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Half of Me (2024)
A young gay, neurotic and ex-religious art student goes into a spin with the surprise visit of an eccentric childhood friend.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Youssou & Malek (2022)
On a sprawling urban suburbia during a sweltering summer, two young boys in love are at an impasse. Youssou has an opportunity to study abroad with a prestigious scholarship, while his boyfriend Malek advances in his art degree at a local school. As the pair wrestle with these destinies that are pulling them apart, their friends attempt to untangle the ambitions of these star-crossed lovers, all while tensions rise with the police who patrol the neighbourhood.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Gay And Not Proud (2021)
On June 25, Daniel Howell celebrated YouTube Pride 2021 by taking a journey through his past, and asking - what would have been different if he was proud? An emotional and metaphorical rollercoaster with music, surprise guests and of course a lot of inappropriately self-deprecating humour, but most importantly, a celebration of acceptance and everything Pride stands for.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Little Bottom (2026)
Nathan, a rather slender 19-year-old young man, and Rodrigo, a man in his thirties, meet in a club and decide to spend the night together. Nathan’s physique and youth spark a desire for change in Rodrigo, who is usually “passive” and decides that, on this particular night, he will be “active.” What could have been a simple one-night stand turns into an awkward struggle, as each partner tries to remain in the role that his body seems to assign him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
9 Dead Gay Guys (2002)
The story of two lads from Belfast as they stumble their way through the London gay underworld in search of 'gainful employment'. This being the offering of sexual favours to older gay men in order to subsidise their respective giros. 9 Dead Gay Guys is a high-camp send-up of gay stereotypes.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisSeven Years of Marriage (2003)
After seven years of marriage, a couple of professional workers (he, a doctor and she, a banker) try to refresh their sex life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisYou and Me makes Three (2026)
Alannah and Amara are a married couple in their early thirties, finally ready to start a family. After a chaotic kids' birthday party full of unfiltered parenting confessions, their dream of having a child becomes stronger than ever. Their journey through fertility options is funny, messy, and deeply human from anonymous donor apps to their gay best friends, David and Tom, offering to help. What follows is a series of awkward, hilarious attempts at home insemination (yes, with science goggles) and the very real emotional ups and downs of trying to conceive. Each negative test hits hard, but support from Amara's mum, Joy, and the couple's rock-solid partnership keeps them going.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
I Think I Do (1997)
The marriage of mutual friends reunites former college roommates Bob and Brendan, who tried to ignore the sexual tension that always flowed between them. Brendan finally comes out to Bob at the reception, but is it a case of too little, too late?
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Like Play Dead and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Play Dead?
The closest matches to Play Dead are Three O'Clock High (1987), Much Ado About Nothing (2013) and Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry (2016). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Play Dead?
Start with Three O'Clock High (1987), the closest match to Play Dead.
What is the highest-rated movie like Play Dead?
John Mulaney: Kid Gorgeous at Radio City (2018), rated 7.9/10 by 259 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Play Dead?
Spa Weekend (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Play Dead?
Yes: Three O'Clock High (1987), Much Ado About Nothing (2013) and Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry (2016).
How are movies similar to Play Dead chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Play Dead, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.