Movies like The Adventures of James and David (1997)
The best movies like The Adventures of James and David (1997) are Beauty Shop (2005), Force of Evil (1950) and The Man Who Wasn't There (2001). If The Adventures of James and David hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Man Who Wasn't There (2001)7.5/10 from 1,854 votes
- NewestThe American Dream (2026)Released 2026
- In FrenchThe Hairdresser's Husband (1990)Also in French
Beauty Shop (2005)
Far from Chicago, hairdresser Gina Norris has relocated to Atlanta with her daughter and has quickly established herself as a rare talent in her profession. But after repeatedly butting heads with her shady, over-the-top boss, Jorge, Norris sets out to create her own salon -- even snagging a few of Jorge's employees and clients. Now, Jorge will do anything to shut her down.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisForce of Evil (1950)
Lawyer Joe Morse wants to consolidate all the small-time numbers racket operators into one big powerful operation. But his elder brother Leo is one of these small-time operators who wants to stay that way, preferring not to deal with the gangsters who dominate the big-time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Man Who Wasn't There (2001)
A tale of murder, crime and punishment set in the summer of 1949. Ed Crane, a barber in a small California town, is dissatisfied with his life, but his wife Doris' infidelity and a mysterious opportunity presents him with a chance to change it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBlow Dry (2001)
The annual British Hairdressing Championship comes to Keighley, a town where Phil and son Brian run a barbershop and Phil's ex-wife Shelly and her lover Sandra run a beauty salon.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Hairdresser's Husband (1990)
Antoine has always been fascinated by a hairdresser's delicate touch, the beguiling perfume, and the enticing figure of a woman with an opulent bosom. After all, he had always known he would marry one, completing his idealized love fantasy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGood Hair (2009)
An exposé of comic proportions that only Chris Rock could pull off, GOOD HAIR visits beauty salons and hairstyling battles, scientific laboratories and Indian temples to explore the way hairstyles impact the activities, pocketbooks, sexual relationships, and self-esteem of the Black community.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYou're Never Too Young (1955)
When an aspiring barber becomes inadvertently involved in the theft of a valuable diamond, necessity forces him to masquerade as a 12 year-old child - with humorous consequences.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeautiful Lies (2010)
A hairdresser forwards a passionate love letter to her widowed mother.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSwan Song (2021)
An aging hairdresser escapes his nursing home to embark on an odyssey across his small town to style a dead woman's hair for her funeral, rediscovering his sparkle along the way.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarbershop: The Next Cut (2016)
To survive harsh economic times, Calvin and Angie have merged the barbershop and beauty salon into one business. The days of male bonding are gone as Eddie and the crew must now contend with sassy female co-workers and spirited clientele. As the battle of the sexes rages on, a different kind of conflict has taken over Chicago. Crime and gangs are on the rise, leaving Calvin worried about the fate of his son. Together, the friends come up with a bold plan to take back their beloved neighborhood.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAcross the Tracks (1991)
When Billy returns from reform school he has to attend a different high school at the other side of town. He tries to start with a clean slate but his old rival doesn't make it easy on him and his buddy Louie tries to make him go astray again. His brother Joe, quite the opposite of Billy, is a good runner and determined to win a track scholarship. He suggests Billy to join his school's track team, which pits the two brothers against each other.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisNappily Ever After (2018)
After an accident at the hair salon, Violet realizes she's not living life to the fullest. A soulful barber helps her put the pieces back together.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMedusa Deluxe (2023)
Talented and cutthroat hairstylists at a competition find one of their own murdered before judging can begin. Winding through neon-lit halls, competitors unspool long-simmering resentments and lies as they search for the killer among them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe King of Marvin Gardens (1972)
Jason Staebler lives on the Boardwalk and fronts for the local mob in Atlantic City. He is a dreamer who asks his brother David, a radio personality from Philadelphia, to help him build a paradise on a Pacific Island, which might be just another of his pie-in-the-sky schemes. Inevitably, complications begin to pile up.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Long Riders (1980)
The origins, exploits and the ultimate fate of the James gang is told in a sympathetic portrayal of the bank robbers made up of brothers who begin their legendary bank raids because of revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBefore the Devil Knows You're Dead (2007)
When two brothers organize the robbery of their parents' jewelry store, the job goes horribly wrong, triggering a series of events that send them and their family hurtling towards a shattering climax.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbershop 2: Back in Business (2004)
The continuing adventures of the barbers at Calvin's Barbershop. Gina, a stylist at the beauty shop next door, is now trying to cut in on his business. Calvin is again struggling to keep his father's shop and traditions alive--this time against urban developers looking to replace mom & pop establishments with name-brand chains. The world changes, but some things never go out of style--from current events and politics to relationships and love, you can still say anything you want at the barbershop.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe American Dream (2026)
No one would have bet on Jérémy, stuck behind the counter of a video store, or on Bouna, who cleans airports. With no money, no connections, and painfully poor English, who could have predicted they’d one day become big-name agents in the NBA? What they lack in experience, they will make up for in audacity, while remaining true to their one credo, doing business with a human touch. Scouting raw talent while improvising their way up, they’ll fake it until they make it – chasing their American Dream and landing multi-million-dollar deals.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLegend (2015)
Suave, charming and volatile, Reggie Kray and his unstable twin brother Ronnie start to leave their mark on the London underworld in the 1960s. Using violence to get what they want, the siblings orchestrate robberies and murders while running nightclubs and protection rackets. With police Detective Leonard "Nipper" Read hot on their heels, the brothers continue their rapid rise to power and achieve tabloid notoriety.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarbershop (2002)
A day in the life of a barbershop on the south side of Chicago. Calvin, who inherited the struggling business from his deceased father, views the shop as nothing but a burden and waste of his time. After selling the shop to a local loan shark, Calvin slowly begins to see his father's vision and legacy and struggles with the notion that he just sold it out.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Adventures of James and David?
The closest matches to The Adventures of James and David are Beauty Shop (2005), Force of Evil (1950) and The Man Who Wasn't There (2001). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Adventures of James and David?
Start with Beauty Shop (2005), the closest match to The Adventures of James and David.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Adventures of James and David?
The Man Who Wasn't There (2001), rated 7.5/10 by 1,854 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Adventures of James and David?
The American Dream (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like The Adventures of James and David?
Yes: The Hairdresser's Husband (1990), Beautiful Lies (2010) and The American Dream (2026).
How are movies similar to The Adventures of James and David chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Adventures of James and David, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.