Movies like The Smallest Show on Earth (1957)
The best movies like The Smallest Show on Earth (1957) are The Addams Family (1991), The Family Jewels (1965) and Little Big League (1994). If The Smallest Show on Earth hooked you with its comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Apartment (1960)8.2/10 from 2,848 votes
- NewestThe Phoenician Scheme (2025)Released 2025
The Addams Family (1991)
When a man claiming to be long-lost Uncle Fester reappears after 25 years lost, the family plans a celebration to wake the dead. But the kids barely have time to warm up the electric chair before Morticia begins to suspect Fester is fraud when he can't recall any of the details of Fester's life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Family Jewels (1965)
A young heiress must choose between six uncles, one of which is up to no good and out to harm the girl's beloved bodyguard who practically raised her.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLittle Big League (1994)
When the owner of the Minnesota Twins passes away, he bequeaths the team to his preteen grandson. The newly minted head honcho quickly appoints himself manager, causing unrest in an organization that struggles to take orders from a 12-year-old.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Million Pound Note (1954)
An impoverished American sailor is fortunate enough to be passing the house of two rich gentlemen who have conceived the crazy idea of distributing a note worth one million pounds. The sailor finds that whenever he tries to use the note to buy something, people treat him like a king and let him have whatever he likes for free. Ultimately, the money proves to be more troublesome than it is worth when it almost costs him his dignity and the woman he loves.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like this*batteries not included (1987)
In a soon to be demolished block of apartments, the residents resist the criminal methods used to force them to leave so a greedy tycoon can build his new skyscraper. When tiny mechanical aliens land for a recharge, they decide to stay and help out.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKiller Bean Forever (2008)
When things go bad in Beantown, top assassin Killer Bean is called to clean-up the mess. Detective Cromwell finds himself in the middle between Killer Bean and mob boss Cappuccino.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Music Box (1932)
The Laurel & Hardy Moving Co. have a challenging job on their hands (and backs): hauling a player piano up a monumental flight of stairs to Prof. von Schwarzenhoffen's house. Their task is complicated by a sassy nursemaid and, unbeknownst to them, the impatient Prof. von Schwarzenhoffen himself. But the biggest problem is the force of gravity, which repeatedly pulls the piano back down to the bottom of the stairs.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events (2004)
Three wealthy children's parents are killed in a fire. When they are sent to a distant relative, they find out that he is plotting to kill them and seize their fortune.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNine Lives (2016)
A stuffy businessman finds himself trapped inside the body of his family's cat.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisDick Tracy (1990)
The comic strip detective finds his life vastly complicated when Breathless Mahoney makes advances towards him while he is trying to battle Big Boy Caprice's united mob.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEasy Money (1983)
To inherit his mother-in-law's colossal fortune, a hard living gambling addict must change his unhealthy ways before it gets the best of him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisScooby-Doo and the Alien Invaders (2000)
A cosmic case of flying saucers, intergalactic intrigue and out-of-this-world romance launches Scooby-Doo! and the Mystery Inc., Gang into their most unearthly adventure ever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Secret Life of Pets (2016)
The quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray whom Max instantly dislikes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMouseHunt (1997)
Down-on-their luck brothers, Lars and Ernie Smuntz, aren't happy with the crumbling old mansion they inherit... until they discover the estate is worth millions. Before they can cash in, they have to rid the house of its single, stubborn occupant—a tiny and tenacious mouse.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Phoenician Scheme (2025)
Wealthy businessman Zsa-zsa Korda appoints his only daughter, a nun, as sole heir to his estate. As Korda embarks on a new enterprise, they soon become the target of scheming tycoons, foreign terrorists, and determined assassins.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Loud House Movie (2021)
The Loud family travel to Scotland and discover they are descendants of Scottish royalty as they move into their giant ancestral castle.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDark Star (1974)
A group of scientists are sent on a mission to destroy unstable planets. Twenty years into their mission, they have to battle their alien mascot as well as a "sensitive" and intelligent bombing device that starts to question the meaning of its existence.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Wrong Trousers (1993)
Wallace rents out Gromit's former bedroom to a penguin, who takes up an interest in the techno trousers created by Wallace. However, Gromit later learns that the penguin is a wanted criminal.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Man in the White Suit (1951)
The unassuming, nebbishy inventor Sidney Stratton creates a miraculous fabric that will never be dirty or worn out. Clearly he can make a fortune selling clothes made of the material, but may cause a crisis in the process. After all, once someone buys one of his suits they won't ever have to fix them or buy another one, and the clothing industry will collapse overnight. Nevertheless, Sidney is determined to put his invention on the market, forcing the clothing factory bigwigs to resort to more desperate measures...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJoe's Apartment (1996)
A nice guy has just moved to New York and discovers that he must share his run-down apartment with a couple thousand singing, dancing cockroaches.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisLa Dolce Vita (1960)
Episodic journey of journalist Marcello who struggles to find his place in the world, torn between the allure of Rome's elite social scene and the stifling domesticity offered by his girlfriend, all the while searching for a way to become a serious writer.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou (2004)
Renowned oceanographer Steve Zissou has sworn vengeance upon the rare shark that devoured a member of his crew. In addition to his regular team, he is joined on his boat by Ned, a man who believes Zissou to be his father, and Jane, a journalist pregnant by a married man. They travel the sea, all too often running into pirates and, perhaps more traumatically, various figures from Zissou's past, including his estranged wife, Eleanor.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBarton Fink (1991)
A renowned New York playwright is enticed to California to write for the movies and discovers the hellish truth of Hollywood.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Apartment (1960)
Bud Baxter is a minor clerk in a huge New York insurance company, until he discovers a quick way to climb the corporate ladder. He lends out his apartment to the executives as a place to take their mistresses. Although he often has to deal with the aftermath of their visits, one night he's left with a major problem to solve.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisNight Express (2003)
An extremely patient man shares a sleeping car on a overnight express train with a complete hypochondriac. Anxious for his berth mate to reveal any habits which might disturb his delicate sleep, the neurotic man subjects the other to an absurd interrogation.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Ed Wood (1994)
The mostly true story of the legendary "worst director of all time", who, with the help of his strange friends, filmed countless B-movies without ever becoming famous or successful.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisRoman Holiday (1953)
Overwhelmed by her suffocating schedule, touring European princess Ann takes off for a night while in Rome. When a sedative she took from her doctor kicks in, however, she falls asleep on a park bench and is found by an American reporter, Joe Bradley, who takes her back to his apartment for safety. At work the next morning, Joe finds out Ann's regal identity and bets his editor he can get exclusive interview with her, but romance soon gets in the way.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisDr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb (1964)
After the insane General Jack D. Ripper initiates a nuclear strike on the Soviet Union, a war room full of politicians, generals and a Russian diplomat all frantically try to stop it.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe General (1926)
During America’s Civil War, Union spies steal engineer Johnnie Gray's beloved locomotive, 'The General'—with Johnnie's lady love aboard an attached boxcar—and he single-handedly must do all in his power to both get The General back and to rescue Annabelle.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisThe Gold Rush (1925)
A gold prospector in Alaska struggles to survive the elements and win the heart of a dance hall girl.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Absolute CinemaMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Smallest Show on Earth?
The closest matches to The Smallest Show on Earth are The Addams Family (1991), The Family Jewels (1965) and Little Big League (1994). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Smallest Show on Earth?
Start with The Addams Family (1991), the closest match to The Smallest Show on Earth.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Smallest Show on Earth?
The Apartment (1960), rated 8.2/10 by 2,848 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Smallest Show on Earth?
The Phoenician Scheme (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Smallest Show on Earth?
Yes: The Addams Family (1991), The Family Jewels (1965) and Little Big League (1994).
How are movies similar to The Smallest Show on Earth chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Smallest Show on Earth, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.