Movies like The Rowdyman (1972)
The best movies like The Rowdyman (1972) are The Lords of Discipline (1983), O.G. (2018) and Come Sunday (2018). If The Rowdyman hooked you with its drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBeast (2026)7.5/10 from 227 votes
- NewestBeast (2026)Released 2026
The Lords of Discipline (1983)
Will arrives for his last year at Military Academy, in the Deep South USA, in the 1960's. A black student, Pearce, has been accepted, for the first time and Will is asked to keep an eye out for the inevitable racism. The racists come in the form of The Ten, a secret group of the elite students. They want Pearce to leave on his own free will, but are prepared to torture him to make it 'his free will'. Will is forced to help Pearce and he is prepared to risk his own career to do so.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisO.G. (2018)
Louis Menkins is five weeks away from being released after 26 years in prison. He is faced with the decision to put his own release at risk in order to protect a young man named Beecher from growing gang controversies.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisCome Sunday (2018)
Evangelist Carlton Pearson is ostracized by his church for preaching that there is no Hell.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisOmaha (2025)
A young girl and her brother are awoken by their father and loaded into the car on an early morning in 2008. As they road trip across the American West, she discovers the truth about their seemingly spontaneous journey.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHands of Stone (2016)
The legendary Roberto Duran and his equally legendary trainer Ray Arcel change each other's lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy Dinner with Hervé (2018)
An unlikely friendship evolves over one wild night in LA between a struggling journalist and actor Hervé Villechaize, the world's most famous gun-toting dwarf, resulting in life-changing consequences for both.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBobby Jones: Stroke of Genius (2004)
The story of golf icon and legend, Bobby Jones, who retired from competition at the tender age of 28.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Visit (1964)
Carla Zachanassian had a child by Serge Miller as a teenager. When Serge refused to marry her, she was driven out of town. By her own wit and cunning, she has returned as a multi-millionaire for a visit. The town lays out the red carpet expecting big things from Carla, only to learn that her sole purpose is to see Serge Miller killed...
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Congress (2013)
An aging, out-of-work actress accepts one last job, though the consequences of her decision affect her in ways she didn't consider.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRogue Agent (2022)
Conman Robert Freegard poses as an undercover MI5 agent and kidnaps countless victims amidst a high-stakes manhunt, until the woman who fell for him brings him to justice.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHome Run (2013)
A pro ball player with a substance abuse problem is forced into rehab in his hometown, finding new hope when he gets honest about his checkered past, and takes on coaching duties for a misfit Little League team
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFast Girls (2012)
A street smart runner develops an intense rivalry with an equally ambitious wealthy young athlete.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Padre (2018)
American retired Judge Randall Nemes and his hired gun, Gaspar, track down a con man posing as a priest in a small Colombian town only to be thrown off-course by a scrappy 16-year-old girl intent on reuniting with her sister in the United States.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Young One (1960)
A jazz musician seeks refuge from a lynch mob on a remote island, where he meets a hostile game warden and the young object of his attentions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisEleanor the Great (2025)
94-year-old Eleanor Morgenstein tries to rebuild her life after the death of her best friend. As a result, she moves back to New York City after living in Florida for decades.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlue Chips (1994)
Pete Bell, a college basketball coach is under a lot of pressure. His team isn't winning and he cannot attract new players. The stars of the future are secretly being paid by boosters. This practice is forbidden in the college game, but Pete is desperate and has pressures from all around.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeast (2026)
MMA legend Patton James, now a commercial fisherman, is pulled back into the cage when his brother is in danger. Reuniting with his old coach Sammy, he commits to one final fight in one championship against the brutal champion Xavier Grau.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHounddog (2008)
A drama set in the American South, where a precocious, troubled girl finds a safe haven in the music and movement of Elvis Presley.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmbattled (2020)
The eldest son of a ruthlessly tough MMA champion must fight his way out of the abusive cycle his father has continued.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBattle of the Year (2013)
A down-on-his-luck coach is hired to prepare a team of the best American dancers for an international tournament that attracts all the best crews from around the world, but the Americans haven't won in fifteen years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thischain-jokers (TBA)
Two retired social-media pranksters reminisce on their past practical jokes when a cruel final prank is unexpectedly pulled.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Chiquidracula (1985)
An alcoholic grandfather is seriously ill. His doctor suggests that experiencing a bad scare could cure him. His grandson volunteers to help him.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
The Man Who Broke the Ice (1972)
Lambros Konstantaras performs a wealthy gossip that has never worked, and all he has to do is make fun and jokes to others. But when he suddenly finds himself in the street, he realizes that life is not just fun and is forced to look for a job. In the end, it turns out he had not lost his fortune as it was an idea his father had invented shortly before he died to be
Why it matches: Similar story and style
More Winners: His Master's Ghost (1990)
Flea is spending his vacation at a music camp in a spooky old mansion. But he is more interested in scaring people with practical jokes, than in music.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Mama's Boy (2025)
Today is Willem's mothers birthday, and he's doing everything he can to make it right, however, he keeps running into problems, are these all just coincidences? Or is there someone behind it?
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The IF Thing (2005)
With 4 weeks and a budget of $5,000, IF Media approached filmmaker Nash Edgerton and Blue-Tongue Films to produce video insert material for the 2005 Lexus Inside Film Awards. Edgerton agreed. But wanted the $5,000 in cash.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Penn & Teller Get Killed (1989)
The "bad boys of magic" go over the edge in this mind-blowing, role-switching comedy murder mystery set in the dizzying world of Atlantic City casinos. In a TV interview, Penn mentions his idea of a fun practical joke: "I wish someone were trying to kill me. It would give focus to my life, excitement. I'd be like James Bond." Twenty million people hear him. One decides to deliver a punchline he'll never forget. Made by people who thought Psycho was a comedy, Penn & Teller Get Killed (they also wrote the piece) features Caitlin Clarke as the femme fatale and David Patrick Kelly as the Edgar Allan Poe-esque nutcase with a new mission. Arthur Penn, known for hip masterpieces like Bonnie and Clyde, Alice's Restaurant and Little Big Man, directs with roller-coaster pacing and subversive intelligence.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Expelled (2014)
Felix is a legendary prankster who gets expelled from his high school and, with his friend’s help, stops at nothing to hide it from his parents.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Grinch Grinches the Cat in the Hat (1982)
The Cat in the Hat is all set for a lovely picnic, but the evil Grinch changes his plans by inventing a contraption that captures noise and makes it sound ferocious. The Cat has to save the world from the clutches of the Grinch and the only way to do it is to reach Grinch's soft spot.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The Scarecrow (1921)
A drunken gardener is challenged to a poker match by agents of the Devil; replete with location shots in Hades of the Devil giving orders to his agents on Earth.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Like The Rowdyman and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Rowdyman?
The closest matches to The Rowdyman are The Lords of Discipline (1983), O.G. (2018) and Come Sunday (2018). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Rowdyman?
Start with The Lords of Discipline (1983), the closest match to The Rowdyman.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Rowdyman?
Beast (2026), rated 7.5/10 by 227 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Rowdyman?
Beast (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like The Rowdyman?
Yes: The Lords of Discipline (1983), O.G. (2018) and Come Sunday (2018).
How are movies similar to The Rowdyman chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Rowdyman, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.