Movies like Lessons of the Playground (1989)
The best movies like Lessons of the Playground (1989) are CQ (2001), Hail the Judge (1994) and Family Weekend (2013). If Lessons of the Playground hooked you with its comedy and drama, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedCook Up a Storm (2017)7.5/10 from 202 votes
- NewestThe Movie Emperor (2024)Released 2024
- In ChineseHail the Judge (1994)Also in Chinese
CQ (2001)
A young filmmaker in 1960s Paris juggles directing a cheesy sci-fi debacle, directing his own personal art film, coping with his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend, and a new-found infatuation with the sci-fi film's starlet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisHail the Judge (1994)
Pao Lung Sing, a descendant of the legendary Judge Pao Ching Tin, is a 9th degree corrupt judge who changes his tune when he tries to champion a woman Chi Siu-Lin, who was framed for killing her husband. As a result, Pao is forced to flee and through a series of events becomes a 1st degree judge and comes back to wreak havoc and justice on the guilty.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFamily Weekend (2013)
A 16-year-old girl takes her parents hostage after they miss her big jump-roping competition.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBig Shot's Funeral (2001)
Don Tyler, a famous film-maker, falls ill on the sets of his movie. Fascinated by the funereal traditions of China, he requests a cameraman named Yoyo to arrange a grand, comedic funeral for him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Green, Green Grass of Home (1982)
A substitute teacher from Taipei arrives in a country village to teach a class of mischievous students. He soon falls in love with nature, country life and a fellow teacher at the school.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Movie Emperor (2024)
In an attempt to win back the public's interest, has-been Hong Kong film star Lau Wai-chi makes a comeback film with a major director. To prepare for his role as a peasant farmer in the 1960s, he travels to the mainland China countryside to experience rural life there, but his arrogance triggers a series of farces.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLandline (2017)
A teenager living with her sister and parents in Manhattan during the 1990s discovers that her father is having an affair.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCook Up a Storm (2017)
An international culinary competition becomes a battleground between rival cooks, one famous for his Cantonese street food and the other a Michelin-starred chef trained in France. But their rivalry takes an unexpected turn when they discover a common foe and combine their skills in a fusion of East and West.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisClass Act (1992)
Duncan is a genius straight A student, Blade is ajuvenile delinquent. But because of a mix up with their school records, everyone thinks each is the other one. Now, Duncan kind of likes the attention from being thought of as a real bad dude, if only the school bully would stop trying to rough him up. And Blade definitely likes being thought of as important instead of as trouble.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSomewhere in Queens (2023)
Leo and Angela Russo live a simple life in Queens, surrounded by their overbearing Italian-American family. When their son finds success on his high school basketball team, Leo tears the family apart trying to make it happen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisArticle 20 (2024)
Tells the story of prosecutor Han Ming who is involved in a difficult case where the intentional injury of people is turned into a legitimate defense.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLittle Red Flowers (2006)
Qiang a rebellious 4-year-old is put in boarding school where he causes havoc by defying the teachers and principal who try to impose some discipline on him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGetting Home (2007)
A black comedy about a farmer who tries to bring home the body of his friend, who died far from their town.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisI Am Not Madame Bovary (2016)
Li Xuelian, a woman from the countryside is falsely accused by her husband of having an affair. To defend herself, Li moves from her small town to the big city until she reached the capital.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisClassmates Minus (2020)
Four school buddies — a director, a temp worker, an insurance salesman and a paper craftsman — grapple with unfulfilled dreams amid middle age ennui.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisMr. Donkey (2016)
In order to pay for the donkey that brings them water, a countryside village registers it as a teacher at its local school. But when the charity group that funds the school visits for an inspection, the village has to find ways to hide their secret.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisHappy New Year, Colin Burstead (2018)
Colin has rented a stately country home for his extended family’s New Year celebrations. He’s the centre of attention until his estranged brother David unexpectedly arrives, throwing the family dynamic far off orbit.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon't Think Twice (2016)
An improv group deals with several crises, including the loss of their lease and one member hitting the big time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisChloe and Theo (2015)
A young woman, Chloe, living by her wits on the streets of New York City, has a chance meeting with a wise Inuit Eskimo, Theo, who was sent to New York by his elders to provide a message to the people of the world – We either change our destructive was or be destroyed by them. Chloe, who has been searching for something to believe in, becomes inspired by Theo and , with the help of a kind lawyer, Monica, the three of them present Theo’s story to the United Nations in hopes of creating a better future for all of us.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe House of Tomorrow (2019)
The film tells futurist, architect, and inventor R. Buckminster Fuller's incredible story through two teens hoping to get laid, become punk gods, and survive high school.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Lessons of the Playground?
The closest matches to Lessons of the Playground are CQ (2001), Hail the Judge (1994) and Family Weekend (2013). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Lessons of the Playground?
Start with CQ (2001), the closest match to Lessons of the Playground.
What is the highest-rated movie like Lessons of the Playground?
Cook Up a Storm (2017), rated 7.5/10 by 202 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Lessons of the Playground?
The Movie Emperor (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like Lessons of the Playground?
Yes: Hail the Judge (1994), Big Shot's Funeral (2001) and The Green, Green Grass of Home (1982).
How are movies similar to Lessons of the Playground chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Lessons of the Playground, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.