Movies like It Happened in the Penitentiary (1955)
The best movies like It Happened in the Penitentiary (1955) are The New Monsters (1977), Bill Burr: Walk Your Way Out (2017) and The F**k-It List (2020). If It Happened in the Penitentiary hooked you with its comedy, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Second Tragic Fantozzi (1976)7.5/10 from 646 votes
- NewestA Beautiful Day (2026)Released 2026
- In ItalianThe New Monsters (1977)Also in Italian
The New Monsters (1977)
A collection of dark-humoured vignettes, including tales of a cardinal with a liberal congregation, a motorist and a hitchhiker, mentally challenged tramps, parents contemplating their daughter's participation in a pornographic film, and a conniving husband.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBill Burr: Walk Your Way Out (2017)
No-nonsense comic Bill Burr takes the stage in Nashville and riffs on fast food, overpopulation, dictators and gorilla sign language.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe F**k-It List (2020)
After a prank blows up a studious high school senior's life, he shares a list of certain things he wishes he'd done differently — and maybe still can.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTotò, Peppino e le fanatiche (1958)
A psychiatric-clinic medical director runs some tests on two patients, the Ragionier Antonio Vignanelli and Cavalier Peppino Caprioli, so they must retrieve some memories of family life in order to understand their mental illness.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLike a Cat on a Highway 2 (2021)
Three years after her relationship with Giovanni, Monica is in prison and has to ask his ex for help.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Horse's Mouth (1958)
Gulley Jimson is a boorish aging artist recently released from prison. A swindler in search of his next art project, he hunkers down in the penthouse of would-be patrons the Beeders while they go on an extended vacation; he paints a mural on their wall, pawns their valuables and, along with the sculptor Abel, inadvertently smashes a large hole in their floor. Jimson's next project is an even larger wall in an abandoned church.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon Camillo in Moscow (1965)
Priest Don Camillo blackmails his friendly rival Peppone into letting him join a Communist delegation visiting the Soviet Union.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisCi hai rotto papà (1993)
Kids from a huge apartment complex in Rome form a secret society to unite their forces and get back at the nasty adults who 'oppress' them, playing pranks on them to expose their weaknesses.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGoodnight, Ladies and Gentlemen (1976)
An episodic satire of the political and social status of Italy in the seventies, through the shows of one day of a television channel.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Letter Room (2020)
Richard, a lonely and well-meaning prison officer, is put in charge of reading and censoring the letters received by inmates.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTwo-Way Stretch (1960)
Three criminals plan to break out of prison the day before their release in order to carry out a daring jewel robbery, intending to establish the perfect alibi by returning to jail afterwards. First however they must get out, a task made more difficult by a new, stricter prison officer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Boss in the Living Room (2014)
Cristina lives a peaceful life until her older brother Ciro, who has to attend a trial, asks to spend house arrests at Cristina’s home.
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 thisThe Second Tragic Fantozzi (1976)
The frustrating adventures of a humble employee who all the time has to fullfill the wishes and desires of his bosses.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisJimmy Carr: His Dark Material (2021)
Jimmy Carr finds humor in the darkest of places in this stand-up special that features his dry, sardonic wit — and some jokes he calls "career enders."
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAli Wong: Single Lady (2024)
After a whirlwind couple of years, Ali Wong returns to the stage to dish on the highs, lows and surprises of dating post-divorce.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIl conte Max (1957)
Alberto, a newspaper man, tries a one-time shot of living the good life with the help of his penniless mentor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Beautiful Day (2026)
Tommaso, a single father of four, has shut himself off from the world. When his daughters push him to start over, he meets Lara — a brilliant, captivating woman. But both carry secrets that could change everything.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisGaribaldi's Lovers (2012)
A widowed working-class father falls in love with a struggling, poor artist.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like It Happened in the Penitentiary?
The closest matches to It Happened in the Penitentiary are The New Monsters (1977), Bill Burr: Walk Your Way Out (2017) and The F**k-It List (2020). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after It Happened in the Penitentiary?
Start with The New Monsters (1977), the closest match to It Happened in the Penitentiary.
What is the highest-rated movie like It Happened in the Penitentiary?
The Second Tragic Fantozzi (1976), rated 7.5/10 by 646 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like It Happened in the Penitentiary?
A Beautiful Day (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Italian movies like It Happened in the Penitentiary?
Yes: The New Monsters (1977), Totò, Peppino e le fanatiche (1958) and Like a Cat on a Highway 2 (2021).
How are movies similar to It Happened in the Penitentiary chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside It Happened in the Penitentiary, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.