Movies like The Great Pretenders (1991)
The best movies like The Great Pretenders (1991) are Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger (2008), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) and American Dreamer (2022). If The Great Pretenders hooked you with its comedy, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks
- Highest ratedMuch Ado About Nothing (2013)6.8/10 from 299 votes
- NewestAmerican Dreamer (2022)Released 2022
- In ChineseToo Cool to Kill (2022)Also in Chinese
Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger (2008)
An HBO special edited from three performances from Chris Rock's 2008 comedy tour: London (dark suit, dark shirt), Johannesburg (black suit, white shirt) and New York (shiny jacket). Topics include the ongoing presidential campaign, the possibility of a black president, George W. Bush, gas prices, low-paid jobs, ringtones and bottled water, sex, relationships and the correct use of the n-word
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFun with Dick and Jane (1977)
When an upwardly mobile couple find themselves unemployed and in debt, they turn to armed robbery in desperation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAmerican Dreamer (2022)
In this winsome comedy, an entitled Economics professor pursues a tactic to buy an ailing widow’s mansion for nothing, but he quickly realizes that his seemingly foolproof strategy won’t be as easy as he thought.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisDuplex (2003)
When a young couple buys their dream home, they have no idea what the sweet little old lady upstairs is going to put them through!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJim Gaffigan: Beyond the Pale (2006)
The affable, towheaded comic demonstrates his hysterical brand of self-effacing comedy and deadpan delivery at two sold-out shows at Chicago's Vic Theater. It's OK to laugh at this pale white guy...'cause nobody's laughing at Jim Gaffigan harder than Jim Gaffigan!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGabriel Iglesias: I'm Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry (2016)
Hawaiian-shirt enthusiast Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias finds the laughs in racist gift baskets, Prius-driving cops and all-female taco trucks.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisHow to Irritate People (1969)
A pre-Monty Python mockumentary, written by and presented by John Cleese, that provides tips on learning how to irritate people.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAdventures in Public School (2018)
A socially-awkward, home-schooled kid forces his way into public school against his suffocating, but loving, mother's wishes.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJerry Seinfeld: 23 Hours to Kill (2020)
Jerry Seinfeld takes the stage in New York and tackles talking vs. texting, bad buffets vs. so-called "great" restaurants and the magic of Pop Tarts.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBrain Donors (1992)
Three manic idiots—a lawyer, a cab driver and a handyman—team up to run a ballet company to fulfil the will of a millionaire. Stooge-like antics result as the trio try to outwit the rich widow and her scheming big-shot lawyer, who also wants to run the ballet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThunderstruck (2012)
After NBA star Kevin Durant switches talent with 16 year old Brian, the teenager becomes the star of his high school team, but Durant starts struggling and eventually learns an important lesson.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTaylor Tomlinson: Quarter-Life Crisis (2020)
Comedian Taylor Tomlinson is halfway through her 20s — and she's over it. From dating losers to a failed engagement, she takes aim at her life choices.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGabriel Iglesias: Hot and Fluffy (2007)
Gabriel Iglesias is one of the fastest-rising comics today! With his unique brand of humor, lovable stage presence and wide range of voices and impressions, it's no wonder that he already has a huge fan following. Now you can see Comedy Central's "Comic of the Year" in his sold-out performance at the historic Fox Theatre in Bakersfield, California!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Paper Tigers (2020)
Three middle aged men polish their martial arts skills to avenge their fallen master.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMalibu Rescue: The Next Wave (2020)
It’s summer again, and everyone’s favorite Junior Rescuers, The Flounders, are back at Tower 2. With the International Junior Rescue Championships headed to Southern California, the eyes of the entire planet are on Malibu Beach. But when Team USA falls victim to a bout of food poisoning, it’s up to Tyler, Dylan, Eric, Lizzie and Gina to represent their country in the world's most extreme lifeguard challenge!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIliza Shlesinger: War Paint (2013)
Her innocent appearance is just a cover for Last Comic Standing winner Iliza Shlesinger's acerbic, stream-of-conscious comedy that she unleashes on an unsuspecting audience in her hometown of Dallas in "War Paint," her first stand-up special.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAfter the Ball (2015)
After the Ball, a retail fairy tale set in the world of fashion. Kate's dream is to design for couturier houses. Although she is a bright new talent, Kate can't get a job. No one trusts the daughter of Lee Kassell, a retail guru who markets clothes "inspired" by the very designers Kate wants to work for. Who wants a spy among the sequins and stilettos? Reluctantly, Kate joins the family business where she must navigate around her duplicitous stepmother and two wicked stepsisters. But with the help of a prince of a guy in the shoe department her godmother's vintage clothes and a shocking switch of identities, Kate exposes the evil trio, saves her father's company -- and proves that everyone can wear a fabulous dress.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisToo Cool to Kill (2022)
Wei Chenggong, a working actor with big dreams, finally appears to get his big break when actress Milan invites him to play the lead role of "Killer Karl" in a new play. Little does Wei Chenggong know, he has fallen into a perilous conspiracy where all the villains are real, and only through his acting skills and good deal of luck will he be able to make it out alive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 this
Like The Great Pretenders and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Great Pretenders?
The closest matches to The Great Pretenders are Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger (2008), Fun with Dick and Jane (1977) and American Dreamer (2022). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Great Pretenders?
Start with Chris Rock: Kill the Messenger (2008), the closest match to The Great Pretenders.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Great Pretenders?
Much Ado About Nothing (2013), rated 6.8/10 by 299 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Great Pretenders?
American Dreamer (2022) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like The Great Pretenders?
Yes: Too Cool to Kill (2022).
How are movies similar to The Great Pretenders chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Great Pretenders, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.



















