Movies like Joe Palooka in the Big Fight (1949)
The best movies like Joe Palooka in the Big Fight (1949) are Don't Think Twice (2016), Chloe and Theo (2015) and Free Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas (2018). If Joe Palooka in the Big Fight hooked you with its comedy and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedLouis C.K.: Hilarious (2010)7.8/10 from 321 votes
- NewestThe Legendaries (2026)Released 2026
Don'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 thisFree Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas (2018)
As Bright Fields preps for its Mistletoe Ball, a broken ornament leads Zoe to a family secret, while Gaby finds herself at the mercy of new boss Mia.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWild Oats (2016)
Everything changes for Eva when she receives an insurance settlement check accidentally made out for $5,000,000 instead of the expected $50,000. She and her best friend take the money and head out for the adventure of a lifetime.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSometimes Always Never (2019)
Alan is a stylish tailor with moves as sharp as his suits. He has spent years searching tirelessly for his missing son Michael who stormed out over a game of Scrabble. With a body to identify and his family torn apart, Alan must repair the relationship with his youngest son and solve the mystery of an online player who he thinks could be Michael, so he can finally move on and reunite his family.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Good Half (2024)
Renn Wheeland returns home to Cleveland for his mother's funeral. Once there, he forges new relationships while healing old ones, before confronting his problems and trying to face his grief.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Comedy (2012)
Indifferent to the notion of inheriting his father's estate, a restless, aging New Yorker passes time with his friends in games of mock sincerity, irreverence, and recreational cruelty towards those around them.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies 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 thisTrailer Park Boys: Don't Legalize It (2014)
Out of jail and broke, Julian concocts an outrageously greasy scheme to get rich and, to make it even greasier, he will have to deliver his product to his arch-enemy, Cyrus, who’s waiting in Montreal to close the dirty deal. Meanwhile, Ricky’s dope growing business is under a major threat when the government announces a plan to legalize marijuana. Bubbles reluctantly joins them on his own quest to claim an inheritance left to him by his long-lost parents.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShadow of the Thin Man (1941)
While attending a major horse race with their young son, Nick Jr., Nick and Nora Charles witnesse a shocking murder from the crowded grandstand. What first appears to be an isolated killing soon leads to a maze of corruption, blackmail, gambling scandals, and criminal intrigue. As Nick investigates, he encounters suspicious bookmakers, dishonest officials, rival gangsters, and a mysterious killer determined to stay ahead of the law. Nora, as always, is never far from the action, bringing her quick wit and fearless curiosity to the case.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLouis C.K.: Live at The Comedy Store (2015)
This material was developed and prepared over the last year or so, mostly in comedy clubs. This special kind of goes back to when he used to just make noises and be funny for no particular reason. It felt right to him to shoot this special in a club to give it that live immediate intimate feeling. The show is about an hour long. The opening act, who is seen at the beginning (good place for an opening act) is Jay London. One of his favorite club comics going way back to the late 80s when he first started in working in New York.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies 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 thisLouis C.K.: Hilarious (2010)
In this unique and dynamic live concert experience, Louis C.K.'s exploration of life after 40 destroys politically correct images of modern life with thoughts we have all had...but would rarely admit to.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisStewie Griffin: The Untold Story (2005)
The maniacal baby of the Griffin family, Stewie, meets his future self. In doing this he discovers that his future image is not what he has anticipated because of a near death experience.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNate Bargatze: The Tennessee Kid (2019)
Comic Nate Bargatze touches on air travel, cheap weddings, college football, chocolate milk and the perils of ordering coffee in this stand-up special.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWrong Cops (2013)
A group of bad cops look to dispose of a body that one of them accidentally shot.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSong of the Thin Man (1947)
While attending a glamorous jazz cruise on New York’s East River, Nick and Nora Charles witness the fatal shooting of a wealthy patron. When suspicion falls on a young bandleader and his musicians, the couple steps in to clear their friends and uncover the real killer. Their investigation leads through a lively world of jazz clubs, radio personalities, high society, and backstage rivalries, where almost everyone has a secret and the next clue may be hidden in the music.
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 thisBeverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011)
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the tiny pups will stop at nothing to save them - because in good times and hard times, the family always sticks together. So Papi, Chloe and the puppies embark on a heroic adventure, proving once again that big heroes come in small packages.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisKevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain (2011)
Experience the show that quickly became a national phenomenon. Get an up-close and personal look at Kevin back in Philly where he began his journey to become one of the funniest comedians of all time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFritz the Cat (1972)
In late 1960s New York City, fed up with monotonous college life and police repression, free-spirited Fritz, an impenitent seducer and unrestrained party-animal, decides to explore the world. And just like that, as he flees NYC, heading to San Francisco, Fritz embarks on an endless adventure of illumination. Immersed in a world surrounded by drugs and sex, Fritz participates in mad orgies, brings about a revolution, incites mass urban riots, and crosses paths with drug-addled Nazi bikers.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Bogie Man (1992)
A mental patient who believes he is Humphrey Bogart escapes from his institution and sets up in business as a private eye. Based on the the comic book series created by writers John Wagner and Alan Grant.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
A Boy Named Charlie Brown (1969)
Poor Charlie Brown. He can't fly a kite, and he always loses in baseball. Having his faults projected onto a screen by Lucy doesn't help him much either. Against the sage advice and taunting of the girls in his class, he volunteers for the class spelling bee.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnnie (1982)
An orphan in a facility run by the mean Miss Hannigan, Annie believes that her parents left her there by mistake. When a rich man named Oliver "Daddy" Warbucks decides to let an orphan live at his home to promote his image, Annie is selected. While Annie gets accustomed to living in Warbucks' mansion, she still longs to meet her parents. So Warbucks announces a search for them and a reward, which brings out many frauds.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAntique (2008)
Jin-hyeok opens a cake shop in an old antique shop, hiring Seon-woo, Korea's best pastry chef, who fell in love with him in high school. Also there are Soo-yeong, crushing on Seon-woo, ex-boxer Ki-beom, and Seon-woo's French ex-boyfriend.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Legendaries (2026)
They are brave, intrepid, indomitable, and they turned back to children! While fighting the terrible sorcerer Darkhell, the official heros of Alysia: The Legendaries accidentally broke the Jovenia stone, the one of eternal youth. This is how the whole kingdom of Alysia, and especially our champions, has fallen back into childhood. No more birth, but people keep on dying of accident or sickness… Humanity is then doomed to extinction. A real curse! And quite a blow to the myth of "The Legendaries". The five warriors, formerly admired, have now to lie low… Today blamed and discredited, they are well decided to break the spell and fix their mistake. "Nothing is impossible for a willing heart"… Even at 10!
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Hiruko the Goblin (1991)
A school was built on one of the Gates of Hell, behind which hordes of demons await the moment they will be free to roam the Earth. Hiruko is a goblin sent to Earth on a reconnaissance mission. He beheads students in order to assemble their heads on the demons' spider-like bodies. Hieda, an archaeology professor, and Masao, a haunted student, investigate the gory deaths.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDead Mall (TBA)
Five teens sneak into their local mall for one last look before it’s demolished, only to discover the mall is far from abandoned. Inside the crumbling retail labyrinth, they encounter a sprawling, ever-changing cosmic horror that has made the mall its home, transforming the familiar consumer temple into a nightmarish maze where survival is anything but guaranteed.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
13: Game of Death (2006)
After losing his job, his car and his money, Phuchit, races against time to complete 13 tasks ordered by an anonymous caller who promised 100 million Baht upon completion.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBatman: Mystery of the Batwoman (2003)
As if the Penguin wasn't enough to contend with, a new vigilante has surfaced in Gotham City, and her strong-arm tactics give Batman cause for concern. Being the World's Greatest Detective and The Dark Knight, he sets out to uncover her identity while stopping a dangerous criminal plot.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Joe Palooka in the Big Fight?
The closest matches to Joe Palooka in the Big Fight are Don't Think Twice (2016), Chloe and Theo (2015) and Free Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas (2018). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Joe Palooka in the Big Fight?
Start with Don't Think Twice (2016), the closest match to Joe Palooka in the Big Fight.
What is the highest-rated movie like Joe Palooka in the Big Fight?
Louis C.K.: Hilarious (2010), rated 7.8/10 by 321 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Joe Palooka in the Big Fight?
The Legendaries (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Joe Palooka in the Big Fight?
Yes: Don't Think Twice (2016), Chloe and Theo (2015) and Free Rein: The Twelve Neighs of Christmas (2018).
How are movies similar to Joe Palooka in the Big Fight chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Joe Palooka in the Big Fight, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.