Movies like Up the River (1930)
The best movies like Up the River (1930) are Two-Way Stretch (1960), Porridge (1979) and Take the Money and Run (1969). If Up the River hooked you with its comedy and crime, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedWe're No Angels (1955)7.2/10 from 218 votes
- NewestLaRoy, Texas (2024)Released 2024
Two-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 & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPorridge (1979)
Times are hard for habitual guest of Her Majesty Norman Stanley Fletcher. The new prison officer, Beale, makes MacKay look soft and what's more, an escape plan is hatching from the cell of prison godfather Grouty and Fletcher wants no part of it.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTake the Money and Run (1969)
Virgil Starkwell is intent on becoming a notorious bank robber. Unfortunately for Virgil and his not-so-budding career, he is completely incompetent.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOcean's Eight (2018)
Debbie Ocean, a criminal mastermind, gathers a crew of female thieves to pull off the heist of the century at New York's annual Met Gala.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWe're No Angels (1955)
Three convicts escape from prison on Devil's Island just before Christmas and arrive at a nearby French colonial town. They go to the store of the Ducotels, the only store that gives supplies on credit. They initially intend to take advantage of them but have a change of heart after they find the family is in financial troubles.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNaked Gun 33⅓: The Final Insult (1994)
Frank Drebin is persuaded out of retirement to go undercover in a state prison. There he has to find out what top terrorist, Rocco, has planned for when he escapes. Adding to his problems, Frank's wife, Jane, is desperate for a baby.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies 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 crime & 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 & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisWelcome to Collinwood (2002)
Five hapless inner-city low-lifes attempt to burgle a pawnbroker's safe, but end up being plagued by bad luck.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAnother Thin Man (1939)
Nick and Nora Charles are back - and this time, they have a baby, a wealthy new client, and another murder to solve! Retired detective Nick is enjoying family life with Nora and their young son, Nick Jr., when eccentric industrialist Colonel MacFay asks for protection after receiving threatening messages. When MacFay is found dead at his isolated estate, Nick and Nora spring into action, questioning a houseful of suspicious guests and uncovering greed, blackmail, family secrets, and a dangerous inheritance plot. With their trademark wit and sophistication, the glamorous couple balances parenthood, parties, and peril as they race to expose the killer.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLaRoy, Texas (2024)
Broke and depressed, Ray is mistaken for a dangerous hitman and given an envelope of cash. Along with his P.I. friend Skip, he must escape the actual hitman to make it out of LaRoy alive.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShe Done Him Wrong (1933)
New York singer and nightclub owner Lady Lou has more male friends than can be imagined. One is a vicious escaped criminal on the way to see 'his' girl, unaware she hasn't exactly been faithful in his absence. Help is at hand in the form of young Captain Cummings, a local temperance league leader.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
SnoozefestMovies 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 & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNo Deposit, No Return (1976)
Two rich children devise a way to escape their grandfather and visit their mother. Unfortunately for two hapless safe crackers, they become part of the plan.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
Charles Dreyfus, who has finally cracked over inspector Clouseau's antics, escapes from a mental institution and launches an elaborate plan to get rid of Clouseau once and for all.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA-Haunting We Will Go (1942)
Stan and Ollie get involved with con men, crooks, a genial magician, and two interchangeable coffins with disastrous but funny results.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Glass Key (1942)
A crooked politician finds himself being accused of murder by a gangster from whom he refused help during a re-election campaign.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKiss of Death (1947)
An ex-con trying to go straight must face a crazed criminal out for revenge.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnimal Crackers (1930)
The well-known explorer and hunter Captain Spaulding has just returned from Africa, and is being welcomed home with a lavish party at the estate of influential society matron Mrs. Rittenhouse when a valuable painting goes missing. The intrepid Captain Spaulding attempts to solve the crime with the help of his silly secretary Horatio Jamison, while sparring with the anarchic Signor Emanuel Ravelli and his nutty sidekick The Professor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHe Ran All the Way (1951)
A crook on the run hides out in an innocent girl's apartment.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both crime
Worth the HypeMovies like thisGirl Missing (1933)
Showgirls Kay and June are stranded on Palm Beach when they become involved in the case of a fellow chorine who has gone missing on her wedding night.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & crime
Fatal Charm (1990)
Valerie's prosecutor mom is trying to put away Adam, an alleged serial killer on trial for murdering six women. But he's so charming that the teenage Valerie just can't believe he really did it, and soon they begin sending each other letters. Adam is caught up in a jailbreak and ends up on the run.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Manhattan Love Song (1934)
After having been swindled out of all their money by a crooked business manager, formerly wealthy socialites Jerry and Carol discover that they owe their chauffeur and maid back wages they are unable to pay. They're forced to let their former employees live in their luxury apartment in lieu of paying the money they owe them.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Lights of New York (1928)
Eddie is conned into fronting a speakeasy for a local gangster who intends to frame him for the murder of a cop.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Numbered Men (1930)
Civilian Mary Dane and falsely imprisoned Bud Leonard love each other. Lou Rinaldo, who framed Bud to get Mary, and escape-minded King Callahan want to keep him in stir, but convict Bertie and the others, even including the Warden, set events in motion to prove that love and justice will prevail. NB: Prisoner numbers given in lieu of character names in many cast lists for this film do not match the numbers shown on the characters' uniforms, when these can be seen at all, and are not used in dialogue at all.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Betty Boop's Rise to Fame (1934)
A reporter interviews Max Fleischer about his creation, and Betty illustrates with excerpts from three prior cartoons.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
From Headquarters (1933)
A wealthy Broadway playboy is found dead, and it comes to light that he was a vicious blackmailer. It's up to police lieutenant Jim Stevens to pick the murderer out of several likely candidates. Meanwhile, Stevens embarks on a torrid affair with Lou Ann Winton, who may or may not be involved.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both crime
Double Harness (1933)
After tricking him into marriage, a woman tries to win the love of her philandering husband.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
When Ladies Meet (1933)
Mary, a writer working on a novel about a love triangle, is attracted to her publisher. Her suitor Jimmy is determined to break them up; he introduces Mary to the publisher's wife without telling Mary who she is.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
The Girl Said No (1930)
A comedy romance in which breezy Haines, as a young lady killer, tries to capture the heart of Hyams who has turned him down for Bushman. Haines plots dozens of extreme measures to win her over, and finally goes so far as to drag her from the altar, bound and gagged.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy
Like Up the River and something else?
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Up the River?
The closest matches to Up the River are Two-Way Stretch (1960), Porridge (1979) and Take the Money and Run (1969). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Up the River?
Start with Two-Way Stretch (1960), the closest match to Up the River.
What is the highest-rated movie like Up the River?
We're No Angels (1955), rated 7.2/10 by 218 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Up the River?
LaRoy, Texas (2024) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Up the River?
Yes: Two-Way Stretch (1960), Porridge (1979) and Take the Money and Run (1969).
How are movies similar to Up the River chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Up the River, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.