Movies like Cocktail (1988)
The best movies like Cocktail (1988) are Risky Business (1983), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and Gross Anatomy (1989). If Cocktail hooked you with its romance and drama, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedBoogie Nights (1997)7.6/10 from 3,774 votes
- NewestDirty Sexy Saint (2019)Released 2019
Risky Business (1983)
Meet Joel Goodson, an industrious, college-bound 17-year-old and a responsible, trustworthy son. However, when his parents go away and leave him home alone in the wealthy Chicago suburbs with the Porsche at his disposal he quickly decides he has been good for too long and it is time to enjoy himself. After an unfortunate incident with the Porsche Joel must raise some cash, in a risky way.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both romance & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFast Times at Ridgemont High (1982)
A group of Southern-California high school students ignore their studies in favor of indulging in their teenage distractions.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGross Anatomy (1989)
Joe Slovak is a brilliant first-year med student whose casual, nonconforming approach to life gets tested when he enrolls in Gross Anatomy, the toughest course in med school.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisThe Sure Thing (1985)
Gib, a beer-guzzling slob, and Alison, an uptight Ivy-Leaguer, are an unlikely duo stuck together on a cross-country trip during Christmas break. At first they get on each other's nerves but, as time passes, they find their divergent natures complement each other. Now they need to realize what they've already found before it's too late.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSkin Deep (1989)
Hard-drinking novelist Zach Hutton spirals out of control after his wife and mistress both leave him. Alone and crippled by a bad case of writer's block, Zach slips in and out of casual relationships and one-night stands, while his drinking becomes more and more severe. With the help of a bartender and his therapist, Zach confronts his demons — women and alcohol.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both romance & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMagic Mike (2012)
Mike, an experienced stripper, takes a younger performer called The Kid under his wing and schools him in the arts of partying, picking up women, and making easy money.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWorking Girl (1988)
When a secretary's idea is stolen by her boss, she takes a risky chance to reclaim it by impersonating him and running the project from his position.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSideways (2004)
Two middle-aged men embark on a spiritual journey through Californian wine country. One is an unpublished novelist suffering from depression, and the other is only days away from walking down the aisle.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFootloose (1984)
When teenager Ren and his family move from big-city Chicago to a small town in the West, he's in for a real case of culture shock after discovering he's living in a place where music and dancing are illegal.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSingles (1992)
A group of young adults in their twenties, who share an apartment in the city of Seattle, ponder on love and face all the challenges of adulthood.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both romance & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBarfly (1987)
Downtrodden writer Henry and distressed goddess Wanda aren't exactly husband and wife: they're wedded to their bar stools. But, they like each other's company—and Barfly captures their giddy, gin-soaked attempts to make a go of life on the skids.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShag (1989)
Summer of 1963. Carson is getting married to her boyfriend so her friends Melaina, Pudge and Luanne take her to Myrtle Beach for one last irresponsible weekend.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Last Days of Disco (1998)
Two young women and their friends spend spare time at an exclusive nightclub in 1980s New York.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisArthur (1981)
Arthur is a 30-year-old child who will inherit $750 million if he complies with his family's demands and marries the woman of their choosing.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSt. Elmo's Fire (1985)
Reluctant to let go of college life, a close-knit team of seven friends--irresponsible saxophone player Billy, young Republican Alec, his girlfriend Leslie, struggling journalist Kevin, drama queen Jules, lovesick waiter Kirby, and Wendy, a social worker with a heart of gold--realise the party is over. And as the burdens of maturity close in on the young dreamers, the complexities of adulthood and the daily struggle of growing up put their sacred friendship to the test. But everyone knows life is not a bed of roses. It won't be easy, but when all is said and done, what will it take for St. Elmo's clique to find its place in the real world?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisJerry Maguire (1996)
Jerry Maguire used to be a typical sports agent: willing to do just about anything he could to get the biggest possible contracts for his clients, plus a nice commission for himself. Then, one day, he suddenly has second thoughts about what he's really doing. When he voices these doubts, he ends up losing his job and all of his clients, save Rod Tidwell, an egomaniacal football player.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCoyote Ugly (2000)
Graced with a velvet voice, 21-year-old Violet Sanford heads to New York to pursue her dream of becoming a songwriter only to find her aspirations sidelined by the accolades and notoriety she receives at her "day" job as a barmaid at Coyote Ugly. The "Coyotes" as they are affectionately called tantalize customers and the media alike with their outrageous antics, making Coyote Ugly the watering hole for guys on the prowl.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAbout Last Night... (1986)
A man and woman meet and try to have a romantic affair, despite their personal problems and the interference of their disapproving friends.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAn Officer and a Gentleman (1982)
Zack Mayo is an aloof, taciturn man who aspires to be a navy pilot. Once he arrives at training camp for his 13-week officer's course, Mayo runs afoul of abrasive, no-nonsense drill Sergeant Emil Foley. Mayo is an excellent cadet, but a little cold around the heart, so Foley rides him mercilessly, sensing that the young man would be prime officer material if he weren't so self-involved. Zack's affair with a working girl is likewise compromised by his unwillingness to give of himself.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisUrban Cowboy (1980)
After moving to Pasadena, Texas, country boy Bud Davis starts hanging around a bar called Gilley's, where he falls in love with Sissy, a cowgirl who believes the sexes are equal. They eventually marry, but their relationship is turbulent due to Bud's traditional view of gender roles. Jealousy over his rival leads to their separation, but Bud attempts to win Sissy back by triumphing at Gilley's mechanical bull-riding competition.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLeaving Las Vegas (1995)
Ben Sanderson, an alcoholic Hollywood screenwriter who lost everything because of his drinking, arrives in Las Vegas to drink himself to death. There, he meets and forms an uneasy friendship and non-interference pact with prostitute Sera.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBoogie Nights (1997)
In 1977, an idealistic porn producer and his promising protege try to catch up with the end of an era before their never-ending party collides with cold, hard reality.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisView from the Top (2003)
No one thought Donna would go very far. But when she sets her sights on becoming a first-class international flight attendant, Donna throws caution to the wind and takes off in pursuit of her dream. The ride is anything but smooth, however, and Donna's laugh-packed journey of a lifetime is rocked by more turbulence than she bargained for.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisTrading Places (1983)
A snobbish investor and a wily street con-artist find their positions reversed as part of a bet by two callous millionaires.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPerfect (1985)
A female aerobics instructor meets a male reporter doing a story on health clubs, but it isn't love at first sight.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisKicking and Screaming (1995)
After college graduation, Grover's girlfriend Jane tells him she's moving to Prague to study writing. Grover declines to accompany her, deciding instead to move in with several friends, all of whom can't quite work up the inertia to escape their university's pull. Nobody wants to make any big decisions that would radically alter his life, yet none of them wants to end up like Chet, the professional student who tends bar and is in his tenth year of university studies.
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisFatso (1980)
Dominick DiNapoli is a man who loves food and is overweight as a result. After an obese cousin dies due to health problems, Dominick's sister Antoinette sets out to help him lose weight. Although he has a hard time trying to slim down, Dominick finds inspiration when he meets and falls for shop owner Lydia. Can he get up the courage to ask her out, or will he go back to the comfort of overeating?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisQuicksilver (1986)
Jack Casey used to be a hot-shot stock market whiz kid. After a disastrous professional decision, his life in the fast lane is over. He loses his nerve and joins a speed delivery firm which relies on bicycles to avoid traffic jams of San Francisco, is attracted to a fellow bicycler, Terri, and befriends Hector, a budding entrepreneur. Can Jack regain his nerve and his self-respect, and rebuild his life on a more sound basis?
Why it matches: Fans watch both · both drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisParty Girl (1995)
Although Mary has little income, she still finds ways to spend her nights at clubs. After being arrested for throwing an illegal rave, she asks her aunt Judy for bail money. Judy then finds Mary a job at her library so that Mary can repay her. Initially, Mary finds the job as a clerk boring and stifling, and prefers to get to know a street food vendor whom she likes. However, Mary must refocus her life once she loses her job and apartment.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDirty Sexy Saint (2019)
Clay Kincaid hates the nickname 'Saint', he got for being too kind to stray animals and desperate people. Especially when it comes to women. With a rough and damaged past that has left him jaded, he doesn't do committed relationships. This is before he meets Samantha Jamieson, an heiress turned runaway in need of help. When she starts to work as a waitress at his bar, he discovers that she is someone truly special and amazing… someone that could warm his damaged heart.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Cocktail?
The closest matches to Cocktail are Risky Business (1983), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and Gross Anatomy (1989). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Cocktail?
People who watched Cocktail most often go on to Risky Business (1983), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and Gross Anatomy (1989).
What is the highest-rated movie like Cocktail?
Boogie Nights (1997), rated 7.6/10 by 3,774 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Cocktail?
Dirty Sexy Saint (2019) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Cocktail?
Yes: Risky Business (1983), Fast Times at Ridgemont High (1982) and Gross Anatomy (1989).
How are movies similar to Cocktail chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Cocktail, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.