Movies like Happy World (1989)
The best movies like Happy World (1989) are Madeline's Madeline (2018), Feel the Beat (2020) and Battle of the Year (2013). If Happy World hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedFeel the Beat (2020)7.5/10 from 1,187 votes
- NewestThe Stage (2025)Released 2025
- In ChineseYouth (2017)Also in Chinese
Madeline's Madeline (2018)
Madeline has become an integral part of a prestigious physical theater troupe. When the workshop's ambitious director pushes the teenager to weave her rich interior world and troubled history with her mother into their collective art, the lines between performance and reality begin to blur. The resulting battle between imagination and appropriation rips out of the rehearsal space and through all three women's lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisFeel the Beat (2020)
After failing to make it on Broadway, April returns to her hometown and reluctantly begins training a misfit group of young dancers for a competition.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBattle of the Year (2013)
A down-on-his-luck coach is hired to prepare a team of the best American dancers for an international tournament that attracts all the best crews from around the world, but the Americans haven't won in fifteen years.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDon'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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisYouth (2017)
A group of performing art troupe members each face their own trials and tribulations in Chengdu; from escaping a family scandal to dealing with unrequited love, each experiences rejection that shapes their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisBirdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance) (2014)
A fading actor best known for his portrayal of a popular superhero attempts to mount a comeback by appearing in a Broadway play. As opening night approaches, his attempts to become more altruistic, rebuild his career, and reconnect with friends and family prove more difficult than expected.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Human Voice (2020)
A woman watches time pass beside the suitcases of her ex-lover (who is supposed to come pick them up but never arrives) and a restless dog who doesn't understand that his master has abandoned him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLadies and Gentlemen, the Fabulous Stains (1982)
Corrine Burns retreats far into plans for her band, The Fabulous Stains, after her mother's death.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Stage (2025)
During the Republican era, wars and conflicts were frequent. On stage, the "Overlord" sings with resounding passion, while below, the absurd spectacle of life unfolds. They must both secure the opera troupe's livelihood and appease the audience in their seats. Once the curtain rises, how should this play be performed?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Different Man (2024)
Aspiring actor Edward undergoes a radical medical procedure to drastically transform his appearance. But his new dream face quickly turns into a nightmare.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like this42nd Street (1933)
Broadway director Julian Marsh needs just one more hit show so he can retire and recover his health. It looks like he just may pull it off until temperamental star Dorthy Brock breaks her ankle on the eve of the show's premiere and has to be replaced by her understudy Peggy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Barkleys of Broadway (1949)
Josh and Dinah Barkley are a successful musical-comedy team, known for their stormy but passionate relationship. Dinah feels overshadowed by Josh and limited by the lighthearted musical roles he directs her in. So she decides to stretch her skills by taking a role in a serious drama, directed by another man.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStep Up: Year of the Dance (2019)
Two young people from different social classes put aside their differences and come together to form a dance group and win a championship in China.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Great Buck Howard (2008)
When a law school dropout answers an advertisement to be a personal assistant he unknowingly signs on to work for a belligerent has-been magician struggling to resurrect his career. This leads to a journey across the country staging the comeback of a lifetime.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWaitress: The Musical (2023)
A waitress and expert pie-maker dreams of a way out of her small town and rocky marriage.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAdvantageous (2015)
In a near-future city where soaring opulence overshadows economic hardship, Gwen and her daughter, Jules, do all they can to hold on to their joy, despite the instability surfacing in their world.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKnightriders (1981)
A medieval reenactment troupe struggles to maintain its family-like dynamic amid pressure from local authorities, interest from talent agents, and their so-called king's delusions of grandeur.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisPlatform (2001)
China’s rapid changes from the late 1970s to the early 1990s, as seen through the lives of four performers in a theater troupe.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAvanti! (1972)
A successful businessman travels to Italy to arrange for the return of his tycoon father's body, only to learn that dear old dad died with his longtime mistress.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNine to Five (1980)
Three female employees of a sexist, egotistical, lying, hypocritical bigot find a way to turn the tables on him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like this
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Happy World?
The closest matches to Happy World are Madeline's Madeline (2018), Feel the Beat (2020) and Battle of the Year (2013). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Happy World?
Start with Madeline's Madeline (2018), the closest match to Happy World.
What is the highest-rated movie like Happy World?
Feel the Beat (2020), rated 7.5/10 by 1,187 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Happy World?
The Stage (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Chinese movies like Happy World?
Yes: Youth (2017), The Stage (2025) and Step Up: Year of the Dance (2019).
How are movies similar to Happy World chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Happy World, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.