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Movies like A Life Less Ordinary (1997)

The best movies like A Life Less Ordinary (1997) are Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), Topper (1937) and The Invention of Lying (2009). If A Life Less Ordinary hooked you with its fantasy and comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.

Quick picks

  1. Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941)

    Boxer Joe Pendleton, flying to his next fight, crashes...because a Heavenly Messenger, new on the job, snatched Joe's spirit prematurely from his body. Before the matter can be rectified, Joe's body is cremated; so the celestial Mr. Jordan grants him the use of the body of wealthy Bruce Farnsworth, who's just been murdered by his wife. Joe tries to remake Farnsworth's unworthy life in his own clean-cut image, but then falls in love; and what about that murderous wife?

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & fantasy

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  2. Topper (1937)

    Madcap couple George and Marion Kerby are killed in an automobile accident. They return as ghosts to try and liven up the regimented lifestyle of their friend and bank president, Cosmo Topper. When Topper starts to live it up, it strains relations with his stuffy wife.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & fantasy

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  3. The Invention of Lying (2009)

    Set in a world where the concept of lying doesn't exist, a loser changes his lot when he invents lying and uses it to get ahead.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & fantasy

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  4. The Mexican (2001)

    Jerry Welbach, a reluctant bagman, has been given two ultimatums: The first is from his mob boss to travel to Mexico and retrieve a priceless antique pistol, known as "the Mexican"... or suffer the consequences. The second is from his girlfriend Samantha to end his association with the mob. Jerry figures alive and in trouble with Samantha is better than the more permanent alternative, so he heads south of the border.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance

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  5. Dogma (1999)

    An abortion clinic worker with a special heritage is called upon to save the existence of humanity from being negated by two renegade angels trying to exploit a loophole and re-enter Heaven.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both fantasy & comedy

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  6. The List (2023)

    After her fiance sleeps with a celebrity on his free pass list, Abby Meyers, with nothing but five names and a fantasy shared by millions, sets out for Los Angeles to sleep with someone from hers.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy

  7. Focus (2015)

    Nicky, an accomplished con artist, gets romantically involved with his disciple Jess but later ends their relationship. Years later, she returns as a femme fatale to spoil his plans.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy

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  8. Mr. Right (2016)

    A girl falls for the "perfect" guy, who happens to have a very fatal flaw: he's a hitman on the run from the crime cartels who employ him.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance

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  9. My Fake Boyfriend (2022)

    A young man in a tricky situation follows the advice of his unconventional best friend and uses social media to create a fake boyfriend to keep his awful ex-lover out of his life. But everything backfires when he meets the real love of his life, and breaking up with his fake boyfriend proves hard to do.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance

  10. Desperados (2020)

    A panicked young woman and her two best friends fly to Mexico to delete a ranting email she sent to her new boyfriend. On arrival, they run into her former beau, who soon gets caught up in their frantic scheme.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance

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  11. Long Weekend (2021)

    Bart's chance encounter with the enigmatic Vienna leads to a whirlwind weekend together. The two fall fast and hard, but both carry secrets that could be their undoing or the chance for a fresh start.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy

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  12. Tenacious D in The Pick of Destiny (2006)

    In Venice Beach, naive Midwesterner JB bonds with local slacker KG and they form the rock band Tenacious D. Setting out to become the world's greatest band is no easy feat, so they set out to steal what could be the answer to their prayers... a magical guitar pick housed in a rock-and-roll museum some 300 miles away.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & fantasy

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  13. Something Wild (1986)

    A free-spirited woman "kidnaps" a yuppie for a weekend of adventure. But the fun quickly takes a dangerous turn when her ex-con husband shows up.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance

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  14. Fairy Tales (1978)

    On his twenty-first birthday, the Prince goes on a quest that takes him across the land searching for the one woman that gets him sexually excited, Princess Sleeping Beauty.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance

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  15. My Sassy Girl (2008)

    A guy has his life planned out until he is wooed, groomed and then dumped by an elusive woman.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  16. Prizzi's Honor (1985)

    Charley Partanna is a hitman who works for the Prizzis, one of the richest crime families in the US. When he sees Irene Walker, it's love at first sight. But he soon finds that she, too, is a killer for hire. Charley can overlook his suspicions, but he can't turn off his heart. And the couple must remember that even if they love each other, the Prizzis love only money.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & comedy

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  17. How to Be Single (2016)

    New York City is full of lonely hearts seeking the right match, and what Alice, Robin, Lucy, Meg, Tom and David all have in common is the need to learn how to be single in a world filled with ever-evolving definitions of love.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance

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  18. Big Trouble in Little China (1986)

    Truck driver Jack Burton gets embroiled in a supernatural battle when his best friend Wang Chi's green-eyed fiancée is kidnapped by henchmen of the sorcerer Lo Pan, who must marry a girl with green eyes in order to return to the human realm.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & fantasy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  19. You Can't Take It with You (1938)

    Alice, the only relatively normal member of the eccentric Sycamore family, falls in love with Tony Kirby, but his wealthy banker father and snobbish mother strongly disapprove of the match. When the Kirbys are invited to dinner to become better acquainted with their future in-laws, things don't turn out the way Alice had hoped.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  20. A Nice Girl Like You (2020)

    Lucy Neal is thrown for a loop when she is accused of being too inhibited by her ex-boyfriend. In an effort to prove him wrong, Lucy creates a rather wild to-do list that sends her on a whirlwind and surprising journey of self-discovery, friendship, and new love.

    Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance

  21. Chances Are (1989)

    Louie Jeffries is happily married to Corinne. On their first anniversary, Louie is killed crossing the road. Louie is reincarnated as Alex Finch, and twenty years later, fate brings Alex and Louie's daughter, Miranda, together. It's not until Alex is invited to Louie's home that he begins to remember his former life, wife and best friend. Of course, there's also the problem that he's attracted to Louie's/his own daughter.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both fantasy & comedy

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  22. American Pie 2 (2001)

    After a year apart - attending different schools, meeting different people - the guys rent a beach house and vow to make this the best summer ever. As it turns out, whether that will happen or not has a lot to do with the girls. Between the wild parties, outrageous revelations and yes, a trip to band camp, they discover that times change and people change, but in the end, it's all about sticking together.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & romance

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  23. Emma (1996)

    Emma Woodhouse is a congenial young lady who delights in meddling in other people’s affairs. She is perpetually trying to unite men and women who are utterly wrong for each other. Despite her interest in romance, Emma is clueless about her own feelings, and her relationship with gentle Mr. Knightley.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance & comedy

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  24. 24 Hour Party People (2002)

    Manchester, 1976. Tony Wilson is an ambitious but frustrated local TV news reporter looking for a way to make his mark. After witnessing a life-changing concert by a band known as the Sex Pistols, he persuades his station to televise one of their performances, and soon Manchester's punk groups are clamoring for him to manage them. Riding the wave of a musical revolution, Wilson and his friends create the legendary Factory Records label and The Hacienda club.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  25. Adaptation. (2002)

    Charlie Kaufman is a confused L.A. screenwriter overwhelmed by feelings of inadequacy, sexual frustration, self-loathing, and by the screenwriting ambitions of his freeloading twin brother Donald. While struggling to adapt "The Orchid Thief," by Susan Orlean, Kaufman's life spins from pathetic to bizarre. The lives of Kaufman and Orlean's book become strangely intertwined as each one's search for passion collides with the other's.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy

    Worth the HypeMovies like this
  26. Young and Innocent (1937)

    When a young writer is falsely accused of murdering a famous actress, he escapes custody and joins forces with the daughter of a police constable to prove his innocence.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance

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  27. Wings of Christmas (2013)

    The film's protagonists get an opportunity to make a wish. Consequently, their lives take the path they themselves ordained. Several "coincidences" bring them everything they wanted and they have the chance to experience their wishes. We are not only responsible in our lives for everything that we do, but also for everything we say, we think and desire.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance

  28. Thousand Year Sleep (2007)

    Samantha, Lydia, Isabella, and Lisa. These four young women are about to learn that humanity is just an irrelevant flame burning nowhere in the vastness of space. Their dreams will be shattered and one man will marvel at the evil he has committed.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy

  29. Mystery Science Theater 3000: The Movie (1996)

    In the not-too-distant future, the evil Dr. Forrester forces a temp named Mike into a series of experiments, where he's forced to watch cheesy movies so the mad scientist can monitor his mind. However, as Mike can't control where the movies begin or end, he'll try to keep his sanity with the help of his robot friends.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy

    Popcorn FlickMovies like this
  30. Baby Udon (2026)

    Fanny Kondoh, a young Indonesian woman, falls in love with Hajime Kondoh, a Japanese man who comes to Indonesia for work. After getting married, Fanny and Hajime begin building a life together, embracing both its joys and challenges. As they struggle to fulfill their dream of having a child, they are faced with one heartbreaking trial after another, testing the strength of their love, especially when Hajime is diagnosed with cancer.

    Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance

Like A Life Less Ordinary and something else?

Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.

Frequently asked questions

What are the best movies like A Life Less Ordinary?

The closest matches to A Life Less Ordinary are Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), Topper (1937) and The Invention of Lying (2009). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.

What should I watch after A Life Less Ordinary?

Start with Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), the closest match to A Life Less Ordinary.

What is the highest-rated movie like A Life Less Ordinary?

You Can't Take It with You (1938), rated 7.5/10 by 473 TMDB users.

What is the newest movie like A Life Less Ordinary?

Baby Udon (2026) is the most recent release on this list.

Are there English movies like A Life Less Ordinary?

Yes: Here Comes Mr. Jordan (1941), Topper (1937) and The Invention of Lying (2009).

How are movies similar to A Life Less Ordinary chosen?

First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside A Life Less Ordinary, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.

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