Movies like Something Short of Paradise (1979)
The best movies like Something Short of Paradise (1979) are 200 Cigarettes (1999), Café Society (2016) and Before We Go (2014). If Something Short of Paradise hooked you with its drama and comedy, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedThe Apartment (1960)8.2/10 from 2,848 votes
- NewestDating Sucks (2026)Released 2026
200 Cigarettes (1999)
In 1981 New York City, a collection of twentysomethings try to cope with relationships, loneliness, desire and their individual neuroses on New Years Eve.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
SnoozefestMovies like thisCafé Society (2016)
The story of a young man who arrives in Hollywood during the 1930s hoping to work in the film industry, falls in love, and finds himself swept up in the vibrant café society that defined the spirit of the age.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBefore We Go (2014)
A chance encounter between two strangers in Grand Central Terminal sparks a life-changing, nighttime sojourn through New York City. They grow into each other's most trusted confidants when an evening of unexpected adventure forces them to confront their fears and take control of their lives.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Apartment (1960)
Bud Baxter is a minor clerk in a huge New York insurance company, until he discovers a quick way to climb the corporate ladder. He lends out his apartment to the executives as a place to take their mistresses. Although he often has to deal with the aftermath of their visits, one night he's left with a major problem to solve.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisShortcomings (2023)
When his girlfriend leaves for New York City on a 3-month-long internship, a strongly opinionated Berkeley arthouse movie theater manager begins exploring life as a bachelor.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisNew York, I Love You (2008)
New York, I Love You delves into the intimate lives of New Yorkers as they grapple with, delight in and search for love. Journey from the Diamond District in the heart of Manhattan, through Chinatown and the Upper East Side, towards the Village, into Tribeca, and Brooklyn as lovers of all ages try to find romance in the Big Apple.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSomething Borrowed (2011)
Though Rachel is a successful attorney and a loyal, generous friend, she is still single. After one drink too many at her 30th-birthday celebration, Rachel unexpectedly falls into bed with her longtime crush, Dex -- who happens to be engaged to her best friend, Darcy. Ramifications of the liaison threaten to destroy the women's lifelong friendship, while Ethan, Rachel's confidant, harbors a potentially explosive secret of his own.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRock of Ages (2012)
A small town girl and a city boy meet on the Sunset Strip, while pursuing their Hollywood dreams.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSomething's Gotta Give (2003)
When perpetually single, aging music industry exec Harry Sanborn, and his latest trophy girlfriend, Marin, arrive at her mother's beach house in the Hamptons, they find that her mother, playwright Erica Barry, also plans to stay for the weekend. Erica is scandalized by the relationship and Harry's sexist ways. But when Harry has a heart attack while there, and the doctor prescribes bedrest, his only option is to stay at the Barry home. Left in the care of Erica and his doctor, a love triangle starts to take shape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Hating Game (2021)
Resolving to achieve professional success without compromising her ethics, Lucy embarks on a ruthless game of one-upmanship against cold and efficient nemesis Joshua, a rivalry that is complicated by her growing attraction to him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAuthor! Author! (1982)
While facing the stress of his original play being produced on Broadway, playwright Ivan Travalian deals with having to raise his son, his stepdaughters, and his stepsons.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · 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: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSidewalks of New York (2001)
The film follows the marital and dating lives of three men and three women who unknowingly form a tangled web of relationships. Interspersing "man on the street" interviews with scenes from the six characters' lives, the film weaves a humorous and biting commentary on the game of love -- easy to start, hard to finish.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMaterialists (2025)
A young, ambitious New York City matchmaker finds herself torn between the perfect match and her imperfect ex.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both romance & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLast Night (2010)
Michael and Joanna are a young and successful married couple who appear to have it all. But when Michael finds himself alone on a business trip with an attractive new colleague and Joanna encounters the other great love of her life, each is thrust into an evening of temptation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShe's Funny That Way (2015)
On the set of a playwright's new project, a love triangle forms between his wife, her ex-lover, and the call girl-turned-actress cast in the production.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance
SnoozefestMovies like thisIt Ends with Us (2024)
When a woman's first love suddenly reenters her life, her relationship with a charming, but abusive neurosurgeon is upended, and she realizes she must learn to rely on her own strength to make an impossible choice for her future.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEveryone Says I Love You (1996)
A New York girl sets her father up with a beautiful woman in a shaky marriage while her half sister gets engaged.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLittle Manhattan (2005)
Ten-year-old Gabe Burton is just an average kid growing up in Manhattan until Rosemary Telesco walks into his karate class. But before Gabe can tell Rosemary how he feels, she reveals that she won't be going to public school any more. Gabe has a lot more to learn about life, love, and girls.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNot Easily Broken (2009)
A car accident and shifting affections test the bond between a married couple.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWife vs. Secretary (1936)
Linda, the wife of a publishing executive, suspects that her husband Van’s relationship with his attractive secretary Whitey is more than professional.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCharly (2002)
Sam Roberts thinks he has all the answers: the purpose of life, the meaning of love, the plan for a perfect future. Until Charly walks into his life.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both romance & drama
An Unmarried Woman (1978)
A wealthy woman from Manhattan's Upper East Side struggles to deal with her new identity and her sexuality after her husband of 16 years leaves her for a younger woman.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIn My Life (2009)
A headstrong woman moves to New York and must come to terms with her estranged gay son and his partner.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Dating Sucks (2026)
A vampiress navigates the turmoils of modern dating.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & romance
Awaara (1951)
A petty thief is put on trial for the attempted murder of a lawyer. Through a series of flashbacks, the intertwining lives of the thief, the lawyer, and the thief's defense lawyer are illustrated.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDinner at Eight (1933)
An ambitious New York socialite plans an extravagant dinner party as her businessman husband, Oliver, contends with financial woes, causing a lot of tension between the couple. Meanwhile, their high-society friends and associates, including the gruff Dan Packard and his sultry spouse, Kitty, contend with their own entanglements, leading to revelations at the much-anticipated dinner.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both comedy & drama
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Letters You Will Never Read (2023)
Oliver doesn't know how to deal with the fact that he is not with the girl he loves. So in desperation for coping with his feelings he starts to write letters in which he describes all the feelings and thoughts that he's trying to bury deep down.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & romance
Skate Kitchen (2018)
Camille's life as a lonely suburban teenager changes dramatically when she befriends a group of girl skateboarders. As she journeys deeper into this raw New York City subculture, she begins to understand the true meaning of friendship as well as her inner self.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMiddle Men (2009)
Chronicles Jack Harris, one of the pioneers of internet commerce, as he wrestles with his morals and struggles not to drown in a sea of conmen, mobsters, drug addicts, and pornstars.
Why it matches: Similar story and style · both drama & comedy
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Something Short of Paradise?
The closest matches to Something Short of Paradise are 200 Cigarettes (1999), Café Society (2016) and Before We Go (2014). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Something Short of Paradise?
Start with 200 Cigarettes (1999), the closest match to Something Short of Paradise.
What is the highest-rated movie like Something Short of Paradise?
The Apartment (1960), rated 8.2/10 by 2,848 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Something Short of Paradise?
Dating Sucks (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there English movies like Something Short of Paradise?
Yes: 200 Cigarettes (1999), Café Society (2016) and Before We Go (2014).
How are movies similar to Something Short of Paradise chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Something Short of Paradise, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.