Movies like The Catalyst (1990)
The best movies like The Catalyst (1990) are Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), How to Rob a Bank (2007) and Big Stan (2007). If The Catalyst hooked you with its comedy, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedKidnapping, Caucasian Style (1967)7.7/10 from 310 votes
- NewestRicky Gervais: Mortality (2025)Released 2025
Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)
When an upwardly mobile couple find themselves unemployed and in debt, they turn to armed robbery in desperation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisHow to Rob a Bank (2007)
Caught in the middle of a bank robbery, a slacker and a bank employee become the ones who arbitrate the intense situation.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisBig Stan (2007)
A weak con man panics when he learns he's going to prison for fraud. He hires a mysterious martial arts guru who helps transform him into a martial arts expert who can fight off inmates who want to hurt or love him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisAccident Man (2018)
Mike Fallon, the Accident Man, is a stone cold killer. When a loved one is murdered by his own crew, Fallon is forced to avenge the one person who actually meant something to him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Roast of Tom Brady (2024)
Offensive lines. Full-contact comedy. Kevin Hart hosts this all-star roast of NFL legend Tom Brady.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisStir Crazy (1980)
New Yorkers Skip Donahue and Harry Monroe have no jobs and no prospects, so they decide to flee the city and find work elsewhere, landing jobs wearing woodpecker costumes to promote the opening of a bank. When their feathery costumes are stolen and used in a bank robbery, they no longer have to worry about employment — they're sent to prison.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisWhat a Mess! (1995)
A Russian criminal steals a giant diamond from the Mafia, hides it, and suddenly runs into his unknown brothers; unexpected, absurd events with participation of the mob, doctors, musicians, Americans, militia, and gypsies ensue.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBottle Rocket (1993)
Dysfunctional friends Dignan and Anthony plan and execute a robbery with their pot-growing friend, Bob. The short film that inspired Wes Anderson’s feature debut.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKidnapping, Caucasian Style (1967)
Shurik, a kind but naïve ethnography student, falls in love with the intelligent, athletic and beautiful All-Union Leninist Young Communist League member Nina. He has a rival in the wealthy comrade Saakhov, who concocts a kidnapping scheme to force Nina to marry him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDuplex (2003)
When a young couple buys their dream home, they have no idea what the sweet little old lady upstairs is going to put them through!
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisGabriel Iglesias: I'm Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry (2016)
Hawaiian-shirt enthusiast Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias finds the laughs in racist gift baskets, Prius-driving cops and all-female taco trucks.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Bad Idea Gone Wrong (2017)
Two would-be thieves forge a surprising relationship with an unexpected housesitter when they accidentally trap themselves in a house they just broke into.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
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 comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Geisha Boy (1958)
Gilbert Wooley is a second-rate magician who is sent to entertain the troops in the pacific. During his time in Japan he becomes attached to a little orphan boy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
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
Worth the HypeMovies like thisDie Hart (2023)
Kevin Hart - playing a version of himself - is on a death-defying quest to become an action star. And with a little help from John Travolta, Nathalie Emmanuel, and Josh Hartnett - he just might pull it off.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
SnoozefestMovies like thisRicky Gervais: Mortality (2025)
Ricky Gervais tackles life, death and the state of the world in a brutally honest special that spares no topic, even his own mortality.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like thisTrailer Park Boys: Don't Legalize It (2014)
Out of jail and broke, Julian concocts an outrageously greasy scheme to get rich and, to make it even greasier, he will have to deliver his product to his arch-enemy, Cyrus, who’s waiting in Montreal to close the dirty deal. Meanwhile, Ricky’s dope growing business is under a major threat when the government announces a plan to legalize marijuana. Bubbles reluctantly joins them on his own quest to claim an inheritance left to him by his long-lost parents.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisKiller Bean Forever (2008)
When things go bad in Beantown, top assassin Killer Bean is called to clean-up the mess. Detective Cromwell finds himself in the middle between Killer Bean and mob boss Cappuccino.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers · both comedy
Worth the HypeMovies like this
Like The Catalyst and something else?
Blend two favourites and we’ll find the films in between.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like The Catalyst?
The closest matches to The Catalyst are Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), How to Rob a Bank (2007) and Big Stan (2007). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after The Catalyst?
Start with Fun with Dick and Jane (1977), the closest match to The Catalyst.
What is the highest-rated movie like The Catalyst?
Kidnapping, Caucasian Style (1967), rated 7.7/10 by 310 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like The Catalyst?
Ricky Gervais: Mortality (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
How are movies similar to The Catalyst chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside The Catalyst, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.