Movies like Despair Arabesque (2011)
The best movies like Despair Arabesque (2011) are Joker: Put on a Happy Face (2020), Our Wife (1931) and A Woman (1915). If Despair Arabesque hooked you, these 30 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedCars Toon Mater's Tall Tales (2008)7.1/10 from 215 votes
- NewestThe Moddey Dhoo (2025)Released 2025
- In JapaneseNaruto OVA 9: Chunin Exam on Fire! and Naruto vs. Konohamaru! (2011)Also in Japanese
Joker: Put on a Happy Face (2020)
Featuring interviews with filmmakers and industry legends, discover the origins and evolution of The Joker, and learn why The Clown Prince of Crime is universally hailed as the greatest comic-book supervillain of all time.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Absolute CinemaMovies like thisOur Wife (1931)
Oliver is making plans to marry his sweetheart Dulcy with Stan as his best man, but the plans are thwarted when Dulcy's father sees a picture of Ollie and forbids the marriage. The couple plan to elope, and run away to a Justice of the Peace. After typical Laurel and Hardy blundering, they manage to sneak the girl away from her father's house.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisA Woman (1915)
Mother, father and daughter go to the park. The women doze off on a bench while the father plays a hide-and-seek game with a girl, blindfolded. Charlie leads him into a lake. Both dozing ladies on the bench fall for Charlie and invite him for dinner. The father returns home with a friend. Charlie rushes upstairs and dresses like a woman, shaving his mustache. Both men fall for Charlie.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEmbrace the Panda: Making Turning Red (2022)
A feature length documentary about the all-women team at the helm of Pixar's original feature, Turning Red. With unprecedented behind-the-scenes access to Director Domee Shi and her core leadership crew, this story shines a light on the powerful professional and personal journeys that brought this incredibly comical, utterly relatable, and deeply heartfelt story to the screen.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBeau Hunks (1931)
Stan and Ollie join the French Foreign Legion after Ollie's sweetheart rejects him.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisShanghaied (1915)
A shipowner intends to scuttle his ship on its last voyage to get the insurance money. Charlie, a tramp in love with the owner's daughter, is grabbed by the captain and promises to help him shanghai some seamen. The daughter stows away to follow Charlie. Charlie assists in the galley and attempts to serve food during a gale.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCars Toon Mater's Tall Tales (2008)
Mater the tow truck travels from country to country as he retells his infamous but unbelievable stories.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThicker Than Water (1935)
Oliver's in trouble with his wife after missing a payment on their furniture, having given the money to Stanley, who used it instead to pay Mrs. Hardy for his room and board. At Stan's suggestion Ollie then withdraws the couple's savings from the bank to pay for the furniture and inadvertently pays virtually the whole amount at an auction for a grandfather clock which is soon crushed under a passing truck. Mrs Hardy then unintentionally causes serious injuries to Ollie requiring him to be rushed to hospital for a blood transfusion. The doctor conscripts Stan to be the unwilling blood donor. Problems occur with the transfusion and when Stan and Ollie leave the hospital they appear to have morphed into each other.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisPerfect Day (1929)
Two families embark on a pleasant Sunday picnic but manage to run into a variety of issues with their temperamental automobile. Each incident requires repeated exits and reboardings by Laurel, Hardy, their wives and grouchy, gout-ridden Uncle Edgar.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisOliver the Eighth (1934)
Barbershop owners Stan and Ollie answer an ad in the newspaper from a wealthy widow looking for a husband. Ollie only mails in his response and is invited to the widow's mansion. Stan discovers his unmailed letter and insists on tagging along. At the mansion, the widow's creepy butler informs them that the woman is crazy. She was once jilted by an Oliver and now her hobby is marrying Olivers and then slitting their throats. Now the boys must figure out how to escape.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisNaruto OVA 9: Chunin Exam on Fire! and Naruto vs. Konohamaru! (2011)
Naruto faces off against his old pupil Konohamaru in a tournament during the chuunin entrance exams.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Finishing Touch (1928)
Stan and Ollie are hired to build a house in just one day. When they are done, a bird lands on the house and it collapses. Naturally, the owner wants his money back.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMe and My Pal (1933)
On the morning of his wedding to oil baron Peter Cucumber's daughter, Ollie receives a jigsaw puzzle from Stan as a wedding gift. The boys soon become absorbed in the puzzle. A taxi driver, butler, policeman and messenger boy join in as well.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Fixer Uppers (1935)
Stan and Ollie are greeting card salesmen who agree to help a woman put a spark in her loveless marriage by making her husband jealous.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Movie (1958)
Bruce Conner's landmark experimental film consisting entirely of found footage edited to a new score.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe House (2022)
Across different eras, a poor family, an anxious developer and a fed-up landlady become tied to the same mysterious house in this animated dark comedy.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisCrayon Shinchan the Movie: Action Kamen VS Leotard Devil (1993)
Everyone's favorite TV superhero Action Mask shows up in Kasukabe, and he's trying to get something from Shin-chan -- but what could it be?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnuja (2024)
When a brilliant nine-year-old working in a sweatshop gets a chance to attend school, she must make a difficult choice for her and her sister's future.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisTowed in a Hole (1932)
Although they are successful fishmongers, Stan convinces Ollie that they should become fishermen too, but making a boat seaworthy isn't an easy task.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisFrom Soup to Nuts (1928)
Inexperienced waiters (Laurel & Hardy) are hired for a swank dinner party.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSavage Fire (2017)
In the city of Cajamar, in the middle of ruined nature, lonely characters deal with the police, rodeos and mysterious fires.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Shannon Amen (2019)
Shannon Amen unearths the passionate and pained expressions of a young woman overwhelmed by guilt and anxiety as she struggles to reconcile her sexual identity with her religious faith. A loving elegy to a friend lost to suicide.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
9 Kisses (2014)
"9 Kisses" is a 2014 New York Times Magazine project featuring nine artistic short films where top actors of the year pair up for intimate, staged smooches. Directed by Elaine Constantine, these roughly minute-long clips range from romantic to awkward, showcasing diverse famous pairings in public night settings.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Dirty Airforces (2024)
A short film about two best friend's day out and what they accomplish in a day. This short film was inspired by a poem created by the writer (Khalid Rashid) wrote.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Infection (2022)
A group of friends decide to stay overnight in an abandoned theatre... only to find it overrun with zombies!
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Good Cop, Baby Cop (2007)
A man who has shot people is being beat up by a baby cop they call, "the Confession Machine".
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Blanket-Tossing A New Recruit (1898)
A method soldier boys have for amusing themselves in their leisure moments. New comrades are frequently initiated by the old-fashioned sport of tossing in a blanket. The newly arrived recruit, who is the victim of their sport, enjoys himself, perhaps, less than the other participants.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
Strings (2010)
In a certain rural town, a girl calls her senior to a shrine after school to give him a love letter. As she reaches for the letter, a red string suddenly appears on her left hand. Ignoring her senior, she chases after the red string. Along the way, various things happen, but an unexpected ending awaits the girl.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The Moddey Dhoo (2025)
Past and present collide when a mythical beast is reawakened by a couple exploring a historic castle on the Isle of Man.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
The war and the moon (2024)
The teenagers Vigo and Luna were friends, but haven't spoken to each other in ten years. Now they meet again; their lives very different. When Vigo shows Luna his life, they grow closer. Until Vigo confesses something.
Why it matches: Similar story and style
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Frequently asked questions
What are the best movies like Despair Arabesque?
The closest matches to Despair Arabesque are Joker: Put on a Happy Face (2020), Our Wife (1931) and A Woman (1915). Below are 27 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Despair Arabesque?
Start with Joker: Put on a Happy Face (2020), the closest match to Despair Arabesque.
What is the highest-rated movie like Despair Arabesque?
Cars Toon Mater's Tall Tales (2008), rated 7.1/10 by 215 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Despair Arabesque?
The Moddey Dhoo (2025) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there Japanese movies like Despair Arabesque?
Yes: Naruto OVA 9: Chunin Exam on Fire! and Naruto vs. Konohamaru! (2011), Crayon Shinchan the Movie: Action Kamen VS Leotard Devil (1993) and Strings (2010).
How are movies similar to Despair Arabesque chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Despair Arabesque, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.