Movies like Pétronille’s Despair (1914)
The best movies like Pétronille’s Despair (1914) are Hard Luck (1921), CQ (2001) and On the Count of Three (2022). If Pétronille’s Despair hooked you, these 20 similar films are what to watch next, and every pick says why it matches.
Quick picks
- Highest ratedDinner in America (2022)7.8/10 from 252 votes
- NewestAnother Day (2026)Released 2026
- In FrenchThe Troubles of Alfred (1972)Also in French
Hard Luck (1921)
A down on his luck young man makes several attempts at committing suicide but fails them too. He then finds himself becoming more confident through a series of petty adventures, to such an extent that this becomes his undoing.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisCQ (2001)
A young filmmaker in 1960s Paris juggles directing a cheesy sci-fi debacle, directing his own personal art film, coping with his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend, and a new-found infatuation with the sci-fi film's starlet.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisOn the Count of Three (2022)
Val has reached a place where he feels the only way out is to end things. But he considers himself a bit of a failure—his effectiveness lacking—so he figures he could use some help. As luck would have it, Val’s best friend, Kevin, is recovering from a failed suicide attempt, so he seems like the perfect partner for executing this double suicide plan. But before they go, they have some unfinished business to attend to.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Troubles of Alfred (1972)
Unlucky in love, Alfred tries to commit suicide, only to be thwarted by police efforts to prevent a simultaneous attempt by a nearby young woman. Recovering, the young lady puts him up at her house, as he has run out of places to live. He joins a Parisian sporting team and seems to have transferred his bad luck to a corrupt television boss who is attempting to manipulate the game so that Alfred's Paris team loses.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisDesperate Living (1977)
After killing her husband, Peggy Gravel and her murderous maid Grizelda wind up in the crazy town of Mortville, where Queen Carlotta presides over a sleazy collection of misfits.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisIsn't It Romantic (2019)
For a long time, Natalie, an Australian architect living in New York City, had always believed that what she had seen in rom-coms is all fantasy. But after thwarting a mugger at a subway station only to be knocked out while fleeing, Natalie wakes up and discovers that her life has suddenly become her worst nightmare—a romantic comedy—and she is the leading lady.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisThe Bed Sitting Room (1969)
In the hazy aftermath of World War III, the fallout from a 'nuclear misunderstanding' is producing strange mutations amongst the survivors, and the noble Lord Fortnum finds himself transforming into a bed sitting room.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
SnoozefestMovies like thisBeau Is Afraid (2023)
Following the sudden death of his mother, a mild-mannered but anxiety-ridden man confronts his darkest fears as he embarks on an epic odyssey back home.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisMy 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
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisA Woman Is a Woman (1961)
Longing for a baby, a stripper pursues another man in order to make her boyfriend jealous.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisAnother Day (2026)
Over an eight-year journey in Paris, a struggling young actress turns to alcohol to cope with her anxieties, spiraling into self-destruction before finding a path toward recovery through a new romance and her ailing sister.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisThe Suicide Shop (2012)
In a cold French city where suicide is a common urge, there is a colorful shop, managed for many years by the Tuvache family, where it is very easy to obtain the necessary tools to satisfy the sinister desires of so many depressed citizens.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisSend Me No Flowers (1964)
When a hypochondriac assumes that he is dying, he makes an elaborate plan to ensure his wife's happiness. However, trouble ensues when she misunderstands his intentions.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisLOL 2.0: Anne’s Golden Hour (2026)
At 55, Anne is finally enjoying her freedom after her children leave home. But everything changes when her 23-year-old daughter, Louise, moves back in with her after a professional and romantic failure. And to make matters worse, her son, Théo, announces that she's going to be a grandmother! Anne realizes that life never goes as planned and that, at any age, we are still learning to grow up.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisDinner in America (2022)
An on-the-lam punk rocker and a young woman obsessed with a local band go on an unexpected and epic journey together through the decaying suburbs of the American Midwest.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Worth the HypeMovies like thisLove Is in the Air (2023)
A fiercely independent pilot fighting to keep her family business afloat starts to fall for the man sent by corporate to ground her operation forever.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisBlood Punch (2014)
Milton, a college dropout, was only supposed to cook meth for one day. Broken out of rehab by a brash young woman and her trigger-happy ("ex") boyfriend and driven to a remote cabin the woods, Milton finds himself drawn into a dangerous love triangle gone haywire. The couple's deadpan half-truths spin around Milton like a song on repeat. They seem to read him like an open book, until a mysterious message opens his eyes to his cursed existence. With unlimited ammunition, any hunting tool they could desire, and an ever-growing body count, for what did Milton really sign up?
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisReturn to Nuke 'Em High Volume 1 (2013)
Return to the Class of Nuke 'Em High follows a young couple that are up against the school glee club. Unfortunately, the glee club has mutated into a gang called The Cretins. When the other students begin to undergo mutations, our couple must solve the mystery and save Tromaville High School
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisEloïse's Journey (2022)
Eloïse is sitting alone on a bench in Paris. She can't remember who she is, where she comes from or how did she get here. So, she begins a funny investigation on her life. This amnesia might help her finding love and reinventing her life.
Why it matches: Recommended by TMDB viewers
Popcorn FlickMovies like thisRicky Gervais: Armageddon (2023)
Ricky Gervais dishes out controversial takes on political correctness and oversensitivity in a taboo-busting comedy special about the end of humanity.
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 Pétronille’s Despair?
The closest matches to Pétronille’s Despair are Hard Luck (1921), CQ (2001) and On the Count of Three (2022). Below are 17 more, each with the reason it matches.
What should I watch after Pétronille’s Despair?
Start with Hard Luck (1921), the closest match to Pétronille’s Despair.
What is the highest-rated movie like Pétronille’s Despair?
Dinner in America (2022), rated 7.8/10 by 252 TMDB users.
What is the newest movie like Pétronille’s Despair?
Another Day (2026) is the most recent release on this list.
Are there French movies like Pétronille’s Despair?
Yes: The Troubles of Alfred (1972), A Woman Is a Woman (1961) and Another Day (2026).
How are movies similar to Pétronille’s Despair chosen?
First come films that Trakt’s viewers watch alongside Pétronille’s Despair, then TMDB’s recommendations and films it rates as similar in story and genre. Each pick says which signal put it there.