Movies Like Present Laughter

If you liked Present Laughter (1981), a movie directed by Alan Strachan and Rick Gardner, here are 20 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
Someone Like You... (2001)
★ 6/10
Jane Goodale has everything going for her. She's a producer on a popular daytime talk show, and is in a hot romance with the show's dashing executive producer Ray. But when the relationship goes terribly awry, Jane…
2
Author! Author! (1982)
★ 6/10
A broadway playwright is burning the candle at both ends. He is dealing with pressure from a production nearing premiere, a wife who is leaving him, and 5 children 4 of which belong to her.
3
Bad (1977)
★ 6.5/10
Hazel runs a beauty salon out of her house, but makes extra money by providing ruthless women the oppurtunity to perform hit jobs. L.T. is a parasite, and contacts Hazel looking for work after he runs out of money. She…
4
Isn't It Romantic (2019)
★ 6.2/10
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…
5
Life of Brian (1979)
★ 7.8/10
Brian Cohen is an average young Jewish man, but through a series of ridiculous events, he gains a reputation as the Messiah. When he's not dodging his followers or being scolded by his shrill mother, the hapless Brian…
6
The King of Staten Island (2020)
★ 7/10
Scott has been a case of arrested development ever since his firefighter father died when he was seven. He's now reached his mid-20s having achieved little, chasing a dream of becoming a tattoo artist that seems far…
7
Chris Rock: Bigger & Blacker (1999)
★ 7.4/10
Chris Rock brings his critically acclaimed brand of social commentary-themed humour to this HBO Special, extolling his razor-sharp wit and wisdom on such topics as gun control, President Clinton, homophobia, racism…
8
Chris D'Elia: Incorrigible (2015)
★ 6.1/10
Comedian and actor Chris D’Elia, known for his dynamic physical comedy, explains why the NFL would be way more entertaining if it were real lions, bears and Vikings battling each other, that babies are the worst prize…
9
Me Time (2022)
★ 5.8/10
With his family away, a devoted stay-at-home dad enjoys his first me time in years by joining his hard-partying old friend on a wild birthday adventure.
10
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)
★ 6.2/10
86-year-old Irving Zisman is on a journey across America with the most unlikely companion: his 8 year-old grandson, Billy.
11
Eternal Beauty (2020)
★ 6.2/10
When Jane is rejected by life, she spirals into a chaotic, schizophrenic world where love and normality collide with humorous consequences.
12
Real Genius (1985)
★ 6.7/10
When teenage geniuses Mitch Taylor and Chris Knight, working on an advanced laser project, learn that the military wants to use it as a weapon, they decide to thwart the plan.
13
(Untitled) (2009)
★ 6.3/10
A fashionable contemporary art gallerist in Chelsea, New York falls for a brooding new music composer in this comic satire of the state of contemporary art.
14
Code 3 (2025)
★ 7.1/10
A burned-out paramedic tries to survive his last 24 hours on the job while training a new recruit.
15
Meet Cute (2022)
★ 5.8/10
A wildly inventive deconstruction of the romantic comedy built around the question: What would you do if you could travel to your loved ones’ past, heal their traumas, fix their problems, and change them into the…
16
Feel the Beat (2020)
★ 7.5/10
After failing to make it on Broadway, April returns to her hometown and reluctantly begins training a misfit group of young dancers for a competition.
17
Noises Off... (1992)
★ 7.2/10
Hired to helm an Americanized take on a British play, director Lloyd Fellowes does his best to control an eccentric group of stage actors. With a star actress quickly passing her prime, a male lead with no confidence…
18
Godspell (1973)
★ 6.7/10
In modern-day New York City, John the Baptist calls out to a group of young men and women to learn from the teachings of Jesus. Through song and dance, they relive Christ's crucifixion.
19
Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years (2025)
★ 7.2/10
In what might be his most personal and introspective hour yet, Bill offers hilarious takes on everything from male sadness to dating advice.
20
¿Quieres ser mi hijo? (2023)
★ 8.4/10
Lu, a conformist woman in her forties, learns that her 15-year partner has been having extramarital affairs. Starting from scratch, she gets involved in an unexpected relationship with a young womanizer.