Movies Like How to Get Ahead in Advertising

If you liked How to Get Ahead in Advertising (1989), a fantasy and comedy movie directed by Bruce Robinson, 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
Beau Is Afraid (2023)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy and fantasy
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.
2
CQ (2001)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy and drama
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…
3
Dream Scenario (2023)
★ 6.6/10Also comedy and fantasy
Hapless family man Paul Matthews finds his life turned upside down when millions of strangers suddenly start seeing him in their dreams. But when his nighttime appearances take a nightmarish turn, Paul is forced to…
4
A King in New York (1957)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy and drama
A recently-deposed "Estrovian" monarch seeks shelter in New York City, where he becomes an accidental television celebrity. Later, he's wrongly accused of being a Communist and gets caught up in subsequent HUAC hearings.
5
Eternal Beauty (2020)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and drama
When Jane is rejected by life, she spirals into a chaotic, schizophrenic world where love and normality collide with humorous consequences.
6
Code 3 (2025)
★ 7.1/10Also comedy and drama
A burned-out paramedic tries to survive his last 24 hours on the job while training a new recruit.
7
Barney's Version (2010)
★ 7/10Also comedy and drama
The picaresque and touching story of the politically incorrect, fully lived life of the impulsive, irascible and fearlessly blunt Barney Panofsky.
8
Mainstream (2021)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy and drama
A young woman thinks she’s found a path to internet stardom when she starts making YouTube videos with a charismatic stranger – until the dark side of viral celebrity threatens to ruin them both.
9
The Beanie Bubble (2023)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and drama
Ty was a frustrated toy salesman until his collaboration with three women turned his stuffed animals into a defining '90s trend. This behind-the-scenes look at history's biggest toy craze is a wild story about what—and…
10
Looking for Eric (2009)
★ 6.5/10Also drama and comedy
Middle-aged postman and football fan Eric Bishop struggles with his increasingly chaotic existence, but receives some life coaching from the famously philosophical Éric Cantona.
11
A Futile and Stupid Gesture (2018)
★ 6.5/10Also comedy and drama
In a life full of triumph and failure, "National Lampoon" co-founder Doug Kenney built a comedy empire, molding pop culture in the 1970s.
12
Kinds of Kindness (2024)
★ 6.5/10Also comedy and drama
A triptych fable following a man without choice who tries to take control of his own life; a policeman who is alarmed that his wife who was missing-at-sea has returned and seems a different person; and a woman…
13
Friendship (2025)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and drama
Suburban dad Craig falls hard for his charismatic new neighbor Austin, and his attempts to make an adult male friend threatens to ruin both of their lives.
14
Jo Jo Dancer, Your Life Is Calling (1986)
★ 6.5/10Also drama and comedy
Although Jo Jo Dancer has achieved success as a stand-up comedian, he hasn't found happiness. After receiving severe burns in a narcotics-related incident, Jo Jo remains in a coma, and, while in this state, he looks…
15
Sorry to Bother You (2018)
★ 6.8/10Also fantasy and comedy
In an alternate present-day version of Oakland, black telemarketer Cassius Green discovers a magical key to professional success – which propels him into a macabre universe.
16
Heavy Traffic (1973)
★ 6.5/10Also comedy and drama
A white dropout struggles to become a cartoonist and filmmaker, drawing inspiration from the harsh, gritty world around him. Still sharing his rundown apartment with his middle-aged parents, an oafish slob of an…
17
Grandma (2015)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and drama
Self-described misanthrope Elle Reid has her protective bubble burst when her 18-year-old granddaughter, Sage, shows up needing help. The two of them go on a day-long journey that causes Elle to come to terms with her…
18
The Matador (2005)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy and drama
The life of Danny Wright, a salesman forever on the road, veers into dangerous and surreal territory when he wanders into a Mexican bar and meets a mysterious stranger, Julian, who's very likely a hit man. Their…
19
Love Liza (2002)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and drama
Following the unexplained suicide of his wife Liza, website designer Wilson Joel turns to huffing gasoline fumes and remote control gaming while avoiding an inevitable conflict with his mother-in-law.
20
The Legend of Barney Thomson (2015)
★ 6.1/10Also comedy and drama
Barney Thomson, awkward, diffident, Glasgow barber, lives a life of desperate mediocrity and his uninteresting life is about to go from 0 to 60 in five seconds, as he enters the grotesque and comically absurd world of…