Movies Like Madea Goes to Jail

If you liked Madea Goes to Jail (2009), a comedy and crime movie directed by Tyler Perry, 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
The Woodsman (2004)
★ 6.8/10Also drama and crime
After twelve years in prison, Walter returns home. His family has abandoned him, save for his brother-in-law. Few know he's a sex offender and pedophile. Walter finds an apartment and is regularly visited by his parole…
2
Down by Law (1986)
★ 7.4/10Also crime and drama
A disc jockey, a pimp and an Italian tourist escape from jail in New Orleans.
3
The Lincoln Lawyer (2011)
★ 7.2/10Also crime and drama
Mick Haller is a charismatic defense attorney who does business out of his Lincoln Continental sedan. Mick spends most of his time defending petty crooks and other bottom-feeders, so it comes as quite a surprise when…
4
Gridiron Gang (2006)
★ 7.1/10Also crime and drama
Under the leadership of their counselor, teenagers at a juvenile detention center gain self-esteem by playing football together. Based on a true story.
5
Wasteman (2026)
★ 7.3/10Also crime and drama
Taylor's hopes for a fresh start post-parole are jeopardised by cellmate Dee's arrival. As Dee takes Taylor under his wing, a vicious attack tests their bond, forcing Taylor to choose between protecting Dee and his own…
6
Half Baked (1998)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy and crime
Three lovable party buds try to bail their friend out of jail. But just when the guys have mastered a plan, everything comes dangerously close to going up in smoke.
7
Stand Up Guys (2012)
★ 6/10Also comedy and crime
After serving 28 years in prison for accidentally killing the son of a crime boss, newly paroled gangster Val reunites with his former partners in crime, Doc and Hirsch, for a night on the town. As the three men…
8
Fight for Your Life (1977)
★ 5.9/10Also crime and drama
A minister dispenses justice on three convicts who take his family hostage.
9
48 Hrs. (1982)
★ 6.7/10Also crime and comedy
A hard-nosed cop reluctantly teams up with a wise-cracking criminal temporarily paroled to him, in order to track down a killer.
10
Cape Fear (1991)
★ 7.3/10Also drama and crime
Sam Bowden is a small-town corporate attorney. Max Cady is a tattooed, cigar-smoking, Bible-quoting, psychotic rapist. What do they have in common? 14 years ago, Sam was a public defender assigned to Max Cady's rape…
11
A Perfect Murder (1998)
★ 6.6/10Also crime and drama
Millionaire industrialist Steven Taylor is a man who has everything but what he craves most: the love and fidelity of his wife. A hugely successful player in the New York financial world, he considers her to be his…
12
Monster (2003)
★ 7.2/10Also crime and drama
In 1989, prostitute Aileen Wuornos befriends and enters a relationship with a young woman named Selby. Determined to straighten out her life, Aileen's limited education lands her back on the corner. She's raped by a…
13
The Unforgivable (2021)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and crime
A woman is released from prison after serving a sentence for a violent crime and re-enters a society that refuses to forgive her past.
14
Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
★ 7.8/10Also crime and drama
Semi-retired Michigan lawyer Paul Biegler takes the case of Army Lt. Manion, who murdered a local innkeeper after his wife claimed that he raped her. Over the course of an extensive trial, Biegler parries with District…
15
Crimes of Passion (1984)
★ 6.3/10Also crime and drama
Fashion designer Joanna Crane leads a double life. By night she is China Blue, a prostitute who's attracted the attention of a sexually frustrated private detective, and a psychopathic priest in possession of a…
16
Let's Go to Prison (2006)
★ 6/10Also comedy and crime
When a career criminal's plan for revenge is thwarted by unlikely circumstances, he puts his intended victim's son in his place by putting him in prison...and then joining him.
17
Blindspotting (2018)
★ 7.3/10Also comedy and crime
Collin must make it through his final three days of probation for a chance at a new beginning. He and his troublemaking childhood best friend, Miles, work as movers, and when Collin witnesses a police shooting, the two…
18
Analyze That (2002)
★ 5.8/10Also comedy and crime
The mafia's Paul Vitti is back in prison and will need some serious counseling when he gets out. Naturally, he returns to his analyst Dr. Ben Sobel for help and finds that Sobel needs some serious help himself as he…
19
Hard Eight (1997)
★ 6.8/10Also drama and crime
A stranger mentors a young Reno gambler who weds a hooker and befriends a vulgar casino regular.
20
Midnight Express (1978)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and crime
Billy Hayes is caught attempting to smuggle drugs out of a country. The courts decide to make an example of him, sentencing him to more than 30 years in prison. Hayes has two opportunities for release: the appeals made…