Movies Like It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time

If you liked It Seemed Like a Good Idea at the Time (1975), a comedy movie directed by John Trent, 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
Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry (2016)
★ 7/10Also comedy
Hawaiian-shirt enthusiast Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias finds the laughs in racist gift baskets, Prius-driving cops and all-female taco trucks.
2
Thunderstruck (2012)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy
After NBA star Kevin Durant switches talent with 16 year old Brian, the teenager becomes the star of his high school team, but Durant starts struggling and eventually learns an important lesson.
3
Held Up (1999)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy
What should have been a romantic getaway turns into one hilarious debacle after another when Michael's woman dumps him in the desert where he gets carjacked by a teenager and he is taken hostage in a stickup at the…
4
Bullets Over Broadway (1994)
★ 7.1/10Also comedy
After young playwright, David Shayne obtains funding for his play from gangster Nick Valenti, Nick's girlfriend Olive miraculously lands the role of a psychiatrist—but not only is she a bimbo who could never pass for a…
5
The Errand Boy (1961)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy
Paramutual Pictures wants to know where all the money is going so they hire Morty to be their spy. Morty works for Mr. Sneak and gets a job in the mail room so that he can have access to the lot. But all that Morty…
6
Taking Care of Business (1990)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy
An uptight advertising exec has his entire life in a filofax organizer which mistakenly ends up in the hands of a friendly convict who poses as him.
7
Spa Weekend (2026)
★ 6.5/10Also comedy
Four lifelong friends escape to a luxury spa retreat to reconnect, unwind and rediscover themselves, but their weekend of relaxation soon turns into a series of wild adventures and bad decisions.
8
The Mouse That Roared (1959)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy
The Duchy of Grand Fenwick decides that the only way to get out of their economic woes is to declare war on the United States, lose and accept foreign aid. They send an invasion force (in chain mail, armed with bows…
9
Iliza Shlesinger: War Paint (2013)
★ 6.5/10Also comedy
Her innocent appearance is just a cover for Last Comic Standing winner Iliza Shlesinger's acerbic, stream-of-conscious comedy that she unleashes on an unsuspecting audience in her hometown of Dallas in "War Paint," her…
10
Little Big League (1994)
★ 6/10Also comedy
When the owner of the Minnesota Twins passes away, he bequeaths the team to his preteen grandson. The newly minted head honcho quickly appoints himself manager, causing unrest in an organization that struggles to take…
11
Oscar (1991)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy
Angelo "Snaps" Provolone made his dying father a promise on his deathbed: he would leave the world of crime and become an honest businessman. Despite having no experience in making money in a legal fashion, Snaps sets…
12
Jim Jefferies: Freedumb (2016)
★ 7.2/10Also comedy
Returning for a second Netflix comedy special, Jim Jefferies unleashes his famously ferocious black humor to a packed house in Nashville, Tennessee.
13
Analyze This (1999)
★ 6.5/10Also comedy
Countless wiseguy films are spoofed in this film that centers on the neuroses and angst of a powerful Mafia racketeer who suffers from panic attacks. When Paul Vitti needs help dealing with his role in the "family,"…
14
Sextuplets (2019)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy
Father-to-be Alan is shocked to learn that he was born a sextuplet. With his newfound brother Russell riding shotgun, the duo sets out on a hilarious journey to reunite with their remaining long-lost siblings.
15
The Distinguished Gentleman (1992)
★ 6/10Also comedy
A Florida con man uses the recent death of the long time Congressman from his district, who he just happens to share a last name with, to get elected to his version of paradise, the U.S. Congress, where the money flows…
16
Duplex (2003)
★ 6.1/10Also comedy
When a young couple buys their dream home, they have no idea what the sweet little old lady upstairs is going to put them through!
17
Gotcha! (1985)
★ 6/10Also comedy
A student on a trip to France is tricked into smuggling secrets across the Iron Curtain by a sexy spy.
18
American Dreamer (2022)
★ 6/10Also comedy
In this winsome comedy, an entitled Economics professor pursues a tactic to buy an ailing widow’s mansion for nothing, but he quickly realizes that his seemingly foolproof strategy won’t be as easy as he thought.
19
Big Trouble (2002)
★ 6.1/10Also comedy
The story of how a mysterious suitcase brings together, and changes, the lives of a divorced dad, an unhappy housewife, two hitmen, a pair of street thugs, two love struck teens, two FBI men and a psychedelic toad…
20
Class Rank (2017)
★ 6.9/10Also comedy
Two high school misfits join forces in an attempt to overtake the local school board. Guided by their families, they enter the perilous word of politics and, in the process, learn a thing or two about love.