Movies Like Panic on the Air

If you liked Panic on the Air (1936), a comedy and crime movie directed by D. Ross Lederman, 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
Fun with Dick and Jane (1977)
★ 6.6/10Also comedy and crime
When an upwardly mobile couple find themselves unemployed and in debt, they turn to armed robbery in desperation.
2
Radioland Murders (1994)
★ 5.8/10Also comedy and crime
A series of mysterious crimes threatens the existence of a new radio network.
3
Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer (2025)
★ 6.8/10Also crime and comedy
A struggling writer in the midst of a divorce befriends a retired serial killer who incidentally becomes his marriage counselor by day, and killing counselor for his next book by night.
4
Oscar (1991)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and crime
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…
5
Wrong Cops (2013)
★ 6.1/10Also crime and comedy
A group of bad cops look to dispose of a body that one of them accidentally shot.
6
Who Done It? (1942)
★ 6.9/10Also comedy
Two dumb soda jerks dream of writing radio mysteries. When they try to pitch an idea at a radio station, they end up in the middle of a real murder when the station owner is killed during a broadcast.
7
Airheads (1994)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and crime
The Lone Rangers have heavy-metal dreams and a single demo tape they can't get anyone to play. The solution: Hijack an FM rock radio station and hold the deejays hostage until they agree to broadcast the band's tape.
8
The Pickup (2025)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and crime
A routine cash pickup takes a wild turn when mismatched armored truck drivers Russell and Travis are ambushed by ruthless criminals led by savvy mastermind Zoe.
9
Shadow of the Thin Man (1941)
★ 7/10Also comedy and crime
While attending a major horse race with their young son, Nick Jr., Nick and Nora Charles witnesse a shocking murder from the crowded grandstand. What first appears to be an isolated killing soon leads to a maze of…
10
68 Kill (2017)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy and crime
Chip's problem is that he can't say no to beautiful women. This weakness gets him into a world of trouble when he agrees to help his girlfriend steal $68,000.
11
One Night at McCool's (2001)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy and crime
On an ordinary night, in an ordinary part of town, a beautiful young woman walks into a bar. Her name is Jewel, and before long she is chatting to bartender Randy. The pair leave together, but he ends up getting into a…
12
Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
★ 8.1/10Also comedy and crime
A card shark and his unwillingly-enlisted friends need to make a lot of cash quick after losing a sketchy poker match. To do this they decide to pull a heist on a small-time gang who happen to be operating out of the…
13
Shade (2003)
★ 6.2/10Also crime
Tiffany, Charlie and Vernon are con artists looking to up the ante from their typical scams. They figure a good way of doing this is taking down Dean "The Dean" Stevens, a well-known cardsharp, in a rigged game…
14
See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989)
★ 6.8/10Also comedy and crime
A murder takes place in the shop of David Lyons, a deaf man who fails to hear the gunshot being fired. Outside, blind man Wally Karue hears the shot, but cannot see the perpetrator. Both are arrested, but escape to…
15
Rise of the Footsoldier (2007)
★ 6.4/10Also crime
Carlton Leach rises from one of the most feared generals of the football terraces to becoming a member of a notorious gang of criminals who rampaged their way through London and Essex in the late '80s and early '90s.
16
Killing Them Softly (2012)
★ 6/10Also crime
Jackie Cogan is an enforcer hired to restore order after three dumb guys rob a Mob protected card game, causing the local criminal economy to collapse.
17
Henry's Crime (2010)
★ 5.8/10Also crime and comedy
An aimless man is sent to prison for a crime he did not commit, an ex-con targets the same bank he was sent away for robbing.
18
Family Plot (1976)
★ 6.8/10Also comedy and crime
Spiritualist Blanche Tyler and her cab-driving boyfriend encounter a pair of serial kidnappers while trailing a missing heir in California.
19
Song of the Thin Man (1947)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy and crime
While attending a glamorous jazz cruise on New York’s East River, Nick and Nora Charles witness the fatal shooting of a wealthy patron. When suspicion falls on a young bandleader and his musicians, the couple steps in…
20
The Adventures of Ford Fairlane (1990)
★ 6.1/10Also comedy and crime
To the Los Angeles elite, Ford Fairlane is known as "Mr. Rock 'n' Roll Detective." This loudmouthed ladies' man serves an exclusive rock star clientele, who depend on his keen eye and smug discretion. So when a…