Movies Like Crime Wave

If you liked Crime Wave (1985), a comedy and crime movie directed by John Paizs, 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
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.
2
Cotton Comes to Harlem (1970)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and crime
Harlem's African-American population is being ripped off by the Rev. Deke O'Malley, who dishonestly claims that small donations will secure parcels of land in Africa. When New York City police officers Gravedigger…
3
How High (2001)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy
Jamal and Silas, two ordinary guys who smoke something magical, pass their college entrance exams with flying colors and end up at Harvard. Ivy League ways are strange but Silas and Jamal take it in a stride -- until…
4
Shaft (2019)
★ 6.5/10Also crime and comedy
JJ, aka John Shaft Jr., may be a cyber security expert with a degree from MIT, but to uncover the truth behind his best friend’s untimely death, he needs an education only his dad can provide. Absent throughout JJ’s…
5
The International (2009)
★ 6.3/10Also crime
An interpol agent and an attorney are determined to bring one of the world's most powerful banks to justice. Uncovering money laundering, arms trading, and conspiracy to destabilize world governments, their…
6
Sheroes (2023)
★ 5.8/10Also comedy and crime
When four thick-as-thieves friends arrive in Thailand, they quickly find themselves in over their heads. Fighting to stay alive, they employ their unique set of skills and unleash their fierce loyalty in a…
7
Married to the Mob (1988)
★ 6/10Also comedy and crime
Angela de Marco is fed up with her gangster husband's line of work and wants no part of the crime world. When her husband is killed for having an affair with the mistress of mob boss Tony "The Tiger" Russo, Angela and…
8
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…
9
Accident Man (2018)
★ 6.3/10Also crime and comedy
Mike Fallon, the Accident Man, is a stone cold killer. When a loved one is murdered by his own crew, Fallon is forced to avenge the one person who actually meant something to him.
10
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent (2022)
★ 6.8/10Also comedy and crime
Creatively unfulfilled and facing financial ruin, Nick Cage must accept a $1 million offer to attend the birthday of a dangerous superfan. Things take a wildly unexpected turn when Cage is recruited by a CIA operative…
11
Pulp Fiction (1994)
★ 8.5/10Also crime and comedy
A burger-loving hit man, his philosophical partner, a drug-addled gangster's moll and a washed-up boxer converge in this sprawling, comedic crime caper. Their adventures unfurl in three stories that ingeniously trip…
12
Hostile Takeover (2025)
★ 6.8/10Also comedy
Follows Pete, a professional hitman, as he faces a group of assassins after the boss of a crime syndicate suspects disloyalty due to his attendance at Workaholics Anonymous meetings.
13
Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa (2013)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy
86-year-old Irving Zisman is on a journey across America with the most unlikely companion: his 8 year-old grandson, Billy.
14
Breathless (2012)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy and crime
Lorna is a strong-willed Texas woman who’s had enough of her untrustworthy husband Dale’s criminal acts and lack of husbandry. Fed up, she enlists the help of her old friend, Tiny, to help her figure out what to do…
15
Who Is Cletis Tout? (2001)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy and crime
With a hitman’s gun aimed at him, Finch tells the story of how he broke out of jail, fell in love, and took the identity of a man wanted by the Mafia.
16
Wolfs (2024)
★ 6.6/10Also crime and comedy
Hired to cover up a high-profile crime, a fixer soon finds his night spiralling out of control when he's forced to work with an unexpected counterpart.
17
The Virtuoso (2021)
★ 5.9/10Also crime
Danger, deception and murder descend upon a sleepy town when a professional assassin accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic boss.
18
Greedy People (2024)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy and crime
The eclectic residents of a small, picturesque island town must navigate a sensational murder and the discovery of a million dollars, leading to a series of increasingly bad decisions which upend the once-peaceful…
19
Heathers (1989)
★ 7.2/10Also comedy and crime
A girl who halfheartedly tries to be part of the "in crowd" of her school meets a rebel who teaches her a more devious way to play social politics: by killing the popular kids.
20
Fight or Flight (2025)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy
A mercenary takes on the job of tracking down a target on a plane but must protect that target when they're surrounded by people trying to kill both of them.