Movies Like It Pays to Be Ignorant

If you liked It Pays to Be Ignorant (1948), a comedy movie directed by Herbert Polesie, 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
When an upwardly mobile couple find themselves unemployed and in debt, they turn to armed robbery in desperation.
2
Amazon Women on the Moon (1987)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy
Centered on a television station which features a 1950s-style sci-fi movie interspersed with a series of wild commercials, wacky shorts and weird specials, this lampoon of contemporary life and pop culture skewers some…
3
Bill Burr: Drop Dead Years (2025)
★ 7.2/10Also comedy
In what might be his most personal and introspective hour yet, Bill offers hilarious takes on everything from male sadness to dating advice.
4
Dave Chappelle: The Dreamer (2023)
★ 6.9/10Also comedy
From his onstage tackle to the slap heard round the world, Dave Chappelle lets loose in this freewheeling and unfiltered stand-up comedy special.
5
Aziz Ansari: Intimate Moments for a Sensual Evening (2010)
★ 6.8/10Also comedy
Aziz Ansari presents his highly anticipated debut hour long stand-up special. The critically acclaimed stand-up and actor (Parks and Recreation, Funny People) discusses topics ranging from sheets with fraudulent thread…
6
The Onion Movie (2008)
★ 6.1/10Also comedy
Venerable newscaster Norm Archer reports the latest news in politics, health, culture and entertainment - such as an automotive recall of decapitation-inducing "Neckbelts" and a study finding that "depression hits…
7
The F**k-It List (2020)
★ 6/10Also comedy
After a prank blows up a studious high school senior's life, he shares a list of certain things he wishes he'd done differently — and maybe still can.
8
How to Irritate People (1969)
★ 6.6/10Also comedy
A pre-Monty Python mockumentary, written by and presented by John Cleese, that provides tips on learning how to irritate people.
9
Eddie Izzard: Dress to Kill (1999)
★ 7.8/10Also comedy
Eddie Izzard takes her show to San Francisco to give a brief history of pagan and Christian religions, the building of Stonehenge, the birth of the Church of England and of Western empires, and the need for a European…
10
Quiz Lady (2023)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy
A brilliant but tightly wound, gameshow-obsessed young woman, Anne, and her estranged, train-wreck of a sister, Jenny, must work together to help cover their mother's gambling debts. When Anne's beloved dog is…
11
Chris D'Elia: Man on Fire (2017)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy
Unbridled comic Chris D'Elia reconsiders his approach to major life events like marriage, not having kids and buying pants for your friends.
12
Shane Gillis: Beautiful Dogs (2023)
★ 7/10Also comedy
In a rowdy stand-up set, Shane Gillis riffs on his girlfriend's Navy SEAL ex, touring George Washington's house and being bullied by an Australian Goth.
13
Louis C.K.: Oh My God (2013)
★ 7.6/10Also comedy
Filmed at the Celebrity Theatre in Phoenix, AZ on February 15th and 16th, 2013, Oh My God is Louis C.K.'s fifth stand-up special, his first for HBO since 2007's Shameless, and his first since winning a Emmy Award for…
14
Wrong Cops (2013)
★ 6.1/10Also comedy
A group of bad cops look to dispose of a body that one of them accidentally shot.
15
Chris Rock: Never Scared (2004)
★ 7.5/10Also comedy
Chris Rock, the three-time Emmy Award-winner, comedian, actor, and host of HBO's acclaimed The Chris Show, stars in his fourth solo stand-up special for HBO, Chris Rock: Never Scared. Featuring his unique, insightful…
16
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…
17
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…
18
Dave Chappelle: Sticks & Stones (2019)
★ 7.5/10Also comedy
Dave Chappelle takes on gun culture, the opioid crisis and the tidal wave of celebrity scandals in this defiant stand-up special.
19
Airheads (1994)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy
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.
20
Psycho Therapy: The Shallow Tale of a Writer Who Decided to Write About a Serial Killer (2025)
★ 6.8/10Also 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.