Movies Like Lessons of the Playground

If you liked Lessons of the Playground (1989), a comedy and drama movie directed by Chin Ao-Hsun, 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
CQ (2001)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy and drama
A young filmmaker in 1960s Paris juggles directing a cheesy sci-fi debacle, directing his own personal art film, coping with his crumbling relationship with his girlfriend, and a new-found infatuation with the sci-fi…
2
Family Weekend (2013)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy and drama
A 16-year-old girl takes her parents hostage after they miss her big jump-roping competition.
3
Hail the Judge (1994)
★ 7.5/10Also comedy and drama
Pao Lung Sing, a descendant of the legendary Judge Pao Ching Tin, is a 9th degree corrupt judge who changes his tune when he tries to champion a woman Chi Siu-Lin, who was framed for killing her husband. As a result…
4
Landline (2017)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and drama
A teenager living with her sister and parents in Manhattan during the 1990s discovers that her father is having an affair.
5
Cook Up a Storm (2017)
★ 7.5/10Also comedy and drama
An international culinary competition becomes a battleground between rival cooks, one famous for his Cantonese street food and the other a Michelin-starred chef trained in France. But their rivalry takes an unexpected…
6
SubUrbia (1997)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and drama
A group of suburban teenagers try to support each other through the difficult task of becoming adults.
7
Don't Think Twice (2016)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and drama
An improv group deals with several crises, including the loss of their lease and one member hitting the big time.
8
Somewhere in Queens (2023)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy and drama
Leo and Angela Russo live a simple life in Queens, surrounded by their overbearing Italian-American family. When their son finds success on his high school basketball team, Leo tears the family apart trying to make it…
9
I Am Not Madame Bovary (2016)
★ 6.8/10Also comedy and drama
Li Xuelian, a woman from the countryside is falsely accused by her husband of having an affair. To defend herself, Li moves from her small town to the big city until she reached the capital.
10
My Own Love Song (2010)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and drama
A wheelchair-bound singer and her best friend embark on a roadtrip to Memphis.
11
Class Act (1992)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy and drama
Duncan is a genius straight A student, Blade is ajuvenile delinquent. But because of a mix up with their school records, everyone thinks each is the other one. Now, Duncan kind of likes the attention from being thought…
12
Chang Can Dunk (2023)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy and drama
Chang, a 16-year-old, Asian American, bets the high school basketball star that he can dunk by Homecoming. The bet leads 5' 8" Chang on a quest to learn to dunk—not only to impress his crush, Kristy, but to gain the…
13
The House of Tomorrow (2019)
★ 6.8/10Also drama and comedy
The film tells futurist, architect, and inventor R. Buckminster Fuller's incredible story through two teens hoping to get laid, become punk gods, and survive high school.
14
Big Brother (2018)
★ 7.6/10Also drama and comedy
A soldier-turned-high school teacher uses unusual methods to reach to a class of poor students, while dealing with a greedy entrepreneur and his gang of fighters as well as the government.
15
Lady Windermere's Fan (1925)
★ 6.9/10Also comedy and drama
A society woman believes her husband is having an affair, a misconception which may have dire personal consequences for all involved.
16
Almost Friends (2017)
★ 6.3/10Also drama and comedy
A man in his mid-20s, still living at home with his mother and stepfather, puts all his eggs in one basket: the girl who works at his local coffee shop. The problem is, she has a serious boyfriend. As they become…
17
Big Shot's Funeral (2001)
★ 6.6/10Also comedy and drama
Don Tyler, a famous film-maker, falls ill on the sets of his movie. Fascinated by the funereal traditions of China, he requests a cameraman named Yoyo to arrange a grand, comedic funeral for him.
18
Pegasus 2 (2024)
★ 7.2/10Also drama and comedy
Former champion driver Zhang Chi teaches at a driving school in troubled times, relying on his reputation to make ends meet. A failing automobile factory offers to sponsor Zhang Chi in the last Bayinbrook Rally.
19
Code 3 (2025)
★ 7.1/10Also comedy and drama
A burned-out paramedic tries to survive his last 24 hours on the job while training a new recruit.
20
Getting Home (2007)
★ 7.4/10Also drama and comedy
A black comedy about a farmer who tries to bring home the body of his friend, who died far from their town.