Movies Like Emil and the Detectives

If you liked Emil and the Detectives (1931), a family and comedy movie directed by Gerhard Lamprecht, 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
See Spot Run (2001)
★ 6.1/10Also family and comedy
A drug sniffing agent canine is a target for an assassin boss so the FBI calls Witness Protection to send him somewhere else. Meanwhile a single Mom puts her 6 year old boy James in the care of her irresponsible…
2
Thunderstruck (2012)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy and family
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
The Loud House Movie (2021)
★ 7.2/10Also family and comedy
The Loud family travel to Scotland and discover they are descendants of Scottish royalty as they move into their giant ancestral castle.
4
Candy Cane Lane (2023)
★ 6/10Also comedy and family
Determined to win the neighborhood's annual Christmas decorating contest, family man Chris makes a pact with an elf to help him out-do the competition. However, the elf casts a spell bringing the twelve days of…
5
Nancy Drew and the Hidden Staircase (2019)
★ 6.3/10Also crime and family
Nancy Drew, a smart high schooler with a penchant for keen observation and deduction, stumbles upon the haunting of a local home. A bit of an outsider struggling to fit into her new surroundings, Nancy and her pals set…
6
The Bad Guys: A Very Bad Holiday (2023)
★ 6.5/10Also comedy and family
To keep their annual Holiday Heist-tacular afloat, Mr. Wolf and his crew of animal outlaws will have to restore the whole city's Christmas spirit — fast!
7
Happy New Year, Charlie Brown (1986)
★ 6.6/10Also family and comedy
It's the night of Peppermint Patty’s New Year’s Eve bash, but Charlie Brown has to write a book report about War and Peace. Hoping to join the fun for a special dance with the Little Red-Haired Girl, he tries…
8
Shorts (2009)
★ 5.9/10Also family and comedy
A young boy's discovery of a colorful, wish-granting rock causes chaos in the suburban town of Black Falls when jealous kids and scheming adults alike set out to get their hands on it.
9
Recess: All Growed Down (2003)
★ 6.5/10Also family and comedy
T.J. and The Recess Gang are kidnapped by the Third Street School's kindergartners, who are in turn being bullied by a new kid in their class.
10
LEGO DC Batman: Family Matters (2019)
★ 6.7/10Also family and comedy
Suspicion is on high after Batman, Batgirl, Robin and other DC superheroes receive mysterious invitations. However, family values must remain strong when Batman and his team encounter the villainous Red Hood, who is…
11
Dennis the Menace (1993)
★ 5.9/10Also family and comedy
Mr. Wilson's ever-present annoyance comes in the form of one mischievous kid named Dennis. But he'll need Dennis's tricks to uncover a collection of gold coins that go missing when a shady drifter named Switchblade Sam…
12
The Wizards Return: Alex vs. Alex (2013)
★ 7.8/10Also family and comedy
While trying to prove to her family she can be mature and responsible, teen wizard Alex Russo conjures up a spell to rid herself of her bad qualities, unintentionally creating a Good and Evil Alex. When Evil Alex gets…
13
Sneakerella (2022)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy and family
When El, an aspiring sneaker designer from Queens, meets Kira King, the fiercely independent daughter of legendary basketball star and sneaker tycoon Darius King, sparks fly as the two bond over their mutual affinity…
14
Timmy Failure: Mistakes Were Made (2020)
★ 6.2/10Also family and comedy
An 11-year old boy believes that he is the best detective in town and runs the agency Total Failures with his best friend, an imaginary 1,200 pound polar bear.
15
The Pink Panther Strikes Again (1976)
★ 6.9/10Also comedy and crime
Charles Dreyfus, who has finally cracked over inspector Clouseau's antics, escapes from a mental institution and launches an elaborate plan to get rid of Clouseau once and for all.
16
Beverly Hills Chihuahua 2 (2011)
★ 5.9/10Also comedy and family
Puppy mayhem turns the lives of newlywed Chihuahua parents Papi and Chloe upside down when their rambunctious, mischievous puppies present one challenge after another. But when their human owners end up in trouble, the…
17
A Christmas Story Christmas (2022)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy and family
Follows Ralphie, now adult, who returns to the house on Cleveland Street to give his kids a magical Christmas like the one he had as a child, reconnecting with childhood friends, and reconciling the passing of his Old…
18
Psych: The Movie (2017)
★ 7.2/10Also comedy and crime
The ambitious friends come together during the holidays after a mystery assailant targets one of their own. A comedic thrill-ride follows, as the wild and unpredictable Psych team pursues the bad guys, justice … and…
19
The Cheap Detective (1978)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy and crime
A spoof of the entire 1940s detective genre. San Francisco private detective, Lou Pekinpaugh is accused of murdering his partner at the instigation of his mistress—his partner's wife.
20
Mickey and Minnie Wish Upon a Christmas (2021)
★ 7/10Also comedy and family
After a series of mishaps, Mickey, Minnie and the gang are separated all over the world and must try to get back to Hot Dog Hills by Christmas Eve. A mysterious and jolly stranger shows up to tell them about The…