Movies Like It Happened in the Penitentiary

If you liked It Happened in the Penitentiary (1955), a comedy movie directed by Giorgio Bianchi, here are 19 movies with a similar feel, based on TMDB's recommendations. Each one links to its cast, trailer and where it's streaming.

1
The New Monsters (1977)
★ 7/10Also comedy
A collection of dark-humoured vignettes, including tales of a cardinal with a liberal congregation, a motorist and a hitchhiker, mentally challenged tramps, parents contemplating their daughter's participation in a…
2
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.
3
Ci hai rotto papà (1993)
★ 6.1/10Also comedy
Kids from a huge apartment complex in Rome form a secret society to unite their forces and get back at the nasty adults who 'oppress' them, playing pranks on them to expose their weaknesses.
4
Sextuplets (2019)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy
Father-to-be Alan is shocked to learn that he was born a sextuplet. With his newfound brother Russell riding shotgun, the duo sets out on a hilarious journey to reunite with their remaining long-lost siblings.
5
Babes (2024)
★ 6/10Also comedy
After getting pregnant from a one-night stand, a single woman leans on her married best friend and mother of two to guide her through gestation and beyond.
6
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.
7
Goodnight, Ladies and Gentlemen (1976)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy
An episodic satire of the political and social status of Italy in the seventies, through the shows of one day of a television channel.
8
Much Ado About Nothing (2013)
★ 6.8/10Also comedy
A modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.
9
The Trouble with Angels (1966)
★ 6.7/10Also comedy
Mary and her friend, Rachel, are new students at St. Francis Academy, a boarding school run by the iron fist of Mother Superior. The immature teens grow bored and begin playing pranks on both the unsuspecting nuns and…
10
Ali G, Innit (1999)
★ 6.5/10Also comedy
Ali G travels throughout Britain, interviewing unsuspecting leaders and politicians.
11
Thunderstruck (2012)
★ 6.2/10Also comedy
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.
12
Driver's Ed (2026)
★ 6.9/10Also comedy
A group of teens hit the road in a stolen driver's ed car, racing against time to help a lovesick high school senior track down his college-freshman girlfriend and win her back.
13
Too Much (1986)
★ 6.5/10Also comedy
Oscar dreams of becoming an actor or a stuntman. To contact a manufacturer he stages an accident and consequently injures a young actress, then tries to limit the damage by taking the girl to his home.
14
To Want to Fly (1991)
★ 6.4/10Also comedy
Maurizio works in a dubbing studio and puts sound effects into cartoons. One day his hands turn into cartoon ones, with a life of their own.
15
Taking Care of Business (1990)
★ 6.3/10Also comedy
An uptight advertising exec has his entire life in a filofax organizer which mistakenly ends up in the hands of a friendly convict who poses as him.
16
Three O'Clock High (1987)
★ 6.8/10Also comedy
Nerdy high schooler Jerry Mitchell is assigned to write an article for the school paper about the infamous new delinquent transfer student, Buddy Revell. When Jerry accidentally invades Buddy's personal space and…
17
Gabriel Iglesias: I'm Sorry for What I Said When I Was Hungry (2016)
★ 7.1/10Also comedy
Hawaiian-shirt enthusiast Gabriel "Fluffy" Iglesias finds the laughs in racist gift baskets, Prius-driving cops and all-female taco trucks.
18
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…
19
Serafino (1968)
★ 6/10Also comedy
Serafino, a young and innocent shepherd, inherits a huge fortune. He immediately starts spending the entire sum on presents for his friends, causing the envy of his family.