Movies Like Focus: The Story Begins

If you liked Focus: The Story Begins (2009), a movie directed by Ben Leon and Chris Ward, 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
The Bachelor and the Bobby-Soxer (1947)
★ 6.9/10
Teenager Susan Turner, with a severe crush on playboy artist Richard Nugent, sneaks into his apartment to model for him and is found there by her sister Judge Margaret Turner. Threatened with jail, Nugent agrees to…
2
Nightfall (1956)
★ 6.9/10
An innocent man turns fugitive as he reconstructs events that implicate him for a murder and robbery he did not commit.
3
Champagne Problems (2025)
★ 6/10
A driven American exec heads to Paris determined to acquire a champagne brand by Christmas — and accidentally falls for the heir to the bubbly empire.
4
Palm Swings (2017)
★ 5.9/10
After moving to Palm Springs, a young married couple puts their love to the test when they discover that their neighbors are swingers.
5
The Set-Up (1949)
★ 7.4/10
Expecting the usual loss, a boxing manager takes bribes from a betting gangster without telling his fighter.
6
The Secret Life of Pets (2016)
★ 6.3/10
The quiet life of a terrier named Max is upended when his owner takes in Duke, a stray whom Max instantly dislikes.
7
Milk Money (1994)
★ 6.5/10
Three young boys pool their money and pay V, a kindhearted prostitute, to strip for them. Afterward, she drives them home to the suburbs -- but then her car breaks down. It's just as well, though, because a mobster…
8
The Willoughbys (2020)
★ 7.1/10
When the four Willoughby children are abandoned by their selfish parents, they must learn how to adapt their Old-Fashioned values to the contemporary world in order to create something new: The Modern Family.
9
The Odd Life of Timothy Green (2012)
★ 7/10
A childless couple bury a box in their backyard, containing all of their wishes for an infant. Soon, a child is born, though Timothy Green is not all that he appears.
10
Much Ado About Nothing (2013)
★ 6.8/10
A modern retelling of Shakespeare's classic comedy about two pairs of lovers with different takes on romance and a way with words.
11
Mickey's House of Villains (2002)
★ 7.3/10
The villains from the popular animated Disney films are gathered at the House of Mouse with plans to take over. Soon, the villains take over the house and kick out Mickey, Donald and Goofy. It's all up to Mickey and…
12
Birth of the Dragon (2017)
★ 5.8/10
Set against the backdrop of San Francisco’s Chinatown, this cross-cultural biopic chronicles Bruce Lee’s emergence as a martial-arts superstar after his legendary secret showdown with fellow martial artist Wong Jack Man.
13
Single All the Way (2021)
★ 6.4/10
Desperate to avoid his family’s judgment about his perpetual single status, Peter convinces his best friend Nick to join him for the holidays and pretend that they’re now in a relationship. But when Peter’s mother sets…
14
The Big Picture (1989)
★ 5.9/10
Hollywood beckons for recent film school grad Nick Chapman, who is out to capitalize on the momentum from his national award-winning student film. Studio executive Allen Habel seduces Nick with a dream deal to make his…
15
180° South (2010)
★ 7.2/10
The film follows adventurer Jeff Johnson as he retraces the epic 1968 journey of his heroes Yvon Chouinard and Doug Tompkins to Patagonia.
16
Glengarry Glen Ross (1992)
★ 7.3/10
An examination of the machinations behind the scenes at a real estate office. Unscrupulous salesmen try to hawk dubious real estate to suckers.
17
The Girl (2012)
★ 6.1/10
Director Alfred Hitchcock is revered as one of the greatest creative minds in the history of cinema. Known for his psychological thrillers, Hitchcock’s leading ladies were cool, beautiful and preferably blonde. One…
18
Black Widow (1987)
★ 6.2/10
Federal agent Alexandra Barnes believes that Catherine Petersen is a serial killer who marries rich men and then murders them for their money. But since Catherine is seemingly a master of disguise and has multiple…
19
A Night at the Roxbury (1998)
★ 6.6/10
Despite being well into adulthood, brothers Doug and Steve Butabi still live at home and work in the flower shop owned by their dad. They exist only to hit on women at discos, though they're routinely unsuccessful…
20
12 Gifts of Christmas (2015)
★ 6.1/10
When Anna Parisi, an unemployed fine arts painter, is unable to make ends meet, she is hired to become a personal Christmas shopper for Marc, an uptight corporate exec. As they begin working together, Marc learns that…