Movies Like Paper Moon (1973)

Paper Moon is a 1973 comedy, crime, drama film from Peter Bogdanovich with a MovieMagicScore of 7.9/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Follow That Bird and On the Road.

Comedy Crime Drama

Follow That Bird

1985

Big Bird is sent to live far from Sesame Street by a pesky social worker, who thinks it would be better for him to live with other birds. Unhappy, Big Bird runs away from his foster home, prompting the rest of the Sesame Street gang to go on a cross-country journey to find him.

6.3

MagicScore

On the Road

2012

Sal Paradise is a young writer whose life is shaken and ultimately redefined by the arrival of Dean Moriarty, a free-spirited, fearless, fast talking Westerner and his girl, Marylou. Traveling cross-country, Sal and Dean venture out on a personal quest for freedom from the conformity and conservatism engulfing them in search of the unknown, themselves, and the pursuit of “it” -- the pure essence of experience.

5.6

MagicScore

Buck and the Preacher

1972

A wagon master and a con-man preacher help freed slaves dogged by cheap-labor agents out West.

6.3

MagicScore

Elmer Gantry

1960

A charismatic charlatan begins a business — and eventually romantic — relationship with a roadside evangelist to sell religion to 1920s America. Based on Sinclair Lewis' novel of the same name.

7.3

MagicScore

The Funeral

1996

After the funeral of one of their own, a criminal family decides to embark on an emotionally unnerving journey in an attempt to exact bloody revenge.

6.8

MagicScore

The Frighteners

1996

Once an architect, Frank Bannister now passes himself off as an exorcist of evil spirits. To bolster his facade, he claims his "special" gift is the result of a car accident that killed his wife. But what he does not count on is more people dying in the small town where he lives. As he tries to piece together the supernatural mystery of these killings, he falls in love with the wife of one of the victims and deals with a crazy FBI agent.

6.9

MagicScore

Road to Perdition

2002

Mike Sullivan works as a hit man for crime boss John Rooney. Sullivan views Rooney as a father figure, however after his son is witness to a killing, Mike Sullivan finds himself on the run in attempt to save the life of his son and at the same time looking for revenge on those who wronged him.

7.3

MagicScore

We're the Millers

2013

A veteran pot dealer creates a fake family as part of his plan to move a huge shipment of weed into the U.S. from Mexico.

6.8

MagicScore

Monsieur Verdoux

1947

The film is about an unemployed banker, Henri Verdoux, and his sociopathic methods of attaining income. While being both loyal and competent in his work, Verdoux has been laid-off. To make money for his wife and child, he marries wealthy widows and then murders them. His crime spree eventually works against him when two particular widows break his normal routine.

7.7

MagicScore

#10

The Grapes of Wrath

1940

Tom Joad returns to his home after a jail sentence to find his family kicked out of their farm due to foreclosure. He catches up with them on his Uncle’s farm, and joins them the next day as they head for California and a new life... Hopefully.

7.8

MagicScore

#11

Tom Sawyer & Huckleberry Finn

2014

Tom Sawyer and his pal Huckleberry Finn have great adventures on the Mississippi River, pretending to be pirates, attending their own funeral and witnessing a murder.

5.5

MagicScore

#12

Modern Times

1936

A bumbling tramp desires to build a home with a young woman, yet is thwarted time and time again by his lack of experience and habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time...

8.3

MagicScore

#13

Nightmare Alley

1947

Roustabout Stanton Carlisle joins a traveling carny and unsuccessfully schemes to figure out the mind-reading act of Mademoiselle Zeena and her alcoholic husband, Pete.

7.1

MagicScore

#14

Dances with Wolves

1990

Wounded Civil War soldier John Dunbar tries to commit suicide—and becomes a hero instead. As a reward, he's assigned to his dream post, a remote junction on the Western frontier, and soon makes unlikely friends with the local Sioux tribe.

7.8

MagicScore

#15

The Man Who Wasn't There

2001

A tale of murder, crime and punishment set in the summer of 1949. Ed Crane, a barber in a small California town, is dissatisfied with his life, but his wife Doris' infidelity and a mysterious opportunity presents him with a chance to change it.

7.5

MagicScore

#16

The Swindle

1955

Aging small-time conman Augusto works with two younger men: Roberto, who desires to become the Italian Johnny Ray, and Carlo, nicknamed Picasso. Through a series of mishaps and personal entanglements, things go badly for Augusto.

7.3

MagicScore

#17

All Stars 2: Old Stars

2011

In All Stars 2 Old Stars, the unexpected wedding of one of the boys means they treat themselves to an ‘old-fashioned training camp’ in the form of a long weekend in Barcelona. The match between Barcelona and Real Madrid is meant to be the high point of the trip. But of course not everything goes according to plan for the Swift Boys.

6.0

MagicScore

#18

It's a Wonderful Life

1946

George Bailey has spent his entire life giving to the people of Bedford Falls. All that prevents rich skinflint Mr. Potter from taking over the entire town is George's modest building and loan company. But on Christmas Eve the business's $8,000 is lost and George's troubles begin.

8.3

MagicScore

#19

Sullivan's Travels

1941

Successful movie director John L. Sullivan, convinced he won't be able to film his ambitious masterpiece until he has suffered, dons a hobo disguise and sets off on a journey, aiming to "know trouble" first-hand. When all he finds is a train ride back to Hollywood and a beautiful blonde companion, he redoubles his efforts, managing to land himself in more trouble than he bargained for when he loses his memory and ends up a prisoner on a chain gang.

7.4

MagicScore

#20

The Great McGinty

1940

Told in flashback, Depression-era bum Dan McGinty is recruited by the city's political machine to help with vote fraud. His great aptitude for this brings rapid promotion from "the boss," who finally decides he'd be ideal as a new, nominally "reform" mayor; but this candidacy requires marriage. His in-name-only marriage to honest Catherine proves the beginning of the end for dishonest Dan...

6.9

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Paper Moon?

The top films similar to Paper Moon by MovieMagicScore are Follow That Bird (6.3), On the Road (5.6), Buck and the Preacher (6.3). Each shares comedy/crime/drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Paper Moon worth watching?

Paper Moon holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.9/10 from 773 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Paper Moon?

Paper Moon (1973) is a comedy, crime, drama film directed by Peter Bogdanovich, starring Tatum O'Neal, Ryan O'Neal, Madeline Kahn.

Where can I find more recommendations like Paper Moon?

Browse the full ranked list above, or explore more comedy recommendations on MovieMagicScore, where every list is ordered by genuine viewer ratings.

Keep exploring

Movies like Follow That Bird Movies like On the Road Movies like Buck and the Preacher Movies like Elmer Gantry Movies like The Funeral Movies like The Frighteners

About movies like Paper Moon

This ranked list pairs Paper Moon (1973), a comedy and crime and drama film from Peter Bogdanovich, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Tatum O'Neal take note). Unlike critic-driven sites, every position here is ordered by MovieMagicScore — a rating built only from real viewers, with no studio marketing or paid placement. Scores update as more people rate, so the list stays current.

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