Movies Like Ruthless People (1986)

Ruthless People is a 1986 comedy film from David Zucker with a MovieMagicScore of 6.6/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with King's Ransom and Abigail.

Comedy

King's Ransom

2005

Hoping to foil his own gold-digging wife's plan, a loathsome businessman arranges his own kidnapping, only to realize that there are plenty of other people interested in his wealth as well.

4.8

MagicScore

Abigail

2024

A group of criminals kidnap a teenage ballet dancer, the daughter of a notorious gang leader, in order to obtain a ransom of $50 million, but over time, they discover that she is not just an ordinary girl. After the kidnappers begin to diminish, one by one, they discover, to their increasing horror, that they are locked inside with no normal little girl.

6.7

MagicScore

Problem Child

1990

Ben Healy and his social climbing wife Flo adopt fun-loving seven year old Junior. But they soon discover he's a little monster as he turns a camping trip, a birthday party and even a baseball game into comic nightmares.

6.2

MagicScore

The Big White

2005

To remedy his financial problems, a travel agent has his eye on a frozen corpse, which just happens to be sought after by two hitmen.

6.2

MagicScore

Fargo

1996

Jerry, a small-town Minnesota car salesman is bursting at the seams with debt... but he's got a plan. He's going to hire two thugs to kidnap his wife in a scheme to collect a hefty ransom from his wealthy father-in-law. It's going to be a snap and nobody's going to get hurt... until people start dying. Enter Police Chief Marge, a coffee-drinking, parka-wearing - and extremely pregnant - investigator who'll stop at nothing to get her man. And if you think her small-time investigative skills will give the crooks a run for their ransom... you betcha!

7.8

MagicScore

Happiness

1998

The lives of several individuals intertwine as they go about their lives in their own unique ways, engaging in acts which society as a whole might find disturbing in a desperate search for human connection.

7.4

MagicScore

The Gentlemen

2020

American expat Mickey Pearson has built a highly profitable marijuana empire in London. When word gets out that he’s looking to cash out of the business forever it triggers plots, schemes, bribery and blackmail in an attempt to steal his domain out from under him.

7.7

MagicScore

Suicide Kings

1997

Carlo, a former mobster, is abducted by five privileged young men desperate to raise a $2 million ransom to save the sister of a friend. As Carlo plays mind games, however, his captors splinter -- each wondering whether one of their own had a hand in the crime.

6.6

MagicScore

Savannah Smiles

1982

The young daughter of a politician runs away due to lack of attention. She hides in the car of two not too bright crooks who are slowly converted into parent figures as the police web closes down on the supposed kidnappers.

6.5

MagicScore

#10

A Life Less Ordinary

1997

A couple of angels, O'Reilly and Jackson, are sent to Earth to make sure that their next supervised love-connection succeeds. They follow Celine, a spoiled rich girl who has just accidentally shot a suitor and, due to a misunderstanding, is kidnapped by janitor Robert. Although Celine quickly frees herself, she stays with Robert for thrills. O'Reilly and Jackson pursue, hoping to unite the prospective lovers.

6.1

MagicScore

#11

Nobel Son

2007

Soon after his insufferably arrogant father wins the Nobel Prize for chemistry, Barkley Michaelson is kidnapped by Thaddeus James, a young genius who claims to be Barkley's illegitimate half-brother. Motivated not so much by money as revenge, Thaddeus tries to convince Barkley to help him carry out a multimillion-dollar extortion plot against their patriarch.

6.0

MagicScore

#12

Ramji Rao Speaking

1989

The story revolves around three unemployed people who get involved in a kidnapping saga due to a case of mistaken identity.

7.3

MagicScore

#13

Hail, Caesar!

2016

When a Hollywood star mysteriously disappears in the middle of filming, the studio sends their fixer to get him back.

5.9

MagicScore

#14

Playing with Fire

1975

A banker hires a seedy detective to find his daughter and keep her safe from kidnappers.

5.4

MagicScore

#15

Snatched

2017

When her boyfriend dumps Emily, a spontaneous woman in her 30s, she persuades her ultra-cautious mom to accompany her on a vacation to Ecuador. When these two very different women are trapped on this wild journey, their bond as mother and daughter is tested and strengthened while they attempt to navigate the jungle and escape.

5.4

MagicScore

#16

American Psycho

2000

A wealthy New York investment banking executive hides his alternate psychopathic ego from his co-workers and friends as he escalates deeper into his illogical, gratuitous fantasies.

7.4

MagicScore

#17

High and Low

1963

A Yokohama shoe executive faces a wrenching choice when kidnappers mistakenly seize his chauffeur’s son but demand the ransom anyway.

8.4

MagicScore

#18

The Taking of Pelham One Two Three

1974

In New York, armed men hijack a subway car and demand a ransom for the passengers. Even if it's paid, how could they get away?

7.5

MagicScore

#19

Dirty Harry

1971

When a madman dubbed 'Scorpio' terrorizes San Francisco, hard-nosed cop, Harry Callahan – famous for his take-no-prisoners approach to law enforcement – is tasked with hunting down the psychopath.

7.5

MagicScore

#20

Ransom!

1956

A wealthy business man stuns his wife and town with a televised response to his son's kidnappers.

7.2

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Ruthless People?

The top films similar to Ruthless People by MovieMagicScore are King's Ransom (4.8), Abigail (6.7), Problem Child (6.2). Each shares comedy themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Ruthless People worth watching?

Ruthless People holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.6/10 from 426 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Ruthless People?

Ruthless People (1986) is a comedy film directed by David Zucker, starring Danny DeVito, Bette Midler, Judge Reinhold.

Where can I find more recommendations like Ruthless People?

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 King's Ransom Movies like Abigail Movies like Problem Child Movies like The Big White Movies like Fargo Movies like Happiness

About movies like Ruthless People

This ranked list pairs Ruthless People (1986), a comedy film from David Zucker, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Danny DeVito 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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