Movies Like Desperate Living (1977)

Desperate Living is a 1977 comedy, crime film from John Waters with a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Welcome to the Jungle and Toy Story 5.

Comedy Crime

Welcome to the Jungle

2026

A group of quirky characters gets stuck in a dangerous jungle during a chaotic mission. Filled with confusion, criminals, and hilarious situations, they must work together to survive and find their way out.

5.3

MagicScore

Toy Story 5

2026

When Bonnie receives a Lilypad tablet as a gift and becomes obsessed, Buzz, Woody, Jessie and the rest of the gang's jobs become exponentially harder when they have to go head to head with the all-new threat to playtime.

7.5

MagicScore

Scary Movie

2026

Twenty-six years after outrunning a suspiciously familiar masked killer, the Core Four are back in the killer's crosshairs and no horror movie IP is safe.

5.5

MagicScore

The Sheep Detectives

2026

George Hardy is a shepherd who reads detective novels to his beloved sheep every night, assuming they can't possibly understand. But when a mysterious incident disrupts life on the farm, the sheep realize they must become the detectives. As they follow the clues and investigate human suspects, they prove that even sheep can be brilliant crime-solvers.

7.8

MagicScore

Cocktail 2

2026

After a decade together, Diya and Kunal's relationship is shaken when Ally, an old friend, re-enters their lives. What begins as a plan between two women spirals into chaos, triggering hilarious, emotional rollercoaster none of them saw coming.

5.8

MagicScore

The Devil Wears Prada 2

2026

Andy Sachs returns to Runway as Miranda Priestly navigates a new media landscape and Runway's position within. The duo reconnect with former assistant Emily Charlton, now the head of a luxury brand that possesses funding which could ensure Runway's survival.

6.7

MagicScore

The Super Mario Galaxy Movie

2026

Having thwarted Bowser's previous plot to marry Princess Peach, Mario and Luigi now face a fresh threat in Bowser Jr., who is determined to liberate his father from captivity and restore the family legacy. Alongside companions new and old, the brothers travel across the stars to stop the young heir's crusade.

8.2

MagicScore

Voicemails for Isabelle

2026

A young woman's hilariously confessional voicemails to her late sister are unknowingly redirected to a stranger, who begins to fall in love from afar.

8.4

MagicScore

Bhooth Bangla

2026

A man inherits a palace in rural Mangalpur and plans his sister's wedding there, but strange supernatural events and panicked locals force him to investigate the property's mysterious past.

5.5

MagicScore

#10

Toy Story 4

2019

Woody has always been confident about his place in the world, devoted to taking care of his kid—whether that's Andy or Bonnie. But after Bonnie creates a reluctant new toy called "Forky", a road trip adventure alongside old and new friends challenges everything Woody believes about loyalty, purpose, and what it truly means to be a toy.

7.5

MagicScore

#11

Little Brother

2026

A tightly wound realtor's picture-perfect life gets an extreme makeover when his lovably chaotic "little brother" suddenly reappears.

6.2

MagicScore

#12

Graphic Desires

2023

When reclusive Franklin cheats on his partner with a mysterious girl he meets on a dating app, it becomes the start of a deadly obsession.

7.1

MagicScore

#13

The Furious

2026

After Wang Wei's daughter is kidnapped by a criminal network and he receives no help from the corrupt police, Wei sets out to find her himself. His only ally is Navin, a relentless journalist whose wife has mysteriously disappeared. Fueled by a furious vengeance, the unlikely duo ruthlessly battle the kidnappers in this explosive martial arts showdown.

7.7

MagicScore

#14

Citizen Vigilante

2026

A man takes justice into his own hands, hunting down criminals. His vigilante crusade makes him a social media star but puts him at odds with the local police chief.

6.8

MagicScore

#15

The Punisher: One Last Kill

2026

As Frank Castle searches for meaning beyond revenge, an unexpected force pulls him back into the fight.

8.3

MagicScore

#16

Toy Story

1995

Led by Woody, Andy's toys live happily in his room until Andy's birthday brings Buzz Lightyear onto the scene. Afraid of losing his place in Andy's heart, Woody plots against Buzz. But when circumstances separate Buzz and Woody from their owner, the duo eventually learns to put aside their differences.

8.0

MagicScore

#17

Madness

1980

An escaped convicted murderer invades the cottage of a man, his wife and the wife's sister, whereupon he proceeds to torment this already dysfunctional trio with rape and violence.

5.3

MagicScore

#18

The Shawshank Redemption

1994

Imprisoned in the 1940s for the double murder of his wife and her lover, upstanding banker Andy Dufresne begins a new life at the Shawshank prison, where he puts his accounting skills to work for an amoral warden. During his long stretch in prison, Dufresne comes to be admired by the other inmates -- including an older prisoner named Red -- for his integrity and unquenchable sense of hope.

8.7

MagicScore

#19

Minions & Monsters

2026

This is the rambunctious, ridiculous and totally true story of how the Minions conquered Hollywood, became movie stars, lost everything, unleashed monsters onto the world and then banded together to try and save the planet from the mayhem they had just created.

6.9

MagicScore

#20

Pussycat, Pussycat, I Love You

1970

An American playwright living in Rome consults a quack psychiatrist to combat his fears of balding and save his failing marriage.

4.5

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Desperate Living?

The top films similar to Desperate Living by MovieMagicScore are Welcome to the Jungle (5.3), Toy Story 5 (7.5), Scary Movie (5.5). Each shares comedy/crime themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Desperate Living worth watching?

Desperate Living holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.4/10 from 115 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Desperate Living?

Desperate Living (1977) is a comedy, crime film directed by John Waters, starring Mink Stole, Jean Hill, Susan Lowe.

Where can I find more recommendations like Desperate Living?

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 Welcome to the Jungle Movies like Toy Story 5 Movies like Scary Movie Movies like The Sheep Detectives Movies like Cocktail 2 Movies like The Devil Wears Prada 2

About movies like Desperate Living

This ranked list pairs Desperate Living (1977), a comedy and crime film from John Waters, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Mink Stole 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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