Movies Like Polyester (1981)

Polyester is a 1981 comedy, drama film from John Waters with a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Serial Mom and Saved!.

Comedy Drama

Serial Mom

1994

Beverly is the perfect happy homemaker, along with her doting husband and two children, but this nuclear family just might explode when her fascination with serial killers collides with her ever-so-proper code of ethics.

6.7

MagicScore

Saved!

2004

Mary is a good Christian girl who goes to a good Christian high school where she has good Christian friends and a perfect Christian boyfriend. Her life seems perfect, until the day that she finds out that her boyfriend may be gay — and that she’s pregnant.

6.4

MagicScore

Mini's First Time

2006

Desperate to be free from her drunken, unloving mother Diane, the beautiful, scheming young Mini seduces her stepfather Martin and soon convinces him to join her in a sadistic scheme to have Diane declared insane. But their conspiracy soon escalates to murder and when John Garson, a young detective starts investigating, Martin and Mini begin to turn on each other.

5.5

MagicScore

Drop Dead Gorgeous

1999

In a small Minnesota town, the annual beauty pageant is being covered by a TV crew. Former winner Gladys Leeman wants to make sure her daughter follows in her footsteps; explosions, falling lights, and trailer fires prove that. As the Leemans are the richest family in town, the police are pretty relaxed about it all. Despite everything, main rival (but sweet) Amber Atkins won't give up without a fight.

6.4

MagicScore

Boogie Nights

1997

In 1977, an idealistic porn producer and his promising protege try to catch up with the end of an era before their never-ending party collides with cold, hard reality.

7.6

MagicScore

Sordid Lives

2000

"Sordid Lives" is about a family in a small Texas town preparing for the funeral of the mother. Among the characters are the grandson trying to find his identity in West Hollywood, the son who has spent the past twenty-three years dressed as Tammy Wynette, the sister and her best friend (who live in delightfully kitschy homes), and the two daughters (one strait-laced and one quite a bit of a loser).

6.5

MagicScore

May December

2023

Twenty years after their notorious tabloid romance gripped the nation, a married couple buckles under the pressure when an actress arrives to do research for a film about their past.

6.6

MagicScore

Mondo Trasho

1969

A day in the lives of a hit-and-run driver and her victim, and the bizarre things that happen to them before and after they collide (sexual assault by a crazed foot-fetishist, visions of the Virgin Mary, strange chicken-foot grafting operations).

5.1

MagicScore

The Death of Stalin

2017

When dictator Joseph Stalin dies, his parasitic cronies square off in a frantic power struggle to become the next Soviet leader. As they bumble, brawl and back-stab their way to the top, the question remains — just who is running the government?

7.0

MagicScore

#10

Last Night

1998

Various citizens of Toronto anxiously await the end of the world, which is occurring at the stroke of midnight on New Year's Day.

6.6

MagicScore

#11

T is for Turbo

2011

Armed with little more than blind faith and an ancient turbocharged weapon, THE KID learns of justice and friendship and embarks on an incredible journey to rid the Wasteland of evil. This Short film was later made into the feature "Turbo Kid".

6.3

MagicScore

#12

Willard

2003

Desperate for companionship, the repressed Willard befriends a group of rats that inhabit his late father's deteriorating mansion. In these furry creatures, Willard finds temporary refuge from daily abuse at the hands of his bedridden mother and his father's old partner, Frank. Soon it becomes clear that the brood of rodents is ready and willing to exact a vicious, deadly revenge on anyone who dares to bully their sensitive new master.

6.1

MagicScore

#13

The Crazy Family

1984

Shortly after moving to the suburbs, the Kobayashis start to come undone. Convinced a family curse is at the root of their erratic behavior, the man of the house takes it upon himself to course-correct before it takes the last of their sanity.

6.8

MagicScore

#14

The House of Yes

1997

Jackie-O is anxiously awaiting the visit of her brother home for Thanksgiving, but isn't expecting him to bring a friend — and she's even more shocked to learn that this friend is his fiance. It soon becomes clear that her obsession with Jackie Kennedy is nothing compared to her obsession with her brother, and she isn't the only member of the family with problems.

6.1

MagicScore

#15

The Vicious Kind

2009

A man tries to warn his brother away from the new girlfriend he brings home during Thanksgiving, but ends up becoming infatuated with her in the process.

6.2

MagicScore

#16

American Beauty

1999

Lester Burnham, a depressed suburban father in a mid-life crisis, decides to turn his hectic life around after developing an infatuation with his daughter's attractive friend.

8.0

MagicScore

#17

Far from Heaven

2002

In 1950s Connecticut, a housewife's life is upended by a marital crisis and mounting racial tensions in society.

7.0

MagicScore

#18

Election

1999

Tracy Flick is running unopposed for this year’s high school student election. But Jim McAllister has a different plan. Partly to establish a more democratic election, and partly to satisfy some deep personal anger toward Tracy, Jim talks football player Paul Metzler to run for president as well.

6.9

MagicScore

#19

Hairspray

1988

'Pleasantly plump' teenager Tracy Turnblad achieves her dream of becoming a regular on the Corny Collins Dance Show. Now a teen hero, she starts using her fame to speak out for the causes she believes in, most of all integration. In doing so, she earns the wrath of the show's former star, Amber Von Tussle, as well as Amber's manipulative, pro-segregation parents. The rivalry comes to a head as Amber and Tracy vie for the title of Miss Auto Show 1963.

6.8

MagicScore

#20

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

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Polyester?

The top films similar to Polyester by MovieMagicScore are Serial Mom (6.7), Saved! (6.4), Mini's First Time (5.5). Each shares comedy/drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Polyester worth watching?

Polyester holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.0/10 from 180 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Polyester?

Polyester (1981) is a comedy, drama film directed by John Waters, starring Divine, Tab Hunter, Edith Massey.

Where can I find more recommendations like Polyester?

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 Serial Mom Movies like Saved!Movies like Mini's First Time Movies like Drop Dead Gorgeous Movies like Boogie Nights Movies like Sordid Lives

About movies like Polyester

This ranked list pairs Polyester (1981), a comedy and drama film from John Waters, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Divine 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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