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Home/The Mad Genius/Similar Movies

The Mad Genius

Movies Like The Mad Genius (1931)

The Mad Genius is a 1931 drama, horror, romance film from Michael Curtiz with a MovieMagicScore of 6.3/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Double Life of Véronique and The Puppetmaster.

Drama Horror Romance

The Double Life of Véronique poster

The Double Life of Véronique

1991

Véronique is a beautiful young French woman who aspires to be a renowned singer; Weronika lives in Poland, has a similar career goal and looks identical to Véronique, though the two are not related. The film follows both women as they contend with the ups and downs of their individual lives, with Véronique embarking on an unusual romance with Alexandre Fabbri, a puppeteer who may be able to help her with her existential issues.

The Puppetmaster poster

The Puppetmaster

1993

Master puppeteer Li Tien-lu recalls his life in Japanese-occupied Taiwan during the first half of the 20th century.

Black Swan poster

Black Swan

2010

The story of a ballerina in a New York City ballet company whose life is completely consumed with dance. Nina lives with her retired ballerina mother who zealously supports her daughter's professional ambition. When the artistic director decides to replace the prima ballerina for the opening production of their new season, Nina is his first choice.

A Nutcracker Christmas poster

A Nutcracker Christmas

2016

When her niece is cast in The Philadelphia Ballet’s production of the Nutcracker, a jaded ex-ballerina is forced to come to terms with the life and love she left behind.

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey poster

Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey

2011

Beloved by children of all ages around the world, Elmo is an international icon. Few people know his creator, Kevin Clash, who dreamed of working with his idol, master puppeteer Jim Henson. Displaying his creativity and talent at a young age, Kevin ultimately found a home on Sesame Street. Narrated by Whoopi Goldberg, this documentary includes rare archival footage, interviews with Frank Oz, Rosie O’Donnell, Cheryl Henson, Joan Ganz Cooney and others and offers a behind-the-scenes look at Sesame Street and the Jim Henson Workshop.

The American poster

The American

2023

American ballet dancer Joy Womack is accepted into Moscow's infamously tough Bolshoi Ballet Academy, with the dream of becoming a great ballerina.

Birds of Paradise poster

Birds of Paradise

2021

Two dancers at an elite ballet academy in Paris must compete for a contract to join the highly coveted Opéra National de Paris as they confront their competitive nature, sexual awakenings and how far they would go to win.

The Dying Swan poster

The Dying Swan

1917

After being betrayed by her playboy lover, a heartbroken mute young woman joins a ballet company; during a performance of “The Dying Swan,” she enraptures a painter obsessed with portraying death genuinely.

The Bolshoi poster

The Bolshoi

2016

Young and extremely talented dancer Yulya Olshanskaya from a small mining town draws a “happy ticket”: she is noticed by a former ballet dancer Pototsky and he promises her a future of great ballerina, worthy of the main stage of the country. However, in order to become a diamond, anyone, even the most outstanding brilliant, needs to be cut, and the way to the legendary stage of The Bolshoi Theatre for Yulya lies through the walls of the ballet school, where the more capricious teacher Galina Mikhailovna Beletskaya takes custody of the rebellious provincial. Turning into a prima will require incredible self-denial, and Yulya herself will have to make sure that the big ballet is not only the whiteness of the packs, the gold of the boxes and the slip of silk ribbons. But no obstacles will stop the one who has the big dream.

Hans Christian Andersen poster

Hans Christian Andersen

1952

A small-town shoemaker with a knack for spinning yarns, Hans encounters happiness and heartbreak on his road to becoming a full-fledged writer.

International House poster

International House

1933

Foreign investors converge on a luxury hotel in China to bid on a new kind of radioscope. But, this is a hotel where Burns and Allen are the in-house medical staff, a measles risk sends the whole building into quarantine, and a madcap millionaire crashes dinner in his autogyro. Hotel and radioscope become a stage for an all-star cast of comedians and musicians, from vaudeville to the new generation.

Lili poster

Lili

1953

Members of a circus troupe "adopt" Lili Daurier when she finds herself stranded in a strange town. The magician who first comes to her rescue already has romantic entanglements and thinks of her as a little girl. Who can she turn to but the puppets, singing to them her troubles, forgetting that there are puppeteers? A crowd gathers around Lili as she sings. The circus has a new act. She now has a job. Will she get her heart's desire?

Possum poster

Possum

2018

A disgraced children's puppeteer returns to his childhood home and is forced to confront his wicked stepfather and the secrets that have tortured him his entire life.

Being John Malkovich poster

Being John Malkovich

1999

One day at work, unsuccessful puppeteer Craig finds a portal into the head of actor John Malkovich. The portal soon becomes a passion for anybody who enters its mad and controlling world of overtaking another human body.

The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson poster

The Muppets Celebrate Jim Henson

1990

While the Muppets prepare a tribute to the late Jim Henson, they learn about the life and career of the renowned puppeteer/film maker.

Waterloo Bridge poster

Waterloo Bridge

1940

On the eve of World War II, a British officer revisits Waterloo Bridge and recalls the young man he was at the beginning of World War I and the young ballerina he met just before he left for the front.

Powder Blue poster

Powder Blue

2009

On the gritty streets of LA, the destinies of four people desperate for connection and redemption are about to collide.

Judy & Punch poster

Judy & Punch

2019

In the anarchic town of Seaside, nowhere near the sea, puppeteers Judy and Punch are trying to resurrect their marionette show. The show is a hit due to Judy's superior puppeteering but Punch's driving ambition and penchant for whisky lead to an inevitable tragedy that Judy must avenge.

Dance, Girl, Dance poster

Dance, Girl, Dance

1940

Judy O'Brien is an aspiring ballerina in a dance troupe. Also in the company is Bubbles, a brash mantrap who leaves the struggling troupe for a career in burlesque. When the company disbands, Bubbles gives Judy a thankless job as her stooge. The two eventually clash when both fall for the same man.

The Girl from Petrovka poster

The Girl from Petrovka

1974

A beautiful Russian ballerina falls in love with an American news correspondent. The KGB is most displeased and does everything it can to break them up.

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Mad Genius?

The top films similar to The Mad Genius by MovieMagicScore are The Double Life of Véronique (7.5), The Puppetmaster (6.5), Black Swan (7.7). Each shares drama/horror/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Mad Genius worth watching?

The Mad Genius holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.3/10 from 21 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is The Mad Genius?

The Mad Genius (1931) is a drama, horror, romance film directed by Michael Curtiz, starring John Barrymore, Marian Marsh, Charles Butterworth.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Mad Genius?

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

Keep exploring

Movies like The Double Life of Véronique Movies like The Puppetmaster Movies like Black Swan Movies like A Nutcracker Christmas Movies like Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey Movies like The American

About movies like The Mad Genius

This ranked list pairs The Mad Genius (1931), a drama and horror and romance film from Michael Curtiz, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of John Barrymore 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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