Movies Like The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975)

The Prisoner of Second Avenue is a 1975 comedy film from Melvin Frank with a MovieMagicScore of 6.7/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Street Scene and Do the Right Thing.

Comedy

Street Scene

1931

The setting is a city block during a sweltering summer, where the residents serve as representatives of the not-very-idealized American melting pot. There is idle chitchat, gossip, jealousy, racism, adultery, and suddenly but not unexpectedly, a murder.

6.7

MagicScore

Do the Right Thing

1989

Salvatore "Sal" Fragione is the Italian owner of a pizzeria in Brooklyn. A neighborhood local, Buggin' Out, becomes upset when he sees that the pizzeria's Wall of Fame exhibits only Italian actors. Buggin' Out believes a pizzeria in a black neighborhood should showcase black actors, but Sal disagrees. The wall becomes a symbol of racism and hate to Buggin' Out and to other people in the neighborhood, and tensions rise.

7.8

MagicScore

Samaritan

2022

Thirteen year old Sam Cleary suspects that his mysteriously reclusive neighbor Mr. Smith is actually the legendary vigilante Samaritan, who was reported dead 25 years ago. With crime on the rise and the city on the brink of chaos, Sam makes it his mission to coax his neighbor out of hiding to save the city from ruin.

6.7

MagicScore

As Good as It Gets

1997

Melvin Udall, a cranky, bigoted, obsessive-compulsive writer of romantic fiction, is rude to everyone he meets, including his gay neighbor, Simon. After Simon is brutally attacked and hospitalized, Melvin finds his life turned upside down when he has to look after Simon's dog. In addition, Carol, the only waitress at the local diner who will tolerate him, leaves work to care for her chronically ill son, making it impossible for Melvin to eat breakfast.

7.4

MagicScore

Brittany Runs a Marathon

2019

Hilarious and outgoing, Brittany Forgler, is everybody’s best friend ― except her own. Her partying, underemployment and toxic relationships are catching up with her. She receives a startling wake-up call when a visit to the doctor reveals how unhealthy she is. Motivated to lose weight, but too broke for a gym and too proud to ask for help, Brit is at a loss, until her neighbor pushes her to run one sweaty block. Soon, she sets an almost unthinkable goal: the New York City Marathon.

6.6

MagicScore

Pieces of April

2003

Quirky and rebellious April Burns lives with her boyfriend in a low-rent New York City apartment miles away from her emotionally distant family. But when she discovers that her mother has a fatal form of breast cancer, she invites the clan to her place for Thanksgiving. While her father struggles to drive her family into the city, April -- an inexperienced cook -- runs into kitchen trouble and must ask a neighbor for help.

6.5

MagicScore

Please Give

2010

In New York City, a husband and wife butt heads with the granddaughters of the elderly woman who lives in the apartment the couple owns.

6.2

MagicScore

Just Looking

1999

It's 1955. Lenny is a 14-year old boy who is totally fascinated by sex. He is too scared to "do it," so he dedicates his summer to seeing two other people do it. Easier said than done. Caught in the act of spying, his mother and stepfather ship him off to spend the summer with his aunt and uncle in "the country" -- Queens. His plan looks like a bust and his summer seems destined for boredom, until he meets a whole new group of friends -- young teens who have a "sex club."

5.7

MagicScore

The Sitter

2011

Noah, is not your typical entertain-the-kids-no-matter-how-boring-it-is kind of sitter. He's reluctant to take a sitting gig; he'd rather, well, be doing anything else, especially if it involves slacking. When Noah is watching the neighbor's kid he gets a booty call from his girlfriend in the city. To hook up with her, Noah takes to the streets, but his urban adventure spins out of control as he finds himself on the run from a maniacal drug lord.

5.6

MagicScore

#10

Léon: The Professional

1994

Léon, the top hit man in New York, has earned a rep as an effective "cleaner". But when his next-door neighbors are wiped out by a loose-cannon DEA agent, he becomes the unwilling custodian of 12-year-old Mathilda. Before long, Mathilda's thoughts turn to revenge, and she considers following in Léon's footsteps.

8.3

MagicScore

#11

Entergalactic

2022

Ambitious artist Jabari attempts to balance success and love when he moves into his dream Manhattan apartment and falls for his next-door neighbor.

7.7

MagicScore

#12

Gloria

1980

When a young boy's family is killed by the mob, their tough neighbor Gloria becomes his reluctant guardian. In possession of a book that the gangsters want, the pair go on the run in New York.

6.9

MagicScore

#13

Two Lovers

2008

A depressed man moves back in with his parents following a recent heartbreak and finds himself with two women.

6.9

MagicScore

#14

The Woman in the Window

2021

An agoraphobic woman living alone in New York begins spying on her new neighbors only to witness a disturbing act of violence.

6.0

MagicScore

#15

The Nines

2007

A troubled actor, a television show runner, and an acclaimed videogame designer find their lives intertwining in mysterious and unsettling ways.

6.0

MagicScore

#16

The Cry of the Owl

2009

Fleeing New York City, a failed marriage and a fragile mental history, artist Robert Forrester moves to small-town Pennsylvania. There he becomes fascinated with the simple domesticity of a beautiful neighbor, watching her through the windows of her home --- until she invites him in for coffee. He is drawn into a relationship with the young woman whose boyfriend goes missing; Robert becomes a murder suspect, gradually sensing he is the target of a larger plot.

5.7

MagicScore

#17

Sliver

1993

A woman moves into a Manhattan apartment, where she learns that the previous tenant's life ended under mysterious circumstances.

5.6

MagicScore

#18

Km. 0

2000

Located in Madrid's Plaza del Sol, Km. 0 is the point from which all distances in Spain are measured from the capital. In Km. 0, it is also the meeting point for a gallery of characters. Bored, affluent housewife Marga meets up with gigolo Miguel, who co-habitates with gay Benjamin. Sergio, a soon-to-be-married office clerk who can't wait to lose his virginity, makes the acquaintance of prostitute Tatiana, while gay dancer Bruno meets Maximo. Meanwhile, wannabe director Pedro arranges to meet up with Silvia, an actress who wants to work in musicals directed by Gerardo, and bartender Mario is caught between Amor, who wants to marry him, and her little sister Roma, who is truly in love with him.

6.2

MagicScore

#19

Stray Dog

1949

A bad day gets worse for young detective Murakami when a pickpocket steals his gun on a hot, crowded bus. Desperate to right the wrong, he goes undercover, scavenging Tokyo’s sweltering streets for the stray dog whose desperation has led him to a life of crime. With each step, cop and criminal’s lives become more intertwined and the investigation becomes an examination of Murakami’s own dark side.

7.5

MagicScore

#20

Body Heat

1981

In the midst of a searing Florida heat wave, a woman convinces her lover, a small-town lawyer, to murder her rich husband.

7.0

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Prisoner of Second Avenue?

The top films similar to The Prisoner of Second Avenue by MovieMagicScore are Street Scene (6.7), Do the Right Thing (7.8), Samaritan (6.7). Each shares comedy themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Prisoner of Second Avenue worth watching?

The Prisoner of Second Avenue holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.7/10 from 70 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is The Prisoner of Second Avenue?

The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975) is a comedy film directed by Melvin Frank, starring Jack Lemmon, Anne Bancroft, Gene Saks.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Prisoner of Second Avenue?

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 Street Scene Movies like Do the Right Thing Movies like Samaritan Movies like As Good as It Gets Movies like Brittany Runs a Marathon Movies like Pieces of April

About movies like The Prisoner of Second Avenue

This ranked list pairs The Prisoner of Second Avenue (1975), a comedy film from Melvin Frank, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Jack Lemmon 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.

← Back to The Prisoner of Second Avenue