Movies Like Ariel (1988)

Ariel is a 1988 comedy, crime, drama, romance film from Aki Kaurismäki with a MovieMagicScore of 7.1/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Match Factory Girl and Lights in the Dusk.

Comedy Crime Drama Romance

The Match Factory Girl

1990

Iris is a shy and dowdy young woman stuck in a dead-end job at a match factory, who dreams of finding love at the local dancehall. Finding herself pregnant after a one-night stand and abandoned by the father, Iris finally decides the time has come to get even and she begins to plot her revenge.

7.4

MagicScore

Lights in the Dusk

2006

Outcast by his co-workers and living alone, Koistinen is a security guard who works the night shift in a luxury shopping mall in Helsinki. But when icy blonde Mirja approaches him, the lonely Koistinen falls helplessly for her, unaware she is manipulating him for her criminal boyfriend.

6.7

MagicScore

The Longest Yard

2005

Disgraced pro football quarterback Paul Crewe lands in a Texas federal penitentiary, where manipulative Warden Hazen recruits him to advise the institution's football team of prison guards. Crewe suggests a tune-up game which lands him quarterbacking a crew of inmates in a game against the guards. Aided by incarcerated ex-NFL coach and player Nate Scarborough, Crewe and his team must overcome not only the bloodthirstiness of the opposition, but also the corrupt warden trying to fix the game against them.

6.7

MagicScore

Fat Slags

2004

Leaving their hometown of Fulchester in the North of England, Sandra and Tracey head for the bright lights of London, shagging and boozing their way to fame and fortune.

3.0

MagicScore

Birdman of Alcatraz

1962

After killing a prison guard, convict Robert Stroud faces life imprisonment in solitary confinement. Driven nearly mad by loneliness and despair, Stroud's life gains new meaning when he happens upon a helpless baby sparrow in the exercise yard and nurses it back to health. Despite having only a third grade education, Stroud goes on to become a renowned ornithologist and achieves a greater sense of freedom and purpose behind bars than most people find in the outside world.

7.5

MagicScore

We're No Angels

1955

Three convicts escape from prison on Devil's Island just before Christmas and arrive at a nearby French colonial town. They go to the store of the Ducotels, the only store that gives supplies on credit. They initially intend to take advantage of them but have a change of heart after they find the family is in financial troubles.

7.2

MagicScore

Murder in the First

1995

A young, inexperienced public defender is assigned to defend an inmate accused of committing murder while behind bars.

7.1

MagicScore

Hothead

1979

François, a miserable football player, becomes a town hero after bringing victory in an extremely important game. He uses his fame for revenge on the team star for the previous mockeries.

7.1

MagicScore

The Italian Job

1969

Charlie's got a 'job' to do. Having just left prison he finds one of his friends has attempted a high-risk job in Torino, Italy, right under the nose of the mafia. Charlie's friend doesn't get very far, so Charlie takes over the 'job'. Using three Mini Coopers, a couple of Jaguars, and a bus, he hopes to bring Torino to a standstill, steal a fortune in gold and escape in the chaos.

7.0

MagicScore

#10

Dead Leaves

2004

Pandy and Retro awaken naked on Earth with no recollection of their past. They embark on a crime spree in search of food and clothing, but are captured by authorities and sent to the infamous lunar penitentiary named Dead Leaves.

7.0

MagicScore

#11

A Prayer Before Dawn

2018

The amazing true story of Billy Moore, an English boxer incarcerated in Thailand’s most notorious prison. Thrown into a world of drugs and violence, he finds his best chance to escape is to fight his way out in prison Muay Thai tournaments.

6.7

MagicScore

#12

Undisputed

2002

Monroe Hutchens is the heavyweight champion of Sweetwater, a maximum security prison. He was convicted to a life sentence due to a passionate crime. Iceman Chambers is the heavyweight champion, who lost his title due to a rape conviction to ten years in Sweetwater. When these two giants collide in the same prison, they fight against each other disputing who is the real champion.

6.5

MagicScore

#13

A Scandal in Paris

1946

A smooth-talking French thief wangles his way into an important position as prefect of police.

6.4

MagicScore

#14

True Story

2015

A drama centered on the relationship between journalist Michael Finkel and Christian Longo, an FBI Most Wanted List murderer who for years lived outside the U.S. under Finkel's name.

6.3

MagicScore

#15

We're No Angels

1989

Two escaped cons' only prayer to escape is to pass themselves off as priests and pass by the police blockade at the border into the safety of Canada.

6.2

MagicScore

#16

Prison

1987

After Charles Forsyth was sent to the electric chair for a crime he didn't commit, he forever haunts the prison where he was executed. Flash forward several years when the prison is reopened, under the control of its new warden Eaton Sharpe, a former security guard who framed Charlie. When prisoners are ordered to break down the wall to the execution room, they unknowingly release the angry spirit of Charles Forsyth, a powerful being distributing his murderous rage to all, leading up to the Warden himself.

5.7

MagicScore

#17

The Great Escape

1963

The Nazis, exasperated at the number of escapes from their prison camps by a relatively small number of Allied prisoners, relocate them to a high-security 'escape-proof' camp to sit out the remainder of the war. Undaunted, the prisoners plan one of the most ambitious escape attempts of World War II. Based on a true story.

7.9

MagicScore

#18

The Experiment

2001

20 volunteers agree to take part in a seemingly well-paid experiment advertised by the university. It is supposed to be about aggressive behavior in an artificial prison situation. A journalist senses a story behind the ad and smuggles himself in among the test subjects. They are randomly divided into prisoners and guards. What seems like a game at the beginning soon turns into bloody seriousness.

7.4

MagicScore

#19

The Fear of 13

2015

After 23 years on Death Row a convicted murderer petitions the court asking to be executed, but as his story unfolds, it becomes clear that nothing is what it seems.

7.4

MagicScore

#20

Ghost in the Cell

2026

In a notorious prison, an invisible force begins killing inmates brutally, compelling enemy gangs and corrupt guards to work together as they try to survive the mounting bloodshed.

7.3

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Ariel?

The top films similar to Ariel by MovieMagicScore are The Match Factory Girl (7.4), Lights in the Dusk (6.7), The Longest Yard (6.7). Each shares comedy/crime/drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Ariel worth watching?

Ariel holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.1/10 from 363 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is Ariel?

Ariel (1988) is a comedy, crime, drama, romance film directed by Aki Kaurismäki, starring Turo Pajala, Susanna Haavisto, Matti Pellonpää.

Where can I find more recommendations like Ariel?

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 The Match Factory Girl Movies like Lights in the Dusk Movies like The Longest Yard Movies like Fat Slags Movies like Birdman of Alcatraz Movies like We're No Angels

About movies like Ariel

This ranked list pairs Ariel (1988), a comedy and crime and drama and romance film from Aki Kaurismäki, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Turo Pajala 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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