Movies Like The Circus (1928)

The Circus is a 1928 comedy, drama, romance film from Charlie Chaplin with a MovieMagicScore of 7.9/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Modern Times and City Lights.

Comedy Drama Romance

Modern Times

1936

A bumbling tramp desires to build a home with a young woman, yet is thwarted time and time again by his lack of experience and habit of being in the wrong place at the wrong time...

8.3

MagicScore

City Lights

1931

A tramp falls in love with a beautiful blind flower girl. His on-and-off friendship with a wealthy man allows him to be the girl's benefactor and suitor.

8.3

MagicScore

He Who Gets Slapped

1924

After a baron steals his scientific discoveries, runs away with his wife, and slaps him in public, a man joins a Parisian circus sideshow as a clown whose act consists of being slapped repeatedly and becomes infatuated with a showgirl colleague whose father intends to marry her off to the baron.

7.6

MagicScore

A Dog's Life

1918

The Tramp and his dog companion struggle to survive in the inner city.

7.3

MagicScore

Of Human Bondage

1934

A young man finds himself attracted to a cold and unfeeling waitress who may ultimately destroy them both.

6.5

MagicScore

The Phantom of the Opera

1925

The deformed Phantom who haunts the Paris Opera House causes murder and mayhem in an attempt to make the woman he loves a star.

7.1

MagicScore

Mera Naam Joker

1970

Raju faces many hurdles and disappointments in matters of the heart throughout his life. But as a clown in a circus, he tries to make his audience laugh at the cost of his own sorrows. Along the way, Raju loves and loses, but must always keep a smile on his face because, in the words of his circus manager, "The show must go on."

7.4

MagicScore

Suspense.

1913

Abandoned by her maidservant in an isolated country house, a mother must protect herself and her baby from an invading tramp while her husband races home in a stolen car to save them.

7.1

MagicScore

The Idle Class

1921

At an upper class golf resort, a tramp discovers he's the lookalike of a rich man with a beautiful, unhappy wife.

6.7

MagicScore

#10

Black Girl

1966

Eager to find a better life abroad, a Senegalese woman becomes a mere governess to a family in southern France, suffering from discrimination and marginalization.

7.3

MagicScore

#11

The Unknown

1927

On the lam, criminal Alonzo hides in the circus as The Armless Wonder – a performer who uses his feet to hurl knives. Alonzo keeps the arms he really has concealed to hide his identity. Meanwhile, ringmaster's daughter Nanon has a phobia of being touched by men, but is romantically pursued by not only Alonzo but the strongman Malabar. Alonzo's desperation to remain with Nanon will only end in tragedy.

7.5

MagicScore

#12

Wings of Desire

1987

Two angels, Damiel and Cassiel, glide through the streets of Berlin, observing the bustling population, providing invisible rays of hope to the distressed but never interacting with them. When Damiel falls in love with lonely trapeze artist Marion, the angel longs to experience life in the physical world, and finds -- with some words of wisdom from actor Peter Falk -- that it might be possible for him to take human form.

7.8

MagicScore

#13

The Manxman

1929

A fisherman and a rising lawyer who grew up together as brothers fall in love with the same woman.

6.1

MagicScore

#14

Every Girl Should Be Married

1948

Anabel Sims is determined to find the perfect husband. She thinks she's found her man in Madison Brown, a handsome pediatrician. She then prepares an elaborate scheme to trap him into marriage

6.1

MagicScore

#15

La Strada

1954

When Gelsomina, a naïve young woman, is purchased from her impoverished mother by brutish circus strongman Zampanò to be his wife and partner, she loyally endures her husband's coldness and abuse as they travel the Italian countryside performing together. Soon Zampanò must deal with his jealousy and conflicted feelings about Gelsomina when she finds a kindred spirit in Il Matto, the carefree circus fool, and contemplates leaving Zampanò.

7.9

MagicScore

#16

The Chimp

1932

Stan and Ollie play bumbling circus performers who inadvertently drive the circus into bankruptcy. The circus can't pay them their wages so they are given a gorilla and a flea circus as payment. Bedlam ensues.

6.5

MagicScore

#17

Man on a Tightrope

1953

The owner of an impoverished circus in Communist-ruled Czechoslovokia plots to flee across the border to freedom, taking his entire troupe of performers and wild animals with him.

6.5

MagicScore

#18

The Blue Angel

1930

Prim professor Immanuel Rath finds some of his students ogling racy photos of cabaret performer Lola Lola and visits a local club, The Blue Angel, in an attempt to catch them there. Seeing Lola perform, the teacher is filled with lust, eventually resigning his position at the school to marry the young woman. However, his marriage to a coquette -- whose job is to entice men -- proves to be more difficult than Rath imagined.

7.3

MagicScore

#19

La Chienne

1931

Cashier Maurice Legrand is married to Adele, a terror. By chance, he meets Lucienne, "Lulu", and make her his mistress. He thinks he finally met love, but Lulu is nothing but a streetwalker, in love with Dede, her pimp. She only accepts Legrand to satisfy Dede's needs of money.

7.3

MagicScore

#20

After Death

1915

Young scholar Andrei, fascinated by haunting actress Zoia Kadmina, is surprised when she sends him a note. The two have a brief scheduled meeting, then three months later Andrei is shocked to learn she has died. He becomes obsessed with Zoia's memory and decides he must find out all that he can about her.

6.0

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like The Circus?

The top films similar to The Circus by MovieMagicScore are Modern Times (8.3), City Lights (8.3), He Who Gets Slapped (7.6). Each shares comedy/drama/romance themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is The Circus worth watching?

The Circus holds a MovieMagicScore of 7.9/10 from 853 viewer ratings, putting it among the better-reviewed titles in its genre.

What kind of movie is The Circus?

The Circus (1928) is a comedy, drama, romance film directed by Charlie Chaplin, starring Charlie Chaplin, Al Ernest Garcia, Merna Kennedy.

Where can I find more recommendations like The Circus?

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 Modern Times Movies like City Lights Movies like He Who Gets Slapped Movies like A Dog's Life Movies like Of Human Bondage Movies like The Phantom of the Opera

About movies like The Circus

This ranked list pairs The Circus (1928), a comedy and drama and romance film from Charlie Chaplin, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Charlie Chaplin 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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