Movies Like Goin' South (1978)

Goin' South is a 1978 comedy, romance, western film from Jack Nicholson with a MovieMagicScore of 5.8/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin and The Treasure of the Sierra Madre.

Comedy Romance Western

The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin

1967

To restore his family's lost wealth, a young Boston lad stows away on a ship bound for the California Gold Rush. When their very proper butler gives chase, all roads lead to nonstop adventure, wild and woolly characters, and a lucky punch that leads to a bonanza of belly laughs!

6.5

MagicScore

The Treasure of the Sierra Madre

1948

Two jobless Americans convince a prospector to travel to the mountains of Mexico with them in search of gold. But the hostile wilderness, local bandits, and greed all get in the way of their journey.

8.0

MagicScore

Knockaround Guys

2001

Four sons of well-known New York mobsters must retrieve a bag of cash from a small Montana town ruled by a corrupt sheriff.

6.0

MagicScore

Surrounded

2023

After her stagecoach is ambushed, a woman is tasked with holding a dangerous outlaw captive and must survive the day when the bandit’s gang tries to free him.

6.0

MagicScore

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

1966

While the Civil War rages on between the Union and the Confederacy, three men – a quiet loner, a ruthless hitman, and a Mexican bandit – comb the American Southwest in search of a strongbox containing $200,000 in stolen gold.

8.5

MagicScore

Young Guns

1988

A group of young gunmen, led by Billy the Kid, become deputies to avenge the murder of the rancher who became their benefactor. But when Billy takes their authority too far, they become the hunted.

6.7

MagicScore

Young Guns II

1990

Three of the original five "young guns" — Billy the Kid, Jose Chavez y Chavez, and Doc Scurlock — return in Young Guns, Part 2, which is the story of Billy the Kid and his race to safety in Old Mexico while being trailed by a group of government agents led by Pat Garrett.

6.5

MagicScore

Scoundrel in White

1972

Paul, a former womanizer, marries the head of the medical department's "unattractive" daughter Christine because he thinks attractive women can't be trusted and make poor wives. A car accident leaves him bedridden and he begins to miss his playboy days, when Christine's bombshell sister Martine arrives and Paul decides he must have her. He begins drugging Christine at night so he can sneak out to kill of Martine's many suitors one by one.

5.1

MagicScore

River of No Return

1954

An itinerant farmer and his young son help a heart-of-gold saloon singer search for her estranged husband.

6.7

MagicScore

#10

Ain't Them Bodies Saints

2013

Bob Muldoon and Ruth Guthrie, an impassioned young outlaw couple on an extended crime spree, are finally apprehended by lawmen after a shootout in the Texas hills. Although Ruth wounds a local officer, Bob takes the blame. But four years later, Bob escapes from prison and sets out to find Ruth and their daughter, born during his incarceration.

6.1

MagicScore

#11

Equilibrium

2002

In a dystopian future, a totalitarian regime maintains peace by subduing the populace with a drug, and displays of emotion are punishable by death. A man in charge of enforcing the law rises to overthrow the system.

7.0

MagicScore

#12

Smokey and the Bandit

1977

A race car driver tries to transport an illegal beer shipment from Texas to Atlanta in under 28 hours, picking up a reluctant bride-to-be on the way.

7.0

MagicScore

#13

The Hunting Party

1971

A ruthless rancher, and his gang, use extremely long range rifles to kill the men who kidnapped his wife.

6.1

MagicScore

#14

The Lone Ranger

2013

The Texas Rangers chase down a gang of outlaws led by Butch Cavendish, but the gang ambushes the Rangers, seemingly killing them all. One survivor is found, however, by an American Indian named Tonto, who nurses him back to health. The Ranger, donning a mask and riding a white stallion named Silver, teams up with Tonto to bring the unscrupulous gang and others of that ilk to justice.

6.1

MagicScore

#15

Junk Mail

1997

Dimwitted, somewhat misanthropic Oslo mail carrier Roy's quiet life changes dramatically on the day he steals a set of keys and lets himself into the apartment of a deaf woman who seems to be in trouble with a psychotic criminal. Though he doesn't know it at the time, his and her fate are about to intertwine and this is not going to be to his benefit.

6.2

MagicScore

#16

3:10 to Yuma

1957

Dan Evans, a small time farmer, is hired to escort Ben Wade, a dangerous outlaw, to Yuma. As Evans and Wade wait for the 3:10 train to Yuma, Wade's gang is racing to free him.

7.2

MagicScore

#17

Varsity Blues

1999

In small-town Texas, high school football is a religion, 17-year-old schoolboys carry the hopes of an entire community onto the gridiron every Friday night. When star quarterback Lance Harbor suffers an injury, the Coyotes are forced to regroup under the questionable leadership of John Moxon, a second-string quarterback with a slightly irreverent approach to the game.

6.1

MagicScore

#18

Trainspotting

1996

Heroin addict Mark Renton stumbles through bad ideas and sobriety attempts with his unreliable friends --Sick Boy, Begbie, Spud and Tommy. He also has an underage girlfriend, Diane, along for the ride. After cleaning up and moving from Edinburgh to London, Mark finds he can't escape the life he left behind as Begbie and Sick Boy come knocking.

8.0

MagicScore

#19

Be My Cat: A Film for Anne

2015

An aspiring filmmaker goes to shocking extremes to convince Hollywood actress Anne Hathaway to star in his film. First entry in Adrian Țofei's spiritual trilogy which includes We Put the World to Sleep and Pure.

6.2

MagicScore

#20

El Gringo

2012

A man crossing into Mexico with a satchel of $2,000,000—and a bloody past—finds himself under sudden attack in the sleepy town of El Fronteras.

6.2

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Goin' South?

The top films similar to Goin' South by MovieMagicScore are The Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin (6.5), The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (8.0), Knockaround Guys (6.0). Each shares comedy/romance/western themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Goin' South worth watching?

Goin' South holds a MovieMagicScore of 5.8/10 from 156 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Goin' South?

Goin' South (1978) is a comedy, romance, western film directed by Jack Nicholson, starring Jack Nicholson, Mary Steenburgen, Christopher Lloyd.

Where can I find more recommendations like Goin' South?

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 Adventures of Bullwhip Griffin Movies like The Treasure of the Sierra Madre Movies like Knockaround Guys Movies like Surrounded Movies like The Good, the Bad and the Ugly Movies like Young Guns

About movies like Goin' South

This ranked list pairs Goin' South (1978), a comedy and romance and western film from Jack Nicholson, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Jack Nicholson 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 Goin' South