Movies Like Tales of Ordinary Madness (1981)

Tales of Ordinary Madness is a 1981 drama film from Marco Ferreri with a MovieMagicScore of 6.0/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Barfly and The Beach Bum.

Drama

Barfly

1987

Downtrodden writer Henry and distressed goddess Wanda aren't exactly husband and wife: they're wedded to their bar stools. But, they like each other's company—and Barfly captures their giddy, gin-soaked attempts to make a go of life on the skids.

6.9

MagicScore

The Beach Bum

2019

An irreverent comedy about the misadventures of Moondog, a rebellious stoner and lovable rogue who lives large.

5.7

MagicScore

Memoirs of a French Whore

1979

Marie is nineteen and bored in her little suburban life with no future. In a café, she meets the charismatic and beautiful Gerard. Blinded by adoration, Mary decides to leave her parents and her clerk job to live with the man she considers as the love of her life. But Gerard is a pimp, who soon forces her into prostitution. From within homes to out on the streets, the young woman gradually discovers a world of decay and violence.

6.1

MagicScore

The Lost Weekend

1945

Don Birnam, a long-time alcoholic, has been sober for ten days and appears to be over the worst... but his craving has just become more insidious. Evading a country weekend planned by his brother and girlfriend, he begins a four-day bender that just might be his last - one way or another.

7.6

MagicScore

Year of the Jellyfish

1984

Chris, a sexy teenager who appears mostly bare-breasted on the French Riviera, has a crush on Romain, her mother's lover. In reaction to her inability to attract his attention, she experiments with other risque affairs.

5.8

MagicScore

Less Than Zero

1987

A college freshman returns to Los Angeles for Christmas at his ex-girlfriend's request, but discovers that his former best friend has an out-of-control drug habit.

6.4

MagicScore

South Central

1992

During a 10-year sentence for murdering the leader of a rival South Central Los Angeles gang, Bobby Johnson finds religion and rehabilitation with the help of Muslim inmate Ali. Upon his release, Bobby returns home to find that his young son, Jimmie, has joined the Deuces, his old crew. Tensions rise as Bobby struggles to convince Jimmie to leave the gang that was his only family during the painful years his absent father spent behind bars.

6.7

MagicScore

Ed Gein

2000

The true story of Edward Gein, the farmer whose horrific crimes inspired Psycho, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre and The Silence of the Lambs. This is the first film to Gein's tormented upbringing, his adored but domineering mother, and the 1957 arrest uncovered the most bizarre series of murders America has ever seen

5.3

MagicScore

The Magic of Belle Isle

2012

In an effort to tap into his original talent, a wheelchair-bound author moves to a rural town, where he befriends a single mother and her three kids, who help reignite his passion for writing.

7.0

MagicScore

#10

El patrullero 777

1978

Follows Diogenes as he goes about his day as a police officer. He's prone to do things the right way, surrounded by a pretty much corrupt & citizen distant police department, & always resolves his duties with a personal method.

7.8

MagicScore

#11

A Star Is Born

2018

Seasoned musician Jackson Maine discovers — and falls in love with — struggling artist Ally. She has just about given up on her dream to make it big as a singer — until Jack coaxes her into the spotlight. But even as Ally's career takes off, the personal side of their relationship is breaking down, as Jack fights an ongoing battle with his own internal demons.

7.5

MagicScore

#12

Arjun Reddy

2017

A brilliant but impulsive young surgeon spirals into self-destruction after a painful breakup, struggling to cope with love, loss, and the consequences of his own temper.

7.0

MagicScore

#13

The Small Back Room

1949

As the Germans drop explosive booby-traps on 1943 Britain, the embittered expert who'll have to disarm them fights a private battle with alcohol.

6.7

MagicScore

#14

The Shining

1980

Jack Torrance accepts a caretaker job at the Overlook Hotel, where he, along with his wife Wendy and their son Danny, must live isolated from the rest of the world for the winter. But they aren't prepared for the madness that lurks within.

8.2

MagicScore

#15

Blade Runner

1982

In the smog-choked dystopian Los Angeles of 2019, blade runner Rick Deckard is called out of retirement to terminate a quartet of replicants who have escaped to Earth seeking their creator for a way to extend their short life spans.

7.9

MagicScore

#16

Factotum

2005

This drama centers on Hank Chinaski, the fictional alter-ego of "Factotum" author Charles Bukowski, who wanders around Los Angeles, CA trying to live off jobs which don't interfere with his primary interest, which is writing. Along the way, he fends off the distractions offered by women, drinking and gambling.

6.1

MagicScore

#17

Ask the Dust

2006

Mexican beauty Camilla hopes to rise above her station by marrying a wealthy American. That is complicated by meeting Arturo Bandini, a first-generation Italian hoping to land a writing career and a blue-eyed blonde on his arm.

5.4

MagicScore

#18

The Night of the Iguana

1964

A defrocked Episcopal clergyman leads a bus-load of middle-aged Baptist women on a tour of the Mexican coast and comes to terms with the failure haunting his life.

7.1

MagicScore

#19

Melancholie der Engel

2009

Upon learning that his days are numbered, a man and an old friend return to an old house that connects them by a dark secret. Along with three women and a mysterious old man, the group journeys into a horrifying abyss of debauchery and moral mayhem, leading to a fatal turn of events, during which the darkest human depths are revealed.

4.0

MagicScore

#20

8 Million Ways to Die

1986

Scudder is a detective with the Sheriff's Department who is forced to shoot a violent suspect during a narcotics raid. The ensuing psychological aftermath of this shooting worsens his drinking problem and this alcoholism causes him to lose his job, as well as his marriage.

5.4

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Tales of Ordinary Madness?

The top films similar to Tales of Ordinary Madness by MovieMagicScore are Barfly (6.9), The Beach Bum (5.7), Memoirs of a French Whore (6.1). Each shares drama themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Tales of Ordinary Madness worth watching?

Tales of Ordinary Madness holds a MovieMagicScore of 6.0/10 from 69 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Tales of Ordinary Madness?

Tales of Ordinary Madness (1981) is a drama film directed by Marco Ferreri, starring Ben Gazzara, Ornella Muti, Susan Tyrrell.

Where can I find more recommendations like Tales of Ordinary Madness?

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 Barfly Movies like The Beach Bum Movies like Memoirs of a French Whore Movies like The Lost Weekend Movies like Year of the Jellyfish Movies like Less Than Zero

About movies like Tales of Ordinary Madness

This ranked list pairs Tales of Ordinary Madness (1981), a drama film from Marco Ferreri, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of Ben Gazzara 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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