Movies Like Privates on Parade (1983)

Privates on Parade is a 1983 comedy, drama, music, war film from Michael Blakemore with a MovieMagicScore of 4.5/10. Here are 20 similar films, ranked by real viewer ratings — starting with Torch Song Trilogy and The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert.

Comedy Drama Music War

Torch Song Trilogy

1988

Arnold is a gay man working as a drag queen in 1971 NYC. He meets a handsome bisexual man.

7.3

MagicScore

The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert

1994

Two drag performers and a transgender woman travel across the desert to perform their unique style of cabaret.

7.3

MagicScore

Everybody's Talking About Jamie

2021

Jamie New is 16 and doesn’t quite fit in—instead of pursuing a "real" career he dreams of becoming a drag queen. Uncertain about his future, Jamie knows one thing for sure: he is going to be a sensation. Supported by his loving mom and his amazing friends, Jamie overcomes prejudice, beats the bullies and steps out of the darkness, into the spotlight.

6.2

MagicScore

Hurricane Bianca

2016

A teacher from New York moves to a small town in Texas, gets fired for being gay, and returns disguised in drag to get revenge on the people who were nasty to him.

6.1

MagicScore

Dancing Queens

2021

The story of Dylan Pettersson, a 23-year-old girl from a small island in the Swedish archipelago with big dancing aspirations.

5.9

MagicScore

The Curiosity of Chance

2006

It’s the ‘80s once again, new wave angst and genderbending fashion are all the rage, but new kid at school, Chance Marquis, is trying to find new ways to stand out. Being an odd and somewhat awkward teenager makes him the target of the school bully. To deal with this dilemma, Chance turns to the opposite ends of the high school spectrum for help. On one side is the flamboyant drag queen and at the other, the varsity jock, Levi Sparks with whom Chance develops a unique friendship.

5.8

MagicScore

Viva

2015

Jesús, a young hairdresser, works at a Havana nightclub for drag performers and dreams of being a performer himself. Encouraged by his mentor, Mama, Jesús finally gets his chance to take the stage. But when Angel, his estranged father recently released from a 15-year stint in prison, abruptly reenters his life, his world is quickly turned upside down. The macho Angel tries to squash his son’s ambition to perform in drag. Father and son clash over their opposing expectations of each other, struggling to understand one another and reconcile as a family. Shot in a gritty neighborhood far from the Havana most tourists know, Viva is a heartrending story of music, performance, and survival.

7.2

MagicScore

Any Day Now

2012

In the late 1970s, when a mentally handicapped teenager is abandoned, a gay couple takes him in and becomes the family he's never had. But once the unconventional living arrangement is discovered by authorities, the men must fight the legal system to adopt the child.

7.0

MagicScore

Trick

1999

Gabriel is a young, aspiring musical composer whose life seems stuck in the First Act. When his new musical number gets a critical reception, a theatre colleague, Perry, tells Gabriel that he needs to get a life before he can write about one – so he heads straight for his local gay bar.

6.9

MagicScore

#10

La Cage aux Folles

1978

Two gay men living in St. Tropez have their lives turned upside down when the son of one of the men announces he is getting married. They try to conceal their lifestyle and their ownership of the drag club downstairs when the fiancée and her parents come for dinner.

6.8

MagicScore

#11

Femme

2023

Jules is a drag artist in London who withdraws into himself and loses his career after a horrific attack. Months later, he recognizes one of his assailants in a gay sauna and quickly realizes he has the perfect opportunity to get revenge.

6.8

MagicScore

#12

La Cage aux Folles II

1980

In a move to make his partner, Renato, jealous, the flamboyant Albin waits in a local cafe - dressed as a woman - hoping to be picked up. But Albin gets more than he bargains for when the fly he catches in his web is actually a spy, who uses him as an unwitting courier of secret microfilm. Now on the run from ruthless agents, Albin and Renato flee to Italy where they attempt to hide out on a farm, with Albin posing as Renato's wife. Can Albin escape the deadly pursuit of these relentless spies or does he have to sustain this charade - as a woman - forever?

6.0

MagicScore

#13

Starfuckers

2022

An intimate evening between a film director and an escort is disrupted when a familiar face arrives.

5.9

MagicScore

#14

Brüno

2009

Flamboyantly gay Austrian television reporter Bruno stirs up trouble with unsuspecting guests and large crowds through brutally frank interviews and painfully hilarious public displays of homosexuality.

5.6

MagicScore

#15

La Cage aux Folles 3

1985

Third and final version of the La Cage aux Folles series has Renato's drag queen lover Albin learning that he can inherit a vast fortune from a distant relative. But the catch is that Albin must marry (a woman) and produce a heir within a year or the whole inheritance will be forfeited.

5.1

MagicScore

#16

Kinky Boots

2005

Charles Price may have grown up with his father in the family shoe business in Northampton, central England, but he never thought that he would take his father's place. Charles has a chance encounter with the flamboyant drag queen cabaret singer Lola and everything changes.

6.7

MagicScore

#17

Kinky Boots: The Musical

2019

Charlie is a factory owner struggling to save his family business, and Lola is a fabulous entertainer with a wildly exciting idea. With a little compassion and a lot of understanding, this unexpected pair learn to embrace their differences and create a line of sturdy stilettos unlike any the world has ever seen!

7.8

MagicScore

#18

Maybe... Maybe Not

1994

The heterosexual man Axel is thrown out of his girlfriends home for cheating and ends up moving in with a gay man. Axel learns the advantages of living with gay men even though they are attracted to him and when his girlfriend wants him back he must make a tough decision.

6.2

MagicScore

#19

Cherry Pop

2017

When Zaza, headliner of a weekly drag show, 'CHERRY POP', refuses to come out of her dressing room, all hell breaks loose backstage. A young newcomer, The Cherry, is hiding a huge secret from the girls while getting ready for his debut performance.

5.2

MagicScore

#20

Holiday Heart

2000

After losing his police officer lover, Christian drag queen Holiday Heart meets 12-year-old Niki and her drug-addicted mother, Wanda. Heart finds relief from heartache and a renewed sense of purpose when he steps in as a father figure to Niki and welcomes the two women into his life. But when Wanda becomes romantically involved with her drug dealer, Silas, it may endanger Niki and threaten to destroy the makeshift family.

6.8

MagicScore

Frequently asked

What are the best movies like Privates on Parade?

The top films similar to Privates on Parade by MovieMagicScore are Torch Song Trilogy (7.3), The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert (7.3), Everybody's Talking About Jamie (6.2). Each shares comedy/drama/music/war themes and is ranked by real viewer ratings, not critics or studios.

Is Privates on Parade worth watching?

Privates on Parade holds a MovieMagicScore of 4.5/10 from 20 viewer ratings.

What kind of movie is Privates on Parade?

Privates on Parade (1983) is a comedy, drama, music, war film directed by Michael Blakemore, starring John Cleese, Denis Quilley, Michael Elphick.

Where can I find more recommendations like Privates on Parade?

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 Torch Song Trilogy Movies like The Adventures of Priscilla, Queen of the Desert Movies like Everybody's Talking About Jamie Movies like Hurricane Bianca Movies like Dancing Queens Movies like The Curiosity of Chance

About movies like Privates on Parade

This ranked list pairs Privates on Parade (1983), a comedy and drama and music and war film from Michael Blakemore, with similar titles by genre, theme and cast overlap (fans of John Cleese 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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