feelsalike.comSign in
Hairspray poster

Movies that feel likeHairspray (2007)

Pleasantly plump teenager Tracy Turnblad auditions to be on Baltimore's most popular dance show - The Corny Collins Show - and lands a prime spot. Through her newfound fame, she becomes determined to help her friends and end the racial segregation that has been a staple of the show.

If you loved Hairspray, the closest films we have are A Dog's Will (2000), Stranger Than Fiction (2006) and Defending Your Life (1991). All three share Hairspray's witty and playful feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is Truly Madly Deeply (1991).

8 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · Amazon Prime Video · Peacock Premium

Can't choose? Answer three questions and get one movie for tonight.

Not on subscription streaming right now. Rent or buy below.

See it on the Mood Map

If Hairspray hit the spot, these will too

A Dog's Will poster
A Dog's Will
2000 · dir. Guel Arraes
★ 8.6comedy · drama · fantasy

Both land wit and play at once

The difference: Leans harder into fantasy than Hairspray does

The lively João Grilo and the sly Chicó are poor guys living in the hinterland who cheat a bunch of people in a small town in Northeastern Brazil. When they die, they have to be judged by Christ, the Devil and the Virgin Mary before they are admitted to paradise.

Stranger Than Fiction poster
Stranger Than Fiction
2006 · dir. Marc Forster
🍅 73%★ 7.5drama · comedy · romancePeacock

The same mix in both: romance, then tenderness

Harold Crick is a lonely IRS agent whose mundane existence is transformed when he hears a mysterious voice narrating his life.

Defending Your Life poster
Defending Your Life
1991 · dir. Albert Brooks
🍅 92%★ 7.2romance · fantasy · comedy

Contemplative where it counts, dreamlike underneath

Is there love after death? After he dies suddenly, the hapless advertising executive Daniel Miller finds himself in Judgment City, a gleaming way station where the newly deceased must prove they lived a life of sufficient courage to advance in their journey through the universe. As the self-doubting Daniel struggles to make his case, a budding relationship with the uninhibited Julia offers him a chance to finally feel alive.

Truly Madly Deeply poster
Truly Madly Deeply
1991 · dir. Anthony Minghella
🍅 76%★ 7.2fantasy · drama · comedy

Comedy built on wit, twice over

Nina is totally heartbroken at the death of her boyfriend Jamie, but is even more unprepared for his return as a ghost. At first it's almost as good as it used to be – hey, even the rats that infested her house have disappeared. But Jamie starts bringing ghostly friends home and behaving more and more oddly.

Swiss Army Man poster
Swiss Army Man
2016 · dir. Daniel Kwan
🍅 73%★ 6.9comedy · drama · romanceNetflix

Romance with a pulse of play, in both cases

Alone on a tiny deserted island, Hank has given up all hope of ever making it home again. But one day everything changes when a dead body washes ashore, and he soon realizes it may be his last opportunity to escape certain death. Armed with his new “friend” and an unusual bag of tricks, the duo go on an epic adventure to bring Hank back to the woman of his dreams.

The Lake House poster
The Lake House
2006 · dir. Alejandro Agresti
🍅 36%★ 6.8romance · drama · fantasy

Both lean on romance more than on drama

The difference: The critics' underdog of the pair

When architect Alex Wyler moves into an unusual glass house on stilts over a lake, he discovers a note from the previous tenant in the mailbox--but no one's lived in the house for years. He replies and soon discovers that he's corresponding with a doctor named Kate Forster. Their correspondence, only through the 'magical' mailbox, turns romantic and their paths cross in unexpected ways, but when they try to truly connect, danger looms. They must try to unravel the mystery behind their extraordinary romance before it's too late.

Strictly Ballroom poster
Strictly Ballroom
1992 · dir. Baz Luhrmann
★ 7.2comedy · drama · romancePrime Video

The same two preoccupations: dance, and musical

The difference: Easier on the dream logic than Hairspray

Brave new steps put Scott's career in jeopardy. With a new partner and determination, can he still succeed?

Before Midnight poster
Before Midnight
2013 · dir. Richard Linklater
🍅 98%★ 7.9romance · dramaRent or buy

Common ground: dreams

It has been nine years since we last met Jesse and Celine, the French-American couple who once met on a train in Vienna. They now live in Paris with twin daughters but have spent a summer in Greece at the invitation of an author colleague of Jesse's. When the vacation is over and Jesse must send his teenage son off to the States, he begins to question his life decisions, and his relationship with Celine is at risk.

Kal Ho Naa Ho poster
Kal Ho Naa Ho
2003 · dir. Nikkhil Advani
🍅 75%★ 7.9comedy · drama · romanceNetflixPrime Video

Both keep coming back to the same thing: musical

An uptight MBA student falls for the charismatic new neighbor who charms her troubled family – but he has a secret that forces him to push her away.

Home for the Holidays poster
Home for the Holidays
1995 · dir. Jodie Foster
🍅 63%★ 6.6comedy · drama · romance

Tender comedy in both cases

After losing her job, making out with her soon-to-be former boss, and finding out that her daughter plans to spend Thanksgiving with her boyfriend, Claudia Larson faces spending the holiday with her unhinged family.

Beautiful Creatures poster
Beautiful Creatures
2013 · dir. Richard LaGravenese
🍅 47%★ 6.1fantasy · drama · romance

Both are built on the same subject: dreams

Ethan Wate just wants to get to know Lena Duchannes better, but unbeknownst to him, Lena has strange powers. As Lena's 16th birthday approaches she might decide her fate, to be good or evil. A choice which will impact her relationship forever.

Jab We Met poster
Jab We Met
2007 · dir. Imtiaz Ali
🍅 100%★ 7.9drama · comedy · romance

Contemplative romance, and it commits to that

A depressed wealthy businessman and a spunky carefree young woman embark on an unexpected journey that changes their lives.

In the mood for more witty?

all witty movies →

The best-reviewed films that share Hairspray’s defining feeling.