Movies like Hairspray 1988
If you like "Hairspray" you are looking for light, satirical and stylized movies about / with high school, teenager, rock and roll, racism, civil rights, fat girl and satire themes of Comedy, Drama and Family genre shot in USA.
Find your next favorite and similar movies in two steps:
1. Identify all themes of interest from this film (block below).
2. Look for them in the presented list.
Hairspray (1988)
25K
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Music, Musical, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story:
Ample teen Tracy Turnblad wants nothing more than to be on the hip local TV dance program, "The Corny Collins Show" -- and when her dream comes true, her lively moves and bubbly personality meet with unexpected popularity. But after witnessing firsthand the terrible state of race relations in 1960s Baltimore, Turnblad becomes an outspoken advocate for desegregation.
Style:
light, satirical, stylized, witty, semi serious, feel good, independent film, funny, psychotronic, spoof ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, kids, girls' night, teen drama, adult
Plot:
high school, teenager, rock and roll, racism, civil rights, fat girl, satire, interracial romance, dance, music, interracial friendship, social differences, hair, dancing, interracial love, drag queen, forbidden love, beatnik, dance contest, coming of age, storytelling, unlikely friendships, follow your dream, injustice, farce ...
Time:
60s, 20th century, year 1962, year 1963, 80s, 1960s
Place:
baltimore, usa, maryland, america, canada, california, american
Movie in categories
Most similar movies to Hairspray
The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out humorous, realistic, feel good and semi serious films with plots about high school, teenager, dancing, love and romance, teenage girl, youth and dance mostly in Comedy, Romance and Drama genres. Some movies like Hairspray: Cry-Baby (1990), Grease 2 (1982), Glee (2009), The In Crowd (1988), Pink Flamingos (1972). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
145K
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical, Romance
Country: USA, UK, Canada
Duration: 117 min.
Story:
Pleasantly plump teenager, Tracy Turnblad and her best friend, Penny Pingleton audition to be on The Corny Collins Show – and Tracy wins. But when scheming Amber Von Tussle and her mother plot to destroy Tracy, it turns to chaos.
Style:
rom com, romantic, teen, cute, lyrical ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, girls' night, family outing, kids ...
Plot:
dance, dancing, dream come true, teenage girl, artists and showbiz, fat girl, teenage love, interracial romance, racism, broadway, follow your dream, music ...
Time:
year 2007, 20th century, 60s, year 1962, 2000s
Place:
baltimore, usa, maryland
Similarity:
100%
68K
Genre: Comedy, Musical
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min.
Story:
A prim and proper schoolgirl goes against her mother's wishes when she dates a motorcycle-riding juvenile delinquent.
Style:
humorous, sentimental, satirical, light, parody ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, date night, teen drama
Plot:
rock and roll, gang, forbidden love, youth, satire, music, couples, juvenile delinquency, teenage love, biker, juvenile delinquent, dysfunctional family ...
Time:
50s, 1950s, year 1954, 90s, 20th century ...
Place:
maryland, baltimore, usa
Similarity:
100%
41K
Genre: Comedy, Music, Musical, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 115 min.
Story:
It's 1961, two years after the original Grease gang graduated, and there's a new crop of seniors and new members of the coolest cliques on campus, the Pink Ladies and T-Birds. Michael Carrington is the new kid in school - but he's ...
Style:
sexy, romantic, cult classic, period piece, retro ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, kids, girls' night, date night ...
Plot:
high school, motorcycle, dancing, teenage girl, love, biker, greaser, opposites attract, secret identity, dance, teenage boy, cheerleader ...
Time:
year 1961, year 1982, 60s, 20th century, 1950s ...
Place:
los angeles
Similarity:
100%
161K
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music, Musical
Country: USA
Duration: 45 min.
TV show
Story:
Glee is an American teen musical comedy-drama television series that airs on the Fox network in the United States. It focuses on the reconstituted William McKinley High School glee club, New Directions, which competes on the show choir competition ...
Style:
stylized, feel good, sexy, teen, humorous ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, kids, girls' night, teen drama ...
Plot:
high school, gay, cheerleader, youth, teenage life, contests and competitions, teenage girl, outcast, singing, sapphic, gay teenager, coach ...
Time:
2010s, 2000s, 21st century
Place:
ohio, idaho, usa
Similarity:
100%
Movie in collections
Genre: Comedy, Drama, History, Music
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story:
A young man of the rock and roll generation is in his senior year of high school. When one day he successfully gets on a popular teen dance television show he becomes a star. The plot follows him as he lives his new life in his new world. What he ...
Style:
independent film, realistic, semi serious, touching, romantic comedy ...
Audience:
teens, teen drama
Plot:
music, dancing, adolescence, teenager, friendship, fall in love, teenage love, couples, artists and showbiz, performer's life, love and romance, ambition ...
Time:
20th century, year 1965, 60s
Place:
philadelphia, usa
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story:
Notorious Baltimore criminal and underground figure Divine goes up against Connie & Raymond Marble, a sleazy married couple who make a passionate attempt to humiliate her and seize her tabloid-given title as "The Filthiest Person ...
Style:
controversial, underground film, black comedy, independent film, erotic ...
Audience:
chick flick
Plot:
nudity, lesbian, obsession, animal abuse, arson, perversion, dysfunctional family, murder, egg, transgression, controversy, sadism ...
Time:
20th century, 70s
Place:
usa, maryland, baltimore, idaho, california
Similarity:
100%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Musical, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 120 min.
Story:
A teenage girl living in Baltimore in the early 1960s dreams of appearing on a popular TV dance show.
Style:
entertaining, humorous, captivating, feel good
Plot:
live performance, theater, dance, fat girl, racism, equality, race, broadway, dancing, society, rivalry, social relations ...
Time:
60s, year 1962
Place:
baltimore, maryland
Similarity:
23%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Music, Musical, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
Troy (Zac Efron), the popular captain of the basketball team, and Gabriella (Vanessa Anne Hudgens), the brainy and beautiful member of the academic club, break all the rules of East High society when they secretly audition for the leads in the ...
Style:
teen, romantic, sentimental, feel good, humorous ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, girls' night, kids, family outing ...
Plot:
high school, teenage life, high school life, music, teenage love, basketball, love and romance, couple relations, happy ending, friendship, hopes, teenager ...
Time:
year 2006, 2000s, 80s, 21st century
Place:
usa, north america, albuquerque new mexico, new mexico, utah
Similarity:
22%
Movie in collections
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Music, Musical, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
It's almost graduation day for high school seniors Troy, Gabriella, Sharpay, Chad, Ryan and Taylor ― and the thought of heading off in separate directions after leaving East High has these Wildcats thinking they need to do something ...
Style:
teen, feel good, humorous, semi serious, romantic ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, kids, chick flick, pre-teens ...
Plot:
high school, prom, teenage love, love and romance, teenage girl, friendship, high school life, teenager, high school hunk, friends, music, buddies ...
Time:
year 2008, 2000s, 80s, 21st century
Place:
new mexico, usa
Similarity:
21%
16K
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 111 min.
Story:
A high school social outcast and the popular girl bond through a shared love of music.
Style:
romantic, teen, humorous, semi serious, light ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, chick flick, teen drama
Plot:
teenager, high school, music, teenage love, hopes, friends, love and romance, rock and roll, rock, artists and showbiz, lifestyle, adolescence ...
Time:
year 2009, 70s, 21st century
Place:
new jersey, usa, california, texas, canada
Similarity:
20%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Music, Musical
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 100 min.
Story:
A four-member teen girl group named the Cheetah Girls go to a Manhattan High School for the Performing Arts and try to become the first freshmen to win the talent show in the school's history. During the talent show auditions, they meet a ...
Style:
semi serious, feel good, humorous, touching, teen ...
Audience:
girls' night, teens, kids, pre-teens, chick flick ...
Plot:
friendship, biracial, high school, coming of age, showbiz, musician's life, follow your dream, fashion, music band, rising to stardom, lifestyle, teenage life ...
Place:
new york, usa, manhattan new york city
Similarity:
20%
16K
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
At “Prom,” every couple has a story and no two are exactly alike. As the big dance approaches for Nova Prescott, it’s a battle of wills as she finds herself drawn to the guy who gets in the way of her perfect prom. Fellow seniors Mei and Tyler ...
Style:
teen, feel good, realistic, semi serious, humorous ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, girls' night, kids, date night ...
Plot:
teenage love, prom, high school, unlikely couple, wooing, teen romance, couples, love and romance, teenager, opposites attract, friendship, love ...
Time:
year 2011, 21st century
Place:
michigan, usa
Similarity:
20%
324K
Genre: Comedy, Musical, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min.
Story:
Australian good girl Sandy and greaser Danny fell in love over the summer. But when they unexpectedly discover they're now in the same high school, will they be able to rekindle their romance despite their eccentric friends?
Style:
romantic, sexy, feel good, sentimental, cult classic ...
Audience:
chick flick, kids, teens, girls' night, date night ...
Plot:
high school, opposites attract, coming of age, dancing, dance, makeover, summer romance, teenage love, love story, first love, teenager, teenage girl ...
Time:
1950s, year 1959, year 1978, 20th century, year 1958 ...
Place:
california, australia, los angeles, bronx new york city, usa ...
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
Andie is an outcast, hanging out either with her older boss, who owns the record store where she works, or her quirky high school classmate Duckie, who has a crush on her. When one of the rich and popular kids at school, Blane, asks Andie out, it ...
Style:
romantic, teen, sexy, romantic comedy, melancholic ...
Audience:
girls' night, teens, family friendly, date night, chick flick ...
Plot:
high school, bullying, coming of age, teenage girl, relationships, teen romance, teenager, class differences, high school student, love story, father daughter relationship, first love ...
Time:
80s, 20th century
Place:
usa, massachusetts, california
Similarity:
19%
10K
Genre: Comedy
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min.
Story:
A suburban housewife's world falls apart when her pornographer husband admits he's serially unfaithful to her, her daughter gets pregnant, and her son is suspected of being the foot-fetishist who's been breaking local women's ...
Style:
independent film, black comedy, disturbing, controversial, cult classic ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
misfit, satire, dysfunctional family, alcoholism, abortion, loser, housewife, playboy, transvestite, lgbtq, surrealism, middle class ...
Time:
year 1981, 80s, 20th century
Place:
baltimore, maryland, usa, boston, california
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Music, Musical, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min.
Story:
The East High Wildcats are ready to have the time of their lives. Troy (Zac Efron) is thrilled when he’s offered a job in a country club, but it’s all part of Sharpay’s (Ashley Tisdale) plot to lure him away from Gabriella (Vanessa Hudgens). ...
Style:
teen, melancholic, sentimental, humorous, feel good ...
Audience:
girls' night, pre-teens, kids, teens, chick flick ...
Plot:
teenage love, teenage girl, high school life, love and romance, teenager, music, country club, true love, dancing, youth, young lovers, talent show ...
Time:
2000s, 80s, 21st century
Place:
usa, new mexico
Similarity:
19%
Genre: Comedy, Family, Music, Romance
Country: Germany, USA, Canada
Duration: 89 min.
Story:
When the teenager Mary Elizabeth Steppe, a.k.a. Lola, moves with her mother and two younger twin sisters from New York to the suburb of Dellwood, New Jersey, she has the feeling that her cultural and entertaining world ended. While in school, the ...
Style:
teen, melancholic, romantic, cute, sentimental ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, date night, pre-teens, kids ...
Plot:
teenager, high school, coming of age, rivalry, mother daughter relationship, happy ending, family relations, fish out of water, girl, love and romance, lifestyle, teenage life ...
Time:
year 2004, 2000s, 80s, 21st century
Place:
new jersey, usa, new york
Similarity:
18%
349K
Genre: Comedy, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
College student Beca knows she does not want to be part of a clique, but that's exactly where she finds herself after arriving at her new school. Thrust in among mean gals, nice gals and just plain weird gals, Beca finds that the only thing ...
Style:
feel good, humorous, funny, realistic, sexy ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, girls' night, family outing, teen drama ...
Plot:
youth, music, competition, female friendship, college life, rivalry, college, female protagonist, singing competition, music band, audition, friends ...
Time:
2010s, year 2012, 80s, 21st century
Place:
usa, california
Similarity:
18%
Movie in collections
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min.
Story:
A white midwestern girl moves to Chicago, where her new boyfriend is a black teen from the South Side with a rough, semi-criminal past.
Style:
sweet, teen, romantic, feel good, cute ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, chick flick, date night, teen drama
Plot:
dancing, interracial romance, high school, dance, ballet, dancer's life, hip hop, african american, teenage girl, street dance, father daughter relationship, music ...
Time:
year 2001, 21st century
Place:
chicago, indiana, usa, new york, new jersey ...
Similarity:
18%
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story:
When rebellious street dancer Andie lands at the elite Maryland School of the Arts, she finds herself fighting to fit in while also trying to hold onto her old life. When she joins forces with the schools hottest dancer, Chase, to form a crew of ...
Style:
romantic, teen, entertaining, captivating, realistic ...
Audience:
teens, date night, family friendly, girls' night, chick flick ...
Plot:
dancing, dancer, dance, ballet, dancer's life, dance contest, street dance, hip hop, contests and competitions, music, love and romance, breakdance ...
Time:
year 2008, 21st century
Place:
maryland, baltimore, usa
Similarity:
18%
Genre: Comedy, Family, Music, Musical, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
Mitchie can't wait to go back to Camp Rock and spend the summer making new music with her friends and superstar Shane Gray. But the slick new camp across the lake, Camp Star, has drummed up some serious competition — featuring newcomers Luke ...
Style:
teen, sentimental, feel good, realistic, semi serious ...
Audience:
teens, kids, chick flick, girls' night, pre-teens ...
Plot:
summer camp, camp, teenager, singing competition, music band, artists and showbiz, contests and competitions, teenage life, teenage love, rivalry, friends, friendship ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa
Similarity:
18%
16K
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min.
Story:
A Baltimore sandwich shop employee becomes an overnight sensation when photographs he's taken of his weird family become the latest rage in the art world. The young man is called "Pecker" because he pecks at his food like a bird.
Style:
cult classic, absurd, not serious, witty, humorous ...
Audience:
teens
Plot:
photography, art, photograph, teenage girl, dysfunctional family, artist, gay, vegan, sex, voyeur, art gallery, gallery ...
Time:
90s, 20th century
Place:
baltimore, new york, maryland, usa
Similarity:
17%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Family, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 102 min.
Story:
When Miley Stewart (aka pop-star Hannah Montana) gets too caught up in the superstar celebrity lifestyle, her dad decides it's time for a total change of scenery. But sweet nibblets! Miley must trade in all the glitz and glamour of Hollywood ...
Style:
feel good, teen, entertaining, melancholic, semi serious ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, chick flick, kids, pre-teens ...
Plot:
teenager, teenage girl, teenage life, friends, double life, celebrity, fall in love, lifestyle, hidden identity, love and romance, youth, parents and children ...
Time:
year 2009, 21st century
Place:
malibu california, los angeles, usa, nashville tennessee, tennessee
Similarity:
17%
Movie in collections
Genre: Comedy, Family, Music, Romance
Country: USA, Canada
Duration: 90 min.
Story:
A guy who danced with what could be the girl of his dreams at a costume ball only has one hint at her identity: the Zune she left behind as she rushed home in order to make her curfew. And with a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity in front of him, he ...
Style:
romantic, feel good, modern fairy tale, sweet, teen ...
Audience:
teens, girls' night, chick flick, family outing, kids ...
Plot:
cinderella, cinderella story, high school, teenage love, teenage life, love and romance, pop star, youth, teenage girl, love affair, evil stepmother, dance ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa
Similarity:
17%
55K
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min.
Story:
Ren MacCormack is transplanted from Boston to the small southern town of Bomont where loud music and dancing are prohibited. Not one to bow to the status quo, Ren challenges the ban, revitalizing the town and falling in love with the minister’s ...
Style:
teen, feel good, romantic, sincere, serious ...
Audience:
chick flick, teens, girls' night, date night
Plot:
dancing, dance, small town, teenage love, love and romance, dancer's life, teenage girl, dancer, music, youth, young lovers, culture clash ...
Time:
year 2011, 80s, 21st century
Place:
georgia, usa, southern usa, boston
Similarity:
17%
101K
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 107 min.
Story:
When teenager Ren and his family move from big-city Chicago to a small town in the West, he's in for a real case of culture shock.
Style:
teen, cult classic, serious, captivating, emotional ...
Audience:
girls' night, chick flick, teens, kids, family outing ...
Plot:
dancing, high school, youth, dance, small town, love and romance, music, dancer's life, rebelliousness, rebellion, artists and showbiz, teenager ...
Time:
80s, 90s, year 1984, 70s, 20th century
Place:
utah, pittsburgh, usa
Similarity:
17%
Genre: Comedy, Family, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 88 min.
Story:
In this modern telling of the classic tale, aspiring singer Katie Gibbs falls for the new boy at her performing arts high school. But Katie's wicked stepmother and stepsister are scheming to crush her dream before she can sing her way into his ...
Style:
romantic, modern fairy tale, sexy, teen, rom com ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, girls' night, family outing, date night ...
Plot:
cinderella, cinderella story, high school, youth, teenage love, teenager, follow your dream, teenage life, musician's life, love and romance, teen romance, orphan ...
Time:
21st century
Place:
usa
Similarity:
17%
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
Bianca, a tenth grader, has never gone on a date, but she isn't allowed to go out with boys until her older sister Kat gets a boyfriend. The problem is, Kat rubs nearly everyone the wrong way. But Bianca and the guy she has her eye on, Joey, ...
Style:
romantic, teen, romantic comedy, rom com, humorous ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick, date night, girls' night, kids ...
Plot:
high school, teenager, opposites attract, youth, fall in love, couples, teen romance, teenage life, enemies to lovers, love and romance, teenage love, initially antagonists ...
Time:
y2k, year 1999, 20th century, 90s, 80s
Place:
seattle, washington state, washington d.c., usa
Similarity:
17%
Genre: Drama, Music, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 126 min.
Story:
Young Cuban Rafael just buried his mother, and comes to Houston to meet his father John for the first time. The difficult part is that John doesn't know he is Rafael's father. John runs a dance studio, and everyone prepares for the World ...
Style:
romantic, cute, entertaining, exciting, light ...
Audience:
date night, chick flick, girls' night, teens
Plot:
music, dancing, ballroom dancing, dancer's life, hopes, dance, follow your dream, mentor, ambition, teachers and students, social differences, contests and competitions ...
Time:
year 1998
Place:
las vegas, austin texas, latin america, cuba, usa ...
Similarity:
17%
Genre: Comedy, Crime
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story:
The life and times of Dawn Davenport, showing her progress from loving schoolgirl to crazed mass murderer - all of which stems from her parents' refusal to buy her cha-cha heels for Christmas. She runs away from home, is raped, becomes a single ...
Style:
dark comedy, black comedy, sexy, controversial, erotic ...
Audience:
teens, chick flick
Plot:
satire, absurd violence, juvenile delinquent, absurd humor, fat woman, female nudity, male nudity, murder, dysfunctional family, kidnapping, disfigurement, absurdism ...
Time:
70s, 20th century, 60s
Place:
baltimore, california
Similarity:
17%
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