Movies like Zero Effect

If you like "Zero Effect" you are looking for detective, neo noir and dark comedy movies about / with private detective, investigation, murder, private investigator, eccentricity, whodunit and blackmail themes of Comedy, Crime and Drama 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.
Zero Effect (1998)
 6.9
 15K
Zero Effect (1998)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min.
Story: Daryl Zero is a private investigator. Along with his assistant, Steve Arlo he solves impossible crimes and puzzles. Though a master investigator, when he is not working, Zero doesn't know what to do with himself. He has no social skills, writes bad music, and drives Arlo crazy. In his latest case, Zero must find out who is blackmailing a rich executive, and when his client won't tell him, why.
Style: detective, neo noir, dark comedy, cult classic, witty, black comedy, sincere, humorous, realistic, suspenseful ...
Plot: private detective, investigation, murder, private investigator, eccentricity, whodunit, blackmail, ugly duckling, hidden truth, fall in love, accountant, dating, heroes, prodigy, love and romance, vengeance, rivalry, hidden identity, lone wolves, disorder, pretense, mastermind, dishonesty, mistrust, mysterious character ...
Time: year 1998, 90s, 20th century
Place: oregon, usa, los angeles, san francisco, portland oregon, seattle
Keyword: alias

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Most similar movies to Zero Effect

The list contains related movies ordered by similarity. Recommendation engine sorted out realistic, neo noir, detective and suspenseful films with plots about murder, dishonesty, investigation, private detective, deadly, death and husband wife relationship mostly in Crime, Mystery and Thriller genres. Some movies like Zero Effect: The Late Show (1977), Twilight (1998), Harper (1966), Love at Large (1990), Charade (1963). The matching attributes are highlighted in bold.
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The Late Show (1977)
Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 93 min.
Story: Over-the-hill gumshoe in Los Angeles seeks to avenge the killing of an old pal, another detective who had gotten himself involved in a case concerning a murdered broad, stolen stamps, a nickel-plated handgun, a cheating dolly, and a kidnapped ...
Style: neo noir, detective, offbeat, clever, funny ...
Plot: private detective, murder, cat, investigation, private investigator, partner, violent content, love and romance, elderly, dishonesty, odd couple, law enforcement ...
Time: year 1977, 20th century, 70s
Place: los angeles, usa, california
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 6.2
 14K
Twilight (1998)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story: A retired ex-cop and private detective gets mixed up in murder when he is asked to deliver blackmail money and walks into a 20 year old case involving the mysterious disappearance of an actress' former husband.
Style: neo noir, suspense, clever, talky, detective ...
Plot: private detective, murder, bare breasts, female nudity, missing person, corruption, betrayal, police investigation, murder mystery, femme fatale, uncover truth, dishonesty ...
Time: 90s, year 1998
Place: california, los angeles, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
 6.8
 11K
Harper (1966)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 121 min.
Story: Harper is a cynical private eye in the best tradition of Bogart. He even has Bogie's Baby hiring him to find her missing husband, getting involved along the way with an assortment of unsavory characters and an illegal-alien smuggling ring.
Style: neo noir, suspense, cynical, detective, psychological ...
Plot: private detective, murder, investigation, kidnapping, missing person, twists and turns, uncover truth, dishonesty, adultery, divorce, ransom, private investigator ...
Time: 60s, year 1966, 20th century
Place: los angeles, california, las vegas, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Love at Large (1990)
Genre: Comedy, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 97 min.
Story: Vampish miss Dolan hires hardboiled P.I. Harry Dobbs to tail her shady boyfriend. Harry realizes that the man leads a double life but then his client disappears. Harry teams up with his own tail, P.I. Stella Wynkowski, to clear things up.
Style: laugh out loud, independent film, semi serious, realistic, witty ...
Plot: private detective, nightclub, mistaken identity, jealousy, manipulation, hidden identity, femme fatale, dishonesty, amateur detective, investigation, love and romance, fall in love ...
Time: 80s
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
Movie in collections
 7.8
 85K
Charade (1963)
Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min.
Story: After Regina Lampert falls for the dashing Peter Joshua on a skiing holiday in the French Alps, she discovers upon her return to Paris that her husband has been murdered. Soon, she and Peter are giving chase to three of her late husband's World ...
Style: suspense, suspenseful, humorous, atmospheric, feel good ...
Audience: date night, chick flick, kids
Plot: murder, age difference, investigation, spy, funeral, espionage, love and romance, divorce, plot twist, deception, love story, heist ...
Time: 20th century, year 1963, 60s, year 1944
Place: paris france, france, europe, alps, persia ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
A Slight Case of Murder (1999)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min.
Story: In the midst of a spat, film critic Terry Thorpe (William H. Macy) accidentally kills his lover. Though Thorpe covers his tracks, he raises the suspicions of a private investigator (James Cromwell), who then tries to blackmail him. Thorpe also falls ...
Style: detective, crime thriller, neo noir, realistic, semi serious ...
Plot: murder, film critic, investigation, private detective, blackmail, courtroom, hollywood, filmmaking, who done it, protagonist as suspect, police investigation, law enforcement ...
Time: 90s
Place: usa, manhattan new york city, new york
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1970)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 125 min.
Story: Director Billy Wilder adds a new and intriguing twist to the personality of intrepid detective Sherlock Holmes. One thing hasn't changed however: Holmes' crime-solving talents. Holmes and Dr. Watson take on the case of a beautiful woman ...
Style: detective, satirical, atmospheric, clever, humorous ...
Plot: sherlock holmes, private detective, loch ness monster, investigation, homosexual subtext, spy, lgbtq, regret, time travel, royalty, gangster, monk ...
Time: victorian era, 19th century, 1800s, year 1970, 1880s
Place: scotland, britain, england, europe, germany ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
100%
The Last Seduction (1994)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Romance, Thriller
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 110 min.
Story: Looking to escape her unhappy marriage, villainous femme fatale Bridget Gregory (Linda Fiorentino) convinces her husband, Clay (Bill Pullman), to sell cocaine, then steals the profits and runs out on him. She stops in a small town en route to ...
Style: sexy, neo noir, erotic, sexual, suspense ...
Audience: boys' night, adult
Plot: femme fatale, small town, couples, fatal attraction, betrayal, private detective, murder, infidelity, greed, love triangle, dishonesty, sex ...
Time: 90s, year 1994
Place: new york, usa, miami, boston, dallas texas ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
50%
Movie in collections
The Cheap Detective (1978)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story: Spoofing the entire 1940s detective genre, and his own performances as a bumbling private detective, Peter Falk plays Lou Pekinpaugh, a San Francisco private detective accused of murdering his partner at the instigation of his mistress, the ...
Style: parody, spoof, detective, funny, slapstick ...
Plot: private detective, world war two, nazi, murder, law enforcement, femme fatale, whodunit, death, private investigator, mysticism, pianist, nightclub ...
Time: year 1978, 1940s, 20th century, year 1940, year 1939
Place: san francisco, california, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
49%
 6.6
 110K
Inherent Vice (2014)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 148 min.
Story: In Los Angeles at the turn of the 1970s, drug-fueled detective Larry "Doc" Sportello investigates the disappearance of an ex-girlfriend.
Style: surreal, neo noir, psychedelic, atmospheric, detective ...
Audience: adult
Plot: private investigator, investigation, ex boyfriend ex girlfriend relationship, drug trade, private detective, obsession, investigator, stoner, hippie, paranoia, betrayal, police investigation ...
Time: 70s, 60s, 2010s, year 2014, 90s ...
Place: los angeles, california, southern california, usa, beverly hills
⇓ similarity ⇓
49%
Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (2005)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min.
Story: A petty thief posing as an actor is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl and a detective who's been training him for his upcoming role...
Style: neo noir, funny, black comedy, dark comedy, detective ...
Audience: chick flick
Plot: private detective, investigation, murder, actor, dark humor, buddy, thief, gay, murder mystery, kidnapping, cheerleader, buddy cop ...
Time: year 2005, 2000s, 21st century
Place: venice beach california, los angeles, california, denver colorado, usa ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
48%
 6.7
 26K
Prizzi's Honor (1985)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 130 min.
Story: A professional hit man and hit woman fall in love, only to discover that they have each been hired to kill the other.
Style: neo noir, dark comedy, black comedy, cynical, humorous ...
Plot: organized crime, hitman, gangster, betrayal, love, kidnapping, assassin, mafia, killer, crime boss, love at first sight, mob hit ...
Time: year 1985, 20th century, 80s
Place: california, brooklyn new york city, usa, las vegas, los angeles ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
48%
 6.1
 15K
The Two Jakes (1990)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 137 min.
Story: This sequel to the classic Chinatown finds private detective Jake Gittes still haunted from the events of the first film. Hired by a man to investigate his wife's infidelities, Jake once again finds himself involved in a complicated plot ...
Style: neo noir, stylized, clever, cult classic, period piece ...
Plot: private detective, murder, infidelity, gangster, investigation, betrayal, mafia, law, courtroom, blackmail, haunted by the past, private investigator ...
Time: 1940s, year 1948, 20th century, year 1946
Place: los angeles, california, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
48%
Tough Guys Don't Dance (1987)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min.
Story: Writer, ex-con and 40-something bottle-baby Tim Madden, who is prone to black-outs, awakens from a two-week bender to discover a pool of blood in his car.
Style: realistic, psychological, serious, atmospheric, suspenseful ...
Plot: amnesia, murder, chief of police, memory loss, investigation, manipulation, psychopath, drug abuse, terminal illness, alcohol abuse, mind game, protagonist as suspect ...
Time: 80s, year 1987
Place: massachusetts
⇓ similarity ⇓
48%
 7.5
 104K
Blood Simple (1984)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story: The owner of a seedy small-town Texas bar discovers that one of his employees is having an affair with his wife. A chaotic chain of misunderstandings, lies and mischief ensues after he devises a plot to have them murdered.
Style: neo noir, suspense, psychological, independent film, tense ...
Audience: manly, date night
Plot: murder, private detective, murder mystery, extramarital affair, adultery, crime gone awry, twists and turns, hired killer, betrayal, investigation, moral ambiguity, gunfight ...
Time: year 1984, 80s, 20th century
Place: texas, austin texas, midwest, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
48%
 6.1
 83K
Broken City (2013)
Genre: Action, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 109 min.
Story: In a broken city rife with injustice, ex-cop Billy Taggart seeks redemption and revenge after being double-crossed and then framed by its most powerful figure, the mayor. Billy's relentless pursuit of justice, matched only by his streetwise ...
Style: neo noir, suspenseful, rough, political, intense ...
Audience: teens
Plot: investigation, conspiracy, private detective, infidelity, betrayal, politics, mayor, political corruption, twists and turns, corruption, ex law enforcer, blackmail ...
Time: year 2013, 2000s, 2010s, 21st century
Place: new york, usa, manhattan new york city, brooklyn new york city
⇓ similarity ⇓
48%
 7.5
 65K
The Player (1992)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 124 min.
Story: A Hollywood studio executive is being sent death threats by a writer whose script he rejected - but which one?
Style: suspense, dark comedy, neo noir, clever, black comedy ...
Plot: hollywood, filmmaking, film industry, murder, police investigation, blackmail, showbiz, writers, movie business, satire, murder mystery, manipulation ...
Time: 20th century, year 1992, future, 90s
Place: los angeles, california, usa, pasadena california
⇓ similarity ⇓
48%
The Drowning Pool (1975)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min.
Story: Harper is brought to Louisiana to investigate an attempted blackmail scheme. He soon finds out that it involves an old flame of his and her daughter. He eventually finds himself caught in a power struggle between the matriarch of the family and a ...
Style: neo noir, detective, suspense, cult classic, thrilling ...
Plot: private detective, private investigator, political corruption, russian roulette, underwater, newspaper, deep south, murder, police corruption, investigation, guard dog, private investigation ...
Time: year 1975, 70s, 20th century
Place: new orleans, louisiana, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
47%
Movie in collections
Feeling Minnesota (1996)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 99 min.
Story: Sam Clayton's (Vincent D'Onofrio) marriage to ex-stripper Freddie (Cameron Diaz) comes about when she's strong-armed into the match by Red (Delroy Lindo), a club proprietor who once did her a favor. But Freddie falls in love with ...
Style: dark comedy, independent film, black comedy, talky, clever ...
Audience: date night
Plot: love, corruption, murder, gangster, wedding, love triangle, stripper, family relations, elopement, motel, presumed dead, framed for murder ...
Time: 90s
Place: minnesota, las vegas, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
47%
 7.1
 20K
Thursday (1998)
Genre: Action, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min.
Story: Casey has given up drug dealing for a suburban idyll in Houston, a job as an architect and a new wife. They are even planning to adopt a child. But Casey's past arrives on the doorstep in the shape of Nick, an old business partner. And all hell ...
Style: neo noir, witty, dark comedy, intense, surreal ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: dark humor, hitman, drug dealing, drug dealer, female rapist, woman rapes man, danger, blood, death of pregnant woman, violent, cons and scams, criminal heroes ...
Time: 90s
Place: austin texas, texas, usa, los angeles
⇓ similarity ⇓
47%
The Ice Harvest (2005)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 92 min.
Story: A shady lawyer attempts a Christmas Eve crime, hoping to swindle the local mob out of some money. But his partner, a strip club owner, might have different plans for the cash.
Style: dark comedy, neo noir, black comedy, suspenseful, intense ...
Plot: christmas, stripper, strip club, femme fatale, robbery, betrayal, murder, gangster, organized crime, mobster, snow, greed ...
Time: year 2005, 21st century
Place: usa, kansas
⇓ similarity ⇓
47%
The Manchu Eagle Murder Caper Mystery (1975)
Genre: Comedy, Mystery, Crime, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 80 min.
Story: Film noir parody with a private eye trying to solve the murder of his milkman.
Style: spoof, dark comedy, independent film, parody, not serious ...
Plot: private investigator, investigation, murder, small town, disorder, social relations, goofy hero, danger, law enforcement, private detective, small town life, milkman ...
Time: 70s
⇓ similarity ⇓
47%
 5.9
 916
Rick (2003)
Genre: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story: "Rigoletto" retold at Christmas time in Manhattan's corporate world. Rick, an executive at Image, is a jerk to a woman applying for a job. That evening, he's out for drinks with his much younger boss, Duke, and the same women is ...
Style: psychological, disturbing, serious, clever, suspenseful ...
Plot: hitman, curse, office, wall street, life is a bitch, dysfunctional family, teenage life, workplace intrigue, parents and children, forbidden love, workplace, dishonesty ...
Place: new york, usa, manhattan new york city
⇓ similarity ⇓
47%
Movie in collections
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Malibu Express (1985)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min.
Story: In this erotic spy tale private eye Cody Abilene teams up with the Contessa Luciana and policewoman Beverly McAfee to infiltrate a mansion and discover who is sending computer secrets to the Russians.
Style: sexy, cult classic, parody, psychotronic, sex comedy ...
Plot: lust, private detective, sexploitation, gangster, female assassin, erotica, car race, playboy, racing, auto racing, exploitation, older woman younger man ...
Time: 80s, year 1985
Place: hawaii, palm springs california, texas, usa, california ...
⇓ similarity ⇓
47%
 7.1
 18K
Night Moves (1975)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 100 min.
Story: Private detective and former football player Harry Moseby gets hired on to what seems a standard missing person case, as a former Hollywood actress whose only major roles came thanks to being married to a studio mogul wants Moseby to find and return ...
Style: neo noir, suspense, tense, psychological, detective ...
Audience: manly
Plot: private detective, investigation, murder, missing person, espionage, infidelity, female nudity, manipulation, loneliness, complex characters, crime gone awry, uncover truth ...
Time: 20th century, year 1975, 70s
Place: florida, usa, los angeles, key west florida
⇓ similarity ⇓
46%
The Cannibal's Daughter (2003)
Genre: Adventure, Comedy, Crime, Drama, Mystery, Romance, Thriller
Country: Mexico, Spain, USA
Duration: 110 min.
Story: Lucia, an children's book author, tells the story of her husband's disappearance. One day on their way to Brazil he just disappears. She goes to the police, gets a ransom note, and makes friends with the old dude downstairs and the young ...
Style: sentimental, semi serious, realistic, humorous, witty ...
Plot: friendship, life turned upside down, missing person, fall in love, secret identity, danger, dangerous attraction, couples, on the road, secret, husband wife relationship, cannibal ...
Time: year 2003
Place: mexico, latin america, rio de janeiro, cuba, mexico city
⇓ similarity ⇓
46%
 4.9
 2K
Trixie (2000)
Genre: Comedy, Crime, Mystery, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 116 min.
Story: Emily Watson stars as Trixie, an eccentric woman who aspires to quit her job as a security guard and become a private detective. However, comedy intervenes and the mess begins...
Style: humorous, enigmatic, stylized, semi serious, suspense ...
Plot: amateur detective, mentor, brutality, investigation, fighting crime, cons and scams, dishonesty, love and romance, politics, murder, undercover, casino ...
Time: 90s
⇓ similarity ⇓
46%
 6.5
 11K
Shattered (1991)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story: Dan Merrick comes out from a shattering car accident with amnesia. He finds that he is married to Judith who is trying to help him start his life again. He keeps getting flashbacks about events and places that he can't remember. He meets pet ...
Style: neo noir, suspenseful, erotic, psychological, disturbing ...
Plot: memory loss, investigation, private detective, twists and turns, murder, suspicion, plastic surgery, infidelity, abusive husband, haunted by the past, car accident, uncover truth ...
Time: 90s, year 1991
Place: san francisco, bay area, california, usa, oregon
⇓ similarity ⇓
46%
Farewell, My Lovely (1975)
Genre: Crime, Mystery, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min.
Story: Los Angeles private eye Philip Marlowe is hired by paroled convict Moose Malloy to find his girlfriend Velma, former seedy nightclub dancer.
Style: neo noir, detective, tense, serious, suspenseful ...
Plot: femme fatale, private detective, missing person, uncover truth, suspicion of murder, who done it, dishonesty, life is a bitch, danger, murder, private investigator, planned murder ...
Time: 1940s, 20th century, year 1975, year 1941
Place: los angeles, california, usa
⇓ similarity ⇓
46%
 6.1
 4K
Judas Kiss (1998)
Genre: Crime, Drama, Thriller
Country: USA
Duration: 98 min.
Story: The shooting of a U.S. senator's wife raises the stakes for kidnappers seeking a hefty ransom for a computer magnate.
Style: serious, suspenseful, realistic, neo noir, dark comedy ...
Audience: boys' night
Plot: blackmail, murder, betrayal, cons and scams, police investigation, state affairs, criminal, crime gone awry, protagonist as suspect, danger, dishonesty, politics ...
Time: year 1998, 90s
Place: louisiana, new orleans, usa, los angeles, venezuela
⇓ similarity ⇓
46%
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