Best movies like Lay the Favorite
Last updated March 2024
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Plot Summary:
A former stripper's talent with numbers lands her a job with a professional gambler who runs a sports book in Las Vegas.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA, UK, France
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: sexy, realistic, humorous, semi serious, sincere, independent film
Best tv shows and movies like Lay the Favorite (2012):
Similar in 79%
Roundabout American (2012)
Plot Summary:
A young French chef with a fondness for America and a life in shambles pushes the limits of the American Dream by converting a Chicago pizza shop into an escort-service for the super-rich with the help of a suburban slacker who dwells in his parents' basement.
IMDB Rating: 4.0
IMDB Votes: 183
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 86 min
Plot tags: semi serious, sexy, realistic, independent film, light, captivating, humorous
Similar in 78%
Little Miss Marker (1980)
Plot Summary:
Sorrowful Jones is a cheap bookie in 1930's. When a gambler leaves his daughter as a marker for a bet, he gets stuck with her. His life will change a great deal with her arrival and his sudden love for a woman also involved in gambling operations.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 103 min
Plot tags: family comedy, clever, humorous, realistic, witty, talky, semi serious
Similar in 86%
My Words, My Lies - My Love (2009)
Plot Summary:
David, a waiter, finds an unpublished manuscript in a dresser drawer. To impress a girl, he claims to be the author. When the novel becomes a best-seller the real author introduces himself in his life and begins to take-over David's life.
IMDB Rating: 6.3
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Germany
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: sentimental, humorous, semi serious, realistic
Similar in 84%
Easy Sex (2003)
Plot Summary:
Packard Schmidt is a burnt-out, middle-aged college English professor. In a desperate attempt to restore some sense of vitality to his lonely existence he embarks on a series of impulsive romantic exploits resulting in a cavalcade of disaster both personally and professionally. These disasters change and educate Pack and serve eventually as a meditation on the meaning and power of desire, loss, and love.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 509
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: psychological, realistic, semi serious, erotic, dark comedy, humorous, sexual, independent film, sexy
Similar in 90%
Saint John of Las Vegas (2009)
Plot Summary:
An ex-gambler is lured back into the game by a veteran insurance-fraud investigator.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, semi serious, road movie, offbeat, independent film
Similar in 81%
Leona Helmsley: The Queen of Mean (1990)
Plot Summary:
Spanning years of both Harry and Leona Helmsley's cutthroat control of their eponymonous empire, this made-for-TV movie chronicles both the high and low points of the couple's life together.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 286
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: sincere, serious, realistic, cynical
Similar in 82%
Mississippi Grind (2015)
Plot Summary:
Gerry is a talented but down-on-his-luck gambler whose fortunes begin to change when he meets Curtis, a younger, highly charismatic poker player. The two strike up an immediate friendship and Gerry quickly persuades his new friend to accompany him on a road trip to a legendary high stakes poker game in New Orleans. As they make their way down the Mississippi River, Gerry and Curtis manage to find themselves in just about every bar, racetrack, casino, and pool hall they can find, experiencing both incredible highs and dispiriting lows, but ultimately forging a deep and genuine bond that will stay with them long after their adventure is over.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 108 min
Plot tags: road movie, tense, depressing, humorous, semi serious, cult classic, realistic, exciting, neo noir, entertaining
Similar in 77%
Shark City (2009)
Plot Summary:
Dagen and Kenny are two best friends in their early thirties living in New York who are looking for love in all the wrong places. One of them finds his dream girl, who just happens to be the daughter of the biggest mobster in town, and the other friend swindles her mob boss Dad out of a million dollars.
IMDB Rating: 4.1
IMDB Votes: 242
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Canada
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: tense, humorous, realistic, semi serious
Similar in 85%
Men in Hope (2011)
Plot Summary:
Charming bon vivant Rudolf is convinced that infidelity is the basis for a happy marriage, since, after all, a woman does not want to be bored with her partner.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 5000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Czech Republic
Duration: 115 min
Plot tags: humorous, realistic, touching, semi serious, erotic, sex comedy, sensual, light hearted
Similar in 85%
Factotum (2005)
Plot Summary:
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.
IMDB Rating: 6.6
IMDB Votes: 15000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: Norway, USA, Germany, France, Italy
Duration: 94 min
Plot tags: dark comedy, philosophical, humorous, serious, realistic, dark, grim, meditative, sad, tense
Similar in 90%
Finding Amanda (2008)
Plot Summary:
A television producer with a penchant for drinking and gambling is sent to Las Vegas to convince his troubled niece to enter rehab.
IMDB Rating: 5.5
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, clever, realistic, hilarious, offbeat
Similar in 80%
Tamara Drewe (2010)
Plot Summary:
A young newspaper writer returns to her hometown in the English countryside, where her childhood home is being prepped for sale.
IMDB Rating: 6.2
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK
Duration: 107 min
Plot tags: sexy, witty, romantic, sentimental, humorous, semi serious, entertaining, feel good, realistic, sex comedy
Similar in 87%
She's the One (1996)
Plot Summary:
Mickey, a free-spirited New York cabbie, and Francis, a materialistic Wall Street stockbroker, are extremely competitive and confused about women as a result of their father's influence. Though they disagree about everything, they have one thing in common: Mickey's ex-fiance Heather is Francis's secret love. Though both brothers have beautiful wives, Heather triggers their longtime sibling rivalry.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 18000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: talky, melancholic, humorous, sincere, semi serious, realistic, witty, emotional, funny, romantic
Similar in 80%
Sam the Man (2001)
Plot Summary:
Before he broke out with the J.D. Salinger-esque Tadpole in 2002, producer-turned-director Gary Winick filmed this little-seen relationship drama. Fisher Stevens stars as the title character, a writer with one novel under his belt who can't seem to deliver the follow-up. Instead, he spends his time compulsively cheating on his photographer girlfriend, Cass (Annabella Sciorra); giving the runaround to his agent, Richard (Ron Rifkin); and trying to keep his landlord, Murray (Luis Guzman), at bay.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 243
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 87 min
Plot tags: semi serious, sentimental, sincere, humorous, realistic, suspense, independent film, clever, talky, biting
Similar in 85%
The Cooler (2003)
Plot Summary:
(William H. Macy) works at a Las Vegas casino, where he uses his innate ability to bring about misfortune in those around him to jinx gamblers into losing. His imposing boss, Shelly Kaplow (Alec Baldwin), is happy with the arrangement. But Bernie finds unexpected happiness when he begins dating attractive waitress Natalie Belisario (Maria Bello).
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 35000
Genere: Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 101 min
Plot tags: sexy, realistic, intense, neo noir, serious, offbeat, spiritual, controversial, comedy drama, independent film
Similar in 78%
The Only Game in Town (1970)
Plot Summary:
Fran walks into a piano bar for pizza. She comes back home with Joe, the piano player. Joe plans on winning $5,000 and leave Las Vegas. Fran waits for something else. Meanwhile, he moves in with her.
IMDB Rating: 5.7
IMDB Votes: 1000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 113 min
Plot tags: sentimental, touching, humorous, realistic, gloomy, semi serious
Similar in 90%
Phileine Says Sorry (2003)
Plot Summary:
Gorgeous Dutch youngster Max has two passions, acting and girls. The first becomes his brilliant career, which takes off so well he gets invited to a prestigious New York theatre course for a year. But since he met fickle bitch Phileine in an Utrecht park, his flirting life is cut short while she cruelly plays with his feelings rather then his horny body. After refusing to follow him, she turns up uninvited later and still acts jealous and possessive. Grief follows for everyone, working up to a convoluted finale.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 3000
Genere: Drama, Comedy, Romance
Country: Netherlands, USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: sentimental, feel good, humorous, semi serious, erotic, sexy, clever, offbeat, realistic
Similar in 78%
Middle of Nowhere (2008)
Plot Summary:
The film follows Grace, a young woman whose irresponsible mother blows her college fund on her younger sister's beauty pageant campaign.
IMDB Rating: 6.4
IMDB Votes: 4000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: sentimental, humorous, semi serious, realistic, indie film, psychological, feel good, disturbing, independent film
Similar in 75%
How to Go Out on a Date in Queens (2006)
Plot Summary:
A self-proclaimed dating expert tries to get his best friend, who lost his wife two years earlier, back into the dating scene, with disastrous results.
IMDB Rating: 4.3
IMDB Votes: 416
Genere: Comedy, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: humorous, light, captivating, entertaining, independent film, realistic, semi serious
Similar in 88%
Making Mr. Right (2008)
Plot Summary:
Eddie, a poor street conman, has his 'guess in which briefcase' trick ruined by Manhattan lifestyle magazine deputy editor Hallie Galloway. Due to a bet with her boss, she must transform Eddie into a dashingly eligible bachelor for a charity auction. In order to pay back his generous benefactor, restaurateur Angelo, Eddie accepts. He not only proves a quick learner and born charmer, the gentleman in him awakes and so does love in their harts. But their true pasts catch up.
IMDB Rating: 4.8
IMDB Votes: 563
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 85 min
Plot tags: realistic, semi serious, humorous, sexy, feel good, captivating, light, sexual
Similar in 76%
Syrup (2013)
Plot Summary:
A slacker hatches a million-dollar idea. But, in order to see it through, he has to learn to trust his attractive corporate counterpart. Based on Max Barry's novel.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 12000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: humorous, semi serious, realistic, independent film, funny, light, romantic, heartbreaking, family comedy, romantic comedy
Similar in 89%
Nobody's Fool (1994)
Plot Summary:
Sully is a rascally ne'er-do-well approaching retirement age. While he is pressing a worker's compensation suit for a bad knee, he secretly works for his nemesis, Carl, and flirts with Carl's young wife Toby. Sully's long- forgotten son and family have moved back to town, so Sully faces unfamiliar family responsibilities. Meanwhile, Sully's landlady's banker son plots to push through a new development and evict Sully from his mother's life.
IMDB Rating: 7.3
IMDB Votes: 22000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 110 min
Plot tags: feel good, touching, humorous, atmospheric, talky, witty, intense, semi serious, independent film, realistic
Similar in 85%
Cocktail (1988)
Plot Summary:
After being discharged from the Army, Brian Flanagan moves back to Queens and takes a job in a bar run by Doug Coughlin, who teaches Brian the fine art of bar-tending. Brian quickly becomes a patron favorite with his flashy drink-mixing style. Brian adopts his mentor's cynical philosophy on life and goes for the money. He leaves his artist girlfriend Jordan Mooney for Bonnie, a wealthy, high-powered executive. Brian soon must chose between the two, as he evaluates his options.
IMDB Rating: 5.9
IMDB Votes: 90000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 104 min
Plot tags: sexy, entertaining, romantic comedy, realistic, sentimental, semi serious, romantic, stylized, suspense, retro
Similar in 87%
Dirty Dealing 3D (2018)
Plot Summary:
A group of sexy casino dealers joins forces to try to save the sick child of one of their coworkers. When their unscrupulous boss (Michael Madsen) refuses to get the insurance company to help and then reneges on a promise to help raise the money, the ladies are left with only one option – they plot to rob their casino. But as it turns out, one of their team is not who he claims to be and his true intentions remain unknown until the night of the caper.
IMDB Rating: 3.8
IMDB Votes: 433
Genere: Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 90 min
Plot tags: sexy, sentimental, psychological, tense, captivating, serious, realistic
Similar in 77%
Different for Girls (1996)
Plot Summary:
Karl Foyle and Paul Prentice were best mates at school in the Seventies. But when they meet again in present-day London things are definitely not the same. Karl is now Kim, a transsexual, and she has no desire to stir up the past while she's busy forging a neat and orderly new life. Prentice, on the other hand, has charm but is a social disaster stuck in a dead-end job. His main talent is for getting them both into trouble. Amid the squabbles, they start to fall in love. One night, Kim invites Prentice to a romantic dinner at her flat. Prentice, finding the seduction unexpectedly effective, freaks out. He proceeds to make a public display of both of them and winds up in court. Humiliated and angry, Kim runs away. Only she can save Prentice now, but will true love triumph for a new made woman and an aging punk?.
IMDB Rating: 7.0
IMDB Votes: 2000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, France
Duration: 97 min
Plot tags: sexy, touching, sentimental, clever, humorous, realistic, semi serious, independent film, romantic, thought provoking
Similar in 78%
The Story of Us (1999)
Plot Summary:
Ben and Katie Jordan are a married couple who go through hard times in fifteen years of marriage.
IMDB Rating: 6.0
IMDB Votes: 25000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 95 min
Plot tags: realistic, sentimental, romantic, sweet, emotional, semi serious, touching, humorous, inspirational, weeping
Similar in 75%
Swingers (1996)
Plot Summary:
This is a story about Mike, a guy who left his girl in New York when he came to LA to be a star. It's been six months since his girlfriend left him and he's not doing so good. So, his pal and some other friends try and get him back in the social scene and forget about his 6 year relationship.
IMDB Rating: 7.2
IMDB Votes: 87000
Genere: Comedy, Drama
Country: USA
Duration: 96 min
Plot tags: entertaining, funny, realistic, feel good, cult classic, independent film, clever, witty, talky, sex comedy
Similar in 80%
Conversations with Other Women (2005)
Plot Summary:
Reunited at a wedding after many years, former lovers again feel the pull of a mutual attraction neither is willing to admit. Escaping the reception for the privacy of a hotel room, the unnamed pair explore the choices of the past that led them to the present.
IMDB Rating: 6.9
IMDB Votes: 13000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: UK, USA
Duration: 84 min
Plot tags: sexy, heartbreaking, light, emotional, melancholic, sincere, touching, humorous, romantic, witty
Similar in 79%
The Bonfire of the Vanities (1990)
Plot Summary:
After his mistress runs over a young teen, a Wall Street hotshot sees his life unravel in the spotlight, and attracting the interest of a down and out reporter.
IMDB Rating: 5.6
IMDB Votes: 26000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 125 min
Plot tags: stylized, humorous, witty, semi serious, cult classic, clever, black comedy, social, existential, realistic
Similar in 80%
Love & Other Drugs (2010)
Plot Summary:
Maggie, an alluring free spirit who won't let anyone - or anything - tie her down. But she meets her match in Jamie, whose relentless and nearly infallible charm serve him well with the ladies and in the cutthroat world of pharmaceutical sales. Maggie and Jamie's evolving relationship takes them both by surprise, as they find themselves under the influence of the ultimate drug: love.
IMDB Rating: 6.7
IMDB Votes: 219000
Genere: Comedy, Drama, Romance
Country: USA
Duration: 112 min
Plot tags: sexy, romantic, sexual, emotional, funny, sweet, romantic comedy, sex comedy, erotic, cute