20 Movies Like The Hangover: Wild Comedies to Watch Next
The Hangover cost $35 million and made $465 million worldwide. Three friends, one missing groom, a tiger in the bathroom and no memory of the night before. It turned a bachelor party into the template for a whole wave of R-rated comedies.
These 20 movies like The Hangover count down to the one that comes closest. Some share its director, its writers or its cast. Others just share the feeling of a night that goes very, very wrong.
TL;DR: Your Next Hangover Fix
The best movies like The Hangover are Superbad, Old School, Wedding Crashers, Bridesmaids and 21 Jump Street. Old School and Due Date come from The Hangover’s director, Todd Phillips. Bad Moms comes from its writers, Jon Lucas and Scott Moore.
Watch picker
Which Movie Like The Hangover Should You Watch Tonight?
Pick a vibe and an era. Mark the ones you’ve seen, then spin the reel for tonight’s comedy.
- No. 20Bad Moms (2016)Critics 59%, audiences 63%
- No. 19Swingers (1996)Critics 87%, audiences 88%
- No. 18American Pie (1999)Critics 61%, audiences 61%
- No. 17Project X (2012)Critics 28%, audiences 61%
- No. 16Ted (2012)Critics 68%, audiences 73%
- No. 15Neighbors (2014)Critics 72%, audiences 63%
- No. 14Due Date (2010)Critics 39%, audiences 52%
- No. 13Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)Critics 64%, audiences 56%
- No. 12Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)Critics 75%, audiences 80%
- No. 11Horrible Bosses (2011)Critics 68%, audiences 70%
- No. 10Booksmart (2019)Critics 96%, audiences 77%
- No. 9Pineapple Express (2008)Critics 68%, audiences 73%
- No. 8This Is the End (2013)Critics 82%, audiences 71%
- No. 7Step Brothers (2008)Critics 54%, audiences 69%
- No. 6Game Night (2018)Critics 85%, audiences 78%
- No. 521 Jump Street (2012)Critics 85%, audiences 83%
- No. 4Bridesmaids (2011)Critics 89%, audiences 76%
- No. 3Wedding Crashers (2005)Critics 75%, audiences 70%
- No. 2Old School (2003)Critics 61%, audiences 86%
- No. 1Superbad (2007)Critics 88%, audiences 87%
Movies Like The Hangover at a Glance
| # | Film | The vibe | Runtime | Critics and audiences |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 | Bad Moms (2016) | Big parties | 1h 41m | 59% and 63% |
| 19 | Swingers (1996) | Buddy duo, road trip | 1h 36m | 87% and 88% |
| 18 | American Pie (1999) | Big parties | 1h 35m | 61% and 61% |
| 17 | Project X (2012) | One wild night | 1h 28m | 28% and 61% |
| 16 | Ted (2012) | Buddy duo | 1h 46m | 68% and 73% |
| 15 | Neighbors (2014) | Big parties | 1h 37m | 72% and 63% |
| 14 | Due Date (2010) | Road trip | 1h 35m | 39% and 52% |
| 13 | Hot Tub Time Machine (2010) | Big parties | 1h 39m | 64% and 56% |
| 12 | Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004) | One wild night, road trip | 1h 28m | 75% and 80% |
| 11 | Horrible Bosses (2011) | Buddy trio | 1h 38m | 68% and 70% |
| 10 | Booksmart (2019) | One wild night | 1h 42m | 96% and 77% |
| 9 | Pineapple Express (2008) | Buddy duo | 1h 52m | 68% and 73% |
| 8 | This Is the End (2013) | Big parties | 1h 47m | 82% and 71% |
| 7 | Step Brothers (2008) | Buddy duo | 1h 35m | 54% and 69% |
| 6 | Game Night (2018) | One wild night | 1h 40m | 85% and 78% |
| 5 | 21 Jump Street (2012) | Buddy duo | 1h 50m | 85% and 83% |
| 4 | Bridesmaids (2011) | Weddings | 2h 5m | 89% and 76% |
| 3 | Wedding Crashers (2005) | Weddings | 1h 59m | 75% and 70% |
| 2 | Old School (2003) | Big parties | 1h 30m | 61% and 86% |
| 1 | Superbad (2007) | One wild night | 1h 53m | 88% and 87% |
Project X has the biggest split. Critics gave it 28% and audiences gave it 61%. Booksmart goes the other way, with critics 19 points higher.
20) Bad Moms (2016)
Bad Moms is The Hangover’s writers turning the same wild energy on the PTA.
- Directors: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
- Written by: Jon Lucas and Scott Moore
- Stars: Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell, Kathryn Hahn, Christina Applegate
- Runtime: 1h 41m, rated R
- Box office: $180 million worldwide on a $20 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 59% from critics, 63% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: It’s from The Hangover’s writers
- Fun fact: The writers based a lot of it on home life. “We are happy to steal jokes from our wives,” Moore said.
Amy, Kiki and Carla are three worn-out mothers who quit trying to be perfect and go to war with the PTA. The big set pieces are a house party and a drunken rampage through the supermarket. It made nine times its budget.
19) Swingers (1996)
Swingers has the original guys’ trip to Las Vegas, 13 years before The Hangover.
- Director: Doug Liman
- Written by: Jon Favreau
- Stars: Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Ron Livingston, Heather Graham
- Runtime: 1h 36m, rated R
- Box office: $6.6 million worldwide on a budget of about $200,000
- Rotten Tomatoes: 87% from critics, 88% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: A last-minute Vegas trip with the boys, and Heather Graham, who plays Jade in The Hangover
- Fun fact: Favreau said he wrote the script in about a week and a half.
Mike is a heartbroken comic who has just moved to Los Angeles. His friend Trent drags him to Vegas to get over it, and the trip goes badly in all the best ways. It’s gentler than The Hangover, but it’s where Vince Vaughn’s fast-talking act began.
18) American Pie (1999)
American Pie set the rules for the raunchy R-rated friends comedy that The Hangover later broke box office records with.
- Director: Paul Weitz
- Written by: Adam Herz
- Stars: Jason Biggs, Alyson Hannigan, Chris Klein, Shannon Elizabeth
- Runtime: 1h 35m, rated R
- Box office: $235 million worldwide on a $12 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 61% from critics, 61% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Four friends, one pact and a big night at the end
- Fun fact: The ratings board first gave it an NC-17. Trimming the pie scene got it down to an R.
Four high school friends make a pact to lose their virginity before graduation, and it all builds to the post-prom party. It made almost 20 times its budget and launched a franchise.
17) Project X (2012)
Project X is one party, total destruction, produced by Todd Phillips.
- Director: Nima Nourizadeh
- Written by: Matt Drake and Michael Bacall
- Stars: Thomas Mann, Oliver Cooper, Jonathan Daniel Brown, Dax Flame
- Runtime: 1h 28m, rated R
- Box office: $103 million worldwide on a $12 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 28% from critics, 61% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Todd Phillips produced it, and the night ends in total chaos
- Fun fact: A copycat party in the Netherlands, promoted on Facebook as “Project X Haren,” turned into a riot with 34 arrests that night.
Three unpopular high school seniors throw a birthday party to raise their status, and it grows into a neighborhood-wrecking disaster. Critics hated it. Audiences didn’t, and the found-footage style makes it feel like you’re at the party.
16) Ted (2012)
Ted is a buddy comedy where the bad-influence best friend is a talking teddy bear.
- Director: Seth MacFarlane
- Written by: Seth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild
- Stars: Mark Wahlberg, Mila Kunis, Seth MacFarlane, Giovanni Ribisi
- Runtime: 1h 46m, rated R
- Box office: $556 million worldwide on a $50 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 68% from critics, 73% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: A grown man who can’t stop partying with his best friend
- Fun fact: MacFarlane performed Ted live on set in a motion capture suit while he was directing.
John’s childhood wish brought his teddy bear to life, and 27 years later Ted is still on the couch with him. John has to choose between his foul-mouthed best friend and growing up. Ted made more money than The Hangover, and its $54.4 million opening set a record for an original R-rated comedy.
15) Neighbors (2014)
Neighbors drags grown-ups back into all-night partying, this time against their will.
- Director: Nicholas Stoller
- Written by: Andrew J. Cohen and Brendan O’Brien
- Stars: Seth Rogen, Zac Efron, Rose Byrne, Dave Franco
- Runtime: 1h 37m, rated R
- Box office: $271 million worldwide on an $18 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 72% from critics, 63% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Thirtysomethings who think they’ve still got it, and parties that go too far
- Fun fact: The argument over who does the best Batman voice was improvised on the night.
Mac and Kelly are new parents. Then a fraternity led by Zac Efron’s Teddy moves in next door. What starts as a polite request to keep it down becomes a full war. It made 15 times its budget.
14) Due Date (2010)
Due Date is what Todd Phillips and Zach Galifianakis made between the first two Hangover films.
- Director: Todd Phillips
- Written by: Alan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, Adam Sztykiel and Todd Phillips
- Stars: Robert Downey Jr., Zach Galifianakis, Michelle Monaghan, Jamie Foxx
- Runtime: 1h 35m, rated R
- Box office: $212 million worldwide on a $65 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 39% from critics, 52% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Same director, and Galifianakis as another Alan-style oddball, Ethan
- Fun fact: Phillips told The A.V. Club he made it because “I wanted to work with Zach again.”
Peter is an uptight father-to-be who has to drive across the country with an aspiring actor, Ethan, to make it home for his baby’s birth. Ethan brings his dog and his father’s ashes in a coffee can. It’s the meanest film on this list, and audiences scored it lower than any other pick.
13) Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)
Hot Tub Time Machine is a boozy guys’ weekend that blacks out into 1986.
- Director: Steve Pink
- Written by: Josh Heald, Sean Anders and John Morris
- Stars: John Cusack, Rob Corddry, Craig Robinson, Clark Duke
- Runtime: 1h 39m, rated R
- Box office: $66 million worldwide on a $36 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 64% from critics, 56% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Friends, a ski lodge, too much to drink and a morning that makes no sense
- Fun fact: The director cast The Karate Kid’s William Zabka because he’s “just my favorite.”
Four friends stuck in middle age get drunk in a hot tub and wake up in 1986, with a second chance to fix their lives. It came out a year after The Hangover and drew constant comparisons to it. The title tells you exactly what you’re getting.
12) Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)
Harold & Kumar is one night on the road where everything goes wrong, all for a burger.
- Director: Danny Leiner
- Written by: Jon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
- Stars: John Cho, Kal Penn, Paula Garcés, Neil Patrick Harris
- Runtime: 1h 28m, rated R
- Box office: $19.5 million worldwide on a $9 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 75% from critics, 80% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: A night quest that keeps going wrong, and a celebrity playing a warped version of himself
- Fun fact: Kal Penn is a vegetarian, so he ate about 30 soy stand-in burgers on set.
Two stoned friends set off across New Jersey for White Castle burgers and hit one disaster after another, including a cheetah and a very strange Neil Patrick Harris. It flopped in theaters and found its audience at home, which led to two sequels.
11) Horrible Bosses (2011)
Horrible Bosses is three friends, one terrible plan and a night that keeps getting worse.
- Director: Seth Gordon
- Written by: Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein
- Stars: Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, Jason Sudeikis, Jennifer Aniston
- Runtime: 1h 38m, rated R
- Box office: $212 million worldwide on a $35 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 68% from critics, 70% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Three regular guys in way over their heads
- Fun fact: In the first draft, Aniston’s character wasn’t a dentist. She worked at a Best Buy.
Nick, Dale and Kurt hate their bosses enough to take advice from a “murder consultant” they meet in a bar. Everything they try goes wrong. Two of its writers went on to direct Game Night, number 6 on this list.
10) Booksmart (2019)
Booksmart is one wild night with a ticking clock, and the critics’ favorite on this list.
- Director: Olivia Wilde
- Written by: Emily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel and Katie Silberman
- Stars: Kaitlyn Dever, Beanie Feldstein, Jessica Williams, Jason Sudeikis
- Runtime: 1h 42m, rated R
- Box office: $25 million worldwide on a $6 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 96% from critics, 77% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Everything happens in one night, and each stop is weirder than the last
- Fun fact: The script made the 2009 Black List, then took a decade to reach the screen. Wilde shot it in 26 days.
Molly and Amy spent high school studying. The night before graduation, they find out the party kids got into good colleges too, and try to cram four years of fun into one night. It’s Superbad from the other side, and it’s sweeter than you’d expect.
9) Pineapple Express (2008)
Pineapple Express is a stoner buddy comedy that turns into an action movie.
- Director: David Gordon Green
- Written by: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
- Stars: Seth Rogen, James Franco, Gary Cole, Danny McBride
- Runtime: 1h 52m, rated R
- Box office: $102 million worldwide on a $26 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 68% from critics, 73% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Two friends, one bad decision and a criminal underworld, plus Ken Jeong, who plays Mr. Chow in The Hangover
- Fun fact: Producer Judd Apatow said the idea came from Brad Pitt’s stoner in True Romance.
Dale is a process server who witnesses a murder and drops a joint of rare weed at the scene. He and his dealer, Saul, go on the run. James Franco got a Golden Globe nomination for playing Saul.
8) This Is the End (2013)
This Is the End is a party that turns into the apocalypse.
- Directors: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
- Written by: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
- Stars: James Franco, Jonah Hill, Seth Rogen, Jay Baruchel
- Runtime: 1h 47m, rated R
- Box office: $127 million worldwide on a $32 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 82% from critics, 71% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Friends stuck together after a night that went very wrong
- Fun fact: Studios didn’t want actors playing themselves. Goldberg said every company in town turned them down, except Sony, which made it.
Seth Rogen and his friends play themselves at a party at James Franco’s house in Los Angeles. Then the biblical apocalypse starts outside. The actors are trapped together, and their egos are the bigger problem.
7) Step Brothers (2008)
Step Brothers is two grown men behaving like 12-year-olds, and it’s never once sensible.
- Director: Adam McKay
- Written by: Will Ferrell, Adam McKay and John C. Reilly
- Stars: Will Ferrell, John C. Reilly, Richard Jenkins, Mary Steenburgen
- Runtime: 1h 35m, rated R
- Box office: $128 million worldwide on a $65 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 54% from critics, 69% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Man-child chaos, and two Hangover actors, Ken Jeong and Rob Riggle
- Fun fact: They had so much fun writing that, Ferrell said, the first rough draft came out at 180 pages.
Brennan and Dale are fortysomethings who still live with their parents. When their parents marry, they have to share a room. Critics were split. Audiences quote it to this day.
6) Game Night (2018)
Game Night is the closest thing on this list to The Hangover’s plot: a fun night that turns into a real crime.
- Directors: John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein
- Written by: Mark Perez
- Stars: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Jesse Plemons
- Runtime: 1h 40m, rated R
- Box office: $118 million worldwide on a $37 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 85% from critics, 78% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: One night spirals out of control, and no one is sure what’s real
- Fun fact: The directors wanted Jesse Plemons as the creepy cop neighbor from the start.
Max and Annie’s competitive game night gets a twist when Max’s brother plans a murder-mystery party. Then the brother is really kidnapped, and the guests think it’s part of the game. It’s tightly plotted and properly funny, and it looks better than most comedies.
5) 21 Jump Street (2012)
21 Jump Street is a buddy cop comedy with a drug-fueled bender in the middle.
- Directors: Phil Lord and Christopher Miller
- Written by: Michael Bacall
- Stars: Jonah Hill, Channing Tatum, Brie Larson, Dave Franco
- Runtime: 1h 50m, rated R
- Box office: $203 million worldwide on a $42 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 85% from critics, 83% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Buddy chaos, and Rob Riggle, who plays Officer Franklin in The Hangover
- Fun fact: Johnny Depp’s cameo, from the original TV show, was Jonah Hill’s idea.
Schmidt and Jenko were opposites in high school. Now they’re rookie cops sent back undercover to bust a drug ring, and they find high school has changed. The jokes about reboots are as sharp as the action.
4) Bridesmaids (2011)
Bridesmaids is the wedding-party comedy told from the bridesmaids’ side.
- Director: Paul Feig
- Written by: Annie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig
- Stars: Kristen Wiig, Maya Rudolph, Rose Byrne, Melissa McCarthy
- Runtime: 2h 5m, rated R
- Box office: $290 million worldwide on a $32.5 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 89% from critics, 76% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Pre-wedding disasters that keep escalating among friends
- Fun fact: The food poisoning scene wasn’t in the early drafts. Wiig said it came later in the writing.
Annie is broke and single when her best friend Lillian asks her to be maid of honor. A rich, perfect rival bridesmaid turns every event into a competition. It was nominated for two Oscars, for its script and for Melissa McCarthy. It also passes the Bechdel test.
3) Wedding Crashers (2005)
Wedding Crashers is two friends at a wedding that gets out of hand, with Bradley Cooper as the villain.
- Director: David Dobkin
- Written by: Steve Faber and Bob Fisher
- Stars: Owen Wilson, Vince Vaughn, Rachel McAdams, Christopher Walken
- Runtime: 1h 59m, rated R
- Box office: $283 million worldwide on a $40 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 75% from critics, 70% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Weddings, best friends and Bradley Cooper, four years before he played Phil
- Fun fact: Will Ferrell’s cameo as Chazz was added late. The director said the scene wasn’t in the movie at first.
John and Jeremy crash weddings for the free drinks. Then they crash the wedding of a cabinet secretary’s daughter, and John falls for a bridesmaid. A weekend at the family’s estate follows, and nothing goes to plan. It was one of the biggest comedies of 2005.
2) Old School (2003)
Old School is Todd Phillips’ first go at grown men behaving badly, six years before The Hangover.
- Director: Todd Phillips
- Written by: Scot Armstrong and Todd Phillips
- Stars: Luke Wilson, Will Ferrell, Vince Vaughn, Ellen Pompeo
- Runtime: 1h 30m, rated R
- Box office: $87 million worldwide on a $24 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 61% from critics, 86% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: Same director, same idea: men in their thirties chasing one more wild night
- Fun fact: There was no body double for Will Ferrell’s streak. “Will really did it,” Armstrong said.
Three friends in their thirties start an unofficial fraternity at Mitch’s new house near a college campus. Newlywed Frank “The Tank” slides straight back into his party days. Audiences rate it 25 points higher than critics do.
1) Superbad (2007)
Superbad is the best movie like The Hangover: one long night chasing one goal, with every stop worse than the last.
- Director: Greg Mottola
- Written by: Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
- Stars: Jonah Hill, Michael Cera, Christopher Mintz-Plasse, Bill Hader
- Runtime: 1h 53m, rated R
- Box office: $170 million worldwide on a $17.5 million budget
- Rotten Tomatoes: 88% from critics, 87% from audiences
- Like The Hangover because: One night, one mission and two cops who make everything worse
- Fun fact: Rogen and Goldberg started writing it when they were 14 and 13.
Seth and Evan are best friends about to go to different colleges. They promise to bring alcohol to a party to impress two girls, and McLovin’s fake ID sets off a night of disasters. Critics and audiences both score it in the high 80s, and it made almost 10 times its budget. If you liked it, try our list of movies like Superbad.
FAQs
Is The Hangover based on a true story?
Partly. Producer Tripp Vinson got separated from his friends at his own bachelor party and couldn’t remember the night. The writers built the film from that.
How much money did The Hangover make?
$465 million worldwide on a $35 million budget. In 2009 it became the highest-grossing R-rated comedy in the US, and it won the Golden Globe for Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy.
How many Hangover movies are there?
Three. The Hangover Part II came out in 2011 and broke the first film’s worldwide record for an R-rated comedy. The Hangover Part III followed in 2013.
Final Cut
The best movies like The Hangover don’t copy its plot. They copy its promise that one night can change everything. Start with Superbad for the closest feel, Old School or Due Date for more Todd Phillips, and Game Night if you want the mystery too. Then use the picker above to choose by vibe, and mark off what you’ve already seen.
iFILMthings presents
20 Movies Like The Hangover
- No. 20Bad Moms (2016)DirectorsJon Lucas and Scott MooreWritten byJon Lucas and Scott Moore
- No. 19Swingers (1996)DirectorDoug LimanWritten byJon Favreau
- No. 18American Pie (1999)DirectorPaul WeitzWritten byAdam Herz
- No. 17Project X (2012)DirectorNima NourizadehWritten byMatt Drake and Michael Bacall
- No. 16Ted (2012)DirectorSeth MacFarlaneWritten bySeth MacFarlane, Alec Sulkin and Wellesley Wild
- No. 15Neighbors (2014)DirectorNicholas StollerWritten byAndrew J. Cohen and Brendan O'Brien
- No. 14Due Date (2010)DirectorTodd PhillipsWritten byAlan R. Cohen, Alan Freedland, Adam Sztykiel and Todd Phillips
- No. 13Hot Tub Time Machine (2010)DirectorSteve PinkWritten byJosh Heald, Sean Anders and John Morris
- No. 12Harold & Kumar Go to White Castle (2004)DirectorDanny LeinerWritten byJon Hurwitz and Hayden Schlossberg
- No. 11Horrible Bosses (2011)DirectorSeth GordonWritten byMichael Markowitz, John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein
- No. 10Booksmart (2019)DirectorOlivia WildeWritten byEmily Halpern, Sarah Haskins, Susanna Fogel and Katie Silberman
- No. 9Pineapple Express (2008)DirectorDavid Gordon GreenWritten bySeth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
- No. 8This Is the End (2013)DirectorsSeth Rogen and Evan GoldbergWritten bySeth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
- No. 7Step Brothers (2008)DirectorAdam McKayWritten byWill Ferrell, Adam McKay and John C. Reilly
- No. 6Game Night (2018)DirectorsJohn Francis Daley and Jonathan GoldsteinWritten byMark Perez
- No. 521 Jump Street (2012)DirectorsPhil Lord and Christopher MillerWritten byMichael Bacall
- No. 4Bridesmaids (2011)DirectorPaul FeigWritten byAnnie Mumolo and Kristen Wiig
- No. 3Wedding Crashers (2005)DirectorDavid DobkinWritten bySteve Faber and Bob Fisher
- No. 2Old School (2003)DirectorTodd PhillipsWritten byScot Armstrong and Todd Phillips
- No. 1Superbad (2007)DirectorGreg MottolaWritten bySeth Rogen and Evan Goldberg
No tigers were harmed in the making of this list.
Jay Neill
Jay Neill is the founder and managing editor of iFILMthings and believes everyone should have access to the film resources they need to plan their filmmaking project, which is why he’s dedicated iFILMthings to helping all filmmakers.