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Central Intelligence poster

Movies that feel likeCentral Intelligence (2016)

Calvin Joyner, a mild-mannered accountant whose high school glory days are long behind him, reconnects with an awkward pal from high school through Facebook. After meeting up, Calvin’s mundane life takes an unexpectedly thrilling turn when he's thrust into the world of international espionage.

If you loved Central Intelligence, the closest films we have are Tower Heist (2011), Shaolin Soccer (2001) and Ride On (2023). All three share Central Intelligence's kinetic and witty feel, which is what we rank on before quality.

Seen the big three already? The under-the-radar pick below is The Prodigal Son (1981).

🍅 71% Rotten Tomatoes★ 6.3 IMDb ↗TMDB ↗dir. Rawson Marshall Thurberkineticwittyplayful
9 of 12 streaming nowNetflix · HBO Max · Amazon Prime Video

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If Central Intelligence hit the spot, these will too

Tower Heist poster
Tower Heist
2011 · dir. Brett Ratner
🍅 67%★ 6.2action · comedy

Kinetic where it counts, witty underneath

A luxury condo manager leads a staff of workers to seek payback on the Wall Street swindler who defrauded them. With only days until the billionaire gets away with the perfect crime, the unlikely crew of amateur thieves enlists the help of petty crook Slide to steal the $20 million they’re sure is hidden in the penthouse.

Shaolin Soccer poster
Shaolin Soccer
2001 · dir. Stephen Chow
🍅 89%★ 7.3action · comedy

Action built on play, twice over

A young Shaolin follower reunites with his discouraged brothers to form a soccer team using their martial art skills to their advantage.

Ride On poster
Ride On
2023 · dir. Larry Yang
🍅 66%★ 6.3action · comedy · dramaPrime VideoPeacock

Kinetic comedy in both cases

The difference: Sits closer to drama than Central Intelligence does

A washed-up stuntman and his stunt horse become an overnight social media sensation when their real-life fight with debt collectors goes viral.

Project A - Part II poster
Project A - Part II
1987 · dir. Jackie Chan
🍅 73%★ 7action · comedy

Both lean on wit more than on action

The difference: 29 years apart, and the 1980s show

Dragon is now transferred to be the police head of Sai Wan district, and has to contend with a gangster kingpin, anti-Manchu revolutionaries, some runaway pirates, Manchu Loyalists and a corrupt police superintendent.

Spy poster
Spy
2015 · dir. Paul Feig
🍅 94%★ 7action · comedy · crimeStarz

Both keep coming back to the same thing: spy

The difference: Leans harder into crime than Central Intelligence does

A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster.

The Prodigal Son poster
The Prodigal Son
1981 · dir. Sammo Hung
🍅 100%★ 7.3action · comedy

Playful comedy, and it commits to that

The difference: Critics rated this one higher still

A rich man's son believes himself to be the best kung fu fighter in Canton. Unfortunately, his father, anxious for his son's safety, bribes all his opponents to lose. After a humiliating defeat at the hands of an actor in a traveling theatre company, the son resolves to find a better teacher.

Red Notice poster
Red Notice
2021 · dir. Rawson Marshall Thurber
🍅 36%★ 6.3action · comedy · crimeNetflix

Rawson Marshall Thurber working the same nerve twice

An Interpol-issued Red Notice is a global alert to hunt and capture the world's most wanted. But when a daring heist brings together the FBI's top profiler and two rival criminals, there's no telling what will happen.

Knight and Day poster
Knight and Day
2010 · dir. James Mangold
🍅 51%★ 6.3action · comedyParamount+

Both are built on the same subject: spy

A fugitive couple goes on a glamorous and sometimes deadly adventure where nothing and no one – even themselves – are what they seem. Amid shifting alliances and unexpected betrayals, they race across the globe, with their survival ultimately hinging on the battle of truth vs. trust.

Grimsby poster
Grimsby
2016 · dir. Louis Leterrier
🍅 37%★ 6.2action · comedy

Action with a pulse of momentum, in both cases

Wrongfully accused and on the run, a top MI6 assassin joins forces with his long-lost, football hooligan brother to save the world from a sinister plot.

The Interview poster
The Interview
2014 · dir. Seth Rogen
🍅 51%★ 6.5action · comedyRent or buy

Comedy with a pulse of wit, in both cases

Dave Skylark and his producer Aaron Rapaport run the celebrity tabloid show "Skylark Tonight". When they land an interview with a surprise fan, North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un, they are recruited by the CIA to turn their trip to Pyongyang into an assassination mission.

Tag poster
Tag
2018 · dir. Jeff Tomsic
🍅 55%★ 6.5comedy · actionMax

Both sit in the same playful register

For one month every year, five highly competitive friends hit the ground running in a no-holds-barred game of tag they’ve been playing since the first grade. This year, the game coincides with the wedding of their only undefeated player, which should finally make him an easy target. But he knows they’re coming...and he’s ready.

Ride Along poster
Ride Along
2014 · dir. Tim Story
🍅 17%★ 6.1action · comedyNetflixStarz

Both know what they want from action

For the past two years, high-school security guard Ben has been trying to show decorated APD detective James that he's more than just a video-game junkie who's unworthy of James' sister, Angela. When Ben finally gets accepted into the academy, he thinks he's earned the seasoned policeman's respect and asks for his blessing to marry Angela. Knowing that a ride along will demonstrate if Ben has what it takes to take care of his sister, James invites him on a shift designed to scare the hell out of the trainee. But when the wild night leads them to the most notorious criminal in the city, James will find that his new partner's rapid-fire mouth is just as dangerous as the bullets speeding at it.

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