This week, The Bubble finally arrives on Netflix with an amazing cast list that is ready to deliver laughs upon laughs. The story follows the production of a film where there are quarantine restrictions, constant pressure and hilariously unexpected comedic moments.
If you want more of The Bubble's magic even after the end of the film, look no further, because there are numerous other features that will surely scratch that same itch on this list. While not all of them are about filming, they are all certain to make you chuckle at least a few times.
Ed Wood (1994) - Available On YouTube
This film, featuring Johnny Depp, captures the eccentric life of the real Hollywood director, Ed Wood, as he attempts to get his low budget films made with the help of his pal Bela Lugosi. It's in black in white, but Ed Wood's gooey center is lighthearted in nature.
The Bubble has the same realistic ode to filmmaking that this movie does because it ties in the real world stories and events that effect the grand industry of entertainment. The also both have a similarly sentimental core as is only right for their respective directors Tim Burton and Judd Apatow.
The Interview (2014) - Available On Hulu
The Interview was one of the most polarizing movies of 2014 as it follows a TV talk show host and his producer as they journey to North Korea to interview Kim Jong Un and become apart of a secret US plot to assassinate the leader. Much of what Franco and Rogen's characters do in this film is hilarious, but it's also because they know they need this interview to be taken seriously.
Just like The Bubble, this movie is all about showbusiness and making sure the show must go on no matter how intense the circumstances become. Not to mention, there's loads of comedy and an amazing final spectacle set to Katy Perry's "Firework."
Don't Look Up (2021) - Available On Netflix
Don't Look Up was an Oscar nominated film this year and just like The Bubble, it has a stacked cast list featuring big names like Jennifer Lawrence, Timothee Chalamet and Leonardo DiCaprio. The film follows a group of scientists in Michigan who discover a comet that is going to impact the Earth and cause an extinction level event.
What makes this movie so similar to The Bubble is the fact that it has a good mix of drama and comedy, while also putting together a message that's really about our present day struggles whether that be COVID or the lack of unity to fight something that will cause our extinction such as climate change.
Funny People (2009) - Available On YouTube
Funny People follows a comedian who learns he has a fatal disease and decides to mentor a younger comedian as he tries to put his life in order for the end only to unexpectedly go into remission.
It's another film by Judd Apatow that features a wonderful cast of characters including Maude Apatow and Leslie Mann who are also in The Bubble. The movie is tonally extremely similar to The Bubble and both of them have the artistic qualities because they have the same director.
Knocked Up (2007) - Available On Hulu
Knocked Up is about a woman who gets pregnant from a one night stand and gives the slacker father a chance to prove he wants to be in their child's life. It's a comedy film that embraces the twists and turns of normal life that can change two people for the better.
Knocked Up is also another film by Judd Apatow that is loosely based off his own life experiences, and it has a similar unexpectedly funny comedic tone to it that is comparable to The Bubble. While it's not as fast paced of a story, it is sweet and truthful.
The Disaster Artist (2017) - Available On Netflix
The Disaster Artist is the Franco brothers' re-telling of how Tommy Wiseau came to make The Room, one of the most popular cult films to ever exist. They even were able to have the help of Tommy himself to make the story of the film true to life.
This film is like The Bubble because it's also about trying to get a film made even though it seems like an impossible quest. With that being said, this film is certainly a little raunchier and it can be just plain weird at times as it attempts to capture Wiseau's filmmaking process.
Anchorman (2004) - Available On Amazon Prime
Anchorman follows Ron Burgundy, a news reporter who gets concerned that his new female cohost is getting more attention than he is. This hilarious comedy features a whole slew of great actors who do and say the most ridiculous things to make audiences crack up.
This film is like The Bubble because it is about TV stars, albeit smaller ones, who constantly fight and bicker even while cameras are rolling in their studio. Overall, it's a great film that deals with the same struggles of trying to soothe different big personalities into behaving on set.
Hail, Caesar! (2016) - Available On Netflix
Hail, Caesar! is one of the best films out there about working in Hollywood in its prime, and it has an amazing cast list that includes George Clooney, Scarlett Johansson, Channing Tatum and many more. It follows a producer, played by Josh Brolin, who tries to juggle multiple projects when one of his biggest stars gets kidnapped by communists.
This film is like The Bubble in the fact it is an ode to the ridiculous and wonderful act of filmmaking. They both have this spark of hilarity that relates to their respective time periods, which audiences will most definitely love to see.
Borat Subsequent MovieFilm (2020) - Available On Amazon Prime
Borat Subsequent MovieFilm is a great overlooked film and it's a jaw-dropping watch. It is the second installment of Sasha Baron Cohen's Borat franchise and it perfectly captures the essence of living in America through the 2020 election, COVID, and everything else that's dividing our country.
This semi-scripted story is full of shock value and relevant and relatable messages about living in a pandemic that are also addressed in The Bubble. This movie aims to throw up a mirror and show Americans how ridiculous life in the US really is in 2020.
Tropic Thunder (2008) - Available On Amazon Prime
Tropic Thunder has a great cast and although it can be seen as controversial today for some of its off color humor, it's most like The Bubble in of premise. The film follows a group of actors who are flown into Vietnam to film their war movie, but when they are told to go off script, their production goes south when they run into a heavily armed drug smuggling operation.
Tropic Thunder is one of the best films about the film industry. It is full of slapstick comedy and fake commercials that really enhance and develop the world that this movie is set in quite nicely. It's a must watch for any fan of The Bubble.
