After eight long years, the final entry in the Magic Mike trilogy has danced its way into theaters. In honor of its release, here are some other movies you should check out.
Mike Lane is back! And he hasn’t lost any of that magic. Magic Mike’s Last Dance has swung its way into theaters and is topping the US box office with an opening of over $8 million!
While the film has proven to be divisive, it’s hard not to be impressed by the sheer fact that the Channing Tatum stripper movie has spawned a critically acclaimed trilogy. If you saw the film and wanted more movies like it, or if you just want something to watch this weekend, here are some great films akin to Magic Mike’s Last Dance.
Ocean’s Twelve
In many ways, the reaction we are seeing to Magic Mike’s Last Dance is the same one we saw in 2004 with Ocean’s Twelve. Both movies are directed by Steven Soderbergh, both are sequels to widely beloved star driven comedies, and both left audiences confused because they were fundamentally different from the previous entries in their respective franchises. While Ocean’s Eleven is a fun heist movie, and the first two Magic Mike movies are dance dramedies, Magic Mike’s Last Dance and Ocean’s Twelve take the characters we love from the previous films and put them in a European romance. While very different from the original 2001 film, Ocean’s Twelve is a hilarious and often deeply romantic film. Misunderstood at its release, many would argue this is the best of the Ocean’s trilogy and would make a fantastic pair with Last Dance.
Last Dance is the Ocean’s Twelve of the Magic Mike franchise. Shaggy, especially in the middle. Romantic. Earnest. Goes to Europe for some reason. Funny. Melancholic. Beautiful. Very misunderstood due to people wanting it to just be the same as the last one. I loved it. pic.twitter.com/nGnztfTjjb
— Mitchell Beaupre (@itismitchell) February 8, 2023
An American in Paris
While you won’t find Channing Tatum putting on any seductive dance shows in this 1951 musical, you will find a surprisingly similar plot and themes to Magic Mike’s Last Dance. An American in Paris is a classic MGM musical starring Gene Kelly. It follows Kelly as a struggling artist who is hired by a wealthy heiress to put on a show in Paris. Switch Kelly for Tatum, Paris for London, and cast Salma Hayek Pinault as the heiress, and you basically have Magic Mike’s Last Dance. An American in Paris has some of the most jaw dropping dance sequences ever put to film and managed to win 6 Academy Awards, including Best Picture. This all time classic is now streaming on HBOmax, and is definitely worth your time if you haven’t seen it already!
Saturday Night Fever
It’s hard not to be exposed to some form of Saturday Night Fever. From the parodies to the Bee Gees’ soundtrack to John Travolta’s classic outfits, you’ve probably seen at least some of this movie, even if you think you haven’t. While everyone remembers the music and the dancing, what many forget is that at its heart Saturday Night Fever is one of the best studio dramas of the 1970s. The film follows a very young John Travolta as Tony Manero, a young Italian man who uses the disco scene of 70s New York to escape the hardships of life. Tony is a very similar character to Mike Lane, a dancer with talent, not the brightest head (a lot of sex appeal), and non-stop financial worries. This movie is quotable, meme-able, but most importantly, entertaining and emotional. Saturday Night Fever is now streaming on both Amazon Prime and Paramount+.
The Last Days of Disco
This underrated 90s comedy stars Chloë Sevigny and Kate Beckinsale as two young women in the early 80s who spend their nights at their local disco in search of love and themselves. While the Magic Mike films have garnered praise for their use of the “female gaze,” The Last Days of Disco tackles female wants and desires in a much more personal and grounded way. The film focuses a lot on the central friendship between the two women, and it can often be quite moving. However, that never gets in the way of the film being laugh out loud funny, as well insanely energetic during the disco scenes. This hidden gem is well worth being sought out!
Hustlers
It would be easy to dismiss Hustlers as “Magic Mike, but about female stripers,” and while the two films do have a lot in common, Hustlers manages to carve out its own path and become a unique and gripping crime comedy. Starring Constance Wu and Jennifer Lopez (giving a career best performance), the film chronicles the true story of high end strippers who used their jobs to steal money from their Wall St. clients. A scathing critique of American capitalism, as well as the patriarchy, Hustlers is one of the best movies of 2019 and one of the few great movies about strippers. Check this one out if you haven’t already.
Make sure to check out all these great movies, as well as Magic Mike’s Last Dance! Let us know what you think about them on Twitter @AfterBuzz TV!
