Sort by Popularity - Most Popular Movies and TV Shows tagged with keyword "down-on-his-luck"
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1. Jerry Maguire (1996)
R | 139 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
When a sports agent has a moral epiphany and is fired for expressing it, he decides to put his new philosophy to the test as an independent agent with the only athlete who stays with him and his former colleague.
Director: Cameron Crowe | Stars: Tom Cruise, Cuba Gooding Jr., Renée Zellweger, Kelly Preston
Votes: 287,668 | Gross: $153.95M
2. Bad Times at the El Royale (2018)
R | 141 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
1969. Four strangers check in at the El Royale Hotel. The hotel is deserted, staffed by a single desk clerk. Some of the new guests' reasons for being there are less than innocent and some are not who they appear to be.
Director: Drew Goddard | Stars: Jeff Bridges, Cynthia Erivo, Dakota Johnson, Jon Hamm
Votes: 165,049 | Gross: $17.84M
3. St. Elmo's Fire (1985)
R | 110 min | Drama, Romance
A group of friends, just out of college, struggle with adulthood.
Director: Joel Schumacher | Stars: Demi Moore, Rob Lowe, Andrew McCarthy, Emilio Estevez
Votes: 46,497 | Gross: $37.80M
4. Mannequin (1987)
PG | 90 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
A young artist, searching for his vocation, makes a mannequin so perfect he falls in love with it. Finding the mannequin in a store window, he gets a job there and his creation comes to life.
Director: Michael Gottlieb | Stars: Andrew McCarthy, Kim Cattrall, Estelle Getty, James Spader
Votes: 35,788 | Gross: $42.72M
5. The Way Back (I) (2020)
R | 108 min | Drama, Sport
Jack Cunningham was a high school basketball phenom who walked away from the game, forfeiting his future. Years later, when he reluctantly accepts a coaching job at his alma mater, he may get one last shot at redemption.
Director: Gavin O'Connor | Stars: Ben Affleck, Al Madrigal, Janina Gavankar, Michaela Watkins
Votes: 53,076 | Gross: $13.59M
6. Kingpin (1996)
PG-13 | 114 min | Comedy, Sport
A star bowler whose career was prematurely "cut off" hopes to ride a new prodigy to success and riches.
Directors: Bobby Farrelly, Peter Farrelly | Stars: Woody Harrelson, Randy Quaid, Bill Murray, Vanessa Angel
Votes: 91,228 | Gross: $24.94M
7. Hardball (2001)
PG-13 | 106 min | Comedy, Drama, Sport
A gambling addict and ticket scalper living an aimless life reluctantly agrees to coach a Little League team from the Chicago projects as part of a loan agreement.
Director: Brian Robbins | Stars: Keanu Reeves, Diane Lane, John Hawkes, Bryan Hearne
Votes: 33,430 | Gross: $40.22M
8. The Rewrite (2014)
Not Rated | 107 min | Comedy, Romance
An Oscar-winning writer in a slump leaves Hollywood to teach screenwriting at a college on the East Coast, where he falls for a single mom taking classes there.
Director: Marc Lawrence | Stars: Hugh Grant, Whit Baldwin, Vanessa Wasche, Enid Graham
Votes: 22,312
9. 13 Sins (2014)
R | 93 min | Horror, Thriller
A cryptic phone call sets off a dangerous game of risks for Elliot, a down-on-his-luck salesman. The game promises increasing rewards for completing 13 tasks, each more sinister than the last.
Director: Daniel Stamm | Stars: Mark Webber, Devon Graye, Tom Bower, Rutina Wesley
Votes: 39,070 | Gross: $0.01M
10. Postal (2007)
R | 100 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
In the ironically named city of Paradise, a loser teams up with his cult-leading uncle to steal a peculiar bounty of riches from their local amusement park. The recently arrived Taliban have a similar focus, but a far more sinister intent.
Director: Uwe Boll | Stars: Zack Ward, Dave Foley, Verne Troyer, Chris Coppola
Votes: 24,142 | Gross: $18.01M
11. Overcomer (2019)
PG | 119 min | Drama, Family, Sport
A high-school basketball coach is asked to take over the cross-country program, where he encounters a troubled teen.
Director: Alex Kendrick | Stars: Alex Kendrick, Priscilla C. Shirer, Cameron Arnett, Shari Rigby
Votes: 5,721 | Gross: $26.25M
12. Miracle Beach (1992)
R | 88 min | Comedy, Romance
A down-on-his luck beach bum asks a cute female genie to help him seduce the woman of his dreams only to realize that he might be looking in the wrong place.
Director: Skott Snider | Stars: Dean Cameron, Ami Dolenz, Felicity Waterman, Brian Perry
Votes: 1,925
13. Lodge 49 (2018–2019)
TV-14 | 51 min | Comedy, Drama, Mystery
Fate deposits Dud on the doorstep of Lodge 49, a dusty fraternal order that offers cheap beer and strange alchemical philosophies.
Stars: Wyatt Russell, Brent Jennings, Sonya Cassidy, Linda Emond
Votes: 4,704
14. The Forger (2022)
116 min | Biography, Drama
Cioma Schönhaus, a 21-year-old Jewish man, escapes the Gestapo and saves lives thanks to his ability to forge passports. His other talent is forging his own identity.
Director: Maggie Peren | Stars: Louis Hofmann, Jonathan Berlin, Luna Wedler, Nina Gummich
Votes: 1,233
15. Last Chance Harvey (2008)
PG-13 | 93 min | Drama, Romance
In London for his daughter's wedding, a rumpled man finds his romantic spirits lifted by a new woman in his life.
Director: Joel Hopkins | Stars: Dustin Hoffman, Emma Thompson, Kathy Baker, Eileen Atkins
Votes: 22,446 | Gross: $14.88M
16. The Return of Captain Invincible (1983)
PG | 90 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Musical
During WWII, Captain Invincible fought against Nazis using superpowers. Later falsely accused of communism, he retires in Australia. When a secret US weapon gets stolen, he's called back but struggles with alcoholism.
Director: Philippe Mora | Stars: Alan Arkin, Christopher Lee, Kate Fitzpatrick, Bill Hunter
Votes: 1,001
17. Fedora (1978)
PG | 114 min | Drama, Romance
Down-on-his-luck Hollywood producer Barry 'Dutch' Detweiler attempts to lure Fedora, a famous but reclusive film actress, out of retirement only to discover the horrible truth behind her success.
Director: Billy Wilder | Stars: William Holden, Marthe Keller, Hildegard Knef, José Ferrer
Votes: 5,201 | Gross: $2.20M
18. Spellcaster (1988)
R | 83 min | Fantasy, Horror, Mystery
A group of contestants travel to a castle in Italy to participate in a million dollar treasure hunt hidden on the premises. Little did they know, the lord of the castle hides a deadly secret.
Director: Rafal Zielinski | Stars: Adam Ant, Richard Blade, Gail O'Grady, Harold Pruett
Votes: 1,104
19. Hammett (1982)
PG | 97 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Fictional account of real-life mystery writer Dashiell Hammett, and his involvement in the investigation of a beautiful Chinese cabaret actress' mysterious disappearance in San Francisco.
Director: Wim Wenders | Stars: Frederic Forrest, Peter Boyle, Marilu Henner, Roy Kinnear
Votes: 3,702 | Gross: $0.04M
20. Pusher (I) (2012)
R | 89 min | Crime, Thriller
In London, a street dealer's life spins out of control over the course of one week after he borrows money from his supplier on what's supposed to be a sure thing.
Director: Luis Prieto | Stars: Richard Coyle, Bronson Webb, Agyness Deyn, Zlatko Buric
Votes: 4,987
21. Dance of the Dwarfs (1983)
PG | 93 min | Adventure, Horror
An anthropologist hires a down-on-his-luck helicopter pilot to fly her into the jungle, where she is searching for a scientist who is investigating reports of a tribe of reptile-men.
Director: Gus Trikonis | Stars: Deborah Raffin, Peter Fonda, John Amos, Carlos Palomino
Votes: 327
22. A Bit of a Do (1989)
60 min | Comedy, Drama
The television comedy followed two families in a Yorkshire town, the working-class Simcocks and middle-class Rodenhursts, through social events. It was based on books by David Nobbs, who also created Reginald Perrin.
Stars: David Jason, Gwen Taylor, Nicola Pagett, Stephanie Cole
Votes: 231
23. Elves (1989)
PG-13 | 89 min | Horror
A woman finds she is part of a Nazi breeding experiment with elves to create supermen. She and friends are trapped in a store with an elf. Only a renegade Santa Claus can save them.
Director: Jeffrey Mandel | Stars: Dan Haggerty, Julie Austin, Deanna Lund, Borah Silver
Votes: 1,802
24. How Long Will I Love U (2018)
101 min | Comedy, Fantasy, Romance
A woman from 2018 and a man from 1999 wake up in the same bed. They discover they can time travel using the bedroom door, and make changes to their eras, but that their destinies may not be in their own hands.
Director: Lun Su | Stars: Jiayin Lei, Liya Tong, Hao Chen, Ming Fan
Votes: 1,279 | Gross: $0.75M
25. They Made Me a Criminal (1939)
Approved | 92 min | Crime, Drama, Film-Noir
A champion boxer on the lamb, believed to have committed murder while drunk, takes refuge and finds redemption at a farm for delinquent youths.
Director: Busby Berkeley | Stars: John Garfield, Claude Rains, The Dead End Kids, Ann Sheridan
Votes: 2,597
26. A Warning to the Curious (1972 TV Movie)
50 min | Drama, Horror, Mystery
An archaeologist goes treasure hunting along the English coast in search of a lost, fabled crown that supposedly helps protect Great Britain against invasion, but uncovers something much more sinister.
Director: Lawrence Gordon Clark | Stars: Peter Vaughan, Clive Swift, Julian Herington, John Kearney
Votes: 1,649
27. Looking for Kitty (2004)
R | 95 min | Comedy, Drama
A high school baseball coach (Krumholtz) and a down-on-his-luck private investigator (Burns) form a bond as they scour New York City for the coach's wife, who's run away with a second-rate ... See full summary »
Director: Edward Burns | Stars: Max Baker, Connie Britton, Edward Burns, Craig Carlisle
Votes: 962 | Gross: $0.00M
28. Sortie En Mer (2013)
Short, Adventure, Horror
You are on a boat with your friend Charles, everything is normal until a piece of the boat falls on you and drop into the ocean. Helpless, you try to survive.
Director: Guy Cotten
29. Vic (2006)
Unrated | 30 min | Short, Drama
"Vic" chronicles a few days in the life of Vic Reeves, a down-on-his-luck Los Angeles actor in his seventies. Haunted by memories of his former glory days in Hollywood, his dreams of ... See full summary »
Director: Sage Stallone | Stars: Clu Gulager, Tom Gulager, Miriam Byrd-Nethery, Carol Lynley
Votes: 180
30. Treacle Jr. (2010)
82 min | Drama
Tom is forty. He walks out one day, rather abruptly, on his wife and baby boy and his seemingly happy life. He finds himself living on the streets of London. One night alone in a park he is... See full summary »
Director: Jamie Thraves | Stars: Thomas Murray-Leslie, Elizabeth Murray-Leslie, Tom Fisher, Jonathan Thomas
Votes: 649
31. Sorry, Steve
6 min | Short, Drama | Completed
Steve, a middle-aged man down on his luck, tries to break boundaries to get help and companionship from a distanced friend.
Director: Brandon Spring | Stars: Anton Nassif, Willan Faris, Nicholas Garabedian, Christopher Faris
32. Running Turtle (2009)
117 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
Jo Pil-seong, a rural detective, is an unhappy husband, often blamed by his older wife for gambling. Despite her being hard on him, he steals money from her to bet on bull butting. ... See full summary »
Director: Yeon-woo Lee | Stars: Kim Yoon-seok, Jung Kyung-ho, Seon Woo-seon, Gyeon Mi-ri
Votes: 676
33. 365 Nights in Hollywood (1934)
Passed | 77 min | Comedy, Music, Romance
Down-on-his-luck film director Jimmie Dale takes a job at a fly-by-night acting school.
Director: George Marshall | Stars: James Dunn, Alice Faye, Frank Mitchell, Jack Durant
Votes: 177
34. Ace Jackson Is a Dead Man (2015 Video)
75 min | Crime, Thriller
A man has to pay back a gangster for stolen drugs to save his own life.
Directors: Sean Weathers, Aswad Issa | Stars: David A. Bynoe, Waliek Crandall, Buddy Love, Sean Weathers
Votes: 30
35. The Barefoot Prince (1966)
91 min | Comedy, Musical
Run out of options and in desperate need of cash, a down-and-out young man accepts his rich hotelier friend's preposterous proposal to impersonate an exotic Arab Prince. But what does the bride-to-be has to say about this scandalous farce?
Director: Giannis Dalianidis | Stars: Kostas Voutsas, Martha Karagianni, Dionysis Papagiannopoulos, Vagelis Seilinos
Votes: 468
36. The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1964)
100 min | Drama
An out-of-work Irish immigrant in Montreal remains hopeful that his luck is about to change but his disillusioned family grow tired of his pigheadedness and instability.
Director: Irvin Kershner | Stars: Robert Shaw, Mary Ure, Liam Redmond, Tom Harvey
Votes: 314
37. Veer! (2012)
Not Rated | 87 min | Comedy, Drama, Romance
Jesse Sorensen ruled Florida as a pro skateboarder for over a decade. He had it all - a lucrative skateboarding contract, girls, fame and an extravagant lifestyle. Now six years later, past... See full summary »
Director: Patrick Barry | Stars: Jesse Gay, Erin Cline, James Nguyen, Corsica Wilson
Votes: 81 | Gross: $0.00M
38. Kidnapped in Paradise (1999 TV Movie)
PG-13 | 91 min | Crime, Thriller
A woman engages a down-on-his-luck sailor to help her find her sister, who was kidnapped by modern day pirates.
Director: Rob Hedden | Stars: Joely Fisher, Charlotte Ross, Robert Knepper, David Beecroft
Votes: 309
39. Duet for Four (1982)
97 min | Drama
A middle aged man deals with various problems. His wife is cheating on him, his own mistress wants to get married, his daughter is showing signs of drug addiction, and his business may be taken over.
Director: Tim Burstall | Stars: Michael Preston, Wendy Hughes, Michael Pate, Diane Cilento
Votes: 69
40. Noctropolis (1994 Video Game)
M | Action, Adventure, Fantasy
Peter Grey is a guy who owns a bookstore and is a huge fan of the "Darksheer" comic book series. Darksheer is a superhero, and with his partner Stiletto, a former supervillain, is the ... See full summary »
Director: Shaun Mitchell | Stars: Owen Richardson, Michael Robert Berger, Brittney Lewis, Sarah Schaub
Votes: 54
41. Giuoco terapia (2016)
42 min | Short, Action, Comedy
Directors: Mario Palladino, Nicola Palmieri | Stars: Nicola Palmieri, Mario Palladino, Veronica Cuscusa, Giuseppe Villani
Votes: 36
43. Stephen Faulkner: J'm'en va r'viendre (2011)
87 min | Documentary, Biography, Music
After briefly considering hanging up his hat, singer-songwriter Stephen Cassonade Faulkner decides to tour again with a young group led by musician Carl Prevost. This urban cowboy and ... See full summary »
Director: Sarah Fortin | Star: Stephen Faulkner
Votes: 14
44. To Win the Lottery (1970)
91 min | Comedy
After toiling away for eighteen years at a big corporation, a meek accountant turns his luck around when he wins the football sweepstake. Perhaps, now, the statuesque music diva, Lola, will notice him; however, is money everything in life?
Director: Dinos Dimopoulos | Stars: Dinos Iliopoulos, Anna Matzourani, Dionysis Papagiannopoulos, Rika Dialyna
Votes: 58
45. The Lucky One (1968)
80 min | Comedy
A countryman arrives in Athens to make it big and becomes a millionaire overnight. However, a duo of swindlers has set their sights on getting their hands on his fortune. Will he discover the hard way that more money means more problems?
Director: Errikos Thalassinos | Stars: Kostas Hatzihristos, Nikos Rizos, Nikos Fermas, Elsa Rizou
Votes: 44
46. In Search of Alfred the Great (1980 TV Movie)
40 min | Documentary, Biography
The only British monarch bestowed with the superlative of Great ruled during the age of the Vikings. This short documentary sheds new light on the legacy of the king who created England.
Stars: David Hill, David Hinton, Phil Holdsworth, Michael Wood
Votes: 14
47.
Becker (1998–2004)
Episode:
Dog Days
(2001)
TV-PG | Comedy
A con man posing as a homeless person deceives everyone at the diner. In need of extra cash, Margaret takes on a second job, then regrets it.
Director: Darryl Bates | Stars: Ted Danson, Terry Farrell, Hattie Winston, Shawnee Smith
Votes: 97
48.
Darkroom (1981–1982)
Episode:
Make-Up
(1981)
60 min | Drama, Fantasy, Horror
A guy who's down and out, buys a make up case from a old woman who says that it belonged to her husband who's an actor. She says she heard that whenever he puts on the make up he becomes ... See full summary »
Director: Curtis Harrington | Stars: James Coburn, Billy Crystal, Brian Dennehy, Sian Barbara Allen
Votes: 41
49.
Goodnight Sweetheart (1993–2016)
Episode:
Just One More Chance
(1995)
Not Rated | 29 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Gary is due in court after his arrest for drink-driving.
Director: Robin Nash | Stars: Nicholas Lyndhurst, Dervla Kirwan, Michelle Holmes, Victor McGuire
Votes: 58
50.
Goodnight Sweetheart (1993–2016)
Episode:
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
(1998)
Not Rated | 29 min | Comedy, Drama, Fantasy
Gary meets his son, Michael, in the present-day.
Director: Robin Nash | Stars: Nicholas Lyndhurst, Elizabeth Carling, Emma Amos, Victor McGuire
Votes: 53