Movies Like The Bad Guys for sly heist laughs and redemption arcs
Animated capers with slick rogues, trust issues, chase scenes, and soft-earned reform.
Animated capers with slick rogues, trust issues, chase scenes, and soft-earned reform.
Best first watch
Spies in Disguise (2019)
95% fit102 min · IMDb 6.8 · RT 76%
Like your seed movie, this animated caper pairs a slick rogue type with a team dynamic built on trust issues and reform. Nick Bruno and Troy Quane keep the chase scenes light and bouncy, while Lance Sterling and Walter Beckett learn to work past image, fear, and ego. The turn toward softer behavior feels earned through mishaps and mutual rescue.
Watch if
Watch if you want gadget-heavy chase scenes and a warm trust-building buddy setup.
Skip if
Skip if body-swap style gags and spy chaos wear you out.
For you if
- You want fast animated capers with a bickering crew and clever getaway energy.
- You enjoy redemption stories where smug rule-breakers slowly learn loyalty and empathy.
- You need family picks that keep kids laughing and give adults sharp character dynamics.
Not for you if
- You want grounded crime stories with serious danger and little cartoon silliness.
- You prefer slow, reflective animation over chase-heavy pacing and constant banter.
- You need very gentle viewing with almost no scheming, deception, or action peril.
How The Bad Guys (2022) alternatives compare
Pick Spies in Disguise if you want the closest match in buddy trust, sleek action, and easy family-night energy. Go with Puss in Boots for the most roguish charm and flirtier banter. Choose Megamind when you want the strongest redemption story and biggest moral turnaround. The Pirates! fits a lighter, sillier mood. The Lego Batman Movie works best when your group wants nonstop jokes and the loudest action.
How fast does it move?
Very quick
How much rogue charm?
Strong swagger
Trust and reform
Clear growth
Action and chase scenes
Frequent chases
How fast does it move?
Breezy quick
How much rogue charm?
Maximum swagger
Trust and reform
Betrayal and repair
Action and chase scenes
Swashbuckling action
How fast does it move?
Steady build
How much rogue charm?
Showy villain charm
Trust and reform
Full redemption
Action and chase scenes
Big super battles
How fast does it move?
Loose and bouncy
How much rogue charm?
Goofy rogue energy
Trust and reform
Light reform
Action and chase scenes
Scrappy pursuit
How fast does it move?
Full speed
How much rogue charm?
Big ego cool
Trust and reform
Found family growth
Action and chase scenes
Maximum chaos
Not ready to choose? Save these Animated Family Adventure picks for later
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Not sure what to watch?
Date night
Puss and Kitty Softpaws bring flirtation, swordplay, and playful trust games without losing the family-safe adventure mood.
Quick watch
The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012)
At eighty-eight minutes, it delivers a brisk burst of jokes, chases, and pirate chaos for a busy weeknight.
Friend group
The rapid jokes, big action, and familiar Gotham characters give a mixed-age group plenty to laugh at together.
Find your pick
Are you especially in the mood for handmade stop-motion and dry British absurdity?
Moments you loved
Best movies like The Bad Guys (2022)
1. Spies in Disguise (2019)
102 min · IMDb 6.8 · RT 76%
Like your seed movie, this animated caper pairs a slick rogue type with a team dynamic built on trust issues and reform. Nick Bruno and Troy Quane keep the chase scenes light and bouncy, while Lance Sterling and Walter Beckett learn to work past image, fear, and ego. The turn toward softer behavior feels earned through mishaps and mutual rescue.
Watch if
Watch if you want gadget-heavy chase scenes and a warm trust-building buddy setup.
Skip if
Skip if body-swap style gags and spy chaos wear you out.
Where to watch
2. Puss in Boots (2011)
90 min · IMDb 6.6 · RT 85%
This animated caper runs on the same slick rogues energy, with Puss and Kitty Softpaws circling each other through trust issues, double-crosses, and chase scenes. Chris Miller leans into storybook heists, dance-like swordplay, and a flirty pace. Humpty Dumpty adds the soft-earned reform angle by making old wounds matter.
Watch if
Watch if you want swashbuckling rogues, flirtation, and quick chase scenes.
Skip if
Skip if fairy-tale settings feel less exciting than modern team capers.
Where to watch
3. Megamind (2010)
96 min · IMDb 7.3 · RT 73%
This one shifts the caper setup into superhero spoof, but it keeps the same interest in slick rogues, public image, and soft-earned reform. Tom McGrath builds big comic action around Megamind's bad decisions and growing conscience. The chase scenes are louder, and the trust issues come from learning how to use power without the old villain routine.
Watch if
Watch if you want reform, big laughs, and louder action than a heist.
Skip if
Skip if you want a crew caper instead of a single villain's turnaround.
Where to watch
4. The Pirates! In an Adventure with Scientists! (2012)
88 min · IMDb 6.7 · RT 87%
This animated caper is looser and goofier, yet it still turns on rogues trying to win respect, messy trust issues, and a reform streak that sneaks up on you. Peter Lord favors handmade-looking chaos, crowded frames, and chase scenes through Victorian London. The Pirate Captain's bond with his crew gives the movie the same soft-hearted payoff.
Watch if
Watch if you like ragtag rogues, silly chase scenes, and British jokes.
Skip if
Skip if you want slick style over scruffy chaos.
Where to watch
5. The Lego Batman Movie (2017)
104 min · IMDb 7.3 · RT 89%
This one swaps the heist crew for a superhero loner, but the engine is still pride, trust issues, chase scenes, and soft-earned reform. Chris McKay pushes everything faster and louder, stacking brick-built action with jokes about image and control. Batman, Robin, and Joker create the same push-pull between swagger and genuine connection.
Watch if
Watch if you want rapid-fire jokes and chase scenes with family heart.
Skip if
Skip if nonstop reference humor crowds out the caper side for you.
Where to watch
Beyond movies
TV shows and books that scratch the same itch
Carmen Sandiego
This is an animated family adventure built around globe-trotting heists, escapes, double-crosses, and a thief with a conscience. It shares The Bad Guys' slick outlaw energy and its interest in whether a career rogue can earn trust without losing style.
Netflix
The Adventures of Puss in Boots
This series stays firmly in animated family adventure, with fast chases, swashbuckling thefts, and a hero whose ego keeps crashing into real loyalty. Like The Bad Guys, it mixes roguish charm with gradual reform and friendships that have to be earned.
Available for purchase on Prime Video and Apple TV+ and Google Play and Fandango
Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure
It fits the family adventure hub through big action set pieces, comic sidekicks, and a bright all-ages tone, while also leaning into thieves, pursuits, and characters learning who deserves their trust. It has a warmer fairy-tale style than The Bad Guys, but the mix of chase-heavy fun and soft-earned bonds lands close.
Disney+
Swindle
by Gordon Korman
Griffin Bing assembling a band of misfits to break into a heavily guarded store gives this book the same kid-friendly caper rush as The Bad Guys. It mixes slick schemes, teamwork, and rule-breaking heroes with a decent motive, which fits this family adventure page well.
Available at major bookstores
Common questions about movies like The Bad Guys (2022)
What is the best movie like The Bad Guys (2022)?
Based on our analysis, Spies in Disguise (2019) is the closest match with a 95% fit score. See the full breakdown above for why it earned the top spot.
Which of these can I put on for younger kids and adults together?
Spies in Disguise and The Pirates! are the safest all-ages bets because the jokes land simply and the peril stays buoyant. Puss in Boots works well for families too, though its betrayals hit a little harder. The Lego Batman Movie is great if everyone already enjoys fast joke density.
Which one should I avoid if someone in the room gets upset by conflict or betrayal?
Puss in Boots and Megamind lean hardest on broken trust, old grudges, and villain turns, so those can sting more. The Lego Batman Movie is the loudest and busiest. Spies in Disguise and The Pirates! keep the tension lighter and softer.
What should I watch if I want the warmest finish?
Spies in Disguise leaves you with the gentlest landing because Lance and Walter build real respect scene by scene. Megamind also ends on a satisfying growth beat, but it gets bigger and noisier before that payoff. Puss in Boots has more ache around friendship and betrayal.
Which is easiest for a weeknight when everyone is tired?
The Pirates! is the quickest commitment and feels breezy even when the jokes pile up. Puss in Boots is also short and easy to track. The Lego Batman Movie moves fast but asks you to keep up with constant references, while Megamind takes a little longer to settle in.
Which one is the silliest, and which one plays the coolest?
The Pirates! is the silliest by a mile, with Aardman's handmade chaos and a crew that keeps missing the point. Spies in Disguise plays the coolest with spy polish and gadget chases. Puss in Boots sits in the middle, mixing swagger with fairy-tale goofiness.
Where should I start if someone usually says they don't like animated movies?
Start with Spies in Disguise because its buddy-spy setup is instantly familiar, and Will Smith with Tom Holland make the banter easy to grab. Choose Puss in Boots if that person likes swashbucklers. Pick The Lego Batman Movie first if your group already knows Gotham and superhero jokes.
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