10 Great Movies and TV Shows To Watch if You Love The Penguin (and Where to Stream Them)

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The Penguin recently premiered on HBO and has impressed critics and audiences with its unique blend of the superhero and gangster drama genres. Inspired by DC Comics, the series follows Oswald Cobb (Colin Farrell) as he strives to become the successor to Gotham’s former crime kingpin.

So far, The Penguin has earned stellar reviews for its dark tone, gritty premise, and deep dive into the psychology of one of DC’s most iconic villains. Viewers enjoying The Penguin can use our guide to find similar TV shows and movies to stream online now on platforms like Max, Netflix, Disney+, and more.

Arrow

Based on DC Comics’ Green Arrow comics, Arrow follows Oliver Queen (Stephen Amell), a billionaire playboy who disappears at sea with his father one day. Five years later, he returns as a changed man, becoming a vigilante to clean out the crime that has encroached on his city and business in his absence. Arrow boasts grit and a serious tone, though it does lean more into the superhero genre than the crime genre and is a less intense and violent alternative to The Penguin.

Daredevil

Based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name, Daredevil follows Matt Murdock (Charlie Cox), a blind lawyer who begins leading a double life as a vigilante to fight the crime kingpin Wilson Fisk (Vincent D’Onofrio). The series is delightfully dark, gritty, and action-packed, delving into complex themes of morality, justice, and religion while offering a mesmerizing and chilling villain in D’Onofrio’s Fisk. Daredevil parallels The Penguin with its exceptional quality, character studies, and iconic lead villain.

Gotham

As its title suggests, Gotham is set in the same city as The Penguin, although in a different universe/timeline. The series follows James Gordon (Ben McKenzie) as a rookie detective whose investigation into the murder of Bruce Wayne’s (David Mazouz) parents brings him face-to-face with Gotham’s most dangerous criminals. Both The Penguin and Gotham offer a gritty dive into corruption and crime, but Gotham does so from the perspective of an iconic hero rather than an iconic villain. 

Joker

Loosely based on the DC character of the same name, Joker follows Arthur Fleck (Joaquin Phoenix), a man disillusioned by poverty, abuse, and discrimination who begins descending into madness. The film is a riveting character study and a refreshing take on the iconic Batman villain that is elevated by its social commentary. Joker boasts a similar tone to The Penguin and tackles many of the same themes, especially since they both examine villains with disabilities who have experienced poverty and discrimination.

Pennyworth

Pennyworth is a prequel to Gotham and V for Vendetta that follows a young Alfred Pennyworth (Jack Bannon), who opens a security firm and catches the attention of the wealthy Wayne family. The series is more a spy thriller than a crime drama, but it offers the same gritty, mature tone as The Penguin, top-notch performances, intriguing social commentary, and a unique spin on Batman lore.

Scarface

Scarface is a crime drama that follows Tony Montana (Al Pacino), a Cuban refugee who arrives in America penniless but, believing he’s meant for something more, begins moving up in the criminal underworld to become a fearsome drug lord. Over the years, the film has become a cult classic, earning praise as a gangster epic offering a mesmerizing Pacino performance and an intriguing deep dive into morality. Meanwhile, Montana strongly parallels the Penguin as a villain who came from very little but never stopped believing he was destined for something bigger.

The Batman

The Batman is a must-watch for The Penguin fans, considering it debuts Farrell’s Penguin and kickstarts Matt Reeves’ Batverse. The film sees Batman (Robert Pattinson) investigating a string of grisly deaths in Gotham while struggling with his family’s past and whether the corrupt Gotham deserves saving. It plays out more like a film noir than a superhero movie with a dark and brooding tone and gorgeous cinematography, making it the perfect preface to the world of The Penguin.

The Godfather

The Godfather and its sequels are like The Penguin but without the superhero elements. The original is considered one of the greatest gangster dramas ever made, following the larger-than-life Corleone family as the young Michael Corleone (Pacino) joins the family business and begins his transformation into a mafia boss. The Godfather’s influence on The Penguin is evident with its Vito Corleone-esque main villain, exploration of crime families, and the story of a man’s descent deeper and deeper into the criminal underworld.

The Sopranos

While The Penguin appears to have drawn inspiration from numerous iconic crime bosses, Farrell seems to channel Tony Soprano the most. The Sopranos follows Tony (James Gandolfini), a mob boss who struggles to balance his criminal lifestyle and family life. Both The Penguin and The Sopranos are told from the villain’s POV and, in doing so, humanize the villains, adding numerous layers of complexity by painting them simultaneously as the villain, hero, and victim of the story.

The Untouchables

The Untouchables tells the true story of Eliot Ness (Kevin Costner), a Prohibition agent who formed a law enforcement team dubbed The Untouchables to take down crime boss Al Capone (Robert de Niro). The movie received high critical acclaim, including four Academy Award nominations, for its performances and thrilling premise. The Untouchables is an excellent alternative for viewers looking for a more realistic and slightly less bleak look at crime than The Penguin.

Where to watch movies and TV shows like The Penguin

Check our list below to find out where to stream these 10 TV shows and movies like The Penguin in the U.S.!

Disney Plus
Amazon Prime Video
Apple TV Plus
Apple TV
Hulu
Crunchyroll
Netflix
fuboTV
Max
Max Amazon Channel
Epix Amazon Channel
Crunchyroll Amazon Channel
Peacock Premium
Kocowa
Amazon Video
Google Play Movies
YouTube
Paramount Plus
Paramount+ with Showtime
Paramount Plus Apple TV Channel
Starz Apple TV Channel
AMC Plus Apple TV Channel
Britbox Apple TV Channel
Paramount+ Amazon Channel
Discovery+ Amazon Channel
AMC+ Amazon Channel
The Roku Channel
Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
Starz Roku Premium Channel
AMC+ Roku Premium Channel
AMC+
MGM Plus Roku Premium Channel
YouTube Premium
YouTube Free
Hoopla
The CW
Fandango At Home
Starz
VUDU Free
Criterion Channel
PBS
FXNow
Tubi TV
Kanopy
Microsoft Store
Sun Nxt
Crackle
AMC
AMC Theatres
Fandor
Curiosity Stream
NBC
MGM Plus
Freeform
History
A&E
Lifetime
Shudder
Acorn TV
Screambox
Sundance Now
GuideDoc
BritBox
MUBI
Netflix Kids
ALLBLK
History Vault
Yupp TV
MyOutdoorTV
WWE Network
Pure Flix
Lifetime Movie Club
PBS Kids Amazon Channel
Cinemax Amazon Channel
Hallmark Movies Now Amazon Channel
PBS Masterpiece Amazon Channel
MZ Choice Amazon Channel
Viewster Amazon Channel
Spamflix
Pluto TV
BYUtv
HiDive
VIX
Night Flight Plus
Retrocrush
Dekkoo
Shout! Factory TV
OVID
Chai Flicks
Mhz Choice
Vice TV
Shudder Amazon Channel
MUBI Amazon Channel
AcornTV Amazon Channel
BritBox Amazon Channel
Fandor Amazon Channel
Screambox Amazon Channel
Sundance Now Amazon Channel
Adult Swim
USA Network
Fox
Bet+ Amazon Channel
FlixFling
Rakuten Viki
AMC on Demand
TCM
TNT
Bravo TV
Food Network
BBC America
IndieFlix
TLC
AHCTV
HGTV
DIY Network
Investigation Discovery
Science Channel
Destination America
Animal Planet
Discovery Life
Discovery
Travel Channel
Cooking Channel
Here TV
VH1
DreamWorksTV Amazon Channel
Flix Premiere
TBS
AsianCrush
Revry
DOCSVILLE
OXYGEN
Spectrum On Demand
Hi-YAH
tru TV
DisneyNOW
WeTV
ARROW
Plex
Plex Live TV
Plex Player
WOW Presents Plus
Magellan TV
BroadwayHD
The Oprah Winfrey Network
Filmzie
Dogwoof On Demand
MovieSaints
True Story
Martha Stewart TV
DocAlliance Films
OnDemandKorea
Hoichoi
iQIYI
Metrograph
Freevee
Public Domain Movies
Eventive
Cultpix
aha
FilmBox+
ShortsTV Amazon Channel
Bet+
Takflix
Klassiki
Starz Amazon Channel
Netflix basic with Ads
Cohen Media Amazon Channel
Popflick
ViX Premium Amazon Channel
Runtime
Fandango
Telemundo
Discovery +
Reveel
Ovation TV
Angel Studios
Cineverse
AD tv
Midnight Pulp
FYI Network
Xumo Play
National Geographic
Atom Tickets
Shahid VIP
DistroTV
myfilmfriend
Cinemark
Outside Watch
Cinepolis Cinemas
Full Moon Amazon Channel
Citytv
Univer Video
GlewedTV
Toon Goggles
A&E Crime Central Apple TV Channel
Acorn TV Apple TV
ALLBLK Apple TV channel
UP Faith & Family Apple TV Channel
Tastemade Apple TV Channel
Sundance Now Apple TV Channel
Shudder Apple TV Channel
ScreenPix Apple TV Channel
OUTtv Apple TV Channel
Lifetime Movie Club Apple TV Channel
Hallmark Movies Now Apple TV Channel
Eros Now Select Apple TV Channel
CuriosityStream Apple TV Channel
Cinemax Apple TV Channel
BBC Select Apple Tv channel
BET+  Apple TV channel
Carnegie Hall+ Apple TV Channel
IFC Films Unlimited Apple TV Channel
HISTORY Vault Apple TV Channel
HISTORY Vault Amazon Channel
Carnegie Hall+ Amazon Channel
Lifetime Movie Club Amazon Channel
Film Movement Plus
Amazon Prime Video with Ads
Troma NOW
Regal Cinemas
Harkins Theatres
B&B Theatres
Marcus Theatres
Kino Film Collection
Tubi TV Live
Pluto TV Live
Cineverse LiveTV
Strand Releasing Amazon Channel
Peacock Premium Plus
ALLBLK Amazon channel
Flix House
Filters
  1. Arrow

    Arrow

    2012

    #1

    Spoiled billionaire playboy Oliver Queen is missing and presumed dead when his yacht is lost at sea. He returns five years later a changed man, determined to clean up the city as a hooded vigilante armed with a bow.

  2. Marvel's Daredevil

    Marvel's Daredevil

    2015

    #2

    Lawyer-by-day Matt Murdock uses his heightened senses from being blinded as a young boy to fight crime at night on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen as Daredevil.

  3. Gotham

    Gotham

    2014

    #3

    Everyone knows the name Commissioner Gordon. He is one of the crime world's greatest foes, a man whose reputation is synonymous with law and order. But what is known of Gordon's story and his rise from rookie detective to Police Commissioner? What did it take to navigate the multiple layers of corruption that secretly ruled Gotham City, the spawning ground of the world's most iconic villains? And what circumstances created them – the larger-than-life personas who would become Catwoman, The Penguin, The Riddler, Two-Face and The Joker?

  4. Joker

    Joker

    2019

    #4

    During the 1980s, a failed stand-up comedian is driven insane and turns to a life of crime and chaos in Gotham City while becoming an infamous psychopathic crime figure.

  5. Pennyworth: The Origin of Batman's Butler

    #5

    The origin story of Bruce Wayne's legendary butler, Alfred Pennyworth, a former British SAS soldier who forms a security company in 1960s London and goes to work with young billionaire Thomas Wayne and his wife Martha, before they become Bruce Wayne’s parents.

  6. Scarface

    Scarface

    1983

    #6

    After getting a green card in exchange for assassinating a Cuban government official, Tony Montana stakes a claim on the drug trade in Miami. Viciously murdering anyone who stands in his way, Tony eventually becomes the biggest drug lord in the state, controlling nearly all the cocaine that comes through Miami. But increased pressure from the police, wars with Colombian drug cartels and his own drug-fueled paranoia serve to fuel the flames of his eventual downfall.

  7. The Batman

    The Batman

    2022

    #7

    In his second year of fighting crime, Batman uncovers corruption in Gotham City that connects to his own family while facing a serial killer known as the Riddler.

  8. The Godfather

    The Godfather

    1972

    #8

    Spanning the years 1945 to 1955, a chronicle of the fictional Italian-American Corleone crime family. When organized crime family patriarch, Vito Corleone barely survives an attempt on his life, his youngest son, Michael steps in to take care of the would-be killers, launching a campaign of bloody revenge.

  9. The Sopranos

    The Sopranos

    1999

    #9

    The story of New Jersey-based Italian-American mobster Tony Soprano and the difficulties he faces as he tries to balance the conflicting requirements of his home life and the criminal organization he heads. Those difficulties are often highlighted through his ongoing professional relationship with psychiatrist Jennifer Melfi. The show features Tony's family members and Mafia associates in prominent roles and story arcs, most notably his wife Carmela and his cousin and protégé Christopher Moltisanti.

  10. The Untouchables

    The Untouchables

    1987

    #10

    Elliot Ness, an ambitious prohibition agent, is determined to take down Al Capone. In order to achieve this goal, he forms a group given the nickname “The Untouchables”.