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If You Love 'The Paper,' There's One Movie You Need to Watch Next

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42 min read

If You Love 'The Paper,' There's One Movie You Need to Watch Next

Executive DigestOriginal Reporting by Lifehacker

This is a curated overview of the story reported by Lifehacker. Full text remains copyright of the publisher.

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The Paper isn’t exactly a sequel to The Office—despite existing in the same universe and sharing the character Oscar Nuñez (played by Office alum Oscar Martinez), the show is its own animal. Unlike Michael Scott, Ned Sampson (Domhnall Gleeson) has a noble quest in saving the Toledo Truth Teller from the sad fate facing most local newspapers, and that shift in focus gives The Paper its own identity. And yet it’s as hilarious as The Office ever was, filled with the same mockumentary-inspired spit-takes and ridiculous capers (largely thanks to Esmeralda, played by Sabrina Impacciatore, who is kind of like Michael and Dwight rolled into one spectacular character).

If you’ve already torn through the show’s first two seasons and you’ve watched all the streamalike shows out there, then the next move is obvious: Watch the 1994 film The Paper.

The Paper is a hilarious newspaper story on a larger scale

Although they share a title, there’s no direct connection between the show and the movie—but they’re more similar than you might think. Both are focused on the slow, grinding decline of journalism in America; Ned wants to return the Truth Teller to something resembling a real newspaper, and metro editor Henry Hackett (Michael Keaton) wants to save The New York Sun from (you guessed it) steep budget cuts and an ownership more interested in monetizing its assets than great journalism.

1994’s The Paper, directed by Ron Howard and co-written by David Koepp and his brother Stephen (then an editor at Time Magazine), has a very different style of comedy from The Paper’s mockumentary approach—it’s rougher, edgier, and comes from the fast-paced, motor-mouthed screwball comedy tradition. But it’s just as funny, from the swirl of overheard conversations in the busy newsroom (this is a film that rewards multiple viewings to catch all the little jokes) to the way Keaton’s performance edges closer and closer to Beetlejuice territory as the pressure on Henry mounts (seriously, by the end of the infamous phone-call scene, he’s basically channeling the undead bio-exorcist).

If you’re looking for a comedy like the Peacock show, one that celebrates both journalism and the human beings who think it matters, you’ll definitely love this movie. Plus, it’s got a stacked cast: Aside from Keaton operating at his absolute peak, you’ve got Glenn Close, Robert Duvall, and Marisa Tomei, and Jason Alexander and Catherine O’Hara in small but memorable roles. And if the sort of big tabloid newspaper like The New York Sun is almost extinct these days, that’s part of what makes the movie so effective—just like the series, it starts with the assumption that these papers and the people who work at them matter, and are worth celebrating. Rent The Paper on Prime Video.

The Paper (1994)

$3.99 at Prime Video

More movies like The Paper

Need more journalistic levity than The Paper (and The Paper) can provide? Read on for more movie suggestions that fans of the show will love.

Broadcast News (1987)

A massive critical and box-office hit in 1987, James L. Brooks' Broadcast News is more of a dramedy than a straightforward comedy—though it has many hilarious moments, including the scene where aspiring news anchor Aaron (Albert Brooks) can’t stop sweating during his big chance on camera. Holly Hunter plays a sharp producer torn between her journalistic ethics and her attraction to a slick but not particularly bright (or ethical) new anchor, played by a hilariously befuddled William Hurt. Its journalistic setting and its concerns over an institution being destroyed by corporate interests and abandoned principles will resonate with fans of The Paper—and it’s a terrific movie in general. Rent Broadcast News on Prime Video.

Broadcast News (1987)

$3.99 at Prime Video

Between the Lines (1977)

Want another comedy set in the offices of a struggling newspaper? Check out this forgotten classic from director Joan Micklin Silver (Crossing Delancey). In the mid-1970s, The Back Bay Mainline is a local alternative newspaper struggling to transition from its activist origins to a more mature business. The offices are shabby, the staff underpaid (a truly funny Jeff Goldblum plays music critic Max Arloft, who notes at one point that he takes home $75 a week, which would be about $11k per year in 2026 money), and the question of whether their revolutionary days actually achieved anything hangs in the air as a corporate takeover looms on the horizon. The humor is more subtle and the gender politics are, well, what you might expect from 1976—but there’s charm to spare. Stream Between the Lines on Kanopy or Tubi, or rent it on Prime Video.

Between the Lines (1977)

$2.99 at Prime Video

His Girl Friday (1940)

If you want fast-paced, crackling humor with a newspaper backdrop, this all-timer is a must-watch. When newspaper editor Walter Burns (Cary Grant in Ultra Cary Grant Mode) discovers his best reporter (and ex-wife), Hildy (Rosalind Russell), is not only getting married but also leaving her career, he decides to win her back and keep her at the paper. He asks her to cover one last story while doing everything he can to ruin her new relationship and convince her that she’s meant to be a reporter—and with him. The dialogue is incredibly fast, very funny, and any fan of The Paper will love it. Stream His Gal Friday on The Roku Channel, Kanopy, Hoopla, or Fubo, or rent it on Prime Video.

His Girl Friday (1940)

$2.99 at Prime Video

Morning Glory (2010)

This sweet, funny romantic comedy follows Becky Fuller (Rachel McAdams), who accepts a job as producer at struggling morning show DayBreak. Finding the production in chaos, she uses contractual magic to force veteran newscaster Mike Pomeroy (a crusty Harrison Ford) to become the show’s co-host alongside Colleen Peck (Diane Keaton), to his horror. The battle of wills between Becky and Mike, the battle to save the show, and Becky’s struggle to be taken seriously by the men around her (including her love interest, fellow producer Adam (Patrick Wilson), are packed with sharp jokes and observations about the modern age of news and media—perfect for fans of The Paper. Stream Morning Glory on Kanopy or Hoopla, or rent it on Prime Video.

Morning Glory (2010)

$4.99 at Prime Video

Best in Show (2000)

Any time fans of a mockumentary-style comedy go looking for a movie, they will eventually find their way to one of Christopher Guest’s classic entries. For fans of The Paper, the best choice from that list is Best in Show. Co-written with Schitt’s Creek’s Eugene Levy, the setting (a national dog show) couldn’t be further from a tiny Midwest newspaper, but the vibe and joke structures are the same, with “talking head” interviews delivering plenty of belly laughs from folks who are so deep in the sauce of their subculture they don’t see how bizarre it looks to outsiders—but, just like Ned’s belief in the power of journalism, underneath all the jokes is a sweet sincerity. If your favorite part about The Paper is the documentary conceit, check this one out. Stream Best in Show on The Roku Channel, Plex, or Tubi, or rent it on Prime Video.