What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedA Simple Plan
Sam Raimi · Film · 1998
If you loved A Simple Plan, start with A Simple Plan (Scott Smith, 2007) — a book from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to A Simple Plan across media.
What hooked you in A Simple Plan was the way ordinary people spiral into ruin once greed overrides their moral compass.
Start with the source
Books on the same thread
The Talented Mr. Ripley
Patricia Highsmith · Book · 1992
Explores: Identity Theft, Moral Ambiguity, Obsession.
If the moral decay in A Simple Plan fascinated you, Tom Ripley’s chilling descent into obsession and identity theft offers a similarly gripping portrait of human corruption.
The Partner
John Grisham · Book · 1998
Shares 2 threads with A Simple Plan: Betrayal, Crime Thriller.
Much like the desperate protagonists in A Simple Plan, this story tracks the frantic, high-stakes consequences of financial crimes and the crushing weight of betrayal.
American Pastoral
Philip Roth · Book · 1998
Explores: The American Dream, Generational conflict, Loss of innocence.
This novel explores the fragile nature of the American Dream, mirroring the way A Simple Plan exposes how easily prosperity can collapse into total domestic catastrophe.
Tailspin
Sandra Brown · Book
Shares a thread with A Simple Plan: betrayal.
The high-stakes tension and forced proximity in this thriller capture the same suffocating atmosphere of paranoia that defines the doomed choices found in A Simple Plan.
Series on the same thread
Ozark
Bill Dubuque · Series · 2017
Shares 2 threads with A Simple Plan: Moral Decay, Neo-Noir.
Ozark echoes the narrative arc of A Simple Plan, showing how a family’s desperate attempt to secure money leads to an inescapable cycle of moral compromise.
Fargo
Noah Hawley · Series · 2014
Shares a thread with A Simple Plan: Neo-Noir.
This series captures the same rural noir energy of A Simple Plan, focusing on how ordinary, small-town lives are irrevocably shattered by sudden, escalating violence.
Your Friends & Neighbors
Jonathan Tropper · Series · 2025
Shares a thread with A Simple Plan: moral decay.
Just as in A Simple Plan, this story examines the exhilarating yet deadly trajectory of an ordinary person who turns to crime to escape their financial reality.
Breaking Bad
Vince Gilligan · Series · 2008
Shares 2 threads with A Simple Plan: Moral Decay, Neo-Noir.
If you were drawn to the tragic transformation in A Simple Plan, you will recognize the same slow, calculated descent into darkness driven by financial desperation here.
Podcasts on the same thread
Swindled
Podcast
Shares a thread with A Simple Plan: Greed.
This podcast explores the same themes of greed and corruption found in A Simple Plan, providing a real-world look at the devastating consequences of financial crimes.
Small Town Murder
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Shares a thread with A Simple Plan: rural noir.
Like A Simple Plan, this show highlights the dark, ironic intersection of provincial life and violent crime, proving that even the quietest towns harbor deep secrets.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is A Simple Plan based on a book?
Yes, A Simple Plan is based on a novel of the same name. The book was published in 2007 and serves as the original source material for the 1998 film directed by Sam Raimi.
What is the primary conflict in A Simple Plan?
The conflict in A Simple Plan centers on two brothers who discover four million dollars at a plane crash site. Their attempt to keep the money leads to greed, paranoia, and distrust as they struggle to avoid detection while managing the consequences of their actions.
Should I read the book or watch A Simple Plan first?
You can choose either order to experience A Simple Plan. Both the 1998 film and the 2007 book explore the same narrative regarding the discovery of the cash and the subsequent descent into panic and conflict, so the order does not change the core plot.
Does A Simple Plan involve a plane crash?
Yes, the plot of A Simple Plan is initiated when the characters discover a downed small airplane in a remote location. The discovery of four million dollars in cash inside the wreckage triggers the series of events that define the story.