What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedA Simple Plan
Scott Smith · Book · 2007
If you loved A Simple Plan, start with A Simple Plan (Sam Raimi, 1998) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to A Simple Plan across media.
What hooked you in A Simple Plan was the way an ordinary life unravels when a sudden, illicit windfall triggers a descent into moral ruin.
Start with the source
The source
A Simple Plan
Sam Raimi · Film · 1998
Films on the same thread
Before the Devil Knows You're Dead
Sidney Lumet · Film · 2007
Shares 2 threads with A Simple Plan: Brotherhood, Moral Decay.
Like the desperate siblings in A Simple Plan, the brothers here find that their choice to pursue easy money creates an irreversible, violent collapse of their family structure.
Blood Simple
Joel Coen · Film · 1985
Shares a thread with A Simple Plan: Moral Decay.
You will recognize the same suffocating paranoia found in A Simple Plan as a simple act of deception spirals into a chaotic, lethal web of unintended consequences.
Shallow Grave
Film · 1994
Shares 3 threads with A Simple Plan: Greed, Moral Decay, Psychological Thriller.
This film mirrors the core dilemma of A Simple Plan, where the discovery of hidden cash tests the bonds of friendship and forces characters toward inevitable betrayal.
No Country for Old Men
Joel Coen · Film · 2007
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Fate vs. Free Will, Existentialism.
Just as in A Simple Plan, a single moment of greed leads to a relentless pursuit and a dark examination of how quickly humanity can succumb to violence.
Series on the same thread
Lost
Jeffrey Lieber · Series · 2004
Explores: Survival, Secrets, Moral Ambiguity.
While the setting differs, you will find that the intense focus on secrets, survival, and the moral ambiguity of a group in crisis echoes A Simple Plan.
Your Friends & Neighbors
Jonathan Tropper · Series · 2025
Shares a thread with A Simple Plan: moral decay.
If A Simple Plan kept you engaged through its study of moral decay, this story provides a similar thrill as a suburban life is sacrificed for stolen wealth.
Twin Peaks
Mark Frost · Series · 1990
Shares a thread with A Simple Plan: Psychological Thriller.
The unsettling atmosphere of this series captures the same feeling of small-town unease that permeates A Simple Plan as hidden truths slowly surface to destroy lives.
Breaking Bad
Vince Gilligan · Series · 2008
Shares 2 threads with A Simple Plan: Moral Decay, Thriller.
The transformation of an ordinary man into a criminal mastermind mirrors the descent into darkness seen in A Simple Plan, driven by the same desperate, misguided family loyalty.
Podcasts on the same thread
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
The exploration of social decay and the dark undercurrents of a small town will resonate with anyone who appreciated the grim, grounded reality of A Simple Plan.
Small Town Murder
James Pietragallo, Jimmie Whisman · Podcast · 2026
Explores: provincial life, tragic irony, forensic breakdown.
This podcast digs into the same tragic irony and provincial darkness that makes A Simple Plan such a compelling look at how crime shatters a quiet community.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is A Simple Plan a movie or a book?
A Simple Plan is both. It originated as a 2007 book written by Scott Smith, which details the discovery of four million dollars in a crashed plane. The story was also adapted into a feature film that was released in 1998.
Should I read the book or watch the movie A Simple Plan first?
The choice depends on your preference for media. The 1998 film adaptation and the 2007 book both follow the same core plot involving two brothers and a friend who find a crashed plane containing four million dollars in cash. Both versions provide the complete story.
What is the plot of A Simple Plan?
The plot of A Simple Plan centers on two brothers and their friend who stumble upon the wreckage of a plane. They discover the pilot is dead and find a duffle bag containing four million dollars in cash, which sets off a series of complicated events.
Is the movie A Simple Plan based on the book?
Yes, the 1998 movie A Simple Plan is an adaptation of the source material written by Scott Smith. The story follows the same premise as the book, where three men discover four million dollars in a crashed plane and must deal with the consequences of their find.