If you loved
Anxious People
Fredrik Backman · Book · 2021
If you loved Anxious People, you will be drawn to these stories that transform high-pressure crises into profound explorations of human vulnerability.
Films on the same thread
Dog Day Afternoon
Sidney Lumet · Film · 1975
Just as Anxious People uses a failed robbery to peel back layers of desperation, this film captures the raw humanity and social friction emerging from a sudden hostage situation.
Happiness
Film · 1998
You will recognize the same uncomfortable, darkly funny search for connection seen in Anxious People as these isolated individuals collide in their desperate, flawed pursuit of intimacy.
All Your Faces
Jeanne Herry · Film · 2023
If the redemptive power of shared trauma in Anxious People resonated with you, this film offers a moving look at how victims and offenders find understanding through dialogue.
Wild Tales
Damián Szifron · Film · 2014
Much like the chaotic open house in Anxious People, these tales examine how ordinary people reach their breaking points when the pressures of modern life become completely unmanageable.
Series on the same thread
Money Heist
Álex Pina · Series · 2017
The band of misfits in Anxious People will remind you of the motley crew assembled here, proving that high-stakes criminal plans often rely on deeply broken, relatable people.
Only Murders in the Building
Steve Martin · Series · 2021
The charm of Anxious People lies in how strangers are forced together by circumstance, a dynamic that mirrors this series where an obsession with mystery creates unlikely bonds.
Your Friends & Neighbors
Jonathan Tropper · Series · 2025
This story echoes the midlife crises and suburban malaise found in Anxious People, showing how financial desperation can drive individuals to make reckless choices within their own community.
Hijack
George Kay · Series · 2023
If you enjoyed the claustrophobic tension of Anxious People, you will appreciate how this narrative uses a confined environment to force characters into complex, high-stakes negotiations.
Podcasts on the same thread
Criminal
Vox Media Podcast Network · Podcast · 2026
This podcast mirrors the moral ambiguity of Anxious People, focusing on the human side of wrongdoing and the complex stories that exist behind every unexpected, often painful, criminal act.
Where Should We Begin? with Esther Perel
Esther Perel Global Media · Podcast · 2026
The heart of Anxious People is its focus on the inner lives of strangers, which you will find mirrored in these intimate, unscripted sessions exploring the complexities of human relationships.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Anxious People a story about a bank robbery?
Anxious People centers on a failed bank robber who takes eight strangers hostage during an open house. While the crime sets the scene, the narrative focuses on the unexpected common traits discovered among the anxiety-prone group as they navigate the situation together.
What kind of characters are in Anxious People?
Anxious People features a diverse group of eight strangers including two couples seeking to fix their marriages, a bank director looking for redemption, and a plucky octogenarian. These individuals are all described as anxiety-prone and find common ground during their time as hostages.
Does Anxious People take place at a bank?
No, Anxious People does not take place at a bank. Although the perpetrator is a failed bank robber, the hostage situation occurs at an open house. This setting brings together the eight strangers who are forced to interact while trapped in the property.
How many people are held hostage in Anxious People?
There are eight hostages in Anxious People. This group of strangers includes a bank director, two couples, and an octogenarian. The story follows these individuals as they share their personal struggles and discover unexpected commonalities while being held by the failed bank robber.