What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedBad Bad Girl
Gish Jen · Book · 2025
If you loved Bad Bad Girl, start with Better Things (Pamela Adlon, 2016) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Bad Bad Girl across media.
You were drawn to Bad Bad Girl because of its unflinching, complex exploration of the messy, often painful dynamics defining mother-daughter relationships.
Films on the same thread
The Housemaid
Paul Feig · Film · 2025
Explores: Class Conflict, Gaslighting, Identity Theft.
Much like the secrets buried within Bad Bad Girl, this thriller explores the high-stakes power dynamics and unsettling hidden agendas that can exist within a domestic space.
Lady Bird
Greta Gerwig · Film · 2017
Explores: Mother-Daughter Relationship, Teenage Rebellion, Self-Discovery.
If the coming-of-age tension in Bad Bad Girl resonated with you, this film offers a similarly sharp, poignant look at the friction between teenage identity and maternal expectations.
The Lost Daughter
Maggie Gyllenhaal · Film · 2021
Explores: Regret, Motherhood, Female Guilt.
This film mirrors the deep psychological excavation found in Bad Bad Girl, forcing a confrontation with the lingering weight of past trauma and the complexities of maternal regret.
American Fiction
Cord Jefferson · Film · 2023
Explores: Authenticity, Identity, Hypocrisy.
Just as Bad Bad Girl critiques cultural assimilation and identity, this satire navigates the hypocrisy and performative expectations that shape how we present our true selves to society.
Series on the same thread
Gilmore Girls
Amy Sherman-Palladino · Series · 2000
Explores: Mother-Daughter Relationship, Intergenerational Relationships, Class Differences.
While lighter in tone, this series captures the same intricate, fast-paced dialogue and intergenerational bond that serve as the narrative heartbeat of Gish Jen's Bad Bad Girl.
Mom
Eddie Gorodetsky · Series · 2013
Shares a thread with Bad Bad Girl: Intergenerational Trauma.
This series echoes the raw, dysfunctional family realities of Bad Bad Girl, focusing on the difficult process of healing from intergenerational trauma while navigating a flawed mother-daughter connection.
Malcolm in the Middle: Life's Still Unfair
Linwood Boomer · Series · 2026
Explores: familial obligation, generational trauma, estrangement.
Fans of the generational trauma explored in Bad Bad Girl will appreciate this look at how past family dynamics continue to haunt and shape adult lives through forced proximity.
Better Things
Pamela Adlon · Series · 2016
Shares a thread with Bad Bad Girl: Coming-of-Age.
This show provides a grounded, honest perspective on the daily labor of motherhood, mirroring the authentic, unfiltered look at family life that defines the pages of Bad Bad Girl.
Podcasts on the same thread
Mad, Sad and Bad with Paloma Faith
Podcast
Explores: mental health, emotional wellbeing, self-perception.
If you valued the introspective identity work in Bad Bad Girl, this podcast offers a similar space to dissect how our self-perception is influenced by external labels and expectations.
Bad B*tch Bible
Podcast
Explores: dating advice, relationship advice, self-love.
This podcast shares the bold, provocative spirit of Bad Bad Girl, challenging the societal constraints and misogynistic structures that often complicate a woman's journey toward self-actualization.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Bad Bad Girl an autobiographical novel?
Yes, Bad Bad Girl is an autobiographical novel written by Gish Jen. It traces a tumultuous mother-daughter relationship and has been recognized as a standout work of literature, appearing on the L.A. Times list of the 15 best books of the year and the Time 100 best books list.
Who authored Bad Bad Girl?
The book Bad Bad Girl was written by Gish Jen. Published in 2025, the work has received significant critical acclaim, with Junot Díaz describing it as the definitive multigenerational mother-daughter epic of our new century and the Boston Globe calling it a transcendent work of art.
Has Bad Bad Girl been featured in any notable book clubs?
Yes, Bad Bad Girl was selected as a RuPaul's Book Club pick. The novel is widely recognized for its engrossing and blisteringly funny-sad narrative, earning spots on multiple prestigious year-end lists including the L.A. Times 15 best books of the year and the Time 100 best books.
How is the tone of Bad Bad Girl described by critics?
Critics describe the tone of Bad Bad Girl as engrossing and blisteringly funny-sad. This autobiographical novel by Gish Jen explores the complexities of a mother-daughter relationship and has been celebrated by reviewers as a transcendent work of art and a major multigenerational epic of the new century.