What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedBeforeigners
Anne Bjørnstad · Series · 2019
If you loved Beforeigners, start with Alien Nation (1988) — a film on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 films and 2 podcasts, each matched to Beforeigners across media.
You loved Beforeigners for the way it forces disparate cultures to navigate the friction of an uneasy, forced integration.
Books on the same thread
The Last Policeman
Ben H. Winters · Book · 2013
Shares a thread with Beforeigners: Police Procedural.
Like Beforeigners, this story uses a procedural framework to explore how individuals maintain their sense of duty and moral compass while society undergoes a massive, irreversible, and existential shift.
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Toshikazu Kawaguchi · Book · 2019
Shares a thread with Beforeigners: Time Travel.
If the poignant, fish-out-of-water sentimentality of Beforeigners resonated with you, this narrative offers a similar focus on the emotional weight of time travel and the lingering ache of memory.
Eaters of the Dead
Michael Crichton · Book · 2006
Explores: Vikings, Monsters, Cultural Clash.
The intense cultural friction and survivalist themes found in Beforeigners are mirrored here, as an outsider is thrust into the harsh, unfamiliar customs of a Viking-era society.
TransMIGRATIONS
Eddie Louise · Book · 2018
Shares a thread with Beforeigners: Time Travel.
This epistolary exploration of shifting timelines captures the same scientific curiosity and existential dread that permeates the world-building of Beforeigners, keeping the focus squarely on the characters.
Films on the same thread
Predestination
Film · 2014
Shares a thread with Beforeigners: Time Travel.
Much like the detective partnership in Beforeigners, this film uses a hard-boiled procedural structure to grapple with the complex, often messy consequences of manipulating time and human identity.
Alien Nation
Film · 1988
Shares a thread with Beforeigners: Police Procedural.
This classic buddy-cop story provides the direct blueprint for the social commentary found in Beforeigners, depicting the difficult integration of an alien population into modern human society.
Blade Runner 2049
Denis Villeneuve · Film · 2017
Explores: Artificial Intelligence, Existentialism, Memory and Identity.
The neo-noir atmosphere and focus on identity within a changing, dystopian landscape will feel familiar to anyone who enjoyed the grit and mystery of Beforeigners.
Arrival
Denis Villeneuve · Film · 2016
Explores: Linguistics, Communication, Existentialism.
If you appreciated the linguistic and cultural communication barriers in Beforeigners, you will value how this film forces humanity to confront its own limitations when encountering the truly foreign.
Podcasts on the same thread
1619
The New York Times · Podcast · 2019
Explores: systemic racism, national identity, legacy of slavery.
This podcast mirrors the historical investigation at the heart of Beforeigners, examining how the arrival of a new group irrevocably altered the trajectory of a developing nation.
Forensic Files
Podcast
Explores: crime scene investigation, scientific analysis, evidence-based analysis.
The reliance on evidence-based analysis to solve complex, high-stakes mysteries makes this a perfect companion for those who enjoyed the clinical, procedural side of the Beforeigners world.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What is the premise of Beforeigners?
Beforeigners depicts a future where people from the Stone Age, the Viking era, and the 19th century mysteriously reappear in the modern world following flashes of light in the ocean. The series focuses on the social integration of these individuals into contemporary society alongside local law enforcement.
Who are the main characters in Beforeigners?
Beforeigners features a central partnership between a modern-day police officer and Alfhildr, a woman who arrives in the present day from the Viking Age. They work together as partners to navigate the complexities caused by the arrival of individuals from three distinct historical time periods.
Are there multiple time periods represented in Beforeigners?
Yes, Beforeigners features people who originate from three separate historical eras. These individuals are referred to as beforeigners and arrive from the Stone Age, the Viking era, and the late 19th century, creating a unique societal dynamic in the near future setting of the series.
How did the phenomenon in Beforeigners begin?
The phenomenon in Beforeigners began with powerful flashes of light occurring in the ocean. Following these events, people from the past started appearing in the modern world. This occurrence serves as the foundation for the series and the resulting social challenges faced by the characters.