What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedDelicatessen
Jean-Pierre Jeunet · Film · 1991
If you loved Delicatessen, start with Delicious in Dungeon (2024) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Delicatessen across media.
You were drawn to the way Delicatessen balances horrific moral compromises with a deeply strange, darkly comedic sense of survival.
Books on the same thread
Slaughterhouse-Five
Kurt Vonnegut · Book · 1991
Explores: Trauma, Free Will vs. Determinism, Time Travel.
Like Delicatessen, this satire uses absurdity to confront the trauma of existence, forcing you to navigate the disorienting, nonlinear nature of human survival amidst a backdrop of total destruction.
A Canticle for Leibowitz
Walter M. Miller (Jr.) · Book · 1997
Explores: Nuclear War, Religious Order, Preservation of Knowledge.
This novel echoes the grim, post-apocalyptic atmosphere of Delicatessen, exploring how humanity clings to its rituals and moral structures even when the world has collapsed into a dark age.
Blindness
José Saramago · Book · 1999
Shares a thread with Delicatessen: Moral Decay.
If the societal breakdown and claustrophobic tension in Delicatessen captivated you, this narrative of sudden, forced survival will provide a similarly unflinching look at human nature during a crisis.
The Ones who Walk Away from Omelas
Ursula K. Le Guin · Book · 1993
Explores: Utilitarianism, Moral compromise, Social responsibility.
This story mirrors the uncomfortable moral dilemma at the heart of Delicatessen, challenging you to consider the cost of collective comfort when built upon the suffering of an innocent.
Series on the same thread
Delicious in Dungeon
Series · 2024
Explores: Dungeon Crawling, Monster Hunting, Culinary Adventure.
This series captures the eccentric culinary survivalism seen in Delicatessen, turning the grim necessity of finding food in a dangerous, ruined world into a bizarrely charming and inventive adventure.
Love, Death & Robots
Tim Miller · Series · 2019
Explores: Existentialism, Transhumanism, Artificial Intelligence.
Fans of the dark, surreal aesthetic in Delicatessen will appreciate this anthology, which frequently blends high-concept science fiction with the same kind of morbid, stylish humor and moral ambiguity.
Future Boy Conan
Series · 1978
Explores: Environmentalism, Loss of Innocence, Technological Dystopia.
Much like Delicatessen, this series explores the loss of innocence in a sunken, post-disaster world, balancing the heavy weight of environmental catastrophe with a uniquely stylized and adventurous spirit.
Beetlejuice
Tim Burton · Series · 1989
Explores: Death Positivity, Friendship, Outsiders.
The gothic, supernatural absurdity of this series resonates with the surreal visual language of Delicatessen, offering a quirky, dark-humored look at death and the strange characters who inhabit it.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Tim Dillon Show
Podcast
Explores: social commentary, end of the world, cynicism.
This podcast channels the cynical, apocalyptic humor found in Delicatessen, providing a satirical lens on modern decay that feels like a natural extension of the butcher shop's grim reality.
Desinteligencia Artificial
Podcast
Explores: Modern Society, Technology, Future.
This podcast explores the same dystopian social criticism that defines Delicatessen, offering a philosophical look at the moral decay of our modern, technology-driven world through a lens of dark commentary.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Delicatessen a post-apocalyptic film?
Yes, Delicatessen is set in a post-apocalyptic world where food is in short supply. The story centers on an apartment building located above a butcher shop where residents rely on the butcher to provide meat, which has become a rare and highly sought-after delicacy.
What is the central conflict in Delicatessen?
The main conflict in Delicatessen arises when a young man arrives in town and falls in love with the butcher's daughter. This romance creates significant tension within the family, as the butcher and his relatives have other business-related plans for the newcomer that do not involve his relationship.
What is the primary trade in the world of Delicatessen?
In the world of Delicatessen, the primary trade involves the butcher shop. Because meat is in such low supply in this post-apocalyptic setting, the butcher holds a position of power over the apartment residents who depend on him for their occasional supply of food.
Who are the central characters in Delicatessen?
Delicatessen focuses on a young man who moves into an apartment building above a butcher shop, the butcher who manages the shop, and the butcher's daughter. The narrative follows how the arrival of the young man and his budding romance with the daughter disrupt the butcher's existing business operations.