What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedDelivery Man
Ken Scott · Film · 2013
If you loved Delivery Man, start with Starbuck (Ken Scott, 2011) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Delivery Man across media.
What hooked you in Delivery Man was the way sudden, life-altering parenthood forces an unprepared adult to re-examine their own identity.
Start with the source
The source
Starbuck
Ken Scott · Film · 2011
Books on the same thread
A Man Called Ove: A Novel
Fredrik Backman · Book · 2016
Shares a thread with Delivery Man: Redemption.
Like Delivery Man, this story centers on a man whose stagnant life is interrupted by unexpected connections, leading him toward a profound sense of personal redemption and growth.
A Man Called Ove
Fredrik Backman · Book
Explores: found family, grief and loss, grumpy-to-sunshine.
Similar to the protagonist in Delivery Man, Ove finds his solitary, routine existence transformed by the arrival of new family bonds that challenge his understanding of responsibility.
Dog Man (Captain Underpants: Dog Man #1)
Dav Pilkey · Book · 2016
Explores: Superhero, Crime-fighting, Transformation.
Much like the unconventional father figure in Delivery Man, this hybrid hero embraces a sudden, life-changing role that forces a total shift in his personal identity and purpose.
The Giver
Lois Lowry · Book · 1993
Explores: Utopia, Loss of Memory, Individuality vs. Conformity.
This narrative mirrors the core of Delivery Man by exploring the heavy weight of responsibility and the journey toward self-discovery when faced with a life-altering, singular truth.
Series on the same thread
Jane the Virgin
Jennie Snyder Urman · Series · 2014
Explores: Accidental Pregnancy, Faith and Morality, Family Relationships.
If you enjoyed the chaotic, life-upending premise of Delivery Man, you will appreciate how this story forces its protagonist to navigate the sudden reality of accidental, unplanned parenthood.
Master of None
Alan Yang · Series · 2015
Explores: Dating in the modern age, Existential crisis, Career aspirations.
This series captures the same mid-life existential tension found in Delivery Man, focusing on how a man navigates the messy, awkward transition into true adult responsibility and connection.
Baby Daddy
Dan Berendsen · Series · 2012
Shares a thread with Delivery Man: Unexpected Parenthood.
This sitcom mirrors the central conflict of Delivery Man, as an unprepared young man is forced to grow up overnight when a child suddenly lands in his life.
High Maintenance
Katja Blichfeld · Series · 2016
Explores: New York City Life, Urban Loneliness, Interconnectedness.
Just as the donor in Delivery Man touches hundreds of lives, this series explores the interconnectedness of a city through a central figure who influences many disparate, unique lives.
Podcasts on the same thread
A New Untold Story
Podcast
Explores: Small-town life, Overcoming adversity, Single motherhood.
This podcast explores the same themes of identity and mystery parentage that drive Delivery Man, highlighting how one person's origin story can ripple outward to change everything.
Daddies Overnight
Podcast
Explores: Gay fathers, Adoption journey, New parents.
Like the protagonist in Delivery Man, these new parents navigate the overwhelming reality of unexpected fatherhood, finding their way through the chaos of building a new family identity.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Delivery Man based on a true story or another film?
Delivery Man is a 2013 remake of the 2011 French-Canadian film titled Starbuck. Both movies follow the same plot regarding a man who discovers he fathered 533 children through anonymous fertility clinic donations and faces a lawsuit from 142 of his offspring seeking to reveal his identity.
Should I watch Starbuck if I enjoyed Delivery Man?
Yes, if you enjoyed Delivery Man, you should watch Starbuck. It is the original 2011 film directed by Ken Scott that served as the source material for the 2013 remake. Both films explore the same premise of an underachiever dealing with the consequences of his past anonymous donations.
What is the premise of the movie Delivery Man?
Delivery Man tells the story of an affable underachiever who discovers he fathered 533 children through anonymous fertility clinic donations twenty years earlier. The plot focuses on his difficult decision regarding whether to reveal his identity after 142 of those children file a lawsuit to uncover who he is.
How many children are involved in the lawsuit in Delivery Man?
In the movie Delivery Man, 142 of the 533 children fathered by the protagonist file a lawsuit to reveal his identity. This legal action forces the main character to decide whether he will step forward and acknowledge his role as their biological father after twenty years of anonymity.