What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedDisconnect
Film · 2013
If you loved Disconnect, start with Mr. Robot (Sam Esmail, 2015) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Disconnect across media.
What hooked you in Disconnect was the way our digital lives inevitably blur the lines between intimate connection and devastating isolation.
Books on the same thread
Hold Tight
Harlan Coben · Book · 2008
Shares a thread with Disconnect: Cyberbullying.
Like the fractured families in Disconnect, this thriller explores the terrifying disconnect between parents and children when digital secrets and online behavior replace honest communication and trust.
Feed
M. T. Anderson · Book · 2012
Explores: Technological Dependence, Social Commentary, Consumerism.
If Disconnect made you question the cost of constant connectivity, this dystopian vision pushes that anxiety to its extreme, showing how technology erodes the authentic human experience.
Unwind
Neal Shusterman · Book · 2009
Explores: Body Autonomy, Euthanasia, Bioethics.
This narrative echoes the desperate struggle for agency found in Disconnect, examining how vulnerable youth navigate a cold, uncaring society that views them as mere commodities to exploit.
The Machine Stops
E. M. Forster · Book · 2011
Explores: Technology Dependence, Social Isolation, Loss of Individuality.
Much like the characters in Disconnect who find themselves trapped by their own inventions, this story highlights the profound social isolation that stems from absolute reliance on technology.
Series on the same thread
Black Mirror
Charlie Brooker · Series · 2011
Shares a thread with Disconnect: Techno-thriller.
This anthology series mirrors the thematic structure of Disconnect by unveiling the dark, unintended consequences of our digital innovations and the existential crises they trigger for everyday people.
Mr. Robot
Sam Esmail · Series · 2015
Shares a thread with Disconnect: Techno-thriller.
Just as Disconnect explores the blurred boundaries of virtual interaction, this series follows a protagonist who attempts to bridge his own social isolation through the invasive power of hacking.
Psycho-Pass
Series · 2012
Explores: Moral Ambiguity, Technological Determinism, Social Control.
This series expands on the moral ambiguity present in Disconnect, questioning how technological control over human behavior fundamentally alters our capacity for empathy and personal justice.
Serial Experiments Lain
Series · 1998
Explores: Existentialism, Identity Crisis, Technological Singularity.
Sharing the haunting tone of Disconnect, this story portrays the psychological unraveling that occurs when a young person becomes consumed by the chaotic and isolating nature of the internet.
Podcasts on the same thread
Darknet Diaries
Podcast
Explores: hacking, data breaches, cybersecurity.
For those captivated by the cybercrime elements of Disconnect, these true stories provide a sobering look at the real-world impact of data breaches and the fragility of digital privacy.
Reply All
Gimlet · Podcast · 2026
Explores: internet subcultures, modern connectivity, technological ethics.
This podcast serves as the perfect companion to Disconnect, offering a deep dive into the complex ways internet subcultures and modern connectivity reshape our daily human interactions.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Disconnect based on a true story?
The description for Disconnect does not state that the film is based on a true story. It focuses on the interconnected lives of strangers dealing with the consequences of technology, including cyber-bullying, online exploitation, and the breakdown of communication within families and marriages.
How long is the movie Disconnect?
The provided metadata for Disconnect does not list the runtime of the film. The story follows several disparate characters, including a lawyer, an estranged couple, a widowed ex-cop, and an ambitious journalist, as their lives intersect through their various uses of the internet and digital technology.
What themes are explored in Disconnect?
Disconnect explores the negative impacts of technology on human relationships. It examines how cell phones and the internet contribute to a lack of communication in families, provide escapes from troubled marriages, facilitate cyber-bullying among teens, and create opportunities for the exploitation of young people for career advancement.
Does Disconnect feature a single main character?
No, Disconnect does not feature a single main character. The narrative is structured around multiple strangers whose lives intersect, including a lawyer, an estranged couple, a widowed ex-cop raising a son, and an ambitious journalist seeking a story, all of whom are navigating the complexities of modern digital life.